Sabiha Gökçen Airport (Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı) is an international airport in Istanbul, which is the second largest airport in the city, after the New International Airport (Istanbul Havalimanı).
Sabiha Gokcen Airport serves local and international flights, including budget airlines (low-cost airlines). As a result, you can get to Istanbul at very attractive prices. Flights to Istanbul →
The airport is located in the Asian part of Istanbul, at a distance of about 40 kilometers from the historical center of the city - Sultanahmet Square.
Sabiha Gokcen Airport has all the necessary infrastructure: shops, cafes and restaurants, restrooms, places to relax and wait for flights, luggage storage, facilities for people with disabilities, Wi-Fi, Kepler Club Sabiha Gökçen Airport - International Transit Area, ATMs and currency exchange offices. The exchange rate at the airport may be less profitable than in the city center, so we recommend exchanging small amounts of money at the airport.
How to get from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to the center of Istanbul (from the center of Istanbul to the airport)
You can get from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to the center of Istanbul, as well as from the center of Istanbul to the airport, by taxi /transfer, rented car, shuttle buses and public transport (metro, buses) with transfers.
Taxi / Transfers
To get from Sabiha Gokcen airport to the center of Istanbul is more convenient and fastest by taxi. You can order a taxi in advance, even from home. At any time of the day, at the airport, a driver will be waiting for you with a sign where your first and last name will be written. To order a taxi, it is enough to provide your flight data!
You can also book a transfer or a transfer with a guided tour in advance
Car
One of the most convenient ways to travel independently around Istanbul and travel outside the city is by car. You can rent a car in advance, even from home, the car will be waiting for you immediately upon arrival or in another place convenient for you in the city.
Rent a car in Istanbul (all places and at the airport) →
Shuttle buses
HAVABUS shuttle buses run from Sabiha Gokcen Airport on two routes:
- to Kadıköy Pier on the Asian side of Istanbul;
- to Taksim Square on the European side of Istanbul.
The bus route is highlighted on the windshield and is also indicated near the front door. Along the way, the bus to Taksim Square makes several intermediate stops.
The departure point of the shuttle buses from Sabiha Gokcen Airport is located opposite the exit of the terminal building from the arrival floor (exit the airport building, walk a little straight and turn right - the buses are easy to spot).
HAVABUS Shuttle Bus routes
1. At Taksim Square, buses stop (and also depart) in front of the Taksim Divan Istanbul and Point Hotel Taksim Hotels on Abdulhahamit Street (Abdulhak Hamit Cd). From the bus stop to the center of Taksim Square, 10 minutes on foot (distance 700 meters). If you need to go further, you can use public transport from Taksim Square: buses, metro and funicular.
2. At Kadikoy Pier, the bus stops in front of the IETT pier. If you need to move further from the stop, then you can get to the European side of Istanbul by the Marmaray metro train or ferries from Kadıköy pier. Metro-train and ferries are public transport (Istanbul transport cards are valid). You can also take ferries from Kadıköy Ferry Pier to the Prince Islands (Kadıköy-Adalar route).
Payment on HAVABUS buses is in cash. The ticket price includes baggage transportation in the luggage compartment.
We recommend you to check the exact cost of travel in shuttles, the schedule of bus supervision, stops and other information on the official HAVABUS website: havabus.com .
From Sabiha Gokcen Airport to the New Istanbul Airport can be reached by the Havaist service bus (Havaist). Website: hava.ist.
Public transport
From public transport, metro and buses run from Sabiha Gokcen Airport and to the airport.
Underground
Metro line M4 (pink line) runs from Sabiha Gokcen Airport station (near the airport) to Kadiköy station. Turkish name of the metro line: "Kadıköy-Sabiha Gökçen Airport".
At the Kadikoy station, you can transfer to water transport (ferries) and get to the ferry piers on the opposite side of the Bosphorus, for example, to Eminonu. At the station "Ayrılık Çeşmesi" you can transfer to the Marmaray train. You can also transfer to public buses and get to your desired place in Istanbul.
While moving, the M4 metro line makes 23 stops. The duration of the complete trip is 52 minutes. Opening hours of the metro line: from 06:00 to 00:00 hours. The frequency of traffic during peak hours is 5 minutes.
We recommend that you check information about the Istanbul metro on the website: metro.istanbul.
Buses
There are several bus routes, depending on which point of Istanbul you need to get to, but most likely you will have to go with transfers.
The following public buses run from Sabiha Gokcen:
- E3, airport - Levent metro station (stop next to the Sapphire shopping center). Then you can get to the center of Istanbul by metro or buses
- 122H, airport - Levent metro station (stop next to the Sapphire shopping center). The bus runs twice a day
- SG2, airport - Taksim Square. Then, as in the case of shuttle buses, you can get to other places in Istanbul by metro, buses and funicular
- E10, airport - Kadikoy Pier. From the pier to Marmaray and by ferry, as in the case of shuttle buses, you can get to the right place on the European side of the city; also by ferry - to the Princes' Islands
- E11, airport - Kadikoy Pier
- 16S, airport - HAREM PERONLAR 2. Then by ferry you can get to the Sirkeci terminal of Fatih district (European side of Istanbul)
- SG1, airport - Kadikoy Pier
- MR60, airport - Pendik YHT. Then you can walk to the Marmaray Metro stop
In addition to those listed, several more public bus routes run from /to the airport, which follow the Asian part of Istanbul. However, these routes are not popular among tourists.
!!! The abbreviated designation of the bus stop at Sabiha Gokcen Airport is "SG1".
Link to bus routes from airports (Sabiha Gokcen and Novy): iett.istanbul/icerik/havalimanlar-ulasim.
The bus stops at Sabiha Gokcen Airport are located near the airport exit of the arrival area. We leave the airport and walk a little straight - the stops are easy to spot.
You can pay for public transport in Istanbul (metro, buses, ferries, trams, Marmaray) using electronic tickets from 1 to several trips and transport cards "Istanbul kart".
Tickets and cards can be purchased at vending machines located directly at the stops near Sabiha Gokcen Airport and metro stations. You can also top up existing transport cards in the vending machines. Learn more about Istanbul public transport with websites and transport maps...
Long-distance trips
From Sabiha Gokcen Airport and from the center of Istanbul by car, taxi and intercity buses, you can travel outside Istanbul - travel around Turkey.
Buses from the airport can be reached, including to Bursa (buses stand near public stops).
Rent a car in Istanbul (all places) →
Intercity buses from and to Istanbul →
Excursions from Istanbul
Where to spend the night at and near Sabiha Gokcen Airport
If necessary, on the territory of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, you can spend the night or relax at the Kepler Club Sabiha Gökçen Airport - International Transit Area.
The hotel has full rooms and sleeping capsule beds.
The hotel is located inside the international flights terminal in Airside. It offers air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk. Link to the hotel
There are also hotels located near Sabiha Gokcen Airport. For example,
4-star Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Istanbul Tuzla
All accommodation facilities in Istanbul, including at and near the city's airports, as well as in the center of Istanbul, on the European and Asian sides, can be viewed and booked here
Book hotels in Turkey (including Istanbul) on Booking.com, already directly being in Turkey - it may not work out. If you are already in Turkey and it is not possible to book a hotel through Booking, then you can do it through a similar online booking system of accommodation facilities Hotellook link →
