Istanbul Airport to City Center: How to Get There!

Getting from Istanbul Airport to city center! Getting to the city center from the airport is usually one of the last things I research before going on a trip.

And when I looked up the details a few days before leaving I was a little surprised; the drive from Istanbul’s main international airport (IST) to the city center of Istanbul can take nearly an hour!

So what is the best way to get from Istanbul airport to city center?

Here are details on the transportation options, the most efficient way to get there, the cheapest way to get there and more so you can land in Istanbul prepared to start exploring!

Istanbul airport (IST) is located about 29 miles northwest of the city center. These 29 miles can take 45 minutes to nearly an hour by car, depending on traffic.

While the Istanbul Airport is probably considered inconveniently located, it is going to be the primary international airport, and likely the one you fly into if you are coming from outside of Turkey.

But, despite the distance from the city center, you have quite a few options on transportation from the airport!

Again, there are no shortage of transportation options to get from Istanbul’s airport to the city center: bus, metro, taxi, private transfer or rent a car.

There are perks and downfalls to all of these and the best option for everyone will depend on priorities.

Bus

There are two options of buses to take you from Istanbul airport to city center. The coach buses with Havaist and the city buses through IETT.

Havaist Buses- These coach buses operate from Istanbul Airport to various spots around Turkey and in Istanbul. One-way tickets to the city center are about 470 Turkish Lira (~10 USD) and can be bought online, on the app, or probably at the airport (recommend getting the app.)

These buses can be found on the second floor of the Istanbul Airport and rides to the city center usually take about an hour and a half.

IETT City Buses- There are several city buses of Istanbul that go to the Istanbul airport (H1, H2, H3, H6 and H8.) Which bus you take depends on which area of Istanbul you are headed to. The IETT website has a list of the stops for each city bus.

A city bus ride will cost only about 50 Turkish Lira, or less than $2 USD. However, you will need to get an Istanbulkart and load it with money prior to getting on the buses.

You can also find these on the second floor of the Istanbul airport. However, you should prep for nearly two hours for the city bus to get into the city center.

Metro

Istanbul city center is connected to the airport via metro as well. The M11 line will take you closest to Istanbul’s city center. However, from the end of that line you will have to either take the M7 or another metro line or a city bus, depending on what part of Istanbul you are headed to.

Metro rides are about 42 Turkish Lira (less than $1 USD) and will use the same card as the city buses (which, again, will need to be preloaded at the airport.)

Taxi

As with most airports, you will find taxis sitting outside waiting to take you to the city center. Taxi costs are calculated via meter and vary depending on where you want to go.

From the airport, you should expect to pay between 1,500 to 2,500 TRY or $45 to $75 USD to get to the city center.

There are 3 different tiers of taxis in Istanbul: an orange, turquoise and black taxi.

1. Orange taxis are the standard “economy” taxi
2. Turquoise taxis are slight larger, considered “mid-tier” and will charge 15% more than the orange taxis and
3. Black taxis are bigger (for up to 8 people), considered luxury and will accrue a charge 70% more than those of the orange taxis.

So, if you are traveling with 2-3 people, watch out for the black taxis!

Private Airport Pickup

Rather than taking a taxi and not knowing the exact cost up front, you can opt to take a private transfer from the airport to the city center if you don’t want to use public transportation.

These are sometimes cheaper, sometimes more expensive compared to a taxi depending on how many people you are traveling with and what kind of transportation you book.

The major upside is that you will know exactly how much your ride will be before you take it.

We opted to book our ride through Klook. We paid about $50 USD for a van to transport 4 people to Istanbul city center. For us, this was probably a little less than a taxi since we had 4 people and would probably have to upgrade our taxi.

Pre-book airport transportation through Klook

You can also double check with your hotel! A lot of the hotels will offer private airport transfers to/from the hotel. These fees vary (probably depending on how fancy your hotel is,) but our friends booked their transportation this way and it was a comparable price to booking your own transportation.

Your last option is to rent a car. If you are strictly visiting Istanbul and no other part of Turkey, this is not your best option.

You won’t need a rental car to get around Istanbul and you will likely have a hard time finding parking

However, if you are planning to explore more of Turkey (which I do recommend!) a car rental COULD be good for you. It depends on where you want to go after Istanbul; whether it will be best to drive or take a plane or train.

If it is best to drive, your options are:

1. To rent a car as soon as you land in Istanbul and make sure you find a hotel with private parking OR
2. Take transportation into the city, explore and then when you are ready to leave Istanbul, transport back to the airport and pick up your rental car at the end of your Istanbul days.

Option 1 is best if you plan to drive back to Istanbul to fly out. Option 2 is best if you plan to go pretty far into Turkey and it is easier to leave your rental car at another Turkey location and fly or train back to Istanbul to fly out!

Book a rental car in Turkey!

Most Efficient Option

The most efficient way to get from Istanbul Airport to the city center is to have a ride in place when you arrive at the airport. Whether this is:

• Hopping in a taxi that is sitting outside the airport
• Or having a pre-booked ride ready to pick you up

Buses are going to make stops along the way and could take you 1.5 to 2 hours to get to the city center depending on timing of the buses and traffic.

**HOWEVER. If traffic is heavy when you arrive, the metro may be quicker than taking a private transfer!**

Cheapest Option

Your cheapest options are going to be public transportation. More specifically, getting the Istanbulkart. With this, you can take the metro or city bus for $1-$2 USD per ride.

Your most affordable, quicker route will be to take the coach bus through Havaist, which will cost you around $10 USD one-way. While these buses do make stops at different neighborhoods, you should get to the city center within an hour to an hour and a half (compared to sometimes 2 hours with using the city bus.)

The metro CAN be the cheapest and the fastest route, but it is going to depend on time of day and where you are going to in Istanbul (if you have to make multiple transfers, etc.)

As with many things, the best way is going to depend. But, you DO have several quick options and several affordable options to get into Istanbul’s city center!

And, just know, that the Istanbul airport is a little further from the city than many other major cities, so be patient while you make your way into the city center!

Looking for an itinerary for Istanbul? How to spend 2 days in Istanbul maximizing your time to see the Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Basilica Cistern and more!

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