What is the distance from Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport to the centre of Istanbul?
The airport lies on the outskirts of the city, but it takes a while to get to the centre of the city. Istanbul is huge and quite chaotic. The distance to the old city (Sultanahmet) on the European side of Istanbul is 46 kilometres / 28.6 miles, which takes 60 to 70 minutes by car.
From SAW 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 M4 and bus. Buy an Istanbulkart at Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport for 70 TL if you want to travel by public transport in Istanbul.
Metro to Istanbul (Kadiköy and Sultanahmet)
Since October 2022, Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport is accessible by metro, a very positive development for locals and tourists. Metro M4 connects the airport with Kadiköy, you can change to the Metrobüs (station Ünalan), Marmaray train (station Ayrılık Çeşmesi) and ferry (station Kadiköy). It takes 52 minutes from Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport to Kadiköy, also in the Asian part of Istanbul. If your final destination is Sultanahmet in the European part of Istanbul, you have to get off after 48 minutes at Ayrılık Çeşmesi station and change to the Marmaray train in the direction of Halkalı. It takes another 8 minutes to reach Sirkeci İstasyonu through a railway tunnel. This station is within walking distance of Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Travel time from the airport by public transport including one change (metro and Marmaray) is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Sirkeci İstasyonu is also connected to tram line 1. Not the fastest way, but the most beautiful way is the combination of metro and ferry. In this case you have to get to metro station Kadiköy and change there for a ferry heading to the European part of Istanbul (Eminönü, Karaköy, Kabatas or Besiktas). Take into account a travel time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The metro station at Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport is next to the terminal, it is a 5-minute walk from the Arrivals hall. Metro M4 departs every 5 minutes in the direction of Kadiköy and Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport, every day of the week between 06:00 hours and 00:00 hours. On weekends, the metro runs 24 hours a day. Tickets for public transportation in Istanbul can be purchased from the yellow biletmatik ticket machines at the stations. You can buy single tickets or an Istanbulkart for 70 TL and top it up with cash or card. If you plan to use public transport in Istanbul more often, it is easier and cheaper to buy an Istanbulkart. The price for a ticket from the airport to Sirkeci in Sultanahmet is 35.40 TL (with Istanbulkart) or 45.00 TL (Two Pass Ticket). Kadiköy can be reached for only 17.70 TL (with Istanbulkart) or 25.00 TL (Single Ticket). For the ferry crossing you pay 24.98 TL, the journey time is 20 minutes. Metro M4 is faster than bus E-10 and bus E-11 to Kadiköy, which are still active. Alternatives are bus E-3 to metro station 4. Levent, bus E-9 to Bostanci and bus 16S to Metrobüs station Uzuncayir. Please consult website Metro Istanbul for more information.
Make a reservation for the Istanbul Guided Tour with Lunch and visit the most famous sights in Istanbul accompanied by a professional guide: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace.
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Havabüs to Istanbul (Taksim, Kadiköy and Sultanahmet)
Havabüs takes you directly from the airport to Taksim in the European part of the city and Kadiköy in the Asian part. It is the best known shuttle bus service for transportation to and from the airport. The white buses of Havabüs depart every 30 minutes from Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport, Taksim and Kadiköy. You will find the airport bus stop in front of the Arrivals hall on the other side of the road. Travel time is at least 90 minutes to Taksim and a minimum of 60 minutes to the ferry terminal of Kadiköy. Tourists mainly use the bus service to Taksim, because here and in Sultanahmet you can find most of the hotels. The bus stop in Taksim is 500 metres from Taksim Square next to Point Hotel Taksim. Previously, the shuttle services were carried out by Havas and later Havatas, these are predecessors not different bus companies.
Havabüs service SG2 Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport – Taksim, every 30 min.
Havabüs service SG1 Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen Airport – Kadiköy, every 30 min.
Havabüs tickets
In front of the airport you will find an information desk of Havabüs. However, you should buy tickets on board the bus. After departure, an employee comes by and sells tickets, you can pay with cash or use your Istanbulkart. Below are the prices from and/or to Taksim, for a one-way trip to Kadiköy the costs are lower (91 TL). Children up to 6 years of age may travel for free. If you want to go to Sultanahmet you can transfer to a city bus or taxi (200 TL) at Taksim. The last bus from the airport leaves at 01:00 hours, the first bus at 03:30 hours from Taksim and 04:15 hours from Kadiköy. There is ample space for luggage in the cargo area of the buses. Small bottles of water are sold on board for 10 TL each. Please consult website and timetable Havabüs for more information.
| Prices | Single | Return |
| Adults | 121 TL | 242 TL |
| Children, from 7 years | 121 TL | 242 TL |
Make a reservation for the Istanbul Guided Tour with Lunch and visit the most famous sights in Istanbul accompanied by a professional guide: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace.
