Istanbul travel guide

Walking

The historic peninsula is walkable: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapı Palace are all within ten minutes of each other, and the Grand Bazaar is about 15 minutes on foot. Hills are steep, pavements uneven and the city is very large, so most visitors combine walking with trams and ferries.

Istanbulkart, trams, metro and buses

Public transport is paid with the Istanbulkart, a rechargeable card sold at machines in metro stations and ferry piers. Under the city's tariff in force since 20 July 2026, a full fare on trams, metro, buses, funiculars and the Tünel costs 46.20 TL, and changes within two hours are cheaper (34.40 TL, then 26.42 TL, then 17.18 TL). Paying by contactless bank card or with single-use tickets costs more: 65 TL for one ride, 120 TL for two, 185 TL for three and 530 TL for ten. Tourist Istanbulkart passes cost 615 TL for one day, 1,380 TL for three days, 3,080 TL for five days and 4,000 TL for seven days, each with a fixed number of rides. The T1 tram links Kabataş, Karaköy, Eminönü, Sultanahmet and the Grand Bazaar. The Marmaray rail tunnel and the M11 airport metro charge by distance. Children aged 7 and over pay. Services running between 12.30am and 5.30am charge double.

Ferries

Commuter ferries cross between Europe and Asia all day and are the most enjoyable way to travel. With an Istanbulkart, Eminönü to Üsküdar costs 58.52 TL and Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy 65.21 TL. Şehir Hatları also runs Bosphorus sightseeing tours from Eminönü, priced separately for foreign passengers (₺640 return for the long tour, ₺340 for the short tour).

Airport transfers

Istanbul Airport (IST) is about 40 km north-west of the centre. The M11 metro runs from the airport to Gayrettepe (for the M2 metro to Taksim) and to Kağıthane; it charges by number of stations, from 37.40 TL to 73.19 TL, taking the maximum fare on entry and refunding the difference at exit. Havaist coaches (HVL lines) run around the clock to the city: Taksim (HVL-9) and Aksaray (HVL-1) 470 TL, Sultanahmet (HVL-11) 420 TL, Beşiktaş via Levent (HVL-5) 405 TL, Beyazıt (HVL-12) 370 TL and Kadıköy (HVL-6) 515 TL, paid by Istanbulkart or bank card. The city bus H-2 to Mecidiyeköy costs 92.40 TL.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) is on the Asian side, about 40 km south-east of the centre. Havabüs coaches run to Kadıköy (300.30 TL) and Taksim (485.10 TL), and Havaist lines run to Sultanahmet (HVL-13, 405 TL) and Beyazıt (HVL-14, 420 TL). The M4 metro connects the airport to Kadıköy at the standard fare, and city buses E10 (to Kadıköy, 92.40 TL) and E3 (to 4. Levent, 138.60 TL) also run. HVL-10 links the two airports for 530 TL.

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Taxis

Istanbul taxis run on the meter, with one tariff day and night. A standard yellow taxi charges 71.94 TL on starting, 47.92 TL per km and 598.90 TL per hour when slow or waiting, with a minimum fare of 230 TL. Turquoise taxis charge 82.73 TL plus 55.10 TL per km (minimum 265 TL), and black luxury taxis 122.30 TL plus 81.46 TL per km (minimum 400 TL). Bridge and motorway tolls are added. There are no fixed airport fares; at these rates a yellow taxi from Istanbul Airport to Taksim (about 42 km) comes to roughly 2,100 TL before tolls and traffic time. Insist on the meter, or use an app such as BiTaksi.

Tourist tax

Türkiye charges an accommodation tax (konaklama vergisi) on hotel and other paid stays, calculated as a percentage of the room price excluding VAT and collected by the property. The statutory rate is 2%, but a Presidential Decision published on 1 May 2026 cut it to 1% until 31 December 2026. On 9 November 2026 the President announced that the reduction would be extended for another year; until that is published in the Official Gazette, assume 2% for stays from 1 January 2027. Unlike Paris or Rome, it is not a flat amount per person per night, and it is usually already included in the quoted room price.