How To Get To Sultanahmet From Istanbul Airport

Sultanahmet is the center of the tourist attractions in Istanbul, where tourists prefer to stay and visit. The first question that comes to mind after coming to Istanbul is; How To Get To Sultanahmet from Istanbul Airport ?

It became harder for visitors to get to Sultanahmet (The Old City) from the main airport of Istanbul. Because, main airport is now moved to outside of city and is more away than the Ataturk Airport.

Counting that the construction and facilities are still in process, railway system is also not integrated. In new airport, there is no tram or metro line to anywhere in the city yet.

Therefore, you have only a few options to go to Sultanahmet, the touristy heart of Istanbul.

Bus and Shuttle from Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet

As the new airport is out of the city and quite far from the city center, there is no public bus to Sultanahmet from airport. Although there are some public buses that take you to the main hubs, you will need to take some other vehicles to get to the old city which would be not convenient with your baggage.

However, there is another organization that operates the transportation facilities to the new airport.

Havaist buses depart every half an hour from the airport and the ride takes around an hour which ends in Sultanahmet Square. The price per person is more or less 3 US dollars and can be paid by credit card as well. You may check the timetable through website of Havaist Buses.

Several regular bus lines are traveling between the city and the new airport. I’ll put the main ones here:

Line H2: Mecidiyeköy. There are 16 daily frequencies in each direction. See schedule times here!

Line H3: Halkali. There are 14 daily frequencies in each direction. See schedule times here!

Line H4: Ataturk airport. There are 24 daily frequencies in each direction. Ideal for those connecting at the old airport. See schedule times here!

By Airport Shuttles

Line IST-1: Yenikapi. There are 13 daily frequencies in each direction. This depot is located in the center of Istanbul, with access to the metro and tram network. It will certainly be the most used line for those visiting Istanbul.

Price: 18 lire. See schedules here!

Line IST-7: Kozyatagi. There are 9 daily frequencies in each direction. This depot is halfway from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.

Price: 25 lire. See schedules here!

IST-19 line: Taksim. There are 14 daily frequencies in each direction. The final stop is at Taksim Square, another touristic place chosen by Istanbul visitors.

Price: 18 lire. See schedules here!

IST-20 line: Sultanahmet. This is the line that best fits, and it was the one I used. They depart every 30 minutes during the day and every hour during the night.

Price: 18 lire. See schedules here!

All of the above lines are operated by Havaist company

Taking a taxi to Sultanahmet

Despite the antipathetic reputation of taxis in Istanbul, the organization in Istanbul airport is solid and always available. You may find different kinds of vehicles in different shapes and colors for the needs of the passengers.

There are sedans that can take up to 4 people and has two different tariffs regarding the quality and the comfort of the vehicles. Yellow ones are the regular taxis and cheaper from the turquoise ones which are luxurious taxis. If you are more than 4 people, you may take the black vans that can host groups of up to 8. Black vans (UBER) have quite high tariffs compared to the other two options.

Private Transfer from Istanbul Airport

Private transfer is the easiest way to travel to the old city, as you do not have to do anything besides book it.

Getting your ride in advance will be much better to avoid the hassle at the airport, the prices will be reasonable, and you will have the chance to find a trustworthy organization by checking the reviews.

As Guided Istanbul Tours, we also provide airport transfer services from both airports in Istanbul.You may contact our team to arrange your transfer.

If you have a connection flight and just a few hours to spend in Istanbul, you have the option to make most of the time by booking our Layover Tour.

 

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