Arriving at Sabiha Gökçen at Night: Metro, Buses, Taxis and What Is Open

Sabiha Gökçen is about 40 km from Kadıköy and 50 km from Taksim, and many flights land after midnight. The airport does not close and you will not be stranded, but what runs depends on the night of the week. Below: every public option after midnight, the gap to watch for, taxi prices, what stays open in the terminal and where to sleep.

What runs after midnight: all options at a glance

Bus and metro fares are per person, one way, with an Istanbulkart. A visitor's (anonymous) Istanbulkart pays the full fare on every ride, with no transfer discount, and one card can pay for several people; cash is not accepted on city buses, and a contactless bank card is charged a higher single-ride price (≈€1.15 / ₺65 on the metro by day). The airport does not publish where the Istanbulkart machines are or whether they work through the night, so buy a card on arrival only if you can find a machine; otherwise a taxi or transfer is the safer plan. Taxi figures are meter estimates, tolls extra. Transfer prices are per vehicle (Mercedes Vito, up to 6 passengers); the exact price for your date and pickup time is shown before you pay.

Which night of the week you land

The night metro changes everything, so start here. "Friday night" means the hours after midnight on Saturday morning.

M4 metro: the weekend night service

The M4 runs from SAW to Kadıköy: 23 stations, 33.5 km and 52 minutes end to end. On weeknights the last train leaves the airport at 23:59 and the first at 06:00. On Friday and Saturday nights Metro İstanbul runs a night service, part of its 66 hours of non-stop service from Friday morning to the end of Sunday: trains leave SAW at 00:30, 01:00, 01:30, 02:00, 02:30, 03:00, 03:30, 04:00, 04:30, 05:00 and 05:30, then the daytime timetable resumes from 06:00. The Sunday-to-Monday night has no night service.

• Fare: a double fare applies from 00:30 to 05:30, ≈€1.65 (₺92.40) with an anonymous Istanbulkart against ≈€0.85 (₺46.20) by day.
• Change points: Marmaray at Ayrılık Çeşmesi (for Sirkeci and the European side) and the M8 at Kozyatağı. The Marmaray is run by TCDD, not Metro İstanbul, so check its last trains before you count on the connection. Don't plan on the T1 tram or the ferries at night, and assume a taxi for the last stretch to Sultanahmet or Karaköy.
• Extra nights: on match and event days, and on extension days set by the İBB council, the night lines can start night operation at 00:00. Check the Metro İstanbul night-metro page for the date.
• Who it suits: Kadıköy, Bostancı, Kartal, Maltepe and Pendik. It is a poor fit with several suitcases and a long walk from the station at the other end.

The SAW metro station has three entrances (car park and domestic CIP lounge, airport hotel, and terminal). Use the terminal entrance.

Havabüs: last coaches and delayed-flight runs

Havabüs is the white coach to Taksim and Kadıköy. Its schedule is the same every night; the numbers below come from İETT lines SG-1 and SG-2.

The Taksim line is disputed: the English page of havabus.com also lists departures at 01:00 and 01:30, while İETT stops at 00:30. Plan on 00:30 and treat the later ones as a bonus. Havabüs also says it adds extra coaches for delayed flights between 01:00 and 04:00 but publishes no times; its call centre is on 444 26 56. The journey takes about 60 minutes to Kadıköy and about 90 minutes to Taksim, longer in traffic. The coaches leave from the İETT stop "Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı", reported to be opposite the arrivals exit; the airport publishes no plan, so look for the white coaches and check the destination sign. More in our Havabüs guide.

İETT night buses and the coach to Istanbul Airport

The E-10 leaves SAW for Kadıköy via Kurtköy, Pendik and Bostancı at 00:15, 01:05, 02:25 and 03:30 for ≈€1.65 (₺92.40), and takes about 90 minutes. İETT's table has no Saturday column, so don't rely on it in the early hours of Saturday; the M4 covers that night anyway. It is an ordinary city bus with little room for luggage.

The E-3 to 4. Levent (≈€2.50 / ₺138.60) has its last departures at 23:40, 00:20 and 01:00. It connects to the M2 metro, which only runs at night on Friday and Saturday, so it rarely helps a late arrival. Some other İETT lines serve districts such as Pendik and Tuzla by day; none is a useful night option for a visitor.

For a connection at Istanbul Airport (IST), the Havaist HVL-11 coach leaves SAW at 00:05, 01:30, 03:00 and 04:40 for ≈€9.50 (₺515) and takes about 2 hours (timetable checked on 3 October 2026; confirm on the day). A taxi is far dearer, with ≈€72–90 (₺4,000–5,000) for the trip plus tolls.

Taxis at night: there is no night rate

The airport taxi cooperative, SAWKOOP, works 24 hours (phone 0 216 588 12 35 or 0 552 552 4 552). The Istanbul meter tariff is the same day and night: ≈€1.30 (₺71.94) to start and ≈€0.85 (₺47.92) per km in a yellow taxi, with a minimum of ≈€4 (₺230). There is no night rate. Fares below are estimates for one taxi, based on the tariff in force since 20 July 2026 and free-flowing roads; tolls come on top.

At night the roads are empty, so expect the lower end of each range. In free-flowing traffic the drive is about 40 minutes to Kadıköy and about 50 minutes to Taksim or Sultanahmet. Crossing the Bosphorus to the European side adds a bridge toll of ≈€1.05 (₺59) per crossing; agree the route and tolls before you set off. Taxi card payment becomes mandatory on 16 November 2026, but until then, and for some weeks after, carry lira. Use the official rank, insist on the meter, and ignore anyone who offers a ride in the arrivals area. More in our Sabiha Gökçen taxi prices.

What is open at SAW at night

• Exchange offices: open 24/7, including one in the arrivals greeters' hall and one in the international baggage claim hall. The airport has 30 ATMs, including on the arrivals floor.
• Pharmacy and first aid: Nuray Pharmacy (departures floor, international landside, 0216 588 52 12) and the first-aid unit are open 24 hours.
• Car rental: the desks on the arrivals floor work 24/7.
• Food: the arrivals floor has Starbucks, McDonald's, Simit Sarayı, Burger King and Karafırın, and there are kiosks outside. The airport publishes no opening hours, so don't count on a hot meal at 3 am.
• SIM shops: Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone have shops on the arrivals floor, with no published hours. If you need data at once, set up an eSIM before you fly.
• Wi-Fi: free and unlimited: join "Free Wi-Fi", enter your name and a mobile number, then the SMS code. You need a phone that can receive SMS.
• Left luggage: there is a left-luggage office in the international arrivals corridor, but its hours and prices are not published.

Sleeping at the airport or nearby

• Sabiha Gökçen Airport Hotel: 128 rooms, landside next to the terminal, phone 0216 588 50 00. The airport's pages disagree on access (a 5-minute walk, or a 3-minute shuttle ride), so phone the hotel before you travel and ask how to reach it.
• Sleep pods: the Kepler pods are airside, after passport control in the international departures mezzanine, so they don't help once you have left the arrivals area.

Hotels must register every guest, so have your passport ready at check-in, and warn your hotel if you will arrive in the small hours.

Staying safe on a late arrival

• Save 112, Turkey's emergency number. Taxi complaints go to İBB on 153.
• Take a taxi only from the official rank, note the plate number and check that the meter is running.
• Be wary of strangers who offer to change money or take you to a restaurant or club.
• If you have booked a transfer, wait for your own driver's WhatsApp message rather than going with anyone who approaches you.

Private transfer: a driver who tracks your flight

At 2 am the simplest plan is a car that is already there. Your driver tracks your flight, so a delay changes nothing, and meets you just outside the arrivals exit. Once you have landed, the driver messages you on WhatsApp with the exact meeting point and a short video showing the way. Drivers speak English. Prices are per vehicle, not per person (Mercedes Vito, up to 6 passengers), from €53 to Kadıköy, €57 to Taksim and €59 to Sultanahmet; the exact price for your date and pickup time is shown before you pay. There is no extra charge for traffic or flight delays, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, and child seats are available on request. Our 24/7 line is +90 544 102 1414.

If you are travelling light and alone to Kadıköy, the night metro or Havabüs is hard to beat on price; for families, groups, or a landing in the dead hours between 03:30 and 05:30, a taxi or pre-booked car is more practical.

Sources — fares and timetables checked on 19 October 2026 (Havaist HVL-11 times on 3 October): Metro İstanbul night metro · Metro İstanbul M4 · Metro İstanbul fares · Havabüs Kadıköy · Havabüs Taksim · İETT E-10 · İETT E-3 · Havaist timetable · SAW taxi · SAW terminal guide · SAW banking and exchange · SAW airport hotel · Taxi card deadline (GİB) · Istanbul taxi tariff (Habertürk)
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Related guides: Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) · Havabüs airport bus · Sabiha Gökçen to Kadıköy · Sabiha Gökçen taxi prices · Sabiha Gökçen metro M4 · Arriving in Istanbul at night

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