Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen: Car, Havaist Bus or Metro

Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) sit on opposite sides of the Bosphorus, roughly 85-90 km apart by road, and you can cross between them by private car, by the Havaist HVİST-13 bus, by taxi or by metro and Marmaray with changes. A car usually takes between 75 minutes and 2 hours, depending on traffic. Havaist gives its airport-to-airport line a journey time of 110 minutes. If you are a group or carry several suitcases, a pre-booked private airport transfer is the simplest way across, because nobody has to drag luggage through metro changes.

This page compares the four options, explains what happens at passport control when you switch airports, and suggests how much time to leave between flights.

Four ways between IST and SAW at a glance

Times depend heavily on the hour. Weekday rush hours, roughly early morning and from late afternoon into the evening, slow every road option. Friday evenings and the evenings before public holidays are often the worst of the week.

Do you have to pass passport control?

Yes, in almost every case. There is no airside link between the two airports, so an international passenger arriving at one and flying out of the other has to enter Türkiye, collect checked bags, travel across the city and check in again. In practice this means:

1. You need to be allowed into Türkiye. If your nationality needs an e-Visa or visa, you need it even for a few hours on the road between airports. Our Turkey visa requirements for 2026 summary is a starting point; check your own government's advice as well.
2. Your bags will not be transferred. Two separate tickets on two different airlines, for example Turkish Airlines at IST and Pegasus at SAW, are two separate journeys. Collect your bags and check them in again.
3. The second airline will not wait. If your first flight is late and you miss the second, the second airline treats you as a no-show unless both flights are on one ticket.

A domestic-to-domestic switch is simpler, as there is no passport control, but the luggage and timing points still apply.

How much time to leave between flights

There is no official minimum, because no airline sells this as a connection. Here is how we plan it for our own guests.

• International arrival to international departure, with checked bags: allow at least five to six hours between scheduled landing and scheduled departure. Passport control queues at IST can be long at peak times, and you need to be at the second airport well before check-in closes.
• Hand luggage only: four hours can work at quiet times, but it leaves little margin for a late arrival.
• Arriving in the late afternoon on a weekday: add an hour. The road traffic is the part you cannot control.
• Overnight gap: if your second flight is the next day, a hotel near the second airport or a night in the city is usually better than sitting in a terminal.

If the gap is long, say eight hours or more, you have time to see something of the city on the way. See the layover section below.

Private car: the straightforward option

A private car is the only option where you leave one terminal and step out at the other without touching a bus stop or a ticket machine. The usual road route uses the motorways north of the city and crosses the Bosphorus on one of the bridges, so tolls apply. With a pre-booked transfer they are part of the agreed price.

How it works with us:

1. You send your flight numbers, the number of guests and bags, and any child seat needs.
2. The driver tracks your arrival and meets you after customs with a name sign.
3. You have a WhatsApp number to message if you cannot see the driver.
4. The car goes straight to the second terminal's departures level.

Our Istanbul Airport VIP transfer in a Mercedes Vito starts from $60 per group for an airport-to-hotel run. An airport-to-airport trip is longer, so the quote depends on the direction, the hour, and the number of guests and bags; ask us before you book your second flight if the timing is tight.

Havaist HVİST-13: the direct airport bus

Havaist, the airport bus company at IST, runs a direct line between the two airports, coded HVİST-13. It is the simplest public option, because it needs no changes.

• At IST, Havaist buses leave from the -2 transport floor, below the terminal. Follow the Havaist signs from the arrivals hall.
• At SAW, the line uses the city bus platforms on the arrivals level of the terminal.
• Journey: a Milliyet summary of the Havaist network lists the line at 109 km and 110 minutes. Traffic can stretch that.
• Paying: a ticket per person. Havaist takes Istanbulkart and bank cards, and sells tickets through its website and app; a January 2026 summary said cash is not accepted. Fares rose during 2026, so check the current price in the Havaist app before you travel.
• No reservations: you wait at the stop and board. If a bus is full, you take the next one.

Departures run through the day but not every few minutes, so look at the timetable on hava.ist or in the app and work back from your second flight. If the next bus would leave you short of time at check-in, a car is the safer choice.

Metro and Marmaray: the rail route

Since the Halkalı branch of the M11 metro opened on 20 June 2026, there are two rail routes between the airports. Both need changes and both are long.

Route A, through the centre:

1. M11 from Istanbul Airport to Gayrettepe.
2. M2 south to Yenikapı.
3. Marmaray under the Bosphorus to Ayrılık Çeşmesi on the Asian side.
4. M4 from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gökçen.

Route B, through Halkalı:

1. M11 west from Istanbul Airport to Halkalı.
2. Marmaray east from Halkalı, under the Bosphorus, to Ayrılık Çeşmesi.
3. M4 to Sabiha Gökçen.

Route B has one change fewer, but the Marmaray section is long. Either way, you pay with an Istanbulkart. Sabiha Gökçen's own information says the M4 runs from 06:00 to midnight on weekdays and around the clock at weekends, and takes about 52 minutes between the airport and Kadıköy.

We only suggest rail for travellers with a small backpack and a lot of spare time. Stations have lifts, but with two suitcases the changes are tiring, and a late train can cost you the second flight.

Taxi between the airports

Official taxis wait at both airports around the clock and run on the city meter. On the tariff in force since 20 July 2026, a standard yellow taxi charges an opening fee of 71.94 TL and 47.92 TL per km, and switches to a time charge when it crawls in traffic. If the meter runs 85-90 km, distance alone comes to roughly 4,150-4,400 TL, before waiting time and tolls. Turquoise taxis cost 15% more and black taxis 70% more. Our Istanbul taxi fare guide explains how the meter adds up.

A taxi makes sense when you have not pre-booked and the timing is fine. For a group, compare the meter with a fixed-price car: the car's price does not rise if the motorway is jammed.

Long gap? Turn it into a city stop

If you have a full day between landing at one airport and flying from the other, you do not have to spend it on the motorway and in departures. With a car, a driver and a guide you can drop your bags in the vehicle, see the old city and the Bosphorus, and arrive at the second airport in time for check-in. That is how our Istanbul layover tour works, with pickup at IST or SAW.

A typical plan for a long gap:

• Morning: pickup at the arrival airport, bags stay in the car.
• Midday: Sultanahmet Square, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia from the outside or with a ticket.
• Afternoon: lunch, then the drive across the Bosphorus to the second airport.

Turkish Airlines passengers on long connections at IST may also qualify for the airline's own free city tour; our page on the Turkish Airlines free Istanbul tour explains how it differs from a private stopover. If you want to stay a night or two between flights, see where to stay in Istanbul or browse our Istanbul tours.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Airport VIP transfer, private Mercedes Vito: from $60 per group, 45-90 minutes; airport-to-airport runs are quoted on request.
• Istanbul layover tour with private guide and van from IST or SAW: from $550 per person, 6-8 hours.
• Istanbul private driver tour, Mercedes Vito for 8 hours: from $299 per group, 1-6 guests, useful when you want a car for the whole gap between flights.

For more about Istanbul itself, start with our Istanbul destination guide.

Frequently Asked Questions