To Taksim Square · One way · 2 adults · All service hoursPrices are whole-party totals. Times are recorded journey durations; no walking or waiting has been added.
All prices are totals for 2 adults. Group fares included.
How do I get from Istanbul airport to Istanbul city center?
For one traveler the cheapest way is the M11 metro to Gayrettepe at TRY 42.34, 30 min, and it is also the fastest. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
3 listed options
Not everything runs around the clock: the M11 metro to Gayrettepe runs 06:03–00:17, and the İETT bus H-2 to Mecidiyeköy (night only) runs 01:10–05:45. Outside those hours, the Havaist coach to Taksim is what remains.
Lowest listed totalmetro
M11 metro to Gayrettepe
metro · TCDD Taşımacılık, on İBB's fare tariff
30 min rideEvery 15 min06:03–00:17
Istanbul Airport metro station→Gayrettepe
Non-stopLuggage space
TRY 84.68total for 2 adultsTRY 42.34 each2 × TRY 42.34 adult fareBuy ticketOn TCDD Taşımacılık, on İBB's fare tariff
Hours, tickets & luggage
TRY 42.34 on an İstanbulkart for the six-station ride to Gayrettepe, or five to Kağıthane — the gate takes TRY 47.89 and refunds TRY 5.55 when you tap out. A bank card or single-use ticket costs TRY 185 for the same ride. Children age seven and up pay full fare, and there is no group ticket. Onward to the M2 at Gayrettepe is a TRY 34.40 transfer, not a second full fare.
Luggage. TCDD's rule for the line: nothing over 30 kg or larger than 120 x 50 x 60 cm, and no goods trolleys. Ordinary metro cars without racks.
Hours. First train 06:03, last 00:17, arriving at Gayrettepe at 00:47 — the same every day of the week.
shuttle · Havaist (İBB), fare set by İBB — line HVL-9
90 min rideEvery 40 minRuns all night
Transportation floor -2→Taksim Square. Some departures run via 4. Levent
Non-stop24-hour service
TRY 940total for 2 adultsTRY 470 each2 × TRY 470 adult fareBuy ticketOn Havaist (İBB), fare set by İBB — line HVL-9
Hours, tickets & luggage
TRY 470 per person, flat. Card, online ticket or İstanbulkart only — no cash, and no transfer, concession, season or single-use tickets. Children under six ride free on a lap; from six they pay full fare. A return bought online is 40% off the return leg and valid for three days.
Luggage. Two bags of no more than medium size free per passenger; TRY 120 for each bag beyond that. Tell the crew your stop when you hand a bag over — it is unloaded only there.
TRY 92.40 on an İstanbulkart — two boardings at TRY 46.20 each. A bank card or single-use ticket costs TRY 120. Night bus fares can double between 00:30 and 05:30, and it is not published whether the H-2 is exempt, so the 01:10 and 03:30 departures may cost twice this.
Luggage. An İETT express bus; İETT publishes no luggage rule for it.
Hours. Three departures a day from the airport — 01:10, 03:30 and 05:45 — identical on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and none at all by day. İETT lists the H-2 among its night lines.
The options are still here — your budget or journey-time filter is drawn tighter than any of them. Widen either one, or reset the filters, to bring them back.
Road journey times vary with traffic. Prices and availability should be confirmed with the operator.
Going somewhere specific?
"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes
Every coach — Havaist's routes and the night İETT bus alike — boards from transportation floor -2. The bay differs by destination and is marked on the board there.
Tickets
Use an İstanbulkart at the metro gate, not a bank card. A contactless card or phone tapped on the same reader is charged as three single-use tickets — TRY 185 for the ride to Gayrettepe, against TRY 42.34 on the card.
The taxi rank
The taxi stands are on the arrivals floor, at exit gates 9 and 13. Three tariffs wait side by side — orange is standard, turquoise and black cost 15% and 70% more — so check the color before you get in.
Uber and Bolt
Uber works here through its taxi product: request in the app, then join the queue outside exit door 9 or 13 on the arrivals floor and show the driver the 6-digit PIN the app gives you.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
metro · TCDD Taşımacılık, on İBB's fare tariffM11 metro to Gayrettepe
From
Istanbul Airport metro station, signposted from arrivals. Buy or top up the İstanbulkart before the gates
To
Gayrettepe, on the M2, three stops from Taksim; Kağıthane three minutes earlier
Luggage
TCDD's rule for the line: nothing over 30 kg or larger than 120 x 50 x 60 cm, and no goods trolleys. Ordinary metro cars without racks.
Runs
06:03–00:17
Journey
30 min
TRY 42.34 on an İstanbulkart for the six-station ride to Gayrettepe, or five to Kağıthane — the gate takes TRY 47.89 and refunds TRY 5.55 when you tap out. A bank card or single-use ticket costs TRY 185 for the same ride. Children age seven and up pay full fare, and there is no group ticket. Onward to the M2 at Gayrettepe is a TRY 34.40 transfer, not a second full fare.
Do not TAP a bank card. The reader will take it, and the tariff charges it as a three-ride single-use ticket: TRY 185 instead of TRY 42.34. Buy an anonymous İstanbulkart at the station before the gate.
The gate takes TRY 47.89 on entry — the fare of the longest ride possible from the airport — and refunds TRY 5.55 when you tap out at Gayrettepe. Load at least that much.
The price of the card itself is not published. No authority publishes it. It is small next to what the card saves.
Last train 00:17, at Gayrettepe 00:47 — after the M2 has stopped for the night on Sunday to Thursday (Metro İstanbul gives 06:00–00:00). On Friday and Saturday nights the M2 runs through as a night line, charged at double fare from 00:30.
The M11 is not a night line and has no Friday or Saturday extension: one timetable, every day. Between 00:17 and 06:03 see the H-2 bus and the Havaist coaches.
Kağıthane and Gayrettepe cost the same TRY 42.34; staying on to Halkalı costs TRY 47.89 — the whole of what the gate took.
Every Havaist and İETT airport fare here is set by the same İBB tariff, which was revised in February and again in July 2026. Check the tariff index for the current figure.
First train 06:03, last 00:17, arriving at Gayrettepe at 00:47 — the same every day of the week.
shuttle · Havaist (İBB), fare set by İBB — line HVL-9Havaist coach to Taksim
From
Transportation floor -2, Peron 16; the Havaist counters are on the same floor
To
Taksim Square. Some departures run via 4. Levent, Zincirlikuyu Metrobüs and Beşiktaş; the rest go express via Nurtepe
Luggage
Two bags of no more than medium size free per passenger; TRY 120 for each bag beyond that. Tell the crew your stop when you hand a bag over — it is unloaded only there.
Runs
All night
Journey
90 min
TRY 470 per person, flat. Card, online ticket or İstanbulkart only — no cash, and no transfer, concession, season or single-use tickets. Children under six ride free on a lap; from six they pay full fare. A return bought online is 40% off the return leg and valid for three days.
It runs through the night with one hole. From the airport: 00:30, 01:15, 02:15, then nothing until 04:30, then 05:30 and roughly every 40 minutes through the day to 23:45. Land at 02:30 and the wait is two hours.
Eleven times the metro fare, for a seat, a hold, a stop in the square itself and a night service. By day the M11 plus three M2 stops is TRY 76.74 and about 45 minutes.
The 90 minutes is Havaist's own figure; the operator warns that routes and times change with traffic and asks you to be at the stop before departure.
Which of the two Taksim routings a departure takes is marked on Havaist's timetable in orange (via Beşiktaş) or blue (express); both end at Taksim.
A third bag, or an oversized one, is TRY 120 — a quarter of the fare again.
bus · İETTİETT bus H-2 to Mecidiyeköy (night only)
From
Transportation floor -2 — the İETT stop the timetable calls İstanbul Havalimanı Garaj
To
Mecidiyeköy Metrobüs, beside Şişli-Mecidiyeköy on the M2, two stops from Taksim
Luggage
An İETT express bus; İETT publishes no luggage rule for it.
Runs
01:10–05:45
Journey
105 min
TRY 92.40 on an İstanbulkart — two boardings at TRY 46.20 each. A bank card or single-use ticket costs TRY 120. Night bus fares can double between 00:30 and 05:30, and it is not published whether the H-2 is exempt, so the 01:10 and 03:30 departures may cost twice this.
This line only exists at night. 01:10, 03:30 and 05:45 from the airport, every day. Miss the 03:30 and the next bus is over two hours away; after 05:45 take the metro, which starts at 06:03.
It is the cheapest thing that moves between 00:17 and 06:03 — TRY 92.40 against TRY 470 on the Havaist coach — and it takes 105 minutes to Mecidiyeköy.
The night fare is an open question. İbb's tariff doubles bus fares between 00:30 and 05:30 unless a decision says otherwise, and no document read here says whether one exists for the H-2. Budget for the rule as written on the 01:10 and 03:30 departures.
Pay with an İstanbulkart: a bank card is charged at the single-use price, TRY 120.
Mecidiyeköy is a Metrobüs and M2 interchange, not a square with hotels on it; the M2 will not be running when the 01:10 or 03:30 arrives except on Friday and Saturday nights.
Three departures a day from the airport — 01:10, 03:30 and 05:45 — identical on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and none at all by day. İETT lists the H-2 among its night lines.
shuttle · Havaist (İBB), fare set by İBBHavaist coach to Sultanahmet
From
Transportation floor -2, Peron 11
To
Çatladıkapı, on the Marmara shore below Sultanahmet, via Miniatürk, Hasköy, Şişhane and Eminönü
Luggage
Two bags of no more than medium size free per passenger; TRY 120 for each bag beyond that.
Runs
05:00–23:45
Journey
110 min
Havaist charges TRY 470; İBB's tariff lists TRY 420; Havaist's English site says 8 Euro. Expect to pay TRY 470. Card, online ticket or İstanbulkart only — no cash, and no transfer, concession or season cards.
İBB's tariff says TRY 420; Havaist charges TRY 470. If you are charged 470, that is the operator's price, not the tariff's — both figures are shown here so you know which to expect.
The slowest Havaist line into town: 110 minutes on the operator's own timetable, against 90 to Taksim.
Nothing between 23:45 and 05:00. At night the Havaist Aksaray coach, four T1 tram stops away, runs through — but the tram stops at midnight too.
It stops at Eminönü and Şişhane on the way, which may be nearer your hotel than Çatladıkapı.
Roughly hourly from the airport, 05:00 to 23:45, on Havaist's own timetable. No night departures on this line.
shuttle · Havaist (İBB), fare set by İBB — line HVL-1Havaist coach to Aksaray
From
Transportation floor -2, Peron 12
To
Aksaray Metro, at the western edge of the old city, via Nurtepe, Ayvansaray and Ulubatlı
Luggage
Two bags of no more than medium size free per passenger; TRY 120 for each bag beyond that.
Runs
All night
Journey
90 min
Flat, per person, TRY 470 in İBB's tariff (HVL-1) and in Havaist's own fare data. Card, online ticket or İstanbulkart on board; no cash; no single-use ticket on this 11-unit line.
Runs through the night from the airport — 00:20, 01:00, 02:15, 04:00, 05:30 — then about every 40 minutes by day to 23:40. The overnight holes are up to an hour and three-quarters.
The T1 tram from Aksaray to Sultanahmet runs 06:00 to midnight (Metro İstanbul), so the night departures leave you at Aksaray with a walk or a taxi for the last stretch.
Same fare and time as the Taksim coach; pick by where you are staying, not by price.
shuttle · Havaist (İBB), fare set by İBB — line HVL-6Havaist coach to Kadıköy
From
Transportation floor -2, Peron 14
To
Kadıköy, on the Asian side, via Tepeüstü, Yenisahra and Acıbadem Metro
Luggage
Two bags of no more than medium size free per passenger; TRY 120 for each bag beyond that.
Runs
All night
Journey
120 min
Flat, per person, TRY 515 in İBB's tariff (HVL-6) and in Havaist's own fare data — the dearest city line, for the Bosphorus crossing. Card, online ticket or İstanbulkart; no cash; no single-use ticket on this 12-unit line.
Every 75 minutes around the clock from the airport — 00:00, 01:15, 02:30, 03:45, 05:15, 06:30 and so on to 22:45 — which makes it the most regular night service the airport has.
Two hours on the operator's own timetable, and 75 km; traffic on the bridge decides the rest.
A taxi to the Asian side pays the bridge or tunnel toll on top of the meter, and through the Eurasia Tunnel the passenger pays the taxi's return toll too.
What is the cheapest way from Istanbul airport to Istanbul city center?
For one traveler, the M11 metro to Gayrettepe at TRY 42.34. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from Istanbul airport to Istanbul city center by metro?
One metro reaches Taksim Square: the M11 metro to Gayrettepe, TRY 42.34 for one traveler, 30 min, to Gayrettepe. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Istanbul by any means. See every option by metro →
How do I get from Istanbul airport to Istanbul city center by bus?
For one traveler the cheapest bus is the Havaist coach to Taksim at TRY 470, 90 min, and it is also the fastest. It is not the cheapest way in: the M11 metro to Gayrettepe at TRY 42.34 is. See every option by bus →
How long does it take to get from Istanbul airport to Istanbul city center?
M11 metro to Gayrettepe: 30 min. Havaist coach to Taksim: 90 min. İETT bus H-2 to Mecidiyeköy (night only): 105 min. Istanbul Airport is 50 km from the city center.
How far is Istanbul airport from the city center?
50 km to the city center. The fastest way in takes 30 min.
Is there Uber or Bolt at Istanbul airport?
Uber works here through its taxi product: request in the app, then join the queue outside exit door 9 or 13 on the arrivals floor and show the driver the 6-digit PIN the app gives you.
Where do I catch the M11 metro to Gayrettepe at Istanbul airport?
Istanbul Airport metro station, signposted from arrivals. Buy or top up the İstanbulkart before the gates. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Gayrettepe, on the M2, three stops from Taksim; Kağıthane three minutes earlier.
Is there a train from Istanbul airport to Istanbul at night?
The M11 metro to Gayrettepe runs 06:03–00:17. The İETT bus H-2 to Mecidiyeköy (night only) runs 01:10–05:45. Outside those hours havaist coach to taksim is what remains, at TRY 470 for the vehicle. First train 06:03, last 00:17, arriving at Gayrettepe at 00:47 — the same every day of the week.
Does the Havaist coach to Sultanahmet go to Taksim Square and the Gayrettepe–Şişli stretch of the M2, where the airport metro ends?
The old city — Sultanahmet, Eminönü and Sirkeci — rather than Taksim. If that is where you are staying it is the only direct public service; if it is not, it is the slow way to the wrong side of the Golden Horn.
Does the Havaist coach to Aksaray go to Taksim Square and the Gayrettepe–Şişli stretch of the M2, where the airport metro ends?
Aksaray is the old city's transport hub, not its center: four T1 tram stops from Sultanahmet and one M1 stop from Yenikapı. Useful for the old city and for anyone changing to the M1 or the Marmaray; not for Taksim.
Does the Havaist coach to Kadıköy go to Taksim Square and the Gayrettepe–Şişli stretch of the M2, where the airport metro ends?
The Asian side. The only direct public service across the Bosphorus from this airport; every other option on this page leaves you in Europe.
Worth knowing
Use an İstanbulkart, not a bank card. The M11 metro to Gayrettepe is TRY 42.34 on an İstanbulkart, but a bank card tapped on the reader is charged as three single-use tickets: TRY 185 for the same 30-minute ride. Nothing at the gate warns you.
Buy the İstanbulkart before the gate and load at least TRY 47.89 — that is what is taken on entry, refunded down to TRY 42.34 when you tap out at Gayrettepe. The card's own price is not published, but it is far less than the TRY 142.66 a bank card loses on one ride.
The taxi runs on a meter: flag-fall TRY 71.94, then TRY 47.92 per kilometre or TRY 598.90 per hour once the car drops below 12.5 km/h, plus bridge, motorway and Eurasia Tunnel tolls both ways. Some taxis seat eight. No fixed airport fare exists and no taxi total is priced here; for a group, four people cost TRY 1,880 by Havaist or TRY 169.36 by metro.
The M11 metro runs 06:03 to 00:17, reaching Gayrettepe at 00:47 — after the M2 has stopped, except Friday and Saturday nights when it runs through at double fare. Overnight, take the H-2 bus to Mecidiyeköy (01:10, 03:30 and 05:45, every day, 105 minutes, TRY 92.40) or the Havaist coach to Taksim (00:30, 01:15 and 02:15, then nothing until 04:30).
The Havaist coach to Taksim is TRY 470 and 90 minutes; the metro to Gayrettepe — three M2 stops short of Taksim on a TRY 34.40 transfer — is TRY 42.34 and 30 minutes. The coach buys a seat, a luggage hold, a stop in Taksim Square itself, and departures through most of the night. Two medium bags ride free; each bag beyond that is TRY 120. No cash — card, online ticket or İstanbulkart only.
Sultanahmet, Eminönü and Sirkeci are not on the metro. Havaist's direct coach to Çatladıkapı, below Sultanahmet, runs 05:00 to 23:45 only (110 minutes); the operator charges TRY 470 while İBB's tariff lists TRY 420 — expect TRY 470. Outside those hours, the Havaist Aksaray coach (TRY 470, through the night) leaves you four T1 tram stops from Sultanahmet instead.
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