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 Istanbul International Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport are located on opposite sides of the city. The distance between the two airports in Istanbul is 86 km, and it takes at least 1.5 hours to get from one airport to another by the shortest route by car. This article will help you to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport and save time or money, whichever is more important to you.

How to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport | Turkey

Contents:

Travel tips: the fastest way to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport is by an idividual taxi transfer.

Where are the two international airports of Istanbul on the map

The largest airport in Istanbul and Turkey in the north, about 40 km from the city center, near the Black Sea coast.

Sabiha Gokcen Airport is in the southeast direction, in the Asian part of Istanbul.

You need to cross the Bosphorus and cover about 90 km to get from one international airport to another.

Read more about all Istanbul airports in the article All Istanbul airports - names, location on the map, transfers, and hotels.

Istanbul's international airports on the map
All Istanbul's international airports on the map

How quickly to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport

The fastest and most convenient way to get from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to New Istanbul Airport is a taxi transfer:

  • a transfer driver will meet you at the exit from the arrivals airport area, help with your luggage, and take you from one airport to another by the fastest route.
  • the transfer cost is fixed and cannot increase during the trip.
  • you can pay for the trip in advance and not waste time on unfavorable currency exchange at an airport.

Favorable taxi transfers for a large family or company >>

User-friendly website for ordering a taxi transfer >>

Airport taxi with a metered fare

You can find taxis at Istanbul airports at any time of a day or a night by following "Taxi" signs.

It is better to have cash Turkish lira to pay for a taxi. Many taxi cars have card payment terminals, but there is no guarantee that payment by your bank card will be successful.

Travel tips: do not change a lot of cash at the airport because the exchange rate is worse than at any exchange office in the city.

According to the rules, taxi drivers must turn on the meter. The taxi fare must correspond to the amount calculated by the meter plus the bridge pass fee over the Bosphorus.

There are two types of taxis at the airport:

  • black taxi cars are premium class,
  • yellow taxi cars are economy class.
Taxi cars in the Istanbul airport
Taxi cars in the Istanbul airport

The estimated cost of an economy class taxi from Istanbul New Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport is ~35 Euro. However, nobody can say which route the taxi driver will take, whether he will wind up extra kilometers, or whether his meter counts fare correctly

The cheapest way to get from Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport

A trip between the two Istanbul airports by bus will cost you only 110 Turkish liras. But you have to:

  • Adapt your plans to the bus schedule.
  • Solve payment issues.
  • Hope that the bus isn't canceled.

The bus route number has changed several times over the past years. You need to find the right bus direction, don't worry a lot about the bus route number.

Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gönçen Airport Bus Timetable (valid at the time this article was updated)
Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gönçen Airport Bus Timetable (subject to change without notice)

A Havaist bus runs between two Istanbul airports:

  • the route number is HVİST-13 (be sure to check if the bus goes to Sabiha Gokcen Airport),
  • estimated duration of the trip - 120 minutes and 109 km,
  • ticket price 110 TL,
  • the bus runs every 1.5 -3.5 hours around the clock,
  • the actual bus schedule can be checked on the Havaist website (in English).

You can read more about buses from the Istanbul airport in this article.

How to pay for the bus:

  1. by cash Turkish lira to buy a ticket at a kiosk at the bus stop,
  2. when entering the bus, pay with a contactless bank card,
  3. on the Havaist website (let me add that I have never managed to buy tickets on this website).

Hotels in the Istanbul airports

You can use hotels at the airports to take a rest until your next flight:

If you have time to walk around Istanbul, I advise you to look into the Mosaics Museum or take a guided tour around Istanbul.

About the author

The author of AsiaPositive Iryna Rasko

I am a passionate traveller and photography is my greatest love. Asia is a constant source of inspiration for me.

The information I share in my articles is based on personal experience and extensive research. It is my sincere hope that my articles will assist you in planning your travels in Asia and beyond.

Please note that English is not my first language and I apologise for any errors or awkward phrasing.

© Iryna Rasko