Havaist Istanbul Airport Bus: Routes, Fares and Timetable
Short answer: Havaist is the airport coach service at Istanbul Airport (IST). Its coaches leave from floor -2, the transport level signposted from the arrivals hall, and each line has its own numbered platform. The fare is ₺470 per person to Taksim, Sultanahmet or Aksaray and ₺515 to Kadıköy or Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Allow about 90 minutes to Taksim or Aksaray, about 110 minutes to Sultanahmet and about 2 hours to Kadıköy or Sabiha Gökçen. Cash isn't accepted: pay by contactless bank card, Istanbulkart or the Havaist app.
If you want a seat, room for your suitcases and no change of train between the airport and the city, Havaist is the obvious budget option. Its coaches link Istanbul Airport with Taksim, Beşiktaş, the old city, the Asian side and even Sabiha Gökçen Airport for a fixed fare per person. Havaist runs 11 lines in total; this guide covers the five that most visitors need.
Havaist lines from Istanbul Airport at a glance
| Line | Main stops | Fare | Journey time | From the airport | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVL-9 Taksim | 4. Levent, Zincirlikuyu, Beşiktaş, Taksim | ₺470 | ~90 min | ~30 a day, 00:30–23:45; every 40–45 min in the daytime | 16 |
| HVL-13 Sultanahmet | Miniatürk, Hasköy Parkı, Türabi Baba, Şişhane, Eminönü İskele, Çatladıkapı | ₺470 | ~110 min | 21 a day, 05:00–23:45; every 45–60 min | 11 |
| HVL-1 Aksaray | Nurtepe Viyadük, Ayvansaray, Ulubatlı, Aksaray Metro | ₺470 | ~90 min | ~31 a day, about every 40 min | 12 |
| HVL-6 Kadıköy | Tepeüstü, Yenisahra, Acıbadem Metro, Kadıköy | ₺515 | ~2 h | Every 75 min, around the clock | 14 |
| HVL-11 Sabiha Gökçen | Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), direct | ₺515 | ~2 h | ~22 a day, about hourly | 13 |
Fares are per person, one way (September 2026); cash isn't accepted. Journey times are averages and can be longer in heavy traffic. Departure figures come from the Havaist timetable for a weekday (29 September 2026); weekend timetables differ, so check the timetable for your travel day. Some Taksim trips run express via Piyalepaşa and Nurtepe and skip the Levent–Beşiktaş stops.
Sources — fares and timetables checked on 29 September 2026: Havaist timetable · Havaist FAQ · Istanbul Airport
Where to catch Havaist at Istanbul Airport
After passport control, baggage claim and customs you come out into the international arrivals hall. From there, follow the signs for Havaist and public transport down to floor -2, the airport's transport level. Each line leaves from its own numbered platform: Sultanahmet 11, Aksaray 12, Sabiha Gökçen 13, Kadıköy 14 and Taksim 16. Check the line number and destination on the coach before your bags go into the hold.
How long you wait depends on the line: in the daytime there's a Taksim coach roughly every 40–45 minutes, while the Kadıköy line leaves every 75 minutes (the table above has the details). If you've just missed a coach, compare the wait with the metro, which leaves every 15 minutes.
Tickets and payment
Havaist doesn't take cash, so decide how you'll pay before you reach the platform. There are three ways:
- Contactless bank card: tap it on the reader when you board. This is the simplest option if you've only just landed.
- Istanbulkart: the city's transport card, sold at the machines in the airport metro station. The card itself costs ₺165 with no credit on it, so you also need to load enough for the fare. It pays off if you'll use the metro, trams and ferries during your stay.
- Havaist app: pay for the trip on your phone.
In September 2026 the fare is ₺470 to Taksim, Sultanahmet or Aksaray and ₺515 to Kadıköy or Sabiha Gökçen. Fares change from time to time, so check the Havaist website or app shortly before you travel.
Luggage and children
Each passenger can bring two medium-sized bags free of charge, and they travel in the luggage hold. Every additional bag costs ₺120.
Young children travelling on a parent's lap ride free. With a pushchair, several large suitcases or tired children, remember that the coach leaves you at a stop, not at your door: in Galata, Cihangir or the old town that often means an uphill walk at the end.
Which Havaist line for your hotel?
- Taksim and Beyoğlu: take HVL-9 to Taksim. For hotels near Galata or Tünel, the Sultanahmet line (HVL-13) stops at Şişhane, which is closer. Beyoğlu is hilly and İstiklal Avenue is pedestrianised; our Istanbul Airport to Taksim guide covers the last stretch.
- Beşiktaş and Levent: HVL-9 stops at 4. Levent, Zincirlikuyu and Beşiktaş on the way to Taksim, but express trips via Piyalepaşa and Nurtepe skip these stops, so check the timetable or ask the driver before you board. See Istanbul Airport to Beşiktaş and Şişli.
- Sultanahmet and Eminönü: HVL-13 runs via Şişhane and Eminönü İskele (the ferry pier) to Çatladıkapı, just below Sultanahmet, so expect an uphill walk to most old-town hotels. It runs from 05:00 to 23:45 only. See Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet.
- Aksaray and Fatih: HVL-1 ends at Aksaray Metro, calling at Ayvansaray and Ulubatlı on the way. From Aksaray the T1 tram continues to Sultanahmet, a handy alternative if the Sultanahmet coach has just left.
- Kadıköy and the Asian side: HVL-6 crosses the Bosphorus to Kadıköy via Tepeüstü, Yenisahra and Acıbadem Metro. At ₺515 and about 2 hours it's one of the longest rides, but it runs every 75 minutes around the clock.
- Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW): HVL-11 is a direct coach between the two airports: ₺515, about 2 hours, roughly hourly. For connections, see Istanbul Airport to Sabiha Gökçen.
Taking Havaist to the airport
The coaches also run from the city to the airport. Board at the Havaist stop on your line, pay by card, Istanbulkart or app just as on the way in, and the coach drops you at the departures entrance, gates 1–4. Allow about 90–110 minutes on the coach from Taksim, Aksaray or the old town (about 2 hours from Kadıköy), more at rush hour, then add a comfortable margin for check-in, security and passport control in a very large terminal. Check the departures from your stop the day before, especially for an early flight. For the other ways out to IST, see getting to Istanbul Airport.
Havaist, metro, taxi or private transfer?
- M11 metro: cheaper and immune to traffic. The M11 reaches Gayrettepe in about 30 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes from about 06:10 to 00:20; to Taksim with the M2 you pay about ₺75–80 with an Istanbulkart (plus ₺165 for the card). The catch is the long change at Gayrettepe with luggage, and there's no overnight service. See our M11 metro guide.
- City buses: İETT lines H-1, H-2, H-3, H-6 and H-8 also serve the airport for ₺92.40, but they are slower than Havaist and have less room for bags.
- Taxi: the ranks are outside arrivals exits 9 and 13. Yellow taxis charge ₺71.94 to start plus ₺47.92 per km, the same day and night, with tolls extra, which puts Taksim at about ₺2,150–2,700. See Istanbul Airport taxi prices.
- Private transfer: a fixed price per vehicle, not per person, for up to 6 passengers in a Mercedes Vito: €44 to Taksim (about ₺2,450), €48 to Sultanahmet, €56 to Kadıköy and €78 to Sabiha Gökçen. Flight tracking and meet & greet are included, and there's no extra charge for traffic or flight delays.
For one or two people staying near a stop, Havaist is good value. For groups the sums change: four people pay ₺1,880 between them for the coach to Taksim and five pay ₺2,350, close to the €44 (about ₺2,450) for a car to the hotel door. With heavy luggage, a late landing or a hotel on a steep side street, door to door usually wins.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Havaist from Istanbul Airport to Taksim?
₺470 per person, one way (September 2026). Two medium-sized bags travel free and each extra bag costs ₺120. Pay by contactless bank card, Istanbulkart or the Havaist app.
Does Havaist go to Sultanahmet?
Yes. Line HVL-13 leaves from platform 11 and runs via Şişhane and Eminönü to Çatladıkapı, just below Sultanahmet, between 05:00 and 23:45. It costs ₺470 and takes about 110 minutes.
Can I pay cash on Havaist?
No, cash isn't accepted. Pay with a contactless bank card, an Istanbulkart or the Havaist app.
Does Havaist run at night?
Some lines do. The Taksim line's first departure of the day is at 00:30, so it runs at night too, and the Kadıköy line leaves every 75 minutes around the clock. The Sultanahmet line runs only from 05:00 to 23:45, and the metro has no overnight service.
Where is the Havaist stop at Istanbul Airport?
On floor -2, the transport level, signposted from the arrivals hall. Each line has its own platform: Sultanahmet 11, Aksaray 12, Sabiha Gökçen 13, Kadıköy 14 and Taksim 16.
How long does Havaist take to Taksim?
About 90 minutes on average, longer in heavy traffic. On the way the coach stops at 4. Levent, Zincirlikuyu and Beşiktaş, except on express trips via Piyalepaşa and Nurtepe.
Rather go straight to your hotel?
Your driver meets you in arrivals with a name board, tracks your flight and drives you door to door for a fixed price per vehicle: from €44 to Taksim for up to 6 passengers, with no extra charge for traffic or delays.
See Fixed Prices Airport to Taksim Guide