Best Ways to Get from Istanbul Airport to City Center 2025

If you’re flying into Istanbul Airport (IST), the city’s main international gateway, you’ll need to figure out the best way to get to the city center. Istanbul Airport to city center transport options have improved over the years, but with a distance of around 45 km and Istanbul’s unpredictable traffic, it’s important to plan ahead.

In 2019, the airport in Arnavutköy on the European side replaced Atatürk Airport for commercial flights. While getting from Istanbul Airport to the city was once limited to buses and taxis, the M11 metro line is now operational, making public transport a more convenient option.

On average, reaching central areas like Sultanahmet or Taksim takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, though heavy traffic can make road travel longer.

If you’re wondering how to get from Istanbul Airport to city center, this guide covers all available options, including the metro, buses, airport shuttles, taxis, and private transfers.

If you’re flying in or out of Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) instead, check out my separate guide on getting from that airport to the city.

For those on a long layover in Istanbul, I also have a detailed Istanbul layover guide to help you decide whether you have enough time to explore the city before your next flight.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy something through them—at no extra cost to you. It helps support my blog and lets me share real, first-hand travel tips. Learn more

before you leave Istanbul Airport for city center

Istanbul Airport, or İstanbul Havalimanı in Turkish, is one of the busiest airports in Europe, serving millions of passengers yearly. It’s also massive—expect to walk 30-40 minutes to reach passport control and another 30-40 minutes before exiting the airport.

If this is your first time flying into IST, it can feel overwhelming, so here’s everything you need to know before smoothly getting from Istanbul Airport to city.

Get a visa for Turkey

If you’re arriving on an international flight, you must go through immigration and present the required documents. Turkey has different visa policies depending on your nationality:

• Some travelers don’t need a visa and can even enter with a national ID.
• Others must apply for an e-visa in advance.
• A few nationalities are eligible for a visa on arrival.

Since visa rules can change, always check the official website of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the e-visa portal for the most up-to-date requirements.

Alternatively, you can use iVisa to easily check your eligibility and apply for an e-visa without any hassle. The platform handles the entire process for you, from verifying requirements to submitting your application, ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience.

Withdraw Turkish Lira at the airport

Once you clear immigration and collect your luggage, you might need cash in Turkish Lira (TL) for transportation or small expenses. ATMs are available at international and domestic arrivals. Keep in mind:

• All ATMs accept foreign cards, but withdrawal fees vary by bank.
• Some banks don’t display their fees upfront, so check your transaction history afterward.
• Fees typically range between 6-7%, but Ziraat Bankası and HSBC might not charge extra.

To avoid high fees, consider using a Wise account and card. They often offer better exchange rates and lower withdrawal costs.

Exchange money at the airport

If you carry cash in a foreign currency, you’ll find exchange offices throughout the airport before and after security. However, as with most airports, their rates aren’t great.

If possible, exchange only a small amount—just enough for your transfer from Istanbul Airport to city center—and wait until you’re in the city for a better rate.

Get an Istanbul Card for public transport

If you plan to use public transportation, buy an IstanbulKart, the city’s contactless transport card, before leaving the airport. Cash is not accepted on many public transit, so having this card is essential.

• The IstanbulKart costs 130 TL; you must top it up at the machines.
• It works on metro, trams, buses, ferries, and public restrooms.
• Unlike some cities (Tbilisi public transport for instance), you can’t use a credit or debit card to pay fares in Istanbul.

To buy an Istanbul Card, head to the -2 level of the arrivals hall, where you’ll find black and yellow machines. The machines have instructions in English and other languages, but note that they only accept cash (TL).

Read my detailed explanation of how the Istanbul Card works, its benefits, and where to use it.

How to get from the new Istanbul Airport to city center

Although New Istanbul Airport (IST) is quite far from the city center, there are several ways to reach your destination, including metro, municipal, and shuttle buses from Istanbul’s various neighborhoods, taxis, and private or shared transfers.

There is no direct metro line to the city center, municipal buses take too long, and even though taxis are metered, they are known to increase prices slightly for foreigners.

Here’s what you need to know to choose the best option.

Private transfer: the best and most comfortable option

If you don’t want to deal with bus routes, timetables, and the hassle of public transport, a private transfer (I recommend and use Welcome Pickups) is the most convenient option.

It offers a fixed rate with no surprises, cars are clean and comfortable, and the driver greets you at the arrivals hall with a sign displaying your name.

If you’re traveling with luggage, kids, or a group, this is the stress-free way to get to your hotel.

HAVAIST Airport buses: the second best option

HAVAIST shuttle buses are a great, more affordable, yet comfortable option. They operate on a fixed schedule and make fewer stops than municipal buses, bringing you closer to key tourist areas.

The company operates on 12 different lines, includes 46 stations, and runs 15 and 90-minute intervals.

Popular HAVAIST routes:

• HVL-9: Airport → Taksim Square
• HVL-6: Airport → Kadıköy (Asian side)
• HVL-1: Airport → Aksaray Metro (M1 red line)

The ride takes between 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours, depending on traffic and your destination. The prices also vary based on the final destination, but these three locations range from 275 to 300 TL per person.

You can pay with IstanbulKart or by credit/debit card. You can also pre-purchase the tickets online from the official website of HAVAIST.

Important Tip: Since Istanbul constantly develops its infrastructure, bus stops and routes may change. Always check the official HAVAIST website before your trip to confirm your stop.

Istanbul Airport to city center metro: convenient but slightly complicated

The long-awaited Istanbul Airport to city metro finally opened in January 2023, providing a faster and budget-friendly alternative. The M11 metro line runs from Kagithane to Istanbul Airport, taking 24 minutes.

The M11 Gayrettepe–Istanbul Airport–Halkalı Metro Line is partly under construction and should be finished by the end of 2025. Currently, the Halkalı–Arnavutköy Hastane section is being built.

Once fully operational, the M11 metro line will connect Gayrettepe to Istanbul Airport and extend to Halkalı, one of the city’s main train stations within its 16 stations in total. This will make the line one of the longest underground metro lines in the world.

While it might be a fast and convenient way to travel from Istanbul Airport to city center, it can also be slightly complicated, depending on where exactly you are staying in Istanbul.

You must walk around 400 meters from the arrivals hall to the metro entrance. Remember that this airport is huge, so carrying luggage can be quite tiring.

Then, you’ll need to walk another 400 meters to change the lines once you get to the Kağıthane.

Depending on which Istanbul neighborhood you choose for your accommodation, you may need to change public transport several times. Here’s the detailed Istanbul Rapid Transit Map.

IETT Municipal Public Bus: cheap but long journey

Municipal buses operating on fixed routes connect Istanbul Airport to various neighborhoods. Five bus lines run daily from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm.

However, these buses primarily serve non-touristy areas—none go directly to central neighborhoods like Taksim or Sultanahmet.

To reach the city center using municipal buses, you must transfer to the metro, Metrobus, or Marmaray. A one-way ticket costs 54 TL.

Municipal Bus Routes:

• H-1 → Mahmutbey Metro
• H-2 → Mecidiyeköy Metrobüs
• H-3 → Halkalı Train Station (Marmaray)
• H-6 → Yunus Emre Mahallesi
• H-8 → Hacıosman Metro

You can check the schedules here, but the English version of the website may not work correctly.

Getting to Sultanahmet by public bus

If you need to reach Sultanahmet, the H-2 bus to Mecidiyeköy is the most convenient option, which runs every 15–30 minutes but requires additional transfers.

Ride the bus until the last stop and walk to Şişli Metro Station to take the M2 metro towards Yenikapı. Get off at Vezneciler and walk 5 minutes to the Laleli-Üniversite tram stop. Take the T1 tram towards Kabataş or Eminönü—Sultanahmet is three stops away.

Getting to Taksim by public bus

Reaching Taksim is more straightforward. Take the H-2 to Mecidiyeköy, then transfer to the M2 metro towards Yenikapı and get off at Taksim (only two stops away).

This is one of the most convenient and frequent ways to reach Taksim from the airport.

Taxis: the most expensive option

Another convenient option is to take a taxi from Istanbul Airport to the city, but it is quite costly because the airport is 40 km away from the city center.

Istanbul taxis are categorized into three types:

• E (Black): Luxury taxis, the most expensive option
• D (Blue): Mid-range taxis, slightly cheaper than black ones
• C (Yellow/Orange): The most common and affordable taxis

All taxis in Istanbul operate on a meter system, with a starting fare of 42 TL and a rate of at least 28 TL per kilometer. If the car is stuck in traffic and doesn’t move for more than 5 minutes, 4.5 TL is added per minute.

Additional charges are added to the bill if the taxi should cross a paid bridge, toll, use a tunnel, or certain highways.

To give you an idea, a taxi from Istanbul Airport to city center, mainly to Sultanahmet, costs around 1,300 TL and to Taksim around 1,500 TL.

Taxis are parked right outside the arrivals hall. You can use the ️ BiTaksi App. The prices are always estimates, and the final cost may be slightly higher due to traffic or detours.