Istanbul Airport Bus
IATA code: IST
ICAO code: LTFM
Passengers: 38 million (average)
Istanbul Airport (IST) is an international airport opened in 2019 serving Istanbul, Turkey. After the closure of Atatürk Airport for passenger flights, all the scheduled commercial passenger flights were transferred to Istanbul Airport. The airport is still partially under construction and it is predicted to accommodate up to 200 million passengers annually. The airport is located around 40 km northwest of the Istanbul city centre. When it’s finished, it will be the largest airport in the world.
Table of Contents
How to get from Istanbul Airport to city centre
Airport shuttle bus
Istanbul Airport is connected to Istanbul and its suburbs by numerous shuttle bus lines operated by Havaist company. Here are some of the most frequent lines that run to and from Istanbul Airport:
- Istanbul Airport to Taksim Square (line IST-19) – every 15-20 minutes from 05:10 to 01:00, then every 30 minutes from 01:00 until 04:30. Bus ticket costs 18 TL (cca 3€) and travel time is 80 minutes.
- Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet (line IST-1S) – every 20 minutes from 05:00 to 01:00, after that every hour until 05:00. Bus ticket costs 18 TL (cca 3€) and journey time is 100 minutes.
- Istanbul Airport to Otogar Bus Station (line IST-3) – every 30 minutes from 05:00 to 03:30; travel time is 75 minutes and a single ticket costs 16 TL (cca 2.5€).
NOTE: In case you need to reach other parts of Istanbul like Blue Mosque or Grand Bazaar, you can see all the bus stops and routes from Istanbul Airport here.
To buy the bus tickets, passengers need to buy IstanbulKart at IstanbulKart machines located at bus stop of Havaist buses. Once you buy the card, you can put a certain amount of money needed for public transportation.
Public transportation
Public transport in Istanbul is operated by IETT, which consists of city buses, trams, trains and ferries. There are a few lines which connect Istanbul Airport with the city. Here are all the bus routes to the city:
- Istanbul Airport to Mahmutbey (line H-1) – approximately every 1.5 hours, with first departure at 07:10 and last departure at 21:10. Travel time is about 1h and 30 minutes.
- Istanbul Airport to Mecidiyekoy (line H-2) – approximately every 30 minutes, with first departure at 00:00 and last departure at 23:20. Travel time is about 1h and 40 minutes.
- Istanbul Airport to Halkali (line H-3) – approximately every 1.5 hours, with first departure at 06:00 and last departure at 19:40. Travel time is about 1h and 46 minutes.
- Istanbul Airport to Yunus Emre Mah. Arnavutkoy (line H-6) – approximately every hour (depending on a time in the day), with first departure at 00:10 and last departure at 22:40. Travel time is about 1h and 30 minutes.
- Istanbul Airport to Hacıosman/Sarıyer (line H-8) – approximately every 3 hours, with first departure at 07:20 and last departure at 20:35. Travel time is about 2 hours.
- Istanbul Airport to Cevizlibağ (line H-9) – 4 departures at 08:30, 11:30, 17:45 and 21:00. Travel time is about 2 hours.
NOTE: Tickets can be bought at the airport, there are Jetonmatik machines where you can do so. Moreover, you can buy Istanbulkart, a pass with which you could save some money on public transportation.
Taxi service
Should you need transportation by taxi, you will find official airport taxi stand in front of the airport entrance and on the second floor (departure floor). An average taxi fare to, e.g Taksim Square will cost you around 140 TL (~ €21). However, have in mind that the price may go up if there’s heavy traffic and the route from Istanbul Airport to Istanbul centre may change.
Private transfer
Another way to travel to Istanbul is with a private, door-to-door transfer from Istanbul Airport to your accommodation in the city. You can also pre-book a transfer to almost any city in Turkey from Airport Istanbul that you would like to visit for a hassle-free experience.
Renting a car at Istanbul Airport
Getting a personal vehicle at Istanbul Airport is not a problem since there are several car rental offices available at the airport terminal. Car rental companies such as Comet, Cizgi and Ulger offer their service every day. To avoid potential queues, we recommend booking a car in advance and have it wait for you at the airport.
Istanbul Airport
How to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen
If you have a flight at the Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) which is located at the Asian side of Istanbul, you can get there from Istanbul Airport by transfer, taxi, bus and shuttle.
Airport shuttle bus
Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen (line IST-8) – Shuttle bus between Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport departs every hour from 04:45 until 02:45. Travel time is 100 minutes and the ticket costs 30 TL (cca 4.5€).
Taxi
If you’re looking for a more comfortable ride to Sabiha Gökçen airport you can hail a taxi. The cheapest ones are yellow, blue taxis are medium-priced and the expensive ones are black, so choose accordingly.
They’re available 24/7 and the ride to Sabiha Gökçen is around 1 h long, depending on the traffic.
Make sure you bring some cash with you, preferably Turkish lira (TL).
The fee is around 270 TL (40€).
Bus
Getting to Sabiha Gökçen airport is much cheaper if you take the bus.
Hop on Havaist buses iST-8. They depart every hour from the -2 floor on Istanbul Airport and reach Sabiha Gökçen Airport in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The fee is just around 30 TL (4 €).
Transfer
You can also book a private transfer from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen Airport. It will save you time and you’ll be taken to your destination directly.
Check out available transfers here.
Istanbul Airport airlines
Istanbul Airport handles international flights. There are 73 airlines that operate regular flights here: Turkish Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways etc.
These airlines have connections to a large number of international airports, including Heathrow airport in London, Warsaw-Chopin in Warsaw, and Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
This airport is a hub for Turkish Airlines and Turkish Cargo.
Istanbul airport is one of the top 50 busiest airports in the world.
Istanbul Airport facilities
A range of services and facilities is available here for passengers waiting for a layover or for their next flight.
- free WiFi
- smoking area
- ATMs
- charging points
- infant care rooms
- prayer rooms
Istanbul Airport accommodation
Istanbul airport bus FAQs
Not at all, all bus lines from Istanbul Airport operate during the night as well. As an alternative, you can always get a taxi to Istanbul.
Of course, there are two hotels located inside the airport which are convenient for your layovers or early morning flights. Both hotels offer a gym, meeting rooms, a bar and a restaurant:
Yotel Istanbul Airport (Airside) – Located inside the Duty-Free area, after security and passport control.
Yotel Istanbul Airport (Landside) – Located before the passport control, convenient for the incoming passengers.
If you are in between two flights and you don’t have a visa, then it won’t be possible to leave Istanbul airport. In case your layover is longer than 9 hours, airlines usually provide free hotel accommodation inside the airport.
Yes, of course. There are ATMs and exchange offices available at Istanbul Airport. Have in mind that none of the transportation options will accept foreign currencies so make sure to have some Turkish Liras before the trip. Also, try to have small notes ready for transfer payment (10 or 20 TL notes).
Passengers have at their disposal up to 2 hours of free Wi-Fi internet service inside the terminal area. Also, internet service is offered in the café and dining areas.
Dear Madama,sir
Am travel by turkish airlines from
Sarajevo to Istanbul airport and i have
Flight from Istanbul sabiha gokcen
22.00 pm. To dubai at 22.00 pm.
How can reached sabiha gokcen airport from Istanbul airport. I am
Portugal citizen. There is any free bus
Service from the airport.
I my flight is tomorrow.
There is layover time of 20 hour.
Please help.
Joao mendes
Dear Joao,
Under the section Airport shuttle bus you will find information about the bus line connecting Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gocken Airport. Travel time is 100 minutes and the ticket costs 30 TL.
Best regards,
Melani GBB Team
Can tourist’s buy a bus ticket at the Airport with Istanbul Seyahat? Will they let you board without a HES code?
Dear Sol,
yes, tourists can buy tickets for Istanbul Seyahat carrier directly at the airport.
HES code is mandatory only on domestic flights for citizens of the Republic of Turkey.
Best regards,
Maja GBB Team
I have a reservation at Marmara House & Apartments, situated at the following address: Marmara House&Apartments
Mustafa Paşa Sokak, Fatih, 34122 Istanbul.
If I will took a shuttle bus from Airport, where will he drop me ?
Is there a bus station near my location?
Hi,
there used to be a shuttle bus line taking passengers to Sultanahmet, but it is no longer operating.
The closest you can get with an airport shuttle is Beyazıt Meydan. That is about a 15-minute walk from your accommodation.
From Beyazit Meydan to your accommodation there is no direct public transport connection. The option is to take a metro T1 at Beyazit Meyadin to Sultanahmet. After that, you are left with a 5-10 minute walk to your accommodation.
Another option is to take a taxi from Beyazit Meydan to your accommodation.
Best,
GBB Team
Best,
GBB Team