How to Get From Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Sultanahmet or Taksim 2024

Both the acquaintance with the city and the journey itself begin in the airport which is the first place guests are going to see after landing in Istanbul.

Sabiha Gokcen Airport is the second largest airport in Istanbul located in the Asian part of the city. The Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus is based right here.

It is a fairly well-knit airport with all the conveniences provided. You can easily get to the pier and metro Kadıköy or Taksim Square from here.

You can get all the information about the airport and the transfer from it to Sultanahmet or Taksim on istanbulpoints.com.

About Sabiha Gökçen Airport

Sabiha Gokcen Airport is quite small and compact in comparison with the New Airport of Istanbul. It is very difficult to get lost here, therefore, if you fly through this airport for the first time, you do not need to worry, because everything is nearby and, in general, understandable.

At the airport one can have a snack, drink a cup of coffee. If you want to buy something you need, there are several shops situated in the airport. There is also a separate room for smokers. For those people who are very hungry there are several sections of the food court.

In the arrivals area one can cheer up with a cup of hot coffee bought in Mado or Starbucks, a cup of hot tea with fresh simits from Simit Sarayı or Karafırın and try burgers in Burger King or McDonalds.

If you are departing from the international zone of the airport, you can eat in one of the restaurants with conventional cuisine: Happy Moons or BigChefs (European cuisine), Usta Pideci or Usta Dönerci (Turkish cuisine).

As in any international airport, here you can pack your luggage or put it into a baggage room, withdraw cash in bank machines or change the currency, make a refund at the Tax Free office and also buy a SIM card of a local operator (at the exit from the terminal to the main hall on the 1st floor).

The only drawback of the airport is precisely its small size. Sometimes there is a congestion of people in front of the gates or lack of seats. Also, the local carrier based at the airport Pegasus is often delayed or simply late. So, keep this in mind while planning your trip with this airline.

Havabus service buses

From Sabiha Gokcen to Taksim

Take the Havabüs bus on the Taksim route. The bus route is highlighted on the windshield and near the front door.

Havabüs goes to Taksim, precisely to the bus stop located near the Taksim Point and Taksim Divan hotels.

Then from the bus stop to the Taksim Square you will need to walk about 8-10 minutes. You can also take the transport you need (depending on which direction and how far you need to go). It can be the metro, cable-railway or bus.

From Sabiha Gokcen to Sultanahmet and Kadikoy

You can get to the Kadıköy pier in the Asian part of the city by the Havabüs of the Kadıköy route.

This route is important not only for those who are going to stay in a hotel in the Asian side of Istanbul but also for those people who are going to live in Sultanahmet, Eminönü, Sirkeci or in any part of the old city along the T1 tram line.

Having reached Kadıköy by Havabüs, you need to:

• Walk to the pier called Kadıköy-Eminönü
• Buy a ferry ticket and sail to Eminönü (or pay using Istanbul cards)
• Having reached the Eminönü pier, go left under the Galata bridge to the pedestrian crossing and then to the middle of the road to the T1 tram stop.
• Buy a tram ticket or an Istanbul card, and take the tram to the stop you need: Sirkeci, Gülhane, Sultanahmet, Çemberlitaş, Beyazıt, Laleli.

Pros of this path:

1. Havabüs goes without stops right to Kadıköy (unlike public transport), your luggage is stored in the compartment, and you sit comfortably in a chair with no crowds around. There is no luggage compartment in public transport, and there can be different workloads.
2. If the weather is not bad (there is no gusty wind or a terrible rainfall, snowfall, etc.), the ferry service works and you can enjoy the views of Sultanahmet from the sea on a ferry ride, drink tea or freshly squeezed juice, crunching with a toast or simit.
3. It is also a convenient route for those who have a small luggage. You will have a look at the city: you will see Kadıköy (one can see the Haydarpasha railway station from here), at Eminönü you can taste a balyk ekmek, admire the Galata bridge and Galata tower, and after having rest, go further to your hotel.

From Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Istanbul New Airport

You can get from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Istanbul New Airport by the Havaist service bus HVIST-10.

You can also find it at the Havabüs bus stop which is situated at the exit from the airport. Travel time is 100 minutes.

Public transport

The abbreviation for the bus stop at Sabiha Gokcen Airport is SG1. That means that if you see such letters in the list of stops, the route goes to Sabiha Gokcen.

It stands to mention that a trip by public transport is not suitable for you in the following cases:

• You have luggage. There is no separate space for luggage in the public transport, unlike Havabüs, but there is plenty of people
• Buses stop at all the stops, which makes the journey longer
• You can get into a rush hour or just in a crowd of people and you will have to stand with your bags during the drive (on the contrary, Havabüs offers a fixed seat for one passenger and standing trips are prohibited)
• You are travelling with children. It is obvious that it is much easier and safer to go by Havabüs than to lengthen the journey with tired children and dubious cost-cutting.
• There are several people (more than 4), then it is easier for you to take a taxi or order a transfer in advance

In all other cases, you can go by public transport.

For public transport you will need to use Istanbulkart, which you can buy here, or at bus stops.

From Sabiha Gokcen with M4 Metro Line

In 2022 the construction of Line M4 from Kadikoy to Sabiha Gokchen airport was finished. So now you can easily reach Kadikoy pier by subway. The station is located at the airport area so all you have to do is to follow the signs and reach the station by walk.

Here you can also buy Istanbulkart in yellow — black vending machine (but only with cash).

From Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Princes’ Islands

If your hotel is located on one of the Princes’ Islands (Buyukada, Burgazada or Kynalyada), then you can get to them in the following ways:

By the Havabüs service bus to Kadıköy pier and then by ferry to the Princes’ Islands (Kadıköy-Adalar route).
By public transport: take the E-9 bus to the stop near the Bostancı pier and then take a ferry to the islands.

Taxi

Yellow cars with the inscription TAKSI can be found not only near airports but throughout the city (near transport stops, crowded places, hotels, etc.)

When is it worth using a taxi? If you have a heavy luggage and it is impossible to get where you need by public transport or if you are tired and you have no strength to go with transfers. It is also worth, if you are used to using taxi in different countries and you are not embarrassed by the possible nuances and the driver not knowing the English language. This type of transport may not be suitable for families with small children, as Istanbul taxi drivers cannot be characterized with accurate driving, so you should not expect a calm and comfortable trip.

Initially, the counter (which must be present in the car, otherwise I do not recommend using this taxi) shows the number 9,8 (Turkish lira), then the payment is calculated for each kilometer of travel (6,3 Turkish lira per km).

The fare in blue and black taxi is higher than in yellow ones: the cost of boarding is 11,27 and 16,66 lira, each kilometer is 7,25 lira for blue and 10,71 for black one.

The cost of the trip may differ slightly, since the taxi driver can choose different roads, they will have different mileages.

• Taksim (44 km) — yellow and burgundy taxis cost 140-150 lira, black and blue — 295 lira.
• Kadıköy (39 km) — yellow and burgundy taxis cost 126-130 lira, blue and black — 230 lira.
• Sultanahmet (46 km) — burgundy and yellow taxis cost 150 lira, black and blue — 240 lira.

Transfer

The transfer is a pre-ordered trip along the route. The driver will meet you in the closest area to the place of arrival (or at the specified address / hotel), help you load your luggage and take you along the shortest route to your destination. You have already paid for everything and you do not worry about how much the trip will cost, and also about the fact that you will have to explain to the driver where exactly you need to get.

Who is this type of transfer suitable for?

1. If you are a woman travelling alone.
2. In case you are travelling with the elderly people or as a family with children.
3. Those who do not want to worry and prefer to get to their destination comfortably and without problems.
4. A company, then the payment can be divided among all (you will know the amount in advance, while placing an order).

Advice

You must have a local currency, namely Turkish lira. You can withdraw cash at any ATM on the airport territory. If you have cash, then use the exchange office.

Taxi fares must be paid in Turkish lira, preferably in small bills. Change big money. You should have 5/10/20 bills.

When you give money to a taxi driver, it is better to take precautions and indicate the amount being transferred. For example, forty lira (40 lira) or kyrk lira. This should be done in order not to be deceived: the driver can pretend that he has taken not 40 liras but 20 and then demand more from you.

Coronavirus (covid-19) precaution measures at Sabiha Gokcen airport

• Only passengers without accompanying persons are allowed into the airport premises (with the exception of those who accompany passengers who cannot go through control on their own)
• Passengers must enter into the airport only wearing masks and should not take them off during the entire time of being in the terminals
• Carry-on baggage is not accepted on board, with the exception of small bags, laptops, briefcases or bags with children’s essentials.
• All the arriving passengers must go through the temperature measurement procedure
• There are markings at the airport that will help to comply with the rules of social distancing (at least 1 meter between passengers)