من مطار صبيحة كوكتشن إلى تقسيم: حافلة هافاباص والقطار تحت الماء والعبّارة أو السيارة

The Havabus coach from Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to Taksim takes about an hour and a half, leaves every 30 minutes from 06:30 to 01:30, and ends at the Gezi Park metro exit in Taksim. The airport puts Taksim about 50 km away, on the other side of the Bosphorus. By rail you can do it with the M4, Marmaray and the M2, or with the M4 and a ferry. A pre-booked car takes you to your hotel door, and our private airport transfer in a Mercedes Vito starts from $60 per group.

Sabiha Gökçen is the Pegasus hub and the airport for many low-cost and regional flights, so a lot of first-time visitors land there and then discover that their Taksim hotel is on another continent. Here is how each way across works.

Why SAW to Taksim takes longer than you expect

Three things make this one of the longer airport runs in the city:

• Different sides of the Bosphorus. The airport is in Pendik, near Kurtköy, on the Asian side. Taksim is on the European side, above the Bosphorus shore at Kabataş.
• The crossing. Every road route uses one of the two older Bosphorus bridges or the Eurasia Tunnel, and those are exactly where traffic builds at rush hour.
• Taksim is up a hill. Even after crossing, the last part climbs from the shore or comes down from the north, through some of the busiest streets in Beyoğlu and Şişli.

If you have not booked your flight yet and your hotel is in Taksim, compare with flights into Istanbul Airport (IST), which is on the same European side. If you are already booked into SAW, read on.

Havabus: the direct coach to Taksim

Havabus runs the airport coaches at Sabiha Gökçen, and its Taksim line is the most direct public option. According to Havabus's own page for the line:

• Departures from the airport: every 30 minutes from 06:30 to 01:30. Havabus also notes services for delayed flights between 01:00 and 04:00.
• Journey time: about 1.5 hours, depending on traffic.
• Route into the city: Sabiha Gökçen, Kavacık, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, 1. Levent, Zincirlikuyu Metrobüs, Dolapdere and Taksim.
• Stop in Taksim: the Gezi Park metro exit, on Cumhuriyet Caddesi, at the edge of Taksim Square.
• Fare: the page listed ₺485 per person when we checked. Fares change, so look again on havabus.com or call 444 26 56 before you travel.

The coaches wait in front of the terminal exits on the arrivals floor.

Two practical notes. First, because the coach comes into Taksim from the north via Levent and Dolapdere, you cannot get off near the Bosphorus shore; the stop is at Gezi Park. Second, the stop is a short walk from Taksim Square and the top of İstiklal Avenue, which is fine for hotels on the square or along Cumhuriyet Caddesi, but harder work with big cases for a hotel down the hill in Cihangir or near Galata.

By rail under the Bosphorus: M4, Marmaray and M2

This route avoids road traffic entirely, crossing the Bosphorus in the Marmaray rail tunnel.

1. M4 from the airport towards Kadıköy. Sabiha Gökçen is the eastern end of the line. Ride to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, the second station from Kadıköy. Metro İstanbul gives the whole M4 as about 52 minutes from end to end.
2. Marmaray from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Yenikapı. The suburban line goes under the Bosphorus via Üsküdar and Sirkeci.
3. M2 from Yenikapı towards Hacıosman. Ride four stops north: Vezneciler, Haliç, Şişhane and Taksim.

What to know:

• You need an İstanbulkart. Cards are sold at machines in the metro station and at kiosks by the bus area.
• Hours. Metro İstanbul lists the M4 and M2 as running from 06:00 to midnight, so this route does not suit late arrivals.
• The changes. Ayrılık Çeşmesi and Yenikapı both involve escalators and walking between platforms. Yenikapı is a large interchange.
• Taksim station has several exits. Check which one is nearest your hotel before you arrive.

There is a second rail option with the Metrobüs instead of Marmaray: take the M4 to Ünalan, change to the Metrobüs across the 15 July Martyrs Bridge to Zincirlikuyu, then walk to the M2 at Gayrettepe and ride three stops south to Taksim. It is useful when Marmaray is crowded, but the Metrobüs is packed at rush hour.

Two more public routes: the ferry and the E3 bus

M4 and the ferry to Kabataş. Take the M4 to the end of the line at Kadıköy, walk to the pier and take the ferry across to Kabataş. From Kabataş the F1 funicular climbs straight up to Taksim Square. This is the slowest route on paper, but the only one with a view: you cross the mouth of the Bosphorus with the old city skyline in view. With light bags and daylight, it is a very good first hour in Istanbul. For more about the public boats, see our self-guided Bosphorus ferry guide.

E3 city bus and the M2. The airport lists the E3 city bus to 4. Levent, on the M2 metro line. From 4. Levent, Taksim is five stops south: Levent, Gayrettepe, Şişli-Mecidiyeköy, Osmanbey and Taksim. It is a cheap option for travellers with one bag, but the bus is in the same traffic as every other vehicle on the road.

Taxi or private car from SAW to Taksim

Taxis wait at the arrivals level of the terminal around the clock. Like every Istanbul taxi, they run on the meter under the city's UKOME tariff, and bridge or tunnel tolls are added to the fare. Because this is a long run with a Bosphorus crossing, it is one of the more expensive taxi rides in the city. The tariff was raised during 2026, so ask the driver for an estimate before you set off and check that the meter is running.

The driver will choose between the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the 15 July Martyrs Bridge and the Eurasia Tunnel depending on the hour. Havabus's 1.5 hours is a fair benchmark for the drive at normal traffic levels; a car that goes straight to your hotel can do better at quiet hours, and worse on a Friday evening.

A private transfer uses the same roads, so the time is the same. What changes is the arrangement: a fixed price agreed in advance, a driver who tracks your flight and waits after customs with a name sign, room for luggage and child seats, and a WhatsApp number. For a group of three or four with bags, a booked car often compares well with a taxi plus tolls. For how meeting points work, see our Istanbul airport private transfer page.

The routes side by side

Arriving in Taksim: where things are

Taksim Square is the transport hub of the European side's modern centre. The Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM) and the Republic Monument are on the square, Gezi Park is on its north side, and İstiklal Avenue runs south-west from it towards Galata. Read our guide to İstiklal Avenue and Taksim for what is there.

Points that matter on arrival:

• İstiklal Avenue is pedestrianised. Cars cannot drive along it. If your hotel is on İstiklal or in a lane off it, the car or taxi stops on the nearest side street and you walk the last part, often over cobbles.
• Cihangir and Galata are downhill. Both are a walk from the square but steep, with stairs in places. From there, Galata Tower and the streets of Galata and Karaköy are close.
• The big hotels around the square and on Cumhuriyet Caddesi are the easiest to reach by any route, including Havabus.

Who stays in Taksim: first-time visitors who want restaurants and nightlife on the doorstep, people on short city breaks, and travellers who like being on the M2 with a direct line to the old city at Vezneciler. From the bottom of the funicular at Kabataş, the T1 tram runs to Sultanahmet, and Dolmabahçe Palace is a short walk along the shore. If you are still choosing a district, see where to stay in Istanbul. For a wider choice of guided days in the city, our sister site Get Istanbul Tours focuses only on Istanbul.

Taksim back to Sabiha Gökçen for your flight

The return trip is where people get caught out. Havabus runs from Taksim to the airport every 30 minutes from 03:00 to 22:00, from the same Gezi Park stop, on a route via Beşiktaş, the 15 July Martyrs Bridge and the TEM motorway. After 22:00 you need a taxi or a booked car.

Sabiha Gökçen has a security check at the terminal entrance, before check-in, and queues there can be long at peak times. Add the Bosphorus crossing, and allow more time than you would for a flight from IST. Our planning rule is to be at the airport about three hours before an international flight, but always follow your airline's guidance. If you book a departure transfer with us, we confirm the pickup time with you the day before.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Airport VIP transfer, private Mercedes Vito to your hotel: from $60 per group, from SAW or IST to your Taksim hotel.
• Istanbul layover tour with private guide and van from IST or SAW: from $550 per person, 6-8 hours, for long connections. See the layover tour guide first.
• Dolmabahçe Palace private tour with guide and ticket: from $150 per person, close to Taksim.
• Bosphorus dinner cruise with folk and belly dance show and transfers: from $90 per person. Read more in our Bosphorus dinner cruise guide.

Frequently Asked Questions