Practical tips
- If you are flying to Istanbul from abroad, you will most likely land at its main international airport—Istanbul Atatürk Airport
ISTand Sabiha Gökçen AirportSAW. Istanbul Atatürk Airport, located on the European side of the city, is the larger of the two airports and the primary hub for the national carrier Turkish Airlines. It's well-connected to the city center by a variety of transportation options — including the metro, public bus, and taxis. Upon arrival, you'll find a range of dining options, shopping centers, currency exchange, ATMs, and luggage storage. There's a Wi-Fi network available for arriving passengers (free 1-hour free access, you must register first via SMS and using your passport number).Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the Asian side of the city, is a smaller but more modern airport compared to IST, and it primarily serves low-cost airlines. It is also less crowded, which can be a big plus if you're looking for a smoother arrival experience. SAW is known for its impressive views of the city and the nearby sea — plan ahead and book a window seat! After arrival, you'll have some good options to get to the city via taxi or private transfer services. However, public transport is less convenient than at IST.
IST located on the European side of Istanbul, about 24 km (15 miles) west of the city center, and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport SAW located on the Asian side of Istanbul, about 50 km (31 miles) southeast of the city center.
- Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of AirArabia, Buta Airways, FlyDubai, FlyArystan, Jazeera Airways, Wizz Air, Air Europa, easyJet.
Flights to Istanbul
from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Istanbul. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Istanbul, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. Currently, only Turkish Airlines (THY) offers year-round direct flights on routes from the US/Canada to Istanbul. It flies out from most biggest cities in North America: New York, Atlanta, Washington, Chicago, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto and Vancouver. All scheduled flights arrive at the Istanbul International Airport. Expect to spend between 9 and 14 hours on a plane.
- Istanbul is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Istanbul with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL, DallasDFW, DenverDEN, ChicagoORD, Los AngelesLAX, Las VegasDFW, MiamiMIA, SeattleSEA, HoustonIAH, New YorkJFK, and San FranciscoSFOin the United States and TorontoYYZ, VancouverYVR, CalgaryLAS, and MontrealYULin Canada. - The best airlines to fly to Istanbul from the US and Canada are: Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.
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What is the best time to book flights to Istanbul?
The best time to book flights to Istanbul is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) for Istanbul flights is 4–6 months before takeoff. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Airfare prices for Istanbul flights fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches. The airlines use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales.
Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Most airlines start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – airlines typically start by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by airlines for dates they expect to be popular. Try to avoid the high season during summer and major holidays including holidays in Turkey. If you must travel during peak times, book your flight well in advance.
Avoid last minute
Avoid booking flights to Istanbul less than 30 days before takeoff. Prices spike sharply then, as airlines are taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights to Istanbul, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. This is the “Prime Booking Window.” After some seats have already been sold, airlines start dropping prices to stimulate demand. They may also offer promotions and sales. This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. Airlines charge higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
To save on airfare, select a late night or early morning (1–5 a.m.) flight. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand—most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights tend to have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Flights to Istanbul from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Istanbul — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia. Direct flights from Europe to Istanbul are just few hours long (around 4 hours if you fly direct from London, and just below 2 hours from Athens). Most European hubs have a nonstop connection to Istanbul (as well to other Turkish cities). Among the airlines that operate those route you'll find both full-service carriers such as British Airways, KLM, LOT, Lufthansa, SAS, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines, and low-budget companies by the likes of Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, and Jet2.com.
- Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Istanbul include Aegean Airlines, Air Malta, British Airways, Croatia Airlines, Emirates, Finnair, KLM, LOT, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, SAS, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines.
- Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to Istanbul from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
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Turkish Airlines: long-haul planes on short-haul routes
Turkish Airlines has an enormous fleet of nearly 400 aircraft – from the small Airbus A319 (126 seats) up to the giant Boeing 777-300ER (249 seats). The good news is that the airline often operates long-haul configured aircraft on short and medium-haul routes.
So if you fly domestically from Istanbul or travel to one of the neighboring countries, choose Turkish Airlines – you may get lucky and be seated in a large cabin with generous seat legroom, even in economy class. Look for Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Boeing 787 and Boeing 777s when booking your ticket.
The cheapest time to fly to Istanbul
The low tourist season in Turkey typically occurs between November and April (excluding dates around Christmas and New Year) – it is also the cheapest time to fly to Istanbul. Airfares and hotel prices tend to be cheaper as the country is less crowded and there is less demand. However, the temperatures can be quite cold in some regions, and some attractions may be closed due to inclement weather.
Despite the cooler temperatures, the low season presents a great opportunity to experience Istanbul in a different light. You can still enjoy its rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and delicious cuisine – with the added benefit of having many attractions to yourself.
Know your time zone
Turkey uses only one time zone across the country – Turkey Time (TRT) – which is UTC+3 (GMT+3). As a result, clocks in Istanbul are 3 hours ahead of London and 7 hours ahead of New York. The country shares the same time zone with Ethiopia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine. It does not have an associated daylight saving time.
Ensure you know the local time zone when checking flights and airport transfer times. The departure time on your plane ticket is always listed based on the time zone of the departure airport. We suggest resetting your watch during the flight – it will help your brain adjust to the new time zone and to deal with jet lag.
Duty-free rules
Turkey is serious about the duty-free concession. There is a limit for bringing in certain items. Alcoholic drinks such as wine or spirits cannot exceed one liter per person, and you can carry only 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars and 200g of tobacco. In addition to personal items, you may also carry items such as gifts – up to a value of €430.
Anything above those limits must be declared – at the airport in Istanbul, head to the Red Lane to declare your goods.
Avoid currency exchange kiosks at airports
Airports are infamous for making an exuberant amount of money from their currency exchanges due to the extremely high margins, and the airports in Istanbul are no exception. Airport kiosks usually charge higher fees which are sometimes hidden within the poorer exchange rates they offer – their business is based on charging extra for being a convenient, last-minute option.
Plan ahead and exchange some money for the Turkish lira at home.
Download a VPN app
When it comes to media censorship, Turkey is one of the world leaders – it seems to have a problem with freedom of speech and certain online content. In the last few years, more than 250,000 websites have been banned temporarily or permanently – including Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Wikipedia, IMDB, and Blogspot. You can use this website to check if a certain site currently works in Turkey.
If you want to keep access to your favorite websites while traveling to Istanbul, you should download a VPN app for your smartphone and laptop before you arrive. With the VPN app, you will be able to bypass government censorship and freely access all blocked content.
Uber has limited availability in Istanbul
Uber is available in Turkey but not everywhere in the country. The app will find you a ride easily in Istanbul, however, in most areas outside the city, it can be much more difficult to find a car (try BiTaksi and iTaksi apps there). If available, though, Uber is a good way for a cross-city journey: the cars are safe, usually air-conditioned, and there are fixed distance-based fees, so drivers can’t overcharge you for journeys.
Interestingly, Uber is easily accessible for airport transfers in Istanbul. So, instead of taking a bus or local taxi, you can simply use the Uber app at the airport to arrange a quick transfer to the city.
Long waiting times when calling the helpline?
Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and others).
When it comes to Twitter, there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@TurkishAirlines”). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.
Domestic flights from Istanbul
Most domestic routes in Turkey are operated by local carriers. When traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Antalya, Ankara, İzmir, Bursa, Adana, Gaziantep, or Konya from Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport, you’ll likely fly with one of these domestic airlines: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, SunExpress, AnadoluJet, Onur Air, and Corendon Airlines.
This is often the best transportation method, providing speed, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Local airlines often offer multiple daily flights to key destinations, providing flexibility in scheduling and competitive pricing. They also serve smaller regional airports, enabling access to a wider range of Turkish destinations.
Flights to Istanbul
from Australia and New Zealand
- Australia and New Zealand are well-connected with popular Asian destinations, including Istanbul. In addition to domestic airlines – Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Air New Zealand – routes from Australasia to Asia are operated by large international carriers such as ANA, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.
Currently, there are no direct flights from Australia or New Zealand to Istanbul. You’ll need a layover in one of the major hubs in Asia. - Airfare costs can vary widely depending on the route and the airline’s pricing strategy. To find the cheapest flight to Istanbul, compare ticket prices from various international airports in Australia – Sydney
SYD, BrisbaneBNE, MelbourneMEL, PerthPER, AdelaideADL, CairnsCNS, Gold CoastOOL, CanberraCBR, and in New Zealand – AucklandAKL, WellingtonWLG, ChristchurchCHC, QueenstownZQN, and DunedinDUD. - For optimal savings, consider flying from Australia or New Zealand to a key Asian hub, then connect to Istanbul via a regional low-cost carrier. Among budget airlines that fly to Istanbul are AirArabia, Buta Airways, FlyDubai, FlyArystan, Jazeera Airways, Wizz Air, Air Europa, easyJet.
For the first leg, use the budget carriers that fly out of Australian airports, leveraging sales and promotions they run frequently: AirAsia (connects with Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore), Cebu Pacific (Manila), Jetstar (Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo), Scoot (Singapore), VietJet Air (Ho Chi Minh City), Bamboo Airways (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing), and Batik Air (Jakarta, Singapore).
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Flights to Istanbul
from major hubs in Asia
- Many popular tourist destinations in Asia have convenient direct flights to/from Istanbul: Bangkok
BKK, BaliDPS, BeijingPEK, Ho Chi MinhSGN, Hong KongHKG, JakartaCGK, Kuala LumpurKUL, ManilaMNL, New DelhiDEL, PhuketHKT, SingaporeSIN, TaipeiTPE, and TokyoHND. - Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to Istanbul look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
- Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to Istanbul will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
- Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting Turkey and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet, and VietJet Air. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
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Flights to Istanbul dataset
