Istanbul International Airport to the city center (Sultanahmet)

Istanbul International Airport (IST) > Transportation > City Center

What is the distance from Istanbul Airport to the city center

On average, the distance from the airport to Sultanahmet Square is something like 50 km while the same distance from another airport, Sabiha Gokcen, is only 3 km shorter. By the way, don’t you know that Ataturk Airport which was HAVIST airport’s predecessor, was only 48 km from the city center?
To make it simpler to comprehend the routes from the new airport to the central districts of Istanbul, let’s compare prices and timings provided by various options.

Shuttle transfer depends on the conditions of its provider. Please, get into detail about reservations, costs, schedules of the shuttles provided by hotels, airlines, or HAVAIST itself.
The exact cost of car rent varies depending on the car’s class and the time you rent it for.

Istanbul airport rental car center to get to city center

The most convenient and easy type of transfer available for IST airport visitors are car rentals. These services are available throughout domestic and international terminal of the airport provided by different companies, likewise local Turkish and international services. They provide diverse pricing based on the company’s policy, the car class, and the time you rent it. For example, average rates for car rental in Turkey are the following:

• Economy vehicle starts from 930 TL per day;
• Mini is from 4,245 TL;
• Premium is over 6,355 TL;
• Luxury cars are offered for 13,218 TL for one day.

You have to show your valid driver’s license when you opt for car rental and sign a contract for so many days as you need.

Taxi from Istanbul Airport to the city center

Taxis are among the most alternatively diverse transport methods from IST airport to Sultanahmet. Different services work in this field to service people whose flights arrive to HAVAIST. Thus, you can take a taxi right at the airport or in nearby locations. All of them gladly drive you to the center of the city from Beykoz to Gayrettepe.

Cost of the taxi from Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet

The taxi’s costs when you need to come from the new airport somewhere to Sultanahmet, Aksaray, or Taksim Square are different depending on the type of a taxi that operates. Orange taxis are the cheapest while premium black vehicles of the finest quality are costly.
As usual, a driver you hire riding a taxi takes from 350 Turkish lira for a ride. Yet, the price can be higher in high traffic hours or bad weather conditions, likewise in tourist season from March to January. Besides, it is recommended to get a taxi booking beforehand, using online services to book a car with your debit or credit cards and under your email or even having its business pages on Facebook, especially if your arrivals to the airport are at midnight or late at night when taxis are not available.
Note that taxis in Istanbul don’t require tips yet they get extra fees for Marmaroy rides and bridge crossings.

Bus transfer from Istanbul Airport to the city center

Buses are among the cheapest and at once diverse transport methods that connect the airport with the city center. A person arriving at the new airport has an excellent opportunity to enter one of the city buses and special buses as well.

• Airport’s HAVAIST shuttle buses operate daily with set timetables according to special route that may run from the airport and end at the most spectacular traveling site like Taksim or Sultanahmet. You can find the station of HAVAIST airport’s shuttle buses on the second floor of the airport’s arrivals hall, where 11 unique buses start their way to their destination and you can travel via them. Thus, on HVIST-12, you may get to Aksaray-Beyazit Square which is close to Sultanahmet and HVIST-16 goes to Taksim Square with only a few stops, and HVIST-14 also comes to the city center.
• Public IETT buses also run from the airport to the city center and Taksim. You can travel by them as additional transport as they are not quick and comfortable, and they do not go directly to Sultanahmet. Yet, if your accommodation is on the Asian side, like in Kadikoy, you can travel by them or get on these public buses to Halkali Marmalay H-9 or Mecidiyekoy H-2 Metrobus station to change your public transport from the airport there after your flight.
• Private shuttle is a great alternative to bus transfer from the airport due to higher privacy. They are offered at the airport by different operators with diverse pricing ranges.

How much is a bus ticket from the new Istanbul Airport to the city center?

The best idea to get your bus ticket from the airport is to buy it at the airport. Yet, you can do this in advance too by using the site of a chosen bus company or by scanning a QR code at the airport’s bus stop. The prices for a bus you want to get in are also presented on each web page, so better check them in advance.

• For HAVAIST buses, please, visit such link.
• For IETT bus options, you can search on this website.

Just keep in mind that buses along with the Istanbul metro are the lowest in price methods to travel from the airport compared to others. Yet, their ride is not counted in minutes, and you need to reserve more time to use them and reach closer to your destinations via buses.

Metro from Istanbul Airport to the city center: which subway line is going there

Being a real network bounding the whole city, the Istanbul metro is known as the fastest and the lowest-price transfer to travel from the airport to any district or area.
Do you know that a fabulous M11 metro line that was designed to connect IST airport with the city was opened just a year ago? Its birthday is on January, 23rd, 2023 and it is made of 16 stations.
A special dedicated airport metro line M11 is the fastest across Istanbul and its trains go to metro stations every 8 minutes. The M11 metro line makes the airport connected to Gayerettepe and you can get from the airport to the very end of the route (the last station) in 30 minutes without any waiting with further switch of your journey to M-2 line at Vezneciler that links to M11. Besides, you can switch from it to T-11 train that runs in Karakoy to ride to Sultanahmet to make things easier.
You can get to the metro station at the airport, looking for its sign on the arrivals terminal doors. Namely, doors 9 and 13 have these signs, and you can walk through the walkway.

How much is a metro ticket from the IST to the city center?

There is a special prepaid contactless Istanbulkart, a payment card that you can use for your journey by various public transport in Istanbul (including Metrobus, trams, and even ferry). Moreover, one Istanbulkart can be used by 5 people at once.
You can buy your Istanbulkart in special vending machines at the metro station using cash or credit/debit bank cards.
Get a tip: Try to get local currency, Turkish lira, in cash to pay for transfers. Just use the airport’s exchange spots to get enough currency for your journey.
How much to pay for your Istanbulkart? Since you bought it, you can top it up for any money amount at all stops. Currently, a one-way journey from the airport to the Gayreteppe metro station costs 22.83 Turkish lira and more, and it depends on the number of stops. Each stop adds to the total price. So, it’s better to top up your transport card for at least three times more so as not to count each stop. Yet, it depends on your activity and the need for further transportation.

Luxury private transfer from Istanbul Airport to the city centre

Private transfers are the next option for getting from the airport to the central part of Istanbul for lone passengers and group tours that need to leave the airport together.
They are intended to meet the highest requirements for convenience and luxury with no stops on the way. Thus, you’ll take all the advantages and find the best option and book it in advance on the website. Private transfers are more expensive than public transportation, yet, using it, you get multiple benefits for a reasonable cost including as follows:

• Fast and trouble-free transportation to Sultanahmet by experienced drivers.
• You can book and purchase it beforehand, indicating your flight details.
• Your driver provides meet and greet service right at the airfield to help you with your luggage.
• Transfer shuttles are available for passengers, they are the top choice for tour groups.
• The packages include bottled water, AC, and free Wi-Fi for shuttle passengers along with other top-level services.

Often, a Turkey hotel you book provides this service, so it’s highly recommended to consider if it is available. Yet, if this service is not included in the total price of your hotel, you shouldn’t worry as there are a number of big and small companies that offer guides and private vehicles to drop passengers from IGA to central Istanbul. Moreover, their content can be found on Pinterest or Facebook to evaluate the rate of each operator and avoid low-key offers.