Arriving in Istanbul at Night: What Still Runs from IST and SAW

Both Istanbul airports are far from the centre, but a late landing won't leave you stranded. Here is what runs after midnight, what it costs, what stays open in the terminals and where to sleep if you'd rather wait for morning.

Arriving at night: all options at a glance

Bus and metro fares are per person, one way, by Istanbulkart; cash isn't accepted and bank cards cost more. A visitor's (anonymous) Istanbulkart pays the full fare on every ride (≈€0.85 / ₺46.20 on the metro), with no transfer discount and no refund when tapping out of the M11; one card can pay for several people. Night buses may charge a double fare after 00:30. Taxi fares are meter estimates, tolls extra. The transfer price is per vehicle (Mercedes Vito, up to 6 passengers), depends on the date and pickup time and is shown before you pay.

Sources — fares and timetables checked on 3 October 2026: Havaist timetable · TCDD M11 timetable · TCDD Marmaray timetable · Metro Istanbul night metro · İETT night lines · Havabüs · İBB fare tariff (PDF) · İBB taxi tariff (PDF) · Avrasya Tunnel tolls · Istanbul Airport · Sabiha Gökçen Airport · UK travel advice
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Istanbul Airport (IST) after midnight

Coaches and city buses leave from floor -2: take the lifts in front of the arrivals exit and follow the "Transport Floor" signs.

Havaist coaches: departures after midnight

Fares and timetables are the same every night of the week. Mind the gaps: nothing leaves for Taksim between 02:15 and 04:30. Be at the platform early, as a full coach can leave ahead of time. Pay by Istanbulkart or contactless bank card (≈€10.50 / ₺590 to Taksim). For Sultanahmet, take HVL-1 to Aksaray and a taxi for the last 4.5 km, as the T1 tram doesn't run at night. More in our Havaist guide.

M11 metro: last trains around 00:30

The M11 is run by the state railway TCDD and isn't part of the weekend night metro. The last trains leave IST at 00:21 for Gayrettepe (arriving 00:51) and 00:29 for Halkalı; the first at 06:10. On weeknights the connections close first: the last M2 towards Taksim leaves Gayrettepe at 00:12 and the last Marmaray leaves Halkalı at 23:28, so after about 23:30 you can't finish the trip by rail. On Friday and Saturday nights the 00:21 meets the night M2 at Gayrettepe at 01:12 (Taksim 01:18), and the 00:29 meets the 01:28 Marmaray to Sirkeci. A visitor card pays ≈€0.85 (₺47.89) for the M11 plus ≈€1.65 (₺92.40) for the night M2. See our M11 metro guide.

Night buses

The İETT H-2 leaves IST at 01:10, 03:30 and 05:45 for Mecidiyeköy, about 100 minutes away (≈€1.65 / ₺92.40, or ≈€2 / ₺120 by bank card). From there the Metrobüs runs 24 hours (≈€1.25 / ₺68.59 on a visitor card), and Taksim is about 4 km by taxi. It's an ordinary city bus with little room for luggage.

Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) after midnight

Coaches and buses leave from opposite the arrivals exit.

Havabüs: last coaches and delayed-flight runs

Havabüs leaves for Kadıköy at 00:00, 00:30, 01:00 and 01:30, and for Taksim every 30 minutes until 00:30; the first coaches leave at 05:45 (Kadıköy, 06:30 at weekends) and 06:30 (Taksim). The fare is ≈€5.50 (₺300) to Kadıköy and ≈€8.50 (₺485) to Taksim by Istanbulkart, more by bank card. Havabüs also announces extra runs for delayed flights between 01:00 and 04:00 but publishes no times, so treat them as a bonus, not a plan. See our Havabüs guide.

M4 metro and the weekend night metro

On weeknights the last M4 leaves SAW for Kadıköy (52 minutes) at 23:59. On Friday and Saturday nights the M4, M2 and other metro lines run all night, about every 30 minutes, at a double fare of ≈€1.65 (₺92.40) from 00:30 to 05:30. For the European side, change at Ayrılık Çeşmesi to the Marmaray, whose last train towards Sirkeci passes at 00:25 (02:25 on Friday and Saturday nights). The T1 tram and F1 funicular don't run at night.

E-10 night bus and the coach to IST

The E-10 leaves SAW for Kadıköy at 00:15, 01:05, 02:25 and 03:30 (≈€1.65 / ₺92.40, about 90 minutes and 68 stops via Pendik and Bostancı). It lists no Saturday trips, so don't count on it on the night from Friday to Saturday, when the M4 runs anyway. For a flight from IST, Havaist HVL-11 leaves SAW at 00:05, 01:30, 03:00 and 04:40 (≈€9.50 / ₺515, about 2 hours).

Taxis at night: same tariff, no night surcharge

Both airports have taxis 24/7; at IST the ranks are on the arrivals floor at exit gates 9 and 13. The official İBB tariff is the same day and night: ≈€1.30 (₺71.94) to start and ≈€0.85 (₺47.92) per km in a yellow taxi, about 15% more in a turquoise one and 70% more in a black one. There is no night rate and no airport fee, so a driver who claims one is trying to scam you: insist on the meter or take the next taxi.

On empty roads, night fares sit at the lower end of the usual ranges: about €39 (₺2,150) from IST to Taksim, ≈€40 (₺2,250) to Sultanahmet and ≈€32 (₺1,800) from SAW to Kadıköy. Tolls come on top: ≈€1.05 (₺59) for a Bosphorus bridge, while the Avrasya Tunnel is half price from 00:00 to 04:59 (≈€3 / ₺165). Agree the route and tolls before you set off and carry lira, as not every driver takes cards. See Istanbul Airport taxi prices.

What's open in the terminals at night

• IST: the health service and the Medicana medical centre on the departures floor work 24/7, as does the help line, 444 1 442. There's a pharmacy by exit gate 13 and ATMs by exit gates 8, 10, 13 and 14, but no published night hours for the pharmacy, exchange offices or cafés. Free Wi-Fi lasts one hour.
• SAW: Nuray Pharmacy (departures floor), the first-aid unit and the exchange offices, including one in the arrivals greeters' hall, are open 24/7. The arrivals floor has Simit Sarayı, Burger King, McDonald's and Starbucks, hours not published.

Sleeping at the airport or nearby

• IST: YOTEL offers short stays from 4 hours; anyone can book its landside cabins, the airside ones are for international passengers. The Hilton Istanbul Airport is within walking distance, and there are free Napzones in the terminal.
• SAW: the Sabiha Gökçen Airport Hotel is a 5-minute walk: leave arrivals and turn left.

By law, hotels must register every guest, so have your passport ready at check-in, even at 3 am, and warn your hotel if you'll arrive in the small hours.

Staying safe on a late arrival

• Save 112, Turkey's emergency number.
• Take taxis only from the official rank or through an app, ignore offers of a ride inside the terminal, note the plate number and check that the meter is running. Taxi complaints: İBB on 153.
• Pickpocketing is common in the main tourist areas; be wary of strangers offering to change money or take you to a restaurant or nightclub.
• Exchange offices may refuse 50 and 100 US dollar notes, and some eSIMs don't work in Turkey: check before relying on a taxi app.

Private transfer: a driver who tracks your flight

If you'd rather not juggle timetables at 2 am, a private transfer goes from the terminal to your hotel door. Your driver tracks your flight and meets you just outside the arrivals exit; once you land, they contact you on WhatsApp with the exact meeting point and a short video showing the way. Prices are per vehicle (Mercedes Vito, up to 6 passengers): from €44 from IST to Taksim, from €48 to Sultanahmet and from €53 from SAW to Kadıköy. The exact price for your date and pickup time is shown before you pay; 24/7 line +90 544 102 1414.

If you're travelling alone and light to Taksim or Kadıköy, the night coach is hard to beat on price; for families, groups or a late arrival in Sultanahmet, a taxi or a pre-booked car is more practical.

Related guides: Istanbul Airport (IST) · Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) · Havaist airport bus · Istanbul Airport Taxi Prices

Frequently asked questions