Sabiha Gökçen to the city centre: metro, Marmaray and the night bus explained

If you have just booked a low-cost flight into Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), the good news is that the airport finally has the transport links it lacked for years. A metro station now sits within the terminal complex, an all-night bus covers the hours when trains stop, and the Marmaray tunnel means you can cross to the European side without ever sitting in Bosphorus bridge traffic. This guide is written for first-time visitors: it covers the routes to Kadıköy, Taksim and Sultanahmet, exactly where to change lines, and what to do if your plane lands in the small hours.

Where Sabiha Gökçen actually is

SAW is not in Istanbul's tourist core, and it never will be. The airport sits well out on the Asian side, 40 km from Kadıköy, 12 km from Pendik and 50 km from Taksim. In practice that means two things: a taxi to the European side is a long, expensive ride, and the rail connection is genuinely worth learning.

The geography works in your favour if you are staying on the Asian side (Kadıköy, Moda, Fenerbahçe or the Bosphorus suburbs), because the M4 metro takes you most of the way there. If you are heading to Sultanahmet, Galata or Taksim, you will cross to Europe by rail or ferry, which is part of the fun rather than a hardship.

The M4 metro from the airport

The Sabiha Gökçen Airport station opened with the extension of the M4 Kadıköy–Tavşantepe line, which means the airport is now a regular stop on the main metro line on the Asian side. Trains run towards Kadıköy; that is the direction you want for essentially every visitor destination.

Finding the station

The station has three entrances: the car park and domestic CIP lounge, the Airport Hotel, and the Terminal. Coming out of arrivals, follow the metro signs to the Terminal entrance: you do not need to leave the building or take any shuttle. If you exit at the wrong door, the car park entrance is the other documented option, but the Terminal entrance is the one that matters for passengers.

Buying a ticket

Istanbul's public transport runs on the İstanbulkart, the contactless card used on metro, tram, ferry, Metrobüs and municipal buses. You can buy and top up a card from vending machines at the station. Check current fares and pass options on the official İstanbulkart website or at the machines before you travel, as prices change. If you plan to use transport heavily for several days, look at the discounted top-up and transfer rules that apply within a single journey chain: transfers between metro, Marmaray and ferries are cheaper than separate fares.

Where to change lines

The M4 alone gets you to Kadıköy. For everywhere else, you change at one of four stations:

Kadıköy: ferries and the Moda tram

From the M4 you can change at Kadıköy for the T3 Kadıköy–Moda tram, city ferries and sea buses. This is the station to pick if your hotel is in Kadıköy or Moda: the tram loops through the neighbourhood's streets, and the ferry piers are a short walk from the metro exit. Even if you are bound for Europe, the Kadıköy–Eminönü or Kadıköy–Karaköy ferry is often the pleasant way to make the crossing, dropping you within walking distance of Galata and the tram to Sultanahmet.

Ayrılık Çeşmesi: the Marmaray to Sultanahmet

For the old city, change from the M4 to Marmaray at Ayrılık Çeşmesi. Marmaray is the suburban rail line that runs under the Bosphorus, and it stops on the European side at Sirkeci: from there it is a short walk or tram ride to Sultanahmet, Topkapı's surroundings and the Grand Bazaar area. This is the most reliable route from SAW to the historic peninsula because it never touches road traffic.

Ünalan: the Metrobüs towards Taksim

The airport station connects to the Metrobüs at Ünalan. From Zincirlikuyu you can continue on the M2 to Taksim, or take a short taxi if you have luggage. The Metrobüs is crowded at rush hour; with suitcases, the Kadıköy-plus-ferry-or-taxi alternative is usually more comfortable.

Pendik: high-speed trains

If Turkey's high-speed rail network is part of your trip, the airport station links to the Pendik high-speed train station via İETT buses from Pendik: Pendik being only 12 km from the airport. From Pendik Gar, YHT trains run towards Ankara, Eskişehir and Konya. Buy long-distance rail tickets in advance through the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) website or app, where you will also find current timetables.

Which route for which destination

The E-10 night bus

Istanbul's metro does not run through the night on most days, and low-cost flights into SAW have a habit of landing late. For those hours, İETT lists the E-10 Sabiha Gökçen Airport / Kurtköy – Kadıköy line among its night services (Gece Hatları). It runs between the airport area and Kadıköy, which makes it the night traveller's link to the rest of the system's daytime network: from Kadıköy you can wait for the first metro, tram or ferry of the morning, or take a taxi for the final leg.

Find the E-10's departure times and stop list on the İETT website (iett.istanbul) under Gece Hatları, or in the Mobiett app; night schedules are published per line and change with the season. The bus is a standard municipal vehicle, takes the İstanbulkart, and has normal luggage space rather than airport-coach racks, so keep bags on your lap or at your feet if it is busy.

Late-arrival checklist

1. Before you fly, check the M4's last departure from the airport station and the E-10's night schedule on İETT's website, so you know your cut-off time.
2. Have an İstanbulkart already, or plan to buy one at the airport machines: the E-10 takes the card, not cash.
3. Save your hotel's full address in Turkish characters; showing it to a driver or police officer saves minutes.
4. If you land after the E-10's last run, a taxi is the remaining option: insist on the meter and check the fare board at the rank.
5. If you are staying in Kadıköy, note that the E-10 drops you in the right district, so the walk or short taxi at the end may be all you need.
6. First metro and ferry services of the morning start early enough that a very late arrival can sometimes be solved with a coffee and a one-hour wait: check the first-service times for your date.

Costs, in brief

Istanbul's transport fares are revised regularly, so treat an old figure you read elsewhere with suspicion. The reliable way to check: the İstanbulkart website and ticket machines for current metro, Marmaray, ferry and bus fares, and the İETT website for the E-10. What is stable is the structure: one İstanbulkart covers every mode mentioned here, and transfers within a journey chain are discounted. A taxi from SAW to Taksim, covering 50 km, will cost a multiple of any public transport fare: check the airport taxi tariff board at the rank for the current rate.