Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen to the city centre: the M11 and M4 metros, Havaist coaches, buses, taxis and private transfers

💡 The Short Version: Istanbul has two airports. At Istanbul Airport (IST), on the European side, the M11 metro runs to Gayrettepe, six stations away, where you change to the M2; the Havaist coach to Sultanahmet is 8 euros on Havaist’s own page and ₺420 on the municipality’s tariff, and to Taksim ₺470; IETT’s H-line buses are ₺92.40. At Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), on the Asian side, the M4 metro reaches Kadıköy in 52 minutes for ₺46.20. Taxis run on the meter at both. Pay with an Istanbulkart: on the M11 a single-use ticket or contactless card is charged as three rides, ₺185. A pre-booked private transfer is from €55 for a group of up to 4 at IST and from €28 for a group of up to 6 at either airport. Fares are the municipality’s tariff in force since 20 July 2026.

Istanbul Airport (IST), compared

IST is about 35 km north-west of the centre. The Havaist and IETT buses leave from the transport level (-2), outside arrivals.

The international departures hall at Istanbul Airport. Photo: Arne Müseler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The M11 metro

₺42.34 to Gayrettepe · six stations · the Halkalı end opened 20 June 2026

The M11 runs from Gayrettepe through Kağıthane, Üniversite-Hasdal, Kemerburgaz, Göktürk and İhsaniye to Istanbul Airport, then on through Kargo Terminali, Taşoluk and Arnavutköy to Halkalı, a Marmaray station (istairport.com). The Halkalı section opened on 20 June 2026. At Gayrettepe, the M2 runs to Şişli, Taksim, Şişhane and Yenikapı; for Sultanahmet, change again to the T1 tram. The fare is by distance: ₺37.40 for 1 to 3 stations, ₺42.34 for 4 to 6, ₺47.89 for 7 to 8 and up to ₺73.19 for 15 to 16. The first tap-in charges the maximum and the exit gate refunds the difference. A single-use ticket or contactless bank card is charged as three rides, ₺185, whatever the distance, so buy an Istanbulkart (see Istanbul public transport).

Inside an M11 train. Photo: Alikam1896, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Havaist and IETT buses

Havaist from ₺350 · IETT H-line ₺92.40 · from level -2

Havaist is the airport’s own coach brand and runs 11 routes between IST and the city. Each line has a fare in the municipality’s tariff: Sultanahmet ₺420, Beyazıt ₺370, Aksaray ₺470, Taksim ₺470, Levent and Beşiktaş ₺405, Bakırköy, İncirli and Merter ₺420, Halkalı ₺350, Avcılar and Beylikdüzü ₺460 and Kadıköy ₺515. Havaist’s own English page for the Sultanahmet line gives its fare as 8 euros. That line stops at Çatladıkapı in Sultanahmet, Eminönü Pier, Şişhane, Türabi Baba Park, Hasköy Park and Miniatürk (blog.hava.ist). The Taksim service runs either through Beşiktaş and Zincirlikuyu to 4. Levent, or express by Piyalepaşa and the Nurtepe Viaduct. Buy tickets at hava.ist or in the app, or pay on board with an Istanbulkart, credit or debit card; the call centre is on 0850 888 33 34. Wheelchair users should ask Havaist for an accessible midibus at least one hour ahead at the airport.

A Havaist coach at the terminal kerb. Photo: Matti Blume, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

IETT runs five bus routes from the same level at ₺92.40 on an Istanbulkart: the H-1 to Mahmutbey Metro, the H-2 to Mecidiyeköy, the H-3 to Halkalı Marmaray, the H-6 to Yunus Emre and the H-8 to Hacıosman Metro. Its airport buses are wheelchair accessible.

Taxis from IST

Metered · 24 hours · stands at arrival gates 9 and 13

Taxis run at IST 24 hours a day from the main stands at the domestic and international exit doors, and from the departures floor. There are three kinds: orange (type C), turquoise (D) and black (E), and the municipality’s tariff puts turquoise fares 15% above the standard taxi and black 70% above (istairport.com). The standard tariff from 20 July 2026 is ₺71.94 to start, ₺47.92 per kilometre and a minimum fare of ₺230; the turquoise taxi starts at ₺82.73 and the black at ₺122.30. Bridge, tunnel and toll charges are added to the meter. Take a taxi from the rank: the FCDO says lifts from unofficial taxis are highly risky (gov.uk). The Istanbul public transport guide has the tariff in full.

Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)

SAW is on the Asian side at Pendik, 40 km from Kadıköy and 50 km from Taksim.

The M4 metro

₺46.20 · 52 minutes · 06:00 to 00:00

The airport station opened on 2 October 2022 and has three entrances: the car park and domestic CIP lounge, the airport hotel and the terminal. The M4 has 23 stations between the airport and Kadıköy, where the ferries to Eminönü and Karaköy leave, and runs every 5 minutes at peak times (Metro Istanbul). A single-use ticket or contactless card costs ₺65 a ride on the metro, so an Istanbulkart saves ₺18.80 on each first boarding.

Between the two airports

The municipality’s tariff has an airport coach line between Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen, HVL-10, at ₺530. Private transfers between the airports take 1½ to 2 hours by road, the operators say.

Private transfers

From €55 for up to 4 at IST · from €28 for up to 6 at either airport

A driver meets you at arrivals, tracks your flight and waits if it is delayed. Istanbul: Private Transfer from/to Istanbul Airport (IST)ad is from €55 for a group of up to 4. The operator says the drive to the Old City districts takes about 45 to 50 minutes and to Taksim 50 to 60 minutes. Istanbul: Private Transfer from/to Sabiha & Istanbul Airportad is from €28 for a group of up to 6 at either airport, with road times of 60 to 70 minutes from IST to the Old City and 80 to 100 minutes from SAW. For departures, plan the pick-up at least 3½ hours before the flight.

After you arrive

Carry your passport or photo ID; the FCDO notes it is illegal not to carry photographic ID in Turkey. Istanbul public transport explains the Istanbulkart, the tram to Sultanahmet and the ferries. What to book before you go to Istanbul lists the sights that need tickets, and where to stay in Istanbul compares the areas by their tram and metro lines. The day trips from Istanbul leave from the city, and Istanbul scams covers unofficial taxis.