How to get from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Istanbul city center by metro?
From messages by 8 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 29 days ago
A route via Kadıköy: take the metro from Sabiha Gökçen for about an hour to Kadıköy, walk to the ferry pier, cross to Karaköy, then walk uphill toward Taksim.
38 days ago Metro to Kadıköy + ferry to Karaköy
Clarification on the walk to the metro: the station is a separate building from the airport terminal, connected by a straight corridor with moving walkways (travolators), making the walk easy.
Corridor with travolators
A new option: metro plus Marmaray with two transfers, total travel time about 2 hours 13 minutes.
Metro + Marmaray, 2 transfers, ~2h13m
The express bus takes about 2 hours; the metro takes roughly the same time but requires transfers, which is less convenient.
Express vs metro, ~2 hours
Detailed route: from the airport, exit 13, turn left, follow METRO signs to line M11 (purple) to its last stop, Gayrettepe. Transfer there to M2 (green line), direction Yenikapı–Hacıosman, ride to Taksim station. Buy an Istanbulkart at the airport (165 lira card + 200 lira top-up). Total trip time is about 1 hour 40 minutes, including a 9-minute transfer between lines.
M11→M2 to Taksim, Istanbulkart 165+200 lira, ~1h40m
The Havaist airport bus averages 90 minutes — comparable to the metro, and sometimes longer. The metro is more reliable since it avoids traffic jams.
Havaist vs metro: ~90 min
To reach the beach, take the metro to Haciosman station and then call a Yandex Taxi — about 30 minutes by car. On the return trip, taxis may not be available at the beach itself, so walk ~20 minutes to the nearest bus stop.
Haciosman station + Yandex Taxi
Navigation in the Istanbul metro is excellent and easy to follow. The key tip: get an Istanbul Kart before your trip to avoid wasting time at ticket machines in the morning.
Istanbul Kart
The metro station is not directly at the terminal — it's about a 7-minute walk. Exit the airport, turn left, and follow the signs to the metro.
7-minute walk from terminal
Route to the city center: take the metro to the last station, then transfer to a ferry or bus. Works well for groups of 2–3 people.
The metro ride to the city center takes about 1.5 hours. Taxis are faster but unpredictable in traffic. If you have a tight connection or need to be back for check-in in 2 hours, the metro is the safer choice.
~1.5 hours to city center
A metro trip from Sabiha Gokcen to the city center with one transfer costs around 90 lira per person and takes approximately one hour.
~90 lira, ~1 hour