Istanbul Airport to City Transport

Istanbul Airport (IST) is about 40 km from Taksim. You can reach the city directly from the airport by metro, airport bus, city bus or taxi. Airport and city buses leave from the -2 Transportation Floor of the terminal.

Metro: M11 line

The M11 metro line connects Istanbul Airport to the city. It runs between Gayrettepe and Halkalı, and the section between Arnavutköy and Halkalı opened in June 2026.

  • Towards the city center: Kargo Terminali, İhsaniye, Göktürk, Kemerburgaz, Üniversite-Hasdal, Kağıthane and Gayrettepe. At Gayrettepe you can change to the M2 metro line for Levent, Şişli and Taksim.
  • Towards Halkalı: Taşoluk, Arnavutköy, İbn Haldun Üniversitesi, Kayaşehir, Olimpiyatköy, Halkalı Stadı and Halkalı, where you can change to the Marmaray suburban rail line.
  • Payment: İstanbulkart.

Havaist airport buses

Havaist runs 11 bus lines between Istanbul Airport and different parts of the city, such as Taksim, Beşiktaş and 4. Levent.

  • Where to board: -2 Transportation Floor.
  • Payment: credit and debit cards are accepted on board. You can also buy tickets online.
  • Accessibility: a wheelchair-accessible minibus can be requested at least 1 hour in advance for trips from the airport.
  • Current lines, stops and timetables: hava.ist

İETT city buses

Five İETT city bus lines serve Istanbul Airport:

  • H-1: Mahmutbey Metro – Istanbul Airport
  • H-2: Mecidiyeköy – Istanbul Airport
  • H-3: Halkalı Marmaray – Istanbul Airport
  • H-6: Yunus Emre Mahallesi (Arnavutköy) – Istanbul Airport
  • H-8: Hacıosman (Sarıyer) – Istanbul Airport

The buses leave from the -2 Transportation Floor and are wheelchair accessible. You pay with İstanbulkart. Timetables: iett.istanbul

Taxi

Taxis are available 24 hours a day in three categories. All of them charge by the taximeter, according to the official tariff of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality:

  • Orange taxi: standard taxi.
  • Turquoise taxi: 15% more than the orange taxi.
  • Black luxury taxi: 70% more than the orange taxi.

The main taxi stands are at the arrivals floor exits, including exit 9 (domestic) and exit 13 (international). Bridge, tunnel and motorway tolls are paid by the passenger.

Car rental

All car rental companies are on the landside of the domestic arrivals floor and are open 24 hours a day. If you come by car, see our Istanbul Airport parking guide.

Intercity buses

İstanbul Seyahat buses leave from platform 18 on the -2 Transportation Floor to cities in the Marmara region, including Tekirdağ, Çorlu, Edirne, Kırklareli, Gebze, İzmit, Sakarya, Bursa and Çanakkale.

Lines, timetables and fares may change. Please check the operators' websites before you travel.