# Getting from Sabiha Gökçen airport into Istanbul

The M4 metro starts at the terminal and runs to Kadıköy, on the Asian shore, in 52 minutes with no change. For the old city, change to the Marmaray line under the Bosphorus, or take the ferry across from Kadıköy.

- Web page: https://sabihagokcenlayover.com/getting-to-the-city/
- Guide: [Sabiha Gökçen Layover](https://sabihagokcenlayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), part of City Layover
- Updated 11 November 2026; facts checked 11 November 2026

## What's the best way from Sabiha Gökçen airport into Istanbul?

For most layovers, take the M4 metro from the terminal to Kadıköy: 52 minutes with no change, ₺65 by contactless card. For Sultanahmet, change at Ayrılık Çeşmesi to the Marmaray line and allow about 100 minutes with the waits, or take the ferry across from Kadıköy. Allow about an hour from landing to the train, and leave Kadıköy 2 hours 50 minutes before your flight.

## At a glance

- **M4 metro**: 52 min to Kadıköy, ₺65
- **M4 and Marmaray**: About 100 min to Sultanahmet, one change
- **Ferry**: Kadıköy to Eminönü, about 25 min, ₺65.21
- **Havabus**: ₺300 to Kadıköy, about an hour, until 1:30am
- **Taxi**: About ₺2,000 to Kadıköy, about an hour
- **Last metro back**: Around 11:45pm from Kadıköy (our estimate)

## Getting through the border

Before any train, you clear Turkish passport control. Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) doesn't publish queue times, so plan on about an hour from landing to sitting on the metro.

- **The queue.** International arrivals have their own lanes, and the queues are usually shorter than at Istanbul Airport. If yours is long and your layover tight, **Fast Track** for international arrivals costs ₺1,630 (seen November 2026); it isn't sold to passengers who are changing planes.
- **Bags.** On one ticket they normally go through to your next flight. On separate tickets you collect them after passport control. Left luggage is on the international arrivals level, open around the clock, charged by the day and the bag's size.
- **A long queue** eats into your time in town, never into your flight, because the time to head back stays fixed.

Passports, visas and transfers: [visa and transit rules](https://sabihagokcenlayover.com/visa-and-transit/).

## The options at a glance

| | M4 metro | M4 and Marmaray | Havabus | Taxi |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| To | Kadıköy | Sultanahmet, changing at Ayrılık Çeşmesi | Kadıköy or Taksim | Anywhere |
| Time | 52 minutes | About 100 minutes with the waits | About an hour to Kadıköy, 1.5 hours to Taksim | About an hour to Kadıköy, 75 to 90 minutes to Sultanahmet |
| Single fare | ₺65, or ₺46.20 on an İstanbulkart | Three fares | ₺300 to Kadıköy, ₺485 to Taksim | About ₺2,000 to Kadıköy, ₺2,500 to the old city |

The Sultanahmet time and the taxi times and fares are our estimates.

## M4 metro: the best way in for most layovers

- **Finding it.** Follow the metro signs from the arrivals hall to Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı station, the end of the line.
- **The ride.** 52 minutes from end to end, with 21 stops on the way and no change. Trains run every 5 minutes at busy times; allow about 10 minutes for a train otherwise.
- **Tickets.** The simplest way is to tap a contactless bank card at the gates, which is charged the single-ticket fare: ₺65 a ride. An **İstanbulkart** from the ticket machines costs ₺165 for the card, then ₺46.20 a ride. For Kadıköy and back, the bank card works out cheaper; for a longer day with Marmaray, trams and ferries, the İstanbulkart pays for every leg. One card can be shared, tapped once for each person.
- **Kadıköy.** The station is a short walk from the ferry piers and the market streets. Every [itinerary](https://sabihagokcenlayover.com/itineraries/) on the Asian side starts here.

**First and last trains.** The M4 runs from about 6am to about midnight, every day. The times below are our estimates for the first and last trains:

| | Every day |
| --- | --- |
| First train from the airport | About 6am |
| Last train back from Kadıköy | Around 11:45pm |
| Last time to leave Sultanahmet for it | About 11pm |

Treat them as limits, not targets: aim to be on a train from Kadıköy by 11:30pm. If you miss the last one, take a taxi; the Havabus from Kadıköy stops at 11:15pm. On Friday and Saturday nights Metro İstanbul runs some lines through the night, at a double fare after 12:30am, but don't plan your return on a night train.

## M4 and Marmaray: the way to Sultanahmet

For the old city, leave the M4 at **Ayrılık Çeşmesi**, the stop before Kadıköy, about 50 minutes from the airport. Change there to the **Marmaray** line, which runs under the Bosphorus via Üsküdar to **Sirkeci**, on the European side. From Sirkeci, the **T1 tram** goes two stops to **Sultanahmet**, or you can walk up through Gülhane Park.

Allow about 100 minutes from the airport platform to Sultanahmet, and 105 back. Those are our allowances, with room for the change and the waits. You pay three fares each way: the M4, Marmaray (₺37.40 on an İstanbulkart for a short hop) and the tram. Leave Sultanahmet 3 hours 15 minutes before your flight, and by about 11pm at the latest.

## The ferry from Kadıköy: the scenic way across

City ferries leave from the piers by Kadıköy station for **Karaköy** and **Eminönü**, at the two ends of the Galata Bridge on the European side. The crossing to Eminönü takes about 25 minutes, with the old city's domes and minarets ahead of you. It costs ₺65.21 each way with an İstanbulkart.

- **How often.** Boats leave Kadıköy every 20 minutes through the day and every 30 minutes in the evening, from about 6am (7am on Sundays).
- **The evening.** The last boat from Kadıköy to Eminönü leaves at about 8:30pm, and the last one back from Eminönü at about 9pm. Later boats run between Kadıköy and Karaköy only, until about 1am. Karaköy is a 10-minute walk across the Galata Bridge from Eminönü, so you can still make the crossing; just come back from Karaköy.
- **Timing.** Allow about 1.5 hours for the boats there and back, with the waits and the walk to the pier, plus your time across the water.

The [ferry plan](https://sabihagokcenlayover.com/itineraries/) fits a layover of 7.5 hours or more.

## Havabus coaches: for night arrivals

Havabus coaches leave from in front of the terminal at the arrivals level.

- **To Kadıköy**: ₺300, about an hour, more in traffic. From the airport at 5:45am, then mostly every 45 minutes until 10:45pm, with late coaches up to 1:30am and extra ones for delayed flights between 1am and 4am. Back from the Kadıköy Rıhtım bus stops by the waterfront from 3:15am to 11:15pm.
- **To Taksim**: ₺485, about 1.5 hours over the Bosphorus Bridge. From the airport every 30 minutes, 6:30am to 1:30am; back from Gezi Park, by the Taksim metro exit, every 30 minutes, 3am to 10pm.

By day the metro is quicker, cheaper and never stuck in traffic. The Havabus earns its place before about 6am and after midnight, when the metro isn't running into town.

## Taxis

Taxis wait in front of the terminal at the arrivals level, around the clock. Istanbul's meter starts at ₺71.94 and adds ₺47.92 a kilometre, with a ₺230 minimum. Kadıköy is about 40 km away, so expect about ₺2,000 and about an hour in light traffic. The old city is across the Bosphorus: allow about ₺2,500, plus bridge or tunnel tolls, and 75 to 90 minutes.

A taxi is the way back after the last metro, and worth it with heavy bags or young children. On your own by day, the metro costs a fraction of the fare and doesn't sit in traffic.

## Private transfers

A pre-booked transfer gives you a fixed price and a driver waiting in arrivals with your name. It suits a late landing, a family or a lot of luggage, and a car to the old city avoids the change onto Marmaray. Compare its price with the taxi's meter estimate above before you book.

## Changing to Istanbul Airport (IST)

If your next flight leaves from Istanbul Airport, on the European side, you're crossing the whole city. There's no metro between the two airports.

- **The shuttle.** Havaist shuttle buses to Istanbul Airport leave from the open car park level, across from the arrivals exit. Havaist sells tickets on its website.
- **A taxi** is metered on the same tariff as above, plus tolls, and sits in the same traffic.
- **How long to allow.** On our estimate, from landing at Sabiha Gökçen to take-off at Istanbul Airport, you need about **6 hours** with hand luggage and online check-in, or **7 hours** with checked bags. That covers about an hour to get out of the airport, a wait for the shuttle, about 2 hours on the road and time at Istanbul Airport to check in, clear passport control and security, and reach the gate. Landing at Istanbul Airport and flying from Sabiha Gökçen takes as long.
- **On separate tickets**, the second airline won't wait or rebook you if the first flight is late, so add margin if you can.

## Timing your return

Be back at Sabiha Gökçen 90 minutes before departure, with your onward boarding pass. Already checked in, with nothing to drop, you only face passport control and security before walking to the gate. Sabiha Gökçen's 3-hour advice is meant for people who still have to check in. Still to check in, or with a bag to drop? Come back earlier: international check-in closes 60 minutes before departure.

In practice, leave Kadıköy 2 hours 50 minutes before your flight, or Sultanahmet 3 hours 15 minutes before. Kadıköy gives you about an hour more in town than Sultanahmet on the same layover.

| Layover | Time in town |
| --- | --- |
| 6 hours | About 1 hour in Kadıköy |
| 7 hours | About 2 hours in Kadıköy |
| 8.5 hours | About 2.5 hours in Sultanahmet |
| 10 hours | About 4 hours in Sultanahmet |
| 12 hours | About 6 hours in Sultanahmet |

These times assume about an hour from landing to the train, 65 minutes into Kadıköy with the wait for a train and 80 back to the terminal, or 100 minutes into Sultanahmet and 105 back, and 90 minutes at the airport, as in [the itineraries](https://sabihagokcenlayover.com/itineraries/).

## Questions people ask

### Should I take the metro or the Havabus from Sabiha Gökçen to Kadıköy?

The metro, by day: the M4 takes 52 minutes with no change and costs ₺65 by contactless card, against about an hour and ₺300 on the Havabus, which can lose time in traffic. The Havabus is the way in before about 6am or after midnight, when the metro isn't running.

### How long does it take to get out of Sabiha Gökçen airport after landing?

Allow about an hour from landing to sitting on the metro, through passport control and, on separate tickets, baggage reclaim. That hour is our allowance, since no queue times are published. A long queue shortens your time in town; it doesn't put your flight at risk.

### How do I pay for the metro from Sabiha Gökçen?

Tap a contactless bank card at the gates, at ₺65 a ride, or buy an İstanbulkart from the machines at the station: the card costs ₺165, and each metro ride is then ₺46.20. For Kadıköy and back, the bank card is cheaper. Going on by Marmaray, tram or ferry, the İstanbulkart pays for every leg.

### How do I get from Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport?

By the Havaist shuttle bus from the open car park level across from arrivals, or by taxi. On our estimate, from landing at one airport to taking off from the other, you need about 6 hours with hand luggage and online check-in, or 7 with checked bags.

### How early should I be back at Sabiha Gökçen airport?

90 minutes before departure, already checked in and with only hand luggage. In practice, leave Kadıköy 2 hours 50 minutes before your flight, or Sultanahmet 3 hours 15 minutes before. Still to check in, or with a bag to drop? Come back earlier: international check-in closes 60 minutes before departure.

## Sources (checked 11 November 2026)

- [Metro İstanbul: M4 line, Kadıköy to Sabiha Gökçen Airport (archived 17 Oct 2026)](http://web.archive.org/web/20261017074157/https://www.metro.istanbul/Hatlarimiz/HatDetay?hat=M4)
- [Metro İstanbul: night metro (archived 4 Oct 2026)](http://web.archive.org/web/20261004213105/https://www.metro.istanbul/icerik/Gece-Metrosu)
- [Metro İstanbul: night metro lines on Friday and Saturday nights, on X (posted 19 Sep 2025)](https://x.com/metroistanbul/status/1969087192300732913)
- [Havabus: Kadıköy to Sabiha Gökçen, route and fare (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.havabus.com/yolcuservisi/kadikoy-sabihagokcenhavalimani.aspx)
- [Havabus: Taksim to Sabiha Gökçen, route and fare (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.havabus.com/yolcuservisi/taksim-sabihagokcenhavalimani.aspx)
- [İBB: public transport and taxi tariffs from 20 July 2026 (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://uploads.ibb.istanbul/uploads/17_TEMMUZ_2026_M_K_R_1_09b8520e8f.pdf)
- [İstanbulkart: fares and the card price (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.istanbulkart.istanbul/ucretler-limitler)
- [Şehir Hatları: Kadıköy, Karaköy and Eminönü ferry timetable (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://files.sehirhatlari.istanbul/tarife.pdf)
- [Şehir Hatları: price list (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://sehirhatlari.istanbul/en/price-list)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: transport to the city (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/transport-and-parking/transportation)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: easy access to Sultanahmet (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/transport-and-parking/transportation/easy-access-to-sultanahmet)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: taxi (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/transport-and-parking/transportation/taxi)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: check-in (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/before-flight/check-in-en)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: getting to Istanbul Airport (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/transport-and-parking/transportation/easy-access-to-istanbul-airport)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: from Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Airport, FAQ (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/faq-frequently-asked-questions/parking-and-ground-transportation/how-do-i-get-from-sabiha-gokcen-airport-to-istanbul-airport)
- [Havaist: tickets between Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://bilet.hava.ist/buy-ticket?departure=3&destination=6&passenger_count=1)
- [Pegasus Airlines: tips for transit through Sabiha Gökçen (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.flypgs.com/en/blog/tips-for-a-smooth-transit-through-istanbuls-sabiha-gokcen-airport/)
- [Pegasus Airlines: what to do when connecting flights (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.flypgs.com/en/what-should-you-do-when-connecting-flights)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: fast track (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/passenger-guide/fast-track-en)
- [Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport: left luggage (checked 11 Nov 2026)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/passengers-and-visitors/before-flight/baggage-deposit)