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A ferry passing Galata Tower on the Golden Horn, IstanbulPhoto: Emre / Unsplash

IST layover

A layover in Istanbul

The city is 45 min–1h 30m from Istanbul each way, so budget around 3 hours of travel for the round trip before immigration and security. Istanbul Airport is about 40 km from the old city. Traffic is unpredictable: build in at least 90 minutes each way plus 2.5 hours at the airport.

  1. 0–8hStay airside
  2. 8–14hSultanahmet in one go
  3. 14–24hBosphorus and Karaköy

Checked against sources:· How we verify

Can you leave the airport?

That depends on your passport and ticket. Check the official rules before you plan anything outside the terminal:

We link the official sources rather than summarise entry rules, because they change and differ by nationality.

0–8 hours

Stay airside

With the travel time to the old city, short layovers are best spent airside. Turkish Airlines' lounges are for eligible passengers; the airport also has a hotel airside.

8–14 hours

Sultanahmet in one go

Take the M11 to Gayrettepe and continue by metro and tram, or a taxi straight to Sultanahmet: the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome are all within walking distance. Turkish Airlines runs a Touristanbul tour for eligible connecting passengers — check the current conditions on its site.

14–24 hours

Bosphorus and Karaköy

Add a public ferry across the Bosphorus from Eminönü and dinner in Karaköy. Leave the city by early evening if you have a morning departure.

Into Istanbul and back

  • M11 metroAirport metro station (below the terminal, arrivals level −2) → Gayrettepe (M2 interchange) and Halkalı (Marmaray) · 35–40 min
  • Taxi (meter)Arrivals exits, taxi rank → Door to door · 45 min–1h 30m
  • Havaist airport coachArrivals floor, bus bays → Taksim, Sultanahmet and other districts (route-dependent) · 1h–1h 40m

Routes that connect in Istanbul

Sources

Report a change — seen something different at the airport or on the airline's site? We re-check and log corrections publicly.