Sabiha Gökçen Airport Transfer to Sultanahmet, Taksim and Kadıköy

From Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), Kadıköy is the easiest trip, about 40 km away and directly on the M4 metro. Taksim is about 50 km and Sultanahmet means crossing the Bosphorus, so both take longer. A private car does each run door to door, and our Sabiha Gökçen and Istanbul Airport transfer starts from $60 per group in a Mercedes Vito. By public transport you can reach all three, but Sultanahmet and Taksim involve at least one change, and for Sultanahmet the best route uses a ferry.

Sabiha Gökçen is the hub for Pegasus and many low-cost and regional flights. It sits in Pendik/Kurtköy on the Asian side, on the opposite shore from most first-time visitors' hotels. That one fact shapes every option on this page.

Where SAW is, and why the side of the city matters

The airport gives its own distances as 40 km to Kadıköy, 12 km to central Pendik and 50 km to Taksim. Kadıköy is on the same Asian shore, so the road and the metro run straight there. Sultanahmet and Taksim are on the European side, so the route must cross the water by one of three links:

• The Eurasia Tunnel, a road tunnel under the Bosphorus that comes out on the old city side of the European shore. For Sultanahmet hotels it is usually the most direct crossing.
• The 15 July Martyrs Bridge (the first Bosphorus bridge), the usual road towards Taksim and Beşiktaş.
• The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, further north, used when traffic or the destination favours it.

All three carry tolls, and all three are where rush-hour queues build. A driver who knows the city picks the crossing by the hour, not by habit. At quiet hours the drive is straightforward. Weekday mornings, late afternoons and Friday evenings push it towards the top of the 45 to 90 minute range we quote for our transfers.

SAW to Sultanahmet

By car. The usual route runs west along the Asian side and through the Eurasia Tunnel, then along the shore road to the old city. The final stretch is the tricky part: several hotel lanes near Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are narrow, one-way or closed to cars, so the driver stops at the nearest point and you walk the last few metres. Read more about the area in our Sultanahmet hotels guide.

By public transport, the airport itself suggests two routes:

1. Bus or metro to Kadıköy, then the ferry. Take the M4 metro, the Havabus shuttle or the E10 city bus to Kadıköy. The ferry from Kadıköy to Eminönü takes about 25 minutes. From Eminönü you walk uphill or take the T1 tram to the Sultanahmet stop.
2. Metro and Marmaray. Take the M4 to Ayrılık Çeşmesi and change to the Marmaray suburban rail line, which runs under the Bosphorus. Get off at Sirkeci and take the T1 tram two stops to Sultanahmet.

The ferry route is slower but the more pleasant way to arrive, with the old city skyline in front of you.

SAW to Taksim

Havabus. The Havabus shuttle runs between Sabiha Gökçen and Taksim every 30 minutes, and the airport says the trip takes about an hour and a half depending on traffic. Havabus's own timetable lists departures from the airport to Taksim every half hour from 06:30 to 01:30. The last stop in Taksim is by the Divan Hotel. The white Havabus coaches wait in front of the terminal exits on the arrivals floor. Check the current fare on havabus.com or by phone (444 26 56), as the figure on the airport's own page is out of date.

Metro and ferry. Take the M4 to Kadıköy, the ferry across to Kabataş (about 20 minutes), then the F1 funicular up to Taksim. Or take the M4 to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, Marmaray to Yenikapı and the M2 metro to Taksim.

City bus. The E3 runs from the airport to 4. Levent, on the M2 metro line, from where Taksim is five stops south.

By car. The route crosses one of the bridges or the tunnel. Taksim is the longest of the three runs on this page.

SAW to Kadıköy

Kadıköy is the simplest transfer from Sabiha Gökçen, and the district is a good base in its own right, with the market streets, Moda's seafront and frequent ferries to the European side. See our guide to Kadıköy and Moda.

• M4 metro. The airport station is the end of the M4 line, which runs 23 stations and 33.5 km to Kadıköy. Metro İstanbul gives the end-to-end time as about 52 minutes, with trains from 06:00 to midnight and every 5 minutes at peak hours. The station has three entrances, one of them inside the terminal.
• Havabus. A shuttle line runs to Kadıköy and ends by the pier.
• E10 city bus. Runs from the airport via Kurtköy to Kadıköy.
• By car. No Bosphorus crossing, so this is the shortest and most predictable drive from SAW.

You need an İstanbulkart for the metro, city buses and ferries. Cards are sold at kiosks and machines by the bus area and in the metro station.

Comparing the options

Taxis at Sabiha Gökçen

Taxis are available at Sabiha Gökçen around the clock, and all public transport and taxis leave from in front of the terminal at arrivals level. 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 the trip to the European side is long and the tolls are extra, a taxi from SAW to Sultanahmet or Taksim costs noticeably more than a ride within the city. The fares were raised during 2026, so ask the driver for an estimate before you set off and check that the meter is running.

When a private transfer makes sense from SAW

Sabiha Gökçen is where a booked car pays off most often, for three reasons:

1. The distance to the European side. You are crossing a continent, and the route choice matters at peak hours.
2. Many arrivals are late at night. Low-cost flights often land late, when the metro has stopped and you are tired.
3. Changes with luggage. Every public route to Sultanahmet or Taksim involves at least one change, and some involve a ferry.

With us, the driver tracks your flight and waits after customs with a name sign. You get a WhatsApp number, and the price is agreed in advance and covers the whole group. Our transfer starts from $60 per group, and the quote for SAW depends on the hotel's side of the city, the number of guests and bags, and the hour. For the meeting arrangements at both airports, see our Istanbul airport private transfer page.

If you are only passing through on a long connection, our Istanbul layover tour explains how a guided visit from SAW or IST works and how much time you need. Once you are in the city, a private car with driver is a simple way to cross between the two sides without thinking about ferries.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Airport VIP transfer, private Mercedes Vito to your hotel: from $60 per group, from IST or SAW.
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions