Sabiha Gökçen to Sultanahmet: Tunnel Route, Rail Steps and Taxi Tips

A private car from Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to Sultanahmet takes 45 to 90 minutes, and the fastest road normally goes under the Bosphorus through the Eurasia Tunnel. Public transport is far cheaper but always involves at least two changes, and a taxi runs on the meter with tolls added. Our private Mercedes Vito airport transfer covers this run from $60 per group, with the driver waiting after customs.

Sabiha Gökçen is in Pendik, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Sultanahmet, home of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, is on the European side, at the tip of the historic peninsula. So this trip always involves crossing the Bosphorus, by tunnel, by rail under the strait or by ferry over it. This page looks only at this one journey: the road route, the three public transport routes with every change spelled out, taxis, the drop-off in Sultanahmet's narrow streets, and the trip back for your flight.

The road route: why the Eurasia Tunnel decides the time

From the airport, the motorway runs west along the Asian side towards Kadıköy. For Sultanahmet, most drivers then take the Eurasia Tunnel, a road tunnel under the Bosphorus that opened at the end of 2016. It enters on the Asian side near Göztepe and comes out at Kazlıçeşme on the European shore, south-west of the old city. From there the coast road along the Sea of Marmara leads straight to the Sultanahmet side of the peninsula.

The alternative is the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, the first Bosphorus bridge, followed by a drive down through Beşiktaş and Karaköy and over the Galata Bridge or the Atatürk Bridge. It is longer for Sultanahmet, but a driver may choose it when the tunnel approach is jammed.

Both crossings are tolled. The tunnel charges a separate toll by vehicle class, and the operator classifies vehicles by the distance between their axles, so a minivan can fall into a higher class than a car. Current fares are on avrasyatuneli.com. In a private transfer the route choice is the driver's job; in a taxi, it is worth asking which crossing the driver plans to use.

The time is set less by distance than by the hour. At night the drive feels short. On a weekday evening, the approach roads on the Asian side and the coast road on the European side can both slow to a crawl.

Public transport routes, step by step

You need an İstanbulkart, the city's transport card, for every option below. Cards and top-ups are sold at machines and kiosks at the airport. Each route has at least two changes, so think about your luggage before choosing one.

Route 1: M4 metro, Marmaray, T1 tram. The quickest rail option and the one least affected by traffic.

1. Take the M4 metro from the airport station, which has an entrance inside the terminal. Ride towards Kadıköy and get off at Ayrılık Çeşmesi, the second-to-last station. The M4 runs from 06:00 to midnight, and Metro İstanbul gives the full line as 52 minutes end to end.
2. Change to the Marmaray suburban line, which runs under the Bosphorus. Ride two stops, via Üsküdar, to Sirkeci. The Sirkeci station is deep underground, so expect long escalators.
3. Walk out to the T1 tram at Sirkeci and ride two stops, via Gülhane, to Sultanahmet.

Route 2: Havabus to Kadıköy, ferry, tram. Slower, but the ferry gives you the old city skyline as you arrive.

1. Take the Havabus shuttle from the arrivals level to Kadıköy, or the M4 metro all the way to Kadıköy.
2. Walk to the pier and take the city ferry to Eminönü, a crossing of about 25 minutes.
3. From Eminönü, take the T1 tram three stops to Sultanahmet, or walk uphill for about 15 minutes.

Route 3: Havabus to Taksim, then down to the old city. Useful mainly for late arrivals.

1. The Havabus to Taksim leaves about every 30 minutes, from 06:30 until 01:30 on its current timetable, and Havabus notes extra departures for delayed flights in the early hours. The airport puts the trip at about an hour and a half, depending on traffic.
2. From Taksim, take the F1 funicular down to Kabataş and the T1 tram to Sultanahmet. Both stop running around midnight, so after a very late landing this route usually ends with a taxi from Taksim.

Taking a taxi from Sabiha Gökçen to Sultanahmet

Taxis wait outside the arrivals level around the clock. They run on the meter under the city's official tariff, and bridge or tunnel tolls are added on top. Because this is one of the longest rides a visitor normally takes in Istanbul, the fare is high by local standards, and it climbs further when the taxi is stuck in traffic, because the meter also charges for waiting time.

A few simple habits avoid most problems:

• Use the official rank outside the terminal, and decline offers from people who approach you inside.
• Check that the meter is running before the car leaves the kerb.
• Show the hotel's address in writing, ideally with its phone number. Many small Sultanahmet hotels are known by street, not by name.
• Ask for a rough estimate first, and ask whether the driver takes cards.

Taxi apps such as BiTaksi can also call a licensed taxi to the terminal; the fare still runs on the meter. If you are three or more with luggage, a standard taxi's boot fills quickly, which is the point where a pre-booked minivan starts to make more sense.

The last few hundred metres: arriving at a Sultanahmet hotel

This is the part of the trip most travellers do not expect. Sultanahmet's hotel streets were not built for cars:

• The tram runs along the main avenue, Divanyolu, and cars cannot use that stretch.
• Many lanes are one-way, cobbled or steep, and some near Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are closed to traffic.
• Some hotels sit on stepped lanes that no vehicle can enter.

In practice, a driver gets you as close as the streets allow and then helps with the bags for the last stretch. A local driver knows which hotels need a short walk and where to stop for each one. If you are booking a hotel, our guide to Sultanahmet hotels explains which parts of the district are easiest to reach by car, and our where to stay in Istanbul page compares it with other areas.

When a booked car makes sense on this route

This route has three things that push travellers towards a private transfer:

1. The Bosphorus crossing. It is the single biggest variable in the trip, and a driver who does it daily chooses the tunnel or the bridge by the hour.
2. Late flights. Many low-cost flights land at SAW late in the evening, after the metro has closed or when you are simply tired.
3. Changes with luggage. Every public route involves at least two changes, and the old city end has stairs, slopes and full trams.

With us, the driver tracks your flight, waits after customs with a name sign, and you have a WhatsApp number to reach the team. The price starts from $60 per group and is agreed before you travel. It depends on the number of passengers and bags and the hour. For how the meeting works at both Istanbul airports, see our Istanbul airport private transfer guide.

The return trip: Sultanahmet to Sabiha Gökçen for your flight

Going back is the same journey in reverse, but with a deadline, so give it more margin than the arrival.

• Allow for the airport itself. Sabiha Gökçen has a security check at the terminal entrance before check-in, and queues there can be long at peak times. Follow your airline's advice on arrival time, and add time for the security line.
• Allow for the morning rush. An early-morning departure is easy if you leave before the traffic builds. A weekday flight in the early evening means leaving Sultanahmet in the busiest part of the afternoon.
• The rail route works in reverse if you travel light: T1 to Sirkeci, Marmaray to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then the M4 to the airport. It is not affected by road traffic, which can make it more predictable than a taxi at rush hour.
• Check your ticket. If your departure is from Istanbul Airport (IST) instead, the drive goes north on the European side and does not cross the Bosphorus.

We confirm the pickup time the day before, based on your flight time and the traffic pattern for that day of the week.

What to do on your first afternoon

If you land at SAW in the morning, you can be in Sultanahmet by lunchtime with half a day left. Most of the district's main sights are within a few minutes' walk of each other:

• Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, facing each other across the gardens. Mosque visits pause during prayer times.
• The Basilica Cistern, underground and a short walk from both.
• The old Hippodrome, next to the Blue Mosque.

Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays, so check the day before planning a full first afternoon. Our guide to things to do in Sultanahmet has more ideas within walking distance. If you would rather see it all with a guide from the start, our Istanbul Old City private tour can begin the next morning from your hotel, and the Istanbul one-day tour page compares the main ways to see the city in a single day. For a wider choice of guided trips run by local guides, our sister site Get Istanbul Tours also lists private Istanbul tours.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Airport VIP transfer, private Mercedes Vito to your hotel: from $60 per group, from SAW or IST, 45 to 90 minutes.
• Istanbul Old City private guided tour: from $200 per person, 6 to 8 hours, starting from your Sultanahmet hotel.
• Istanbul layover tour with private guide and van from IST or SAW: from $550 per person, 6 to 8 hours, if you are only connecting through SAW.

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