Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) Transfer Guide
Sabiha Gokcen Airport sits on Istanbul's Asian side, and that one fact shapes your whole transfer. Kadikoy and the rest of the Asian shore are close, about 32 km or 30-50 minutes by road. The trouble is that most visitors are staying across the water: Sultanahmet's old town is roughly 52 km away (55-85 minutes) and Taksim about 50 km (50-80 minutes), and both rides involve crossing the Bosphorus by bridge or tunnel, with traffic deciding which end of that range you get.
You have four realistic ways in. A metered taxi runs on Istanbul's single tariff around the clock, with no night surcharge, but bridge and tunnel tolls to the European side are legally added to the meter, which is why European-side fares work out to roughly €43-55 all in, against €28-33 for Kadikoy. A pre-booked private sedan costs €25-40 to Kadikoy and €40-55 fixed to Sultanahmet or Taksim; for European-side hotels that fixed price earns its keep, because it removes any argument over routes and tolls on a crossing you have no way to judge yourself. On a budget, the Havabus shuttle covers both sides for ₺270-440, and the M4 metro leaves directly from the terminal. If your hotel is in Kadikoy and you pack light, the metro is genuinely the smart play.
Ways into the city
| Option | Duration | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metered taxi | 30–85 min by district | Tariff-based, see route pages | Single Istanbul tariff 24/7 with no night surcharge. Bridge and tunnel tolls to the European side are legally added to the meter, so expect roughly €43-55 to Sultanahmet or Taksim and €28-33 to Kadikoy. |
| Private transfer (pre-booked) | 30–85 min by district | €25–55 fixed | Sedan for 1-4 passengers, price locked before you land: €25-40 to Kadikoy, €40-55 to Sultanahmet or Taksim with tolls included. The fixed fare rules out any route or toll dispute on the Bosphorus crossing. |
| Havabus shuttle | 60–90 min | ₺270–440 by line | Taksim line ~₺440, every 30 minutes from roughly 06:30 to 00:30, about 90 minutes. Kadikoy line ~₺270, 60-90 minutes, running until around 01:30. Pay cash or with Istanbulkart on board; credit cards are not accepted. |
| Metro M4 (+Marmaray) | ~52 min to Kadikoy | ~₺30–42 with Istanbulkart | Runs directly from the terminal to Kadikoy in about 52 minutes. For Sultanahmet and the European old town, change to the Marmaray cross-Bosphorus rail line at Ayrilik Cesmesi. |
Frequently asked questions
SAW or IST - which Istanbul airport is closer to my hotel?
It depends entirely on which side of the Bosphorus you are staying. Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) is on the Asian side, so it is the clear winner for Kadikoy, Moda and anywhere along the Asian shore, about 32 km away. Istanbul Airport (IST) sits on the European side, which usually makes it the shorter run to Sultanahmet or Taksim. That said, SAW still works fine for European-side hotels: the ride is roughly 50-52 km with a Bosphorus crossing, and a fixed-price pre-booked transfer at €40-55 keeps it predictable.
How do I get from Sabiha Gokcen to Sultanahmet?
Sultanahmet is about 52 km from SAW, taking 55-85 minutes by road including the Bosphorus crossing. A pre-booked private transfer costs €40-55 fixed with tolls included, while a metered taxi typically works out to roughly €43-55 once the bridge or tunnel tolls are added to the meter. The cheapest route is rail: take the M4 metro from the terminal, change to the Marmaray at Ayrilik Cesmesi, and ride under the Bosphorus to the old town for a few euros' worth of lira on an Istanbulkart.
I land at SAW late at night - what are my options?
Better than at most airports. Istanbul taxis use the same single tariff 24 hours a day, so there is no night surcharge, and taxis queue at the terminal around the clock. The Havabus shuttle keeps running later than many expect: the Taksim line until roughly 00:30 and the Kadikoy line until around 01:30, paid in cash or with Istanbulkart on board. After the last shuttles leave, your realistic choices are a metered taxi or a pre-booked private transfer waiting with your name on a sign, which costs €25-55 fixed depending on the district.
Do Istanbul taxis take credit cards, and are the tolls extra?
Card acceptance varies from cab to cab, so carry some Turkish lira rather than counting on a working card reader. On tolls: yes, they are extra and that is legal, not a scam. Bridge and tunnel tolls for the Bosphorus crossing are added on top of the meter for any trip to the European side, which is why a run to Sultanahmet or Taksim ends up around €43-55 in total while Kadikoy, with no crossing, comes to about €28-33. If you would rather not track the meter at all, a pre-booked transfer has tolls baked into its fixed price.