Istanbul Airport Transfer for Brazilian and Portuguese Travellers

A private transfer from Istanbul Airport to a central hotel takes about 45 to 50 minutes in light traffic and costs from $60 per group with us, one price for the whole car. For travellers from Brazil and Portugal, the bigger questions come before the price: which of Istanbul's two airports you land at, how you feel after a 12-hour night flight from São Paulo, and how to pay in lira. You can see the vehicle and book our Istanbul Airport VIP transfer by private Mercedes Vito online.

This page is written for Portuguese-speaking travellers, from Brazil, Portugal and beyond, arriving in Istanbul for the first time. It covers the airport codes, real drive times to the hotel districts, the four ways into the city and what each one costs, entry rules for Brazilian and Portuguese passports, and the trip back to the airport.

First check the code on your ticket: IST or SAW

Istanbul has two international airports, on opposite sides of the city, and confusing them is the most common transfer mistake.

• IST, Istanbul Airport (Istanbul Havalimanı): the big new airport on the European side, north-west of the city. Turkish Airlines' long-haul flights, including the nonstop service from São Paulo Guarulhos, land here.
• SAW, Sabiha Gökçen: the second airport, on the Asian side, used heavily by low-cost and regional airlines.

If you connect through another European hub on the way from Portugal or Brazil, your final leg can land at either. Look at the three-letter code on the boarding pass and send it to us with the flight number. Our separate guide to the Sabiha Gökçen airport transfer covers arrivals at SAW in more detail.

The nonstop São Paulo flight takes roughly 12 to 13 hours. You arrive tired, often with large suitcases for a long trip that may continue to Cappadocia or the coast, and with a hotel check-in that may still be hours away. That is the practical case for a private car: no queue, no bus stop, and a driver who takes the bags.

Drive times and distances to the hotel districts

These are road distances and free-flow drive times from OpenStreetMap routing. At rush hour, roughly 07:30-10:00 and 16:30-20:00 on weekdays, add 30 to 60 minutes. Late-night arrivals usually move faster.

Two things stand out. From IST, the old city and Taksim are almost the same distance. From SAW, a hotel on the European side means crossing the Bosphorus by bridge or tunnel, and that crossing is where traffic builds up. For a district-by-district guide to the last few hundred metres, see our page on the Istanbul Airport to hotel transfer, and for old city hotels specifically the airport to Sultanahmet transfer.

Four ways into the city, compared

Taxi. Istanbul's yellow taxis run on a metered tariff set by the city. From 20 July 2026 the meter starts at 71.94 lira and adds 47.92 lira per kilometre, with waiting time charged at 598.90 lira an hour. On the 50 km run from IST to Sultanahmet that works out at around 2,500 lira before tolls and before any time stuck in traffic. The airport rank also has other taxi classes with higher tariffs, so ask before you get in. Have lira ready, as card machines are not guaranteed.

Havaist. The airport bus company runs coaches from IST to central stops such as Taksim, with routes and fares listed on hava.ist. It is the cheapest option for a solo traveller with one bag, but you still need a taxi or a walk from the stop to the hotel.

Metro. The M11 line runs from the airport to Gayrettepe, where you change to the M2 for Taksim. The airport to Gayrettepe section is usually quoted at around 30 to 35 minutes. With heavy suitcases and two changes to reach the old city, it suits light travellers more than families.

Private transfer. One fixed price for the vehicle, whether two or six people ride. A family of four from Brazil with long-trip luggage usually finds it close in cost to two taxis and much simpler. Our Istanbul airport transfer price guide explains what moves the quote.

Meeting your driver after landing

Passport control at IST can take a while after a long-haul arrival, and baggage from a wide-body aircraft takes time to arrive on the belt. A good transfer works to your real landing time, not the scheduled one. Here is how ours runs:

1. Before you fly, send the flight number, the airport code, the hotel name and the number of people and suitcases.
2. The driver tracks the flight, so an early or late landing is no problem.
3. In the arrivals hall, the driver waits with a name sign at the agreed meeting point.
4. You stay in touch on WhatsApp. Make sure your phone has roaming or an eSIM ready, or connect to the airport Wi-Fi as soon as you land, and send a message when you have your bags.
5. At the hotel, the driver stops at the nearest point the car can reach and helps with the luggage. Some old city lanes and pedestrian streets around İstiklal Avenue are closed to cars.

Child seats are available on request. Tell us the children's ages when you book. Our page on the Istanbul airport private transfer lists the vehicle options for larger groups.

Money: lira, cards and tips

The Turkish lira is the currency for taxis, buses, cafés and small shops. A few practical points for travellers from Brazil and Portugal:

• Change a small amount on arrival for the first day, then use exchange offices in the city, which generally give better rates than the airport.
• Cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and larger shops. Tell your bank you are travelling, and expect a card currency conversion offer at some terminals. Paying in lira is usually the better choice.
• Euros and US dollars are the easiest foreign currencies to change in Istanbul. If you are coming from Brazil, bring one of them rather than counting on changing reais.
• Tipping your driver is not required on a pre-paid transfer. Rounding up or a small tip for help with heavy luggage is a kind gesture.

Entry rules for Brazilian and Portuguese passports

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

• Brazil: holders of ordinary passports do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
• Portugal: holders of ordinary passports do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The ministry also requires your passport to be valid for at least 60 days beyond the length of your stay, so a 90-day stay needs at least 150 days of validity on arrival, and it recommends six months. Check the ministry's page before you travel, as rules can change. If you hold another nationality as well, enter on the passport you used to book your flight.

Your first day after a long flight

Most hotels in Istanbul have an afternoon check-in time, and a morning arrival from São Paulo means you may reach the hotel long before your room is ready. Options that work:

• Ask the hotel about early check-in when you book, or book the previous night so the room is yours on arrival.
• Leave your bags at the hotel and take a gentle walk. The old city is compact, and an hour in the open air helps with jet lag.
• Do not plan a full sightseeing day on arrival day. Start guided touring the next morning, when you will enjoy it. Our Istanbul old city private tour is from $200 per person, and the Best of Istanbul private tours of 1, 2 or 3 days are from $175 per person.

If you are only changing planes and have a long connection at IST, a guided visit is possible instead of a hotel night. Our Istanbul layover tour uses a private guide and van and is from $550 per person. The layover tour guide explains how much time you need.

For a Portuguese-speaking guide, see our page on a Portuguese-speaking guide in Istanbul. A guide in Portuguese can be arranged on request, subject to availability.

The return: hotel to airport

The trip back needs more margin than the arrival, because morning and evening traffic on the way to IST is hard to predict.

• Book the return transfer when you book the arrival, so the pickup time is planned with your flight in mind. Our hotel to Istanbul Airport transfer page explains how we set the pickup time.
• For long-haul flights home, plan to be at the airport around three hours before departure. From the old city at rush hour, that can mean leaving the hotel four hours ahead.
• Check which airport you leave from. Travellers who flew into IST sometimes leave from SAW on a different ticket.

If your trip continues inside Turkey, a package can bundle the transfers. The Istanbul 3-day package with hotel, old city tour and transfers is from $435 per person, and our page on Turkey tour packages from Brazil shows longer itineraries. For prices of tours in the city, see Istanbul tour prices, and for the city overall our Istanbul destination guide.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul Airport VIP transfer, private Mercedes Vito to your hotel: from $60 per group, 45-90 minutes.
• Istanbul private driver tour, Mercedes Vito for 8 hours: from $299 per group.
• Istanbul layover tour with private guide and van from IST or SAW: from $550 per person.
• Istanbul 3-day package with hotel, old city tour and transfers: from $435 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions