What is the distance from Istanbul Airport to the centre of Istanbul?
The distance from the airport to Sultanahmet, known as Istanbul’s old city, is 46 kilometres / 28.6 miles. Due to the long distance, a journey by car from the airport to the city centre will take 50 to 60 minutes.
From IST Airport to Istanbul City centre by Taxi
Public transport
Travel tips: Book a hotel or apartment in Istanbul early in advance. From the airport you can continue your journey by taxi, rental car, metro M11 and bus. Buy an Istanbulkart at Istanbul Airport for 70 TL if you want to travel by public transport in Istanbul.
Bus to Istanbul
Since 29 October 2018, public buses (New Airport Transit Bus) run from and to the airport. Between 2018 and 2028 bus transportation will be operated by HAVAİST and İETT, both bus providers are owned by Otobüs AŞ. Every day, a total of 250 buses run between Istanbul Airport and the European and Asian side of Istanbul. There are 11 HAVAİST routes and 5 İETT routes as you can see below. Travel time is 30 to 90 minutes, depending on your destination. Be aware, none of the İETT bus services will take you directly to the centre of Istanbul (Taksim/Sultanahmet).
Bus tickets
The bus station on floor -2 can be reached with elevators and escalators, it is possible to buy tickets here. You can opt for a rechargeable Istanbulkart (70 TL), Single Ticket (25 TL), Two Pass Ticket (45 TL), Three Pass Ticket (70 TL), Five Pass Ticket (105 TL) or Ten Pass Ticket (200 TL). We recommend travellers to buy an Istanbulkart, you need to top up in order to use the smart card. At Istanbul Airport, this is possible at the HAVAİST ticket counters and biletmatik machines in yellow and blue colours. You can use an Istanbulkart with several people, children up to 5 years travel for free with public transport in Istanbul. If you are in possession of an Istanbulkart you only pay 17.70 TL for a single journey in Istanbul.
Bus routes (16!)
The most popular routes to Taksim and Sultanahmet are operated by HAVAİST, these buses run every 15 minutes to and from the airport. Take into account a travel time of 1 hour and 15 minutes, the price is 170 TL with an Istanbulkart. It is cheaper to travel with airport express bus H-2 to metro station Şişli-Mecidiyeköy and then change to metro line M2 to Taksim and Sultanahmet, this however will take much longer. HAVAİST coaches offer enough space for luggage at the bottom of the bus, İETT buses have limited space for baggage. Please consult website Istanbul Airport for more information.
HAVAİST, destinations and fares:
HVİST-5 Esenler Otogar, 132 TL
HVİST-5A Arnavutköy, 70 TL
HVİST-6 Halkalı – Başakşehir, 125 TL
HVİST-7 Silivri, 215 TL
HVİST-8 Beylikdüzü, 165 TL
HVİST-9 Avcılar – Bahçeşehir, 132 TL
HVİST-10 Bakırköy, 151 TL
HVİST-12 Beyazıt Meydanı (Eminönü/Sultanahmet), 170 TL
HVİST-13 Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı, 215 TL
HVİST-14 Kadıköy, 186 TL
HVİST-16 Taksim, 170 TL
İETT, destinations and fares:
H-1 Mahmutbey Metro, 35.40 TL
H-2 Mecidiyeköy, 35.40 TL
H-3 Halkalı Marmaray, 35.40 TL
H-5 Yunus Emre Mah. Arnavutköy, 35.40 TL
H-8 Hacıosman/Sarıyer, 35.40 TL
Book the Istanbul Guided Tour with Lunch and visit Istanbul’s most famous sights with a professional guide: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace.
Metro to Istanbul
On January 22, 2023, the metro connection to and from Istanbul Airport opened, it is now possible to travel between the airport and Gayrettepe metro station (Şişli district) via İhsaniye, Göktürk, Kemerburgaz, Hasdal-Üniversite and Kağıthane. Travel time by metro M11 from Istanbul Airport to Gayrettepe metro station is 25 minutes, metros run in both directions every 5 to 10 minutes. At Gayrettepe metro station you have to change once to metro M2 in the direction of Yenikapi to get to the centre of Istanbul. The total journey time from Istanbul Airport to the city centre is 45 minutes (Taksim) to 52 minutes (Veznecıler, Eminönü/Sultanhament).
The western part of metro M11 between Istanbul Airport and Halkalı Railway Station will not open until 2025. To travel by metro you need an Istanbulkart, which you can buy and/or recharge at the ticket machines at the metro stations in Istanbul, including at Istanbul Airport. A one-way metro ride from Istanbul Airport to the centre of the city is relatively cheap, the price is 35.40 TL per person. Istanbul Airport’s new and modern metro station is located in front of the terminal at approximately 250 metres distance, accessible via a walkway. It is a 10 minute walk from the Arrivals hall. Please consult website Metro Istanbul for more information.
Book a taxi from Istanbul Airport to your hotel.
Train to Istanbul
In the future, Istanbul Airport will have a fast railway connection (HST – High Speed Train) via the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, allowing people to travel quickly between the European and Asian part of Turkey. The rail connection will provide a direct connection by public transportation between Istanbul Airport and Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport. This prestigious project is known as the Northern Marmara Highway.
Book a taxi from Istanbul Airport to your hotel.
Book a taxi
