Istanbul

Plan a visit to Istanbul

• The Bosphorus divides the city’s European and Asian sides. Group nearby visits together and check the pier and route before using a ferry.
• Local ferry crossings take only a few minutes, but service depends on the route and timetable, so verify current departures.
• Leave space for transfers and walking between neighbourhoods rather than scheduling every sight back-to-back.

From IST to your hotel

Istanbul Airport has metro and bus connections to the city. The M11 metro links the airport with Gayrettepe, stopping at Kağıthane, Üniversite-Hasdal, Kemerburgaz, Göktürk and İhsaniye, and continues the other way towards Halkalı. The Halkalı to Arnavutköy section opened on 20 June 2026.

Havaist runs 11 routes between the airport and the city centre, boarding at the Boarding Point on the transportation floor (floor -2). İETT runs 5 routes from the same point. The airport’s page gives no fares or timetables for these, so check them with Havaist and İETT before you travel.

Choose a side of the Bosphorus first

The T1 tram runs from Kabataş through Karaköy, Eminönü, Sultanahmet and Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı, 06:00 to midnight, so a hotel near its stops puts the historic peninsula, the Grand Bazaar and the ferry piers on one line. GoTürkiye presents Beyoğlu as the walking district of İstiklal Street, Galata Tower and Galataport, the former harbour now given over to art, shopping and dining, and describes Moda on the Asian side as a Kadıköy neighbourhood of trendy cafés and coastal views.

• Sultanahmet and the historic peninsula: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and the Blue Mosque on foot, with tram stops at Sultanahmet, Gülhane and Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı. Convenient for a first visit built around the main sights.
• Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy: İstiklal Street, Galata Tower and Galataport. Karaköy station connects the tram with the F2 Tünel to Beyoğlu and with the ferries, and Kabataş with the F1 funicular to Taksim.
• Kadıköy and Moda on the Asian side: a quieter residential base reached by ferry, with the European sights a crossing away. Sabiha Gökçen Airport is on this side, so it suits flights that land there.
• Gayrettepe and Levent: where the M11 metro from Istanbul Airport ends, with business hotels and malls. Practical for a short stay tied to the airport, less so for sightseeing.

Istanbulkart fares

The full fare on the Anonymous Istanbulkart is ₺46.20, with lower student and social rates, according to Istanbul Metro’s fares page. The page shows no effective date, so check the current table.

Entry rules for Istanbul

Saudi Arabia is on Türkiye’s list of countries whose ordinary and official passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you travel on another passport, check your own nationality on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page.

The e-visa (evisa.gov.tr) is valid only when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce. For work or study, visas are issued by Turkish embassies or consulates.

Sources and official links for Istanbul

• GoTürkiye: Istanbul and the Bosphorus

Last checked: 14 Oct 2026

Checked by Anas Ismail on 14 October 2026. We check entry rules, fares and opening details against the official pages listed in the sources, and note the date we checked them.

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