How to get to Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest transport hub in Turkey. There are two international airports, the largest bus station in the country, the international port. It is most convenient for tourists from Russia and other countries to get to Istanbul by plane to one of the international airports, and it is cheaper and more convenient to use buses to move around the country. The railway in Istanbul is also present, but due to the reconstruction, trains do not go directly to the city yet, so this is not the best option. Also from Russia and other countries you can get to Istanbul by car through Georgia.

Read more about each of the ways to get to Istanbul, further, and also see detailed instructions in separate articles:

If you prefer not independent rest, but organized travel, you can pick up ready-made tours online:

By plane

There are two airports near Istanbul: Istanbul New Airport (IATA code-IST, website - https://www.istairport.com/en), or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, IATA code-SAW). Both airports often have international flights from Russia, abroad, and domestic. In which of them to fly-there is no fundamental difference: you can choose any where it will be cheaper for you to fly, or it will be more convenient to fly at the time of departure-arrival, etc. But nevertheless, from the new airport to get a little faster and cheaper.

Attention! Old Ataturk Airport no longer accepts passenger flights, its IATA code and all flights transferred in 2019 to the new Istanbul New Airport.

To understand the already purchased ticket or when making it, which airport you arrive/fly to, pay attention to the three-letter IATA codes:

IST - Istanbul New Airport
SAW - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport

You can find and book tickets to any of the airports in Istanbul, including with transfers, using the search form from Aviasales:

Ticket prices from Moscow to Istanbul:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 17717 ₽	Без пересадок		25.05.2026	17.06.2026
Купить от 18860 ₽	1 пересадка		17.06.2026	18.06.2026
Купить от 22835 ₽	Без пересадок		28.07.2026	17.09.2026
Купить от 21280 ₽	Без пересадок		26.08.2026	18.09.2026
Купить от 19540 ₽	Без пересадок		09.09.2026	24.09.2026
Купить от 17761 ₽	Без пересадок		14.10.2026	22.10.2026

Minimum prices for tickets from Russia to Istanbul:

ЦЕНА	МАРШРУТ	ПЕРЕСАДКИ
Купить от 12606 ₽	Москва ⇄ Стамбул	Прямой
Купить от 21716 ₽	Санкт-Петербург ⇄ Стамбул	Прямой
Купить от 12001 ₽	Краснодар ⇄ Стамбул	Прямой
Купить от 13071 ₽	Сочи (Адлер) ⇄ Стамбул	1
Купить от 14818 ₽	Минеральные Воды ⇄ Стамбул	Прямой
Купить от 21271 ₽	Казань ⇄ Стамбул	Прямой
Купить от 15806 ₽	Махачкала ⇄ Стамбул	Прямой
Купить от 25651 ₽	Екатеринбург ⇄ Стамбул	1

And now about how to get from the airports to the center of Istanbul on arrival.

How to get from Istanbul New Airport

The new Istanbul Airport is located 40 kilometers from the center (airport on the map). From January 2023, you can get to the city center and tourist areas by high-speed metro, taxi or buses.

The fastest and best way is the subway. To do this, the M11 branch has been laid, but it does not go directly to tourist areas, you will need to transfer to the M7 line and then to M2. Learn more about the Istanbul metro and how to use it here.

A taxi ride to the tourist Sultanahmet district or Beyoglu will cost about 150 liras (3.27 USD, see Turkish currency and exchange rate). You can order a car at the counter in the arrival and departure halls, through BiTaksi or Uber applications via airport Wi-Fi.

Another way is to order a tourist transfer. This is an analogue of a taxi with more comfortable cars and service. You can order in advance using the Kiwitaxi form or on the website intui.travel and then the driver will meet you at the airport with a sign:

Havaist branded buses in Istanbul — Havaist branded buses

If you can't afford a taxi, it's much cheaper to get to the city center on the Havaist or IETT buses. They run around the clock every 15-30 minutes, depending on the time of day, so you can easily get day and night both to and from the airport. Travel time-80-100 minutes depending on traffic jams. Travel costs 16-25 lira on different routes, the most popular Havaist flights to tourist areas are 18 lira (0.39 USD). Children under 6 years old are free, the rest pay as adults.

Stops are located on the lower floor of the terminal at Exits 9 and 10, 12 and 13, they are easy to find by signs. There are no ticket offices, payment is made with a single Istanbul Kart Transport Card or a contactless bank card at the entrance to the bus in the cabin. Istanbul Kart transport cards are sold here in the terminals for 7 lira, but so far only for cash. In the same terminals, the card is replenished.

It is most convenient to go to tourist areas by Havaist buses. There are several Havaist routes designated iST-1...iST-20, they arrive/depart the city at different locations. For tourists the most convenient:

iST-20-go to the heart of Sultanahmet district before stopping near Blue Mosque (stop on the map), and on the way make an intermediate stop relatively close to Beyoglu district (stop on the map).
iST-19-to Taksim Square in Beyoglu district (stop on the map).

If these stops do not suit you, then on the carrier's website https://hava.ist/en there is a convenient route planner and schedule. And most importantly - a map with marked stops that makes it easy to choose the route you need.

Detailed instructions, how to get to Istanbul from the new airport here.

How to get from Sabiha Gokcen airport

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport is located 45 kilometers from the center of Istanbul (airport on map). It is believed that it is more and more expensive to get from it than from the new airport, since the path passes through frequent traffic jams. But in fact, the difference is not so big, and if you go on toll roads, you will not notice the time difference at all.

A taxi ride to the center will cost about 150 liras (3.27 USD, see Turkish currency and exchange rate). There are order counters in the arrival and departure halls.

If you decide to go on the toll road, you will have to pay an additional 20 lire (0.44 USD) for the passage, and 8 lire for the passage of the bridge. There is an even faster road through the tunnel, but it will have to pay even more, so discuss this issue with the driver in advance before the trip.

You can order a tourist transfer in advance from Kiwitaxi or on the site intui.travel, and then the driver will meet you at the airport after landing the plane with a sign, and take you to the desired hotel.

By buses you can get much cheaper, but in some cases you will have to make a transfer, including part of the way to do by ferry. There are city buses and branded Havabus (formerly called Havatas).

Here are brief instructions on the areas:

Beyoglu district and Taksim Square. It is best to get there on Havabus branded buses for 18 lire (0.39 USD). They depart from 04:00 to 01:00 every 30 minutes, and arrive in the city at a stop near Taksim Square (stop on the map).
Eminenyu and Sultanahmet districts. You can take the Havabus to Taksim Square, and then transfer to a taxi, minibus (dolmushi), or Metro Line M2. But it is cheaper and even faster to take Havabus buses or city buses E10, E11 to Kadikoy pier (Marina on the map), from where for 3 lira (0.07 transfer by ferry to the pier Eminenyu (Eminonu) in the tourist area of Eminenyu and near Sultanahmet.
Istanbul New Airport. The fastest and most convenient way is Havaist buses, iST-8 route. Costs 30 lire (0.65 USD), two hours on the way. Go around the clock every hour on schedule. Schedule - https://hava.ist/en/Voyage/VoyageTime.

Detailed instructions, how to get to Istanbul from Sabiha Gokcen here.

By bus

By bus to Istanbul you can get from almost all major cities of Turkey with rare exceptions, as well as from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia. Buses in general are not bad, in some you can even sleep. There are no toilets in intercity buses, but on the way they make rest stops.

There are two bus stations in the city:

Home Esenler Otogari, aka Buyuk Otogari or Bayrampasa Otogari, or simply Istanbul Otogar;
The local bus station is Harem.

For tourists, the most interesting is the main Istanbul Otogar, since it is up to it that most local and international long-distance buses go. This is a huge terminal, where more than a hundred different carriers work, each of which has its own ticket office. There is no uniform schedule, but there is a lot of information on routes on the station's website https://www.otogar-istanbul.com/, true, everything is in Turkish, but in general you can understand the names. Also here is the bus schedule to/from Istanbul available for online purchase - https://nashaplaneta.net/raspisanie-avtobusov-iz-istanbul. If you need to leave here somewhere, then local helpers and touts will direct you to the right cash register.

Istanbul Otogar is located in the city center but quite far from the tourist areas (main bus station Istanbul Otogar on the map. From here you can take Metro lines M1A and M1B to Yenikapi station and pier, where you can change to line M2 (goes to Beyoglu district and Taksim Square), or walk a little to tram station T1 (goes through Sultanahmet and Eminenyu districts, and goes further to Beyoglu).

As for Harem bus station, it can be useful too, especially if you need to get to Bursa or you come from there. Harem is located in the Asian district next to the ferry pier of the same name (Harem bus station on the map), and it is easily accessible from the tourist areas of Sultanahmet and Buyoglu by ferry from Eminonu/Sirkeci Pier.

By car

From Russia and other countries, you can get to Istanbul by car through Georgia, but it will be more expensive than by plane. You will have to take out insurance for a trip through Georgia, Insurance in Turkey, pay for travel on toll roads, bridges and tunnels. In addition, gasoline in Turkey is more expensive than in Russia. Well, even if you come here by private car, you still can not move around Istanbul comfortably on it. It will be better to put it in the parking lot, and use public transport, or rent a car to travel online, and get it at the airport.

🕒 19 April, 2026

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