Istanbul Airport to Sarıyer and Emirgan: The Upper Bosphorus

North of Rumeli Hisarı the Bosphorus is quieter. The shore road runs through a string of bays and villages, and it ends at Rumeli Kavağı, the last village on the European shore. Emirgan has a well-known park and a private art museum, and Sarıyer has the busiest ferry pier on this stretch. This guide covers the routes from both airports, the buses and ferries, and the places worth a visit.

Getting There at a Glance

Road times are Google figures for free-flowing traffic. On weekday rush hours and summer weekends the shore road is slower, so allow extra time.

By Private Transfer

This is the simplest option. No rail line reaches the upper Bosphorus, and every public route needs a change. Our price covers the whole Sarıyer district, including Emirgan, İstinye and the İstinyePark area. It is per vehicle, not per person, and it is shown before you pay. There is no extra charge for traffic or flight delays, and child seats are available on request.

Your driver waits just outside the arrivals exit. After you land, the driver sends the exact meeting point and a short video on WhatsApp. Drivers speak English. For a hotel or villa on a narrow lane, send the exact address. For Rumeli Kavağı or the far end of the district, enter the address when you book and the price is shown at that step.

The route pages are Istanbul Airport to Sarıyer, Sabiha Gökçen to Sarıyer and Galataport to Sarıyer. All prices are on our price page.

By Metro and Bus from Istanbul Airport

Every public route starts with the M11 metro from the airport to Gayrettepe, about 30 minutes, and then the M2 metro northwards. See our M11 guide for the airport end.

To Emirgan

Ride the M2 two stops from Gayrettepe to 4. Levent, then take bus EL2 (4. Levent Metro to Emirgan), which runs through Baltalimanı. According to İETT timetables it leaves Emirgan from about 06:40 to 22:40 on weekdays, every 15 to 35 minutes or so; check the İETT site for current times.

A visitor card gets no transfer discount, so each leg is a full fare. A contactless bank card costs more per ride (≈€1.15 / ₺65). Our Istanbulkart guide explains when the card pays for itself.

To Tarabya, Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı

Stay on the M2 for seven stops from Gayrettepe to Hacıosman, then change to a bus:

• Bus 25A runs from Hacıosman Metro through Tarabya and Sarıyer to Rumeli Kavağı, from about 06:00 to 23:00.
• Buses 150 and 151 both call at Sarıyer Merkez. The 150 goes on through Maden to Garipçe and Rumeli Feneri, and the 151 towards Zekeriyaköy, Kilyos and Demirciköy.

To Rumeli Hisarı

The metro does not reach the fortress. The rail route is M11, M2 to Levent, M6 to Boğaziçi Ü./Hisarüstü, the F4 funicular to Aşiyan and a walk of about 0.9 km, set out in our Ortaköy and Bebek guide.

By Havaist

No Havaist line goes to Sarıyer. Some trips of the HVL-9 to Taksim (≈€8.50 / ₺470) stop at 4. Levent, where you can change to bus EL2. Not every trip stops there, so check the stops for your departure.

From Sabiha Gökçen and Galataport

From SAW, the Havabüs SG-2 on the Taksim line stops at Kavacık, Levent and Zincirlikuyu. Get off at Levent and take the M2 to 4. Levent for bus EL2, or to Hacıosman for bus 25A or 150. The all-rail route by M4 and Marmaray is long, so a private transfer is the easier choice with luggage. See our M4 guide and Havabüs guide.

From Galataport, take the T1 tram to Kabataş and then bus 22 along the shore.

Bus Lines on the Upper Bosphorus

A bus ride costs ≈€0.85 (₺46.20) on an Istanbulkart. These lines were checked on the İETT site on 25 October 2026.

Some older pages still show buses 25E and 42T as lines from Kabataş and Taksim. At the time of writing İETT lists the 25E as Sarıyer to Baltalimanı and the 42T as Bahçeköy to Baltalimanı, so do not plan a trip from the city centre on them. We do not recommend bus 40 for a daytime trip either; use the 22 or 40T along the shore.

By Ferry

The ferry is the scenic way up the Bosphorus, but it starts in the old city. Get to Eminönü first (see Istanbul Airport to Eminönü and Sirkeci), then board a Şehir Hatları boat on the Rumeli Kavağı line.

• Eminönü to Rumeli Kavağı: daily, 12 sailings in the 2026-27 winter timetable, leaving Eminönü between 09:35 and 20:20. Typical times from Eminönü are Beşiktaş 15 minutes, Bebek about 45, Emirgan about 65, İstinye about 70, Sarıyer about 1 hour 40 and Rumeli Kavağı about 1 hour 50. Some sailings skip a stop, so check that yours calls at your pier.
• Back to Eminönü: the last boat from Sarıyer at the time of writing is at 18:40, reaching Emirgan at 19:15 and Eminönü at 20:10. Check the last boat before you set out; the buses are the fallback.
• Fare: ₺76.90 a ride on the Boğaz line in 2026 with a full-fare Istanbulkart.
• Bebek to Emirgan: a 25-minute line that runs on Sundays and holidays only, with seven sailings each way.
• Kadıköy to Sarıyer: weekdays only, one sailing each way (Kadıköy 07:50 to Sarıyer 09:15; Sarıyer 18:05 to Kadıköy 19:30).

Summer and winter timetables differ, so check sehirhatlari.istanbul before you plan around a boat. Sailings can be cancelled in bad weather.

Emirgan Grove and the Tulips

Emirgan Grove (Emirgan Korusu) is a municipal park above the shore road, best known for the Istanbul Tulip Festival. In 2026 the festival ran from 1 to 30 April, with the peak expected between 10 and 20 April, according to press reports at the time, and Emirgan was one of its main sites. The 2027 dates had not been announced at the time of writing, but the festival is usually held in April, so check the city's announcement shortly before you book.

Entry to the park is understood to be free. We give no fixed opening hours, because no official page lists them. From the Emirgan bus stop the centre of the grove is roughly 1 km on foot, uphill. In tulip season the park and the shore road are very busy, particularly at weekends, so a weekday morning is easier.

Sakıp Sabancı Museum

The Sakıp Sabancı Museum (Sakıp Sabancı Caddesi 42, Emirgan) is a private museum with a garden above the Bosphorus. Its collections include calligraphy and the art of the book, and the garden has stone works and a view of the water.

Online tickets are valid only for the date you choose. Check the museum's visit page before you go, because exhibitions and hours change. For other museums, see our Istanbul museums guide.

Rumeli Hisarı

Rumeli Hisarı is the Ottoman fortress on the water's edge, built in 1452. The museum (Yahya Kemal Caddesi 42) is run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It shows Ottoman cannonballs and cannons, Byzantine stone pieces and part of the chain that once closed the Golden Horn.

• Hours: 09:00 to 18:00, ticket office closing at 17:00, closed on Mondays. Hours can change with the season, so check muze.gov.tr before you go.
• Ticket: 6 euros for foreign visitors in 2026, rising to 7 euros from 1 April 2027. It is covered by the Museum Pass Istanbul.
• Getting there: buses 22 and 40T stop at Rumeli Hisarı, and the F4 funicular station at Aşiyan is about 0.9 km away.
• Restoration: parts of the ramparts and towers may be closed for restoration at times.

The fortress is close to Bebek and Ortaköy, which have their own guide, and our Bosphorus blog covers the strait as a whole.

İstinye, Tarabya, Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı

• İstinye: a bay and a stop on the Eminönü ferry line, about 70 minutes from Eminönü. Inland is İstinyePark, a shopping centre open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 according to its official site, with covered parking and bus lines 40B and 42. See our shopping malls guide.
• Tarabya: a bay with a pier stop on bus lines 25A and 40B. It is not on the Eminönü ferry timetable, so reach it by bus or car.
• Sarıyer: the centre of the district, with a ferry pier (Eminönü, Kadıköy, Beykoz and Rumeli Kavağı) and buses 25A, 40B, 150, 151 and 153.
• Rumeli Kavağı: the last village on the European shore on the Şehir Hatları line. A shuttle crosses to Anadolu Kavağı on the Asian side, and bus 25A runs back to Hacıosman.

Belgrad Forest and the Atatürk Arboretum

Inland from Sarıyer, Belgrad Forest covers about 5,500 hectares, shared between the Sarıyer and Eyüpsultan districts. It has Ottoman reservoirs and dams, the Mahmud I aqueduct near Kemer and a jogging track. Bahçeköy is the usual gateway, served by buses 42HM from Hacıosman, 153 from Sarıyer and 42 from Zincirlikuyu. Check the current entry and parking arrangements locally.

The Atatürk Arboretum at Bahçeköy covers about 296 hectares and opened in 1982. It is reported to be closed on Mondays, to charge a small entry fee and not to allow picnics, pets or bicycles, so check the hours and fee before you go. The stop called "Atatürk Ormanı" on bus 150 is a different place. Bahçeköy is a half-day trip of its own, not a stop between Emirgan and Sarıyer.

Which Day to Go

The Sakıp Sabancı Museum and Rumeli Hisarı are both closed on Mondays, and the Arboretum is reported to be closed that day too, so Monday is the weakest day for this stretch of the shore. Tuesday is the museum's free day. A weekday morning is easier on the shore road than a weekend. For the rest of the city, see Istanbul attractions: hours and tickets. Stops on the way and hourly hire are not part of the standard booking; ask us on WhatsApp before you book.

Sources — checked on 25 October 2026: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Rumeli Hisarı · Sakıp Sabancı Museum · Şehir Hatları, Eminönü to Rumeli Kavağı · Şehir Hatları, Bebek to Emirgan · Şehir Hatları fares · İETT route pages · Metro Istanbul fares · İstinyePark · Habertürk, 2026 tulip festival · Belgrad Forest · Atatürk Arboretum
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Related guides: Istanbul Airport to Ortaköy and Bebek · Istanbul shopping malls · Istanbul Airport to Beşiktaş and Şişli · Istanbul Airport metro M11 · Istanbulkart guide · Istanbul museums guide

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