Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is Istanbul's second airport, used mostly by low-cost and regional airlines. It's on the Asian side of the city, which means one thing every route has in common: at some point you'll cross the Bosphorus to reach Sultanahmet, Taksim, or most hotels on the European side. Depending on how you travel and the traffic, that trip takes about an hour to well over an hour and a half.
Flying into Istanbul Airport (IST) instead? The routes are completely different. See our Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet guide.
The short answer
The metro plus Marmaray train is the best value if you're traveling light in the daytime — it avoids road traffic and costs very little. A pre-booked private transfer is the easiest choice for families, groups, heavy luggage, and late-night arrivals. Taxis and Havabus work too, but road traffic across the Bosphorus makes their timing hard to predict.
Your options at a glance
| Option | Typical cost | Time to Sultanahmet | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro M4 + Marmaray | Lowest: under ₺100 per person with an İstanbulkart | About 75 to 90 minutes, plus a short walk or tram ride | Light packers on a budget, daytime |
| Metro M4 + ferry | Very low | About 90 minutes or more | Travelers who want the scenic route and aren't in a hurry |
| Havabus | Low: a few hundred lira per person | About 60 minutes to Kadıköy or about 90 to Taksim, then onward | Travelers staying in Kadıköy or Taksim |
| Taxi | High: often around ₺2,600 to ₺3,400, metered, plus tolls | About 45 to 75 minutes, longer in heavy traffic | When nothing is pre-booked |
| Private transfer | Fixed price per vehicle | About 45 to 75 minutes, longer in heavy traffic | Families, groups, late arrivals, first-time visitors |
The Turkish lira changes quickly and fares go up often, so treat these as rough guides and check close to your trip.
Metro and Marmaray: the best value for most light packers
The M4 metro line starts right at the airport. Ride it to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then change to the Marmaray commuter train, which runs under the Bosphorus to Sirkeci on the European side. From Sirkeci, Sultanahmet is a short tram ride on the T1 line or an uphill walk of about 15 minutes. Because it's underground for most of the way, it isn't affected by road traffic — a big advantage in Istanbul.
You'll need an İstanbulkart, the city's reloadable transport card, which you can buy and top up from machines at the airport station. The downside is luggage: there are changes, long corridors, and crowded carriages at rush hour.
Metro and ferry: slower, but a great first view of the city
Instead of changing to Marmaray, stay on the M4 to the end of the line at Kadıköy, then take a ferry across to Eminönü and the T1 tram to Sultanahmet. It takes longer, but crossing the Bosphorus by ferry is one of the best introductions to Istanbul there is — worth it if you land in daylight with light bags and no rush.
Havabus: easy with luggage, but not direct to the old city
Havabus runs airport buses to Kadıköy and Taksim, with luggage stored underneath. It's a good option if you're staying near either of those areas. For Sultanahmet, you'll still need to continue by ferry and tram from Kadıköy, or by metro or taxi from Taksim, so it's less convenient for the old city than the metro and Marmaray route.
Taxi: door to door, but the price is hard to predict
Taxis wait outside arrivals. All are metered, but the fare depends heavily on traffic and the route, and bridge or tunnel tolls for the Bosphorus crossing are added on top. Fares can also be higher late at night. Make sure the meter is running from the start, have your hotel's address written down (ideally in Turkish), and avoid anyone offering a ride inside the terminal.
Private transfer: the least stressful option
With a pre-booked transfer, a driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign, tracks your flight in case of delays, and takes you straight to your hotel for a price agreed in advance. It's priced per vehicle, so for a family or group it can work out cheaper per person than a taxi, with no meter surprises — just check whether tolls are included when you book. It's also the easiest way to reach Sultanahmet hotels on narrow or pedestrian streets that are hard to find from a bus or tram stop.
Arriving late, with kids, or with lots of luggage? Lock in a fixed price for a private transfer from Sabiha Gökçen to your hotel before you fly.
Search Istanbul airport transfersPrefer to compare a second provider? See transfer options on Kiwitaxi.
Landing late at night
Many low-cost flights land at Sabiha Gökçen late in the evening or very early in the morning. The metro and Havabus stop running in the early hours (except for weekend night metro service), so after that a taxi or a pre-booked transfer is the only practical way in. If you'll land after about midnight, booking a transfer in advance saves you from negotiating at the taxi rank after a long flight.
Which option should you pick?
- Backpack only, daytime arrival: metro M4 and Marmaray.
- Light bags, no rush, want the views: metro to Kadıköy and the ferry.
- Staying in Kadıköy or Taksim: Havabus.
- Family, group, or lots of luggage: a private transfer, priced per vehicle.
- Landing after midnight: a pre-booked private transfer.
Get online before you leave the airport
Maps make the metro, Marmaray, and ferry connections much easier to follow. An eSIM installed before you fly connects as soon as you land, so you can check routes and message your hotel. Our post on how eSIMs work in different countries covers what to check first.
Set up a Türkiye eSIM before you fly so maps and messaging work the moment you land at Sabiha Gökçen.
See eSIM plans for TürkiyeRelated reading
The short version
Sabiha Gökçen is on the Asian side, so every route crosses the Bosphorus. The metro and Marmaray are the best value for light packers in the daytime, the ferry is the scenic option, and a pre-booked private transfer is easiest for families, groups, and late arrivals. Taxis work, but traffic and tolls make the final fare hard to predict.