Arriving in Istanbul at Night, With Luggage
What still runs after midnight, a driver waiting at arrivals with your name, and licensed guides for the days after.
What Still Runs When You Land
After midnight, Istanbul Airport has one bus line and the taxi rank. Sabiha Gökçen has a little more, and on Friday and Saturday nights two metro lines run straight through. By day, every way in is on our airport guide.
| Option | Until midnight | After midnight | First in the morning |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Istanbul Airport | |||
| M11 metro to Gayrettepe | Every 15 minutes | Last train 00:21 | 06:10 |
| Havaist bus to Beşiktaş and Taksim | Every 45 minutes, to 23:45 | 00:30, 01:15 and 02:15 | 04:30 |
| Havaist bus to Sultanahmet | Hourly, last bus 23:45 | None | 05:00 |
| Taxi rank, gates 9 and 13 | All night | All night, same tariff | All night |
| From Sabiha Gökçen | |||
| Havabus to Taksim | Every 30 minutes | 00:30, 01:00 and 01:30; late flights to 04:00 | 06:30 |
| M4 metro to Kadıköy | Last train 23:59 | Friday and Saturday nights | 06:00 |
| E-10 night bus to Kadıköy | None | Saturday and Sunday: 00:15, 01:05, 02:25, 03:30 | None |
| Into the Old City | |||
| M2 metro, Gayrettepe to Taksim | Until midnight | Friday and Saturday nights, double fare | 06:00 |
| T1 tram through Sultanahmet | Last tram 00:13 | None | 06:14 |
What the Meter Should Read
The meter charges by distance whenever the car moves faster than 12.5 km an hour. On empty night roads, that makes the fare the distance times the tariff.
| Route | Distance | On the meter |
|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Airport to Taksim | 42 km | 2,080 to 2,100 TL |
| Istanbul Airport to Beşiktaş | 43 km | 2,140 to 2,150 TL |
| Istanbul Airport to Sultanahmet | 49 to 60 km | 2,410 to 2,960 TL |
| Istanbul Airport to Kadıköy | 52 to 56 km | 2,540 to 2,750 TL |
| Sabiha Gökçen to Kadıköy | 33 to 35 km | 1,670 to 1,770 TL |
| Sabiha Gökçen to Sultanahmet | 41 to 42 km | 2,020 to 2,100 TL |
| Sabiha Gökçen to Taksim | 44 to 45 km | 2,150 to 2,230 TL |
Tolls come on top. A taxi through the Eurasia Tunnel also charges you a bridge toll for its way back.
Or leave the meter out of it: our transfer is a fixed, agreed price to your hotel door, quoted with your booking.
Six Catches After Midnight, and How We Handle Them
The Last Metro Leaves at 00:21
The M11 reaches Gayrettepe at 00:51, after the M2 to Taksim has closed on a weeknight. Our driver takes you directly to your hotel instead.
Nothing Public Reaches Sultanahmet
The Havaist line there makes its last run at 23:45, and the last T1 tram passes at 00:13. Our driver covers that last mile to your hotel door and helps with the bags.
Three Taxis, Three Tariffs
Taxis in three colours wait at exit gates 9 and 13, and a driver offering a flat price at the kerb is not using the meter. Book with us and a professional driver is already waiting for you, and you are not left stranded at the rank.
No Card Office Opens at Night
No Istanbulkart centre sits at either airport and every one in the city keeps daytime hours. With us you need no card: your driver meets you with your name on a sign and takes the bags from there.
Big Bags Stay Off the Metro
The M11 refuses any bag over 30 kg or larger than 120 × 50 × 60 cm, and luggage trolleys. We send a Mercedes Vito for a family or a small group and a fifteen-seat Sprinter for a large one.
A Landing That Runs Late
Passport control and the baggage belt keep their own clock after a long flight. Our drivers work from your flight number rather than your booking time, so a landing that slips by two hours moves the pickup instead of losing it.
The Drivers Who Meet Your Flight
Our four airport drivers own the vans they drive, so the person who answers for the car is the one who turns up for you.
Emre Çelik
Sprinter, 15 seats
Meeting flights since 2020.
From Ordu, based in Istanbul.
Burak Yiğit Akpınar
Sprinter, 15 seats
Meeting flights since 2019.
From Sivas, based in Istanbul.
Volkan Demir
VIP Sprinter, 14 seats
Five years of airport and hotel transfers.
From Kastamonu, based in Istanbul.
Burak Çelik
Sprinter, 15 seats
Meeting flights since 2019.
From Ordu, based in Istanbul.
Licensed guides, TÜRSAB member #7651Guiding Istanbul since 2011145 Google reviews rated 5.0560 TripAdvisor reviews rated 4.8Then Your Days in Istanbul
We plan the whole stay, not only the ride: private tours and custom itineraries, crafted around what you are curious about, with licensed guides who are named and photographed, each with a page of their own.
An unfamiliar city, unfamiliar customs, and a person whose job is that you are comfortable in both.
From Your Flight to Your Last Day
Send Your Flight and Dates
Your flight, your dates, your hotel and what you want to see. We confirm a named driver and a fixed quote within a day.
A Name on a Sign
A named driver waits at arrivals with your name, helps with the bags and takes you straight to your hotel door.
Your Days, Guided
A private day usually runs about eight hours and starts where you are staying; tickets, ferries and timing are ours to sort.
One Team, in English
Anything that needs deciding, a changed flight, a different hotel, one more stop, comes to us in English and reaches the driver in minutes.
Tours for the Days After You Land
Before You Land in Istanbul
Does the Istanbul Airport Metro Run All Night?
No. The M11 leaves Istanbul Airport for Gayrettepe every 15 minutes from 06:10 to 00:21, and it is not on Istanbul’s weekend night-metro list. The last train reaches Gayrettepe at 00:51, when the M2 to Taksim has already closed, except on Friday and Saturday nights.
Is There a Night Bus From Istanbul Airport?
One line runs after midnight: the Havaist bus to Beşiktaş and Taksim leaves Istanbul Airport at 00:30, 01:15 and 02:15, then not again until 04:30. The Havaist to Sultanahmet makes its last run at 23:45 and its first at 05:00. Both leave from the transportation floor below arrivals and take credit cards on board; the fare to Taksim or Sultanahmet is 470 TL.
How Much Is a Taxi From Istanbul Airport at Night?
The same as by day: Istanbul’s taxi tariff has no night rate, and Istanbul Airport’s taxi fares are valid 24 hours a day.
On the yellow-taxi tariff in force since July 2026, the meter reaches about 2,080 to 2,100 TL to Taksim and 2,410 to 2,960 TL to Sultanahmet, before tolls.
Turquoise taxis charge 15% more and black taxis 70% more.
How Do You Get From Sabiha Gökçen to the City at Night?
From Sabiha Gökçen, Havabus runs to Taksim every 30 minutes until 01:30, with extra buses for delayed flights until 04:00. The last M4 metro to Kadıköy leaves at 23:59, except on Friday and Saturday nights, when it runs all night at double fare from 00:30 to 05:30.
On Saturday and Sunday mornings only, the E-10 bus leaves for Kadıköy at 00:15, 01:05, 02:25 and 03:30. A taxi to Kadıköy reads about 1,670 to 1,770 TL on the meter.
What Is Open at Istanbul Airport at Night?
Istanbul Airport keeps its taxi rank, its Turkcell and Türk Telekom shops on the arrivals floor and its Medicana Clinic open 24 hours.
The left-luggage office sits opposite exit 13 on the arrivals floor, and luggage trolleys run on a deposit you get back when you return the trolley.
Global Exchange has counters across from exit gates 10 and 12; at Sabiha Gökçen the exchange offices never close.
For the country as a whole, read is it safe to travel to Türkiye.
What Happens if My Flight Lands Late?
With The Other Tour, nothing changes on your side. We monitor flight times, so delays are not a problem: your driver works from your flight number rather than your booking time, and a landing that slips by two hours moves the pickup instead of losing it.
What Can You Do After a Dawn Landing in Istanbul?
A flight that lands at dawn can leave you hours ahead of your hotel room. The first Havaist to Sultanahmet leaves Istanbul Airport at 05:00 and the first M11 train at 06:10.
Or let The Other Tour’s Grand Istanbul Airport Pickup turn those hours into your first look at the city, while your luggage stays safely in the van.
Can The Other Tour Plan the Rest of My Stay in Istanbul?
Yes. The Other Tour plans private tours and custom itineraries for the days you are in Istanbul, as well as the ride from the airport. A private day with one of our licensed guides usually runs about eight hours and starts where you are staying.
Two easy starts: Istanbul After Dark for your first evening, or a half-day tour for your first morning.
Plan Your Arrival and Your Days
Tell us your flight number, your dates and your hotel, how many of you and how many bags, and the days you would like guided. We confirm a named driver and a fixed quote within a day.
