Turkey is home to one of the most popular and well-connected airlines in the world: Turkish Airlines. Its main headquarters is located in the vibrant tourist city of Istanbul, making the city the main travel hub of the Middle East and the world.
I often find myself traveling through Istanbul a lot when I travel the world, and ever since 2019, Istanbul now has 3 airports. I always get confused as to which airport I am flying into and which one I have to fly out from.
Since then, I have decided to document my journey transiting between the two most important airports in Istanbul: the new Istanbul Airport (IST), where Turkish Airlines often flies into, and the Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), where low-cost airlines like Pegasus Airlines often fly into. I will write about my experience in this article, together with all the information you need to get from Sabiha Gokcen to Istanbul Airport and vice versa.
Without further ado, here's a complete guide to transiting between the two airports in Istanbul:
How Far is Sabiha Gokcen to Istanbul Airport?
Sabiha Gokcen Airport is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, whereas Istanbul Airport is located on the European side. The distance between Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) and Istanbul Airport (IST) is around 80 km.
Even though Sabiha Gokcen Airport is only 80 km away from Istanbul Airport, a giant metropolitan city, Istanbul, is located in between the two airports with the Bosphorus as a bottleneck. As a result, traveling between these two airports often takes longer than it should. How long does it take to travel between the two airports? Let's find out.
How Do I Get From Sabiha Gokcen to Istanbul Airport and Vice Versa?
With Havaist Direct Transfer Bus (New)
Great news! Thanks to one of our readers (Kudos to you, John), the bus operator Havaist is finally providing a direct airport transfer between IST and SAW airports. You no longer need to transit via Taksim Square, thank God!
With this new transfer by Havaist, it should help ease the stress of transferring between these airports a bit more and save some time. Instead of taking 3 hours, it should now take around 2 hours (it can vary depending on the traffic) to get from SAW to IST and vice versa.
You can catch the bus from the IETT platforms at the passenger arrival terminal in SAW or at the parking lot in IST, depending on which airport you are planning to catch the bus from.
The price for the transfer is 110 258 TRY per person, and the transfer runs every one and a half hours from 1 AM to 11:30 PM every day. You can check the official schedule and book the transfer ticket from its official website. Simply input İstanbul Havalimanı on one side and Sabiha Gökçen HL on the other, depending on which transfer you are planning to take. That's it, easy-peasy!
With Havabus/Havaist Airport Bus
Taking the Havabus from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Taksim Square and the Havaist bus from Taksim Square to Istanbul Airport is the cheapest and most practical way to travel between the two airports, and I highly recommend you do it this way as I have yet to miss any flight using this method.
The Havabus leaves from the bus stop in front of Sabiha Gokcen Airport every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night. The buses are plastered with the blue Havabus logo and parked right in front of the airport, so there is no way you can miss them.
There is often a long queue of people waiting to get on the bus, but don't worry, the queue moves pretty fast, and you should be on the bus in less than 15 minutes. Once you get on the bus, you will have to pay 36 TRY 210 TRY if paid by cash, 255 TRY if paid by card at the Havabus kiosk near the bus stop.
It will take around 1 hour before the bus drops you off at the Havabus terminal in Taksim Square, where you can then ask the guy behind the Bus Kiosk where the Havaist bus to Istanbul Airport is. More often than not, the bus that travels from Taksim Square to IST is at the back of the line, but ask the operator just in case.
Once you get on the bus from Taksim Square to IST airport, it should take about 15 minutes before the wheels start rolling. From Taksim to IST, you will have to pay around 41 TRY 204 TRY at the kiosk near the bus stop with either cash or credit cards.
The journey from Taksim Square to IST airport will take about another 1 hour before you arrive at the Havaist Bus Stop on the upper ground floor of IST Airport.
If you are traveling from IST to SAW instead, your journey will be the same as above but in the opposite direction, with the Havaist Bus Stop located on the ground floor instead. Simply follow the Havaist bus sign in the airport terminal, and you will be there in no time. With this, you can utilize the same information I have provided here to transfer from IST to SAW.
With Private Transfer
If you are in a rush and would rather not deal with public transportation, you can also opt for a private transfer, which is a more comfortable and stress-free way to travel between the 2 airports without having to deal with taxi drivers.
The private transfer from IST to SAW and vice versa usually costs around 35 USD for one van, and it should take around 2 hours to get you from IST to SAW. You can book a private transfer with the link below.
With Taxi
You can also take the taxi, but I would not recommend it as the journey can be quite uneventful. You may have to negotiate the price, pay for the tolls, and even if they use the meter, I have heard reports that they might take you on a detour to ramp up the price, which could go as high as 300 TRY.
Taking a taxi is way too stressful, in my opinion, and that is the last thing you need when you are trying to catch a transit flight between IST and SAW airports.
How Long Does It Take to Transfer Between SAW and IST Airport?
Transiting between Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) and Istanbul Airport (IST) often takes about 1.5 - 2 hours by private car and around 3.5 hours on the Havabus/Havaist buses that connect IST and SAW airports via Taksim Square.
From my experience taking the Havabus/Havaist buses to transit between the two airports, it took me around 1 hour to pass through IST immigration, withdraw money from an ATM, get my luggage, and queue up for the bus before it departed. It took another 1 hour to travel from IST airport to Taksim Square, around 30 minutes to transfer to the bus heading from Taksim Square to SAW airport, and another 1 hour to reach SAW airport.
So, to answer your question: How long does it take to transfer between SAW and IST airports, or more importantly, how long do you need to transit between SAW and IST airports to safely catch another flight? I would recommend having at least 5 hours of transit time between the two airports for two international flights, and around 4 hours for transit time between domestic flights.
Since it takes around 3.5 hours to travel from IST to SAW airport, that should give you another 1.5 hours to load your luggage, go through immigration, and security, and get there on time for your transit flight.
And there you have it, a complete travel guide on how to transit between Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) and the new Istanbul Airport (IST), how long your transit should be between 2 flights from IST and SAW airports, and how much you will be paying for the transit.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Turkey
Turkey is a country that stands in the middle of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell on this land, and in order to see Turkey as a whole, you will have to go further than just Istanbul.
Here are some articles and travel guides that you might need to further plan your trip to Turkey:
- First time visiting Turkey? Here are the 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey.
- Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Turkey? One Month Itinerary for Turkey.
- Istanbul is the crown jewel historical city of Turkey and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are a lot of things to do, and you are going to need a complete travel guide to see them all. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Have a transit flight between IST and SAW airports in Istanbul? Here is a complete guide on How To Get From Sabiha Gokcen To Istanbul Airport And Vice Versa.
- A lot of Roman influence can be seen throughout Turkey. One of the best places to see this is at Ephesus ruins in Selcuk. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Selcuk and Ephesus.
- Pamukkale is home to the ancient travertines of Pamukkale, and it is a place you should definitely visit in Turkey. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Pamukkale, Turkey.
- The southwestern coast of Turkey boasts some of the most stunning beaches, cliffs, and hiking trails in the country, and one of the best places you shouldn't miss is the Butterfly Valley. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey.
- Looking for a nice, quiet place by the beach to relax and do yoga for a few days in Turkey? There is no better place to be than Kabak. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Kabak, Turkey.
- You can't deny it, Cappadocia is one hell of a stunning place to travel to, and there are tons of things you can do there. From riding a hot air balloon to hiking, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey.
- Mt. Nemrut and its massive stone statues of gods is one of the most unique places I have ever seen, but it is not the easiest place to visit. To save you the trouble, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Mt. Nemrut and all the information you need to make the journey as I did.
- If you are planning to travel to Eastern Turkey, Van is one of the cities you must stop by. Known for its awesome breakfast and its location by the largest lake in Turkey, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Van, Turkey.
- Visiting Sumela Monastery is one of the highlights of traveling to Eastern Turkey, but due to its remote location, getting there can be tricky. Here is How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Ani, the ancient Armenian City in Kars, is the highlight of Eastern Turkey, but it can be quite tricky to visit unless you know how to do it properly. Here is How to Travel to Ani, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Not convinced by my words? Maybe these photos of Turkey will help! 45 Photos that will inspire you to travel to Turkey.
- Since you are already all the way east, why not cross the border from Turkey to Georgia and make your way to Tbilisi, a vibrant capital city of Georgia? Check out my Georgia Travel Guide to plan your next trip to Georgia.
- For all articles about Turkey, visit Turkey Travel Guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
19 Comments
If I'll transit between SAW and IST then is there any Quarantine restrictions. I have heard that if we will got out of airport then we have to quarantine. I've 20 hours stay so I was planning to explore a bit. Adding that I already have gotten e-visa because I'm non-eu citizen and traveling Europe to Pakistan via Turkey through a self connected flight.
There are certain guidelines you have to follow to avoid quarantine when entering Turkey. You should check out the official rules provided by Turkish Airlines here: Travel Restrictions for the most recent info. I hope it helps!
Are the Havabus/Havaist buses from IST to SAW running 24/7, or do you know when they start in the morning? It's there a website with a timetable?
Hey Lemuck,
Yes they do run 24/7 but less frequent at night.
From their official schedule, the Havaist bus runs from IST to SAW at 00:15, 02:40, 03:55, 06:30, 07:50, 09:30, 11:00, 12:40, 13:40, 15:00, 16:30, 17:30, 19:00, 20:35, 21:30, and 23:00.
You check the bus schedule here: https://www.hava.ist/en/Voyage/VoyageTime
Just pick İSTANBUL HAVALİMANI as "from" and SABİHAGÖKÇEN (SAW) as "to" and you should be all set.
I hope this helps!
Hi Pete, thank you for the info, that was indeed very helpful. I'm on a tour in Libya right now and will pass through Istanbul on my way home in a couple of days. All the best for you.
That's awesome! I wish you the best of luck in your journey! :)
Hey Pete! I'm wondering if I can pay the bus for SAW to IST in dollars or euros, instead of TRY.
Hey Mary,
You can pay in your own currency with your credit cards. Otherwise, you will have to get TRY if you want to pay directly to the bus driver.
Hey Pete
You cant imagine how important this information is for me. Thanks for your time and help.
I still have a question about this transport. is it possible then to take only one bus direct from one airport to the other or does it needs to be 2 buses making connection in taksim square?
Unfortunately no. I've been wondering the same myself many years ago why they haven't done it but no dice. This is the cheapest way to travel between airports, I found, unless you are willing to shell out for a private taxi transfer.