How to Get From Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to City Center

Introduction

The Sabiha Gökçen Istanbul Airport is attracting more and more passengers every year. Unfortunately, Sabiha Gökçen is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, well outside the city center. Unless your hotel has arranged for a free airport pick-up, you will need to find transportation from the airport to your hotel. From the Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul, you have several options regardless the location of your hotel — Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu (Taksim/Cihangir). It is also very very important to arrange arrival time off rush-hours otherwise between 05:30 pm and 07:00 pm it may take a couple hours to reach the city center.

General Guidelines

• Get Turkish Liras – If you don’t have Turkish liras on you, use one of the many ATMs in the airport to withdraw some cash money. None of the transportation options mentioned below will accept credit cards, foreign currencies or big Turkish lira notes. Make sure you have some 5, 10, 20 or maximum 50 notes handy. Also, check out our Istanbul money strategy.
• Hotel Address – Make sure that you write down or print out the exact address of your hotel, together with its telephone number. Istanbul is a huge city with an uncountable amount of (small) hotels. Even locals don’t know them all by heart. So, if you need help, just hand over the piece of paper. It’s not unusual for taxi drivers to ask for directions at traffic lights or call the hotel.

Taxi

Unless money is no object, stay clear from taking a taxi from the Sabiha Gökçen airport. A ride to Beyoğlu or Sultanahmet may easily take over an hour and it can be very expensive.  In case you must take a taxi, just walk to the official taxi ranks located just outside the terminal. Never take a ride from the hustlers inside the airport terminal, and always ask to switch on the meter.

Havabus Airport Shuttle

Havabus, a municipality owned reliable airport shuttle service, is your best option to reach your hotel. Depending on your destination, either direct or in combination with public transportation.

• To Taksim – This is the most straightforward route. Outside the airport, find the Havabus heading for Taksim. These buses operate daily between 04:00 and 01:00. The current pick-up and drop-off point is the Gezi Park metro exit/entrance, just past Taksim Square. The ride costs 18 TL per person (luggage included) and takes approximately 90 minutes, depending on traffic. You can get off at a few places, but most tourists will want to get off at Beşiktaş or Taksim, depending on your destination.
• To Sultanahmet – To reach Sultanahmet, you have two options. Either you take a  taxi ride after reaching Taksim Square,  or you combine another airport shuttle line with a ferry ride, followed by a small taxi or tram ride (lots of adventure)

Private Shuttle

A private shuttle is a great alternative for both the taxi and the standard airport shuttle. They are much more comfortable than taxis, have a fixed rate, hence offer a much more relaxed (and safe) drive to your hotel. Unlike the Havabus Airport shuttle, private shuttles bring you to the hotel’s doorstep. They are also the best option when your party is three or more people (with a lot of luggage) or when you travel with very young children. In case of the latter, ask for a child seat

Istanbul Airport Transfer

Hotel Airport Pick-Up

Most hotels will offer (upon request) an airport pick-up. These pick-ups are rarely free of charge, and often much more expensive than the options mentioned above. It’s up to you to calculate the difference and decide which option best suits your needs or preference.