Istanbul Airport (IST) to Karaköy / Galata transfer
Private door-to-door transfer · about 46 km, 50 min · one fixed price.
About this transfer
Landing on the European side and heading down towards the water brings you right into the old harbour district. Booking our Istanbul Airport (IST) to Karaköy / Galata transfer means you step off the flight, collect your luggage, and find us waiting with a name board at the exit. We drive you straight down via the D-020, covering the 46 kilometres directly to your hotel entrance.
If you choose the metro instead, the route requires boarding the M11, transferring at Gayrettepe to the M2, and getting off at Şişhane. That journey takes around 79 minutes before you even begin the walk with your suitcases. Navigating the connection and the final streets on foot adds physical effort right after a long flight.
The HVL-13 airport shuttle also runs from Peron 11 towards Şişhane 6 throughout the day. It charges a separate fare per passenger alongside an extra fee for each piece of luggage. Once it drops you off, you still have to manage your bags across the remaining distance down the hill to your door.
With our private transfer, the vehicle belongs entirely to your group for a single fixed price from €42. We track your flight for any landing delays, provide luggage assistance, and take you straight to the address without transfers or stops along the way.
How do you get there from the airport?
The published figures for every option, side by side. The choice is yours.
- Per person, two travelling
- €21 · TRY 1,179
- TRY 590
- TRY 119
- Per person, four travelling
- €11 · TRY 618
- TRY 590
- TRY 119
- Seats and luggage
- Up to 7 passengers, 5 bags, one price
- A ticket each, TRY 120 per bag
- You carry them
- Journey time
- 50 min
- 110 min, plus a 586 m walk
- 79 min
- Stops on the way
- None, straight there
- 3 stops before yours
- 10 stops before yours
- Changes
- None
- None
- 1 · M11 + M2
- Where it drops you
- At the address itself
- Şişhane 6 stop, 586 m walk
- 1264 m walk
- How often it runs
- Timed to your flight, no last departure
- 21 departures a day, 05:00–23:45
- every 15 minutes
- Going back to the airport
- Any time you like
- 03:00–22:15
- 76 min · 46Ç + M11
- Where you board
- Arrivals hall, name board
- Peron 11
- İstanbul Havalimanı
Bus fares are the lira amounts published by the operator and assume one bag per passenger. The transfer price is per vehicle, shown here divided by the number of passengers. Lira equivalents of the euro figures use the official selling rate of August 26, 2026.
How long does the drive take, hour by hour?
Measured on an ordinary Tuesday. With traffic ignored entirely, the same drive is 50 minutes.
- 03:0046 minquietest
- 08:0059 minbusiest
- 13:0055 min
- 18:0055 min
- 22:0049 min
Typical traffic estimates, not live traffic. Sampled on August 26, 2026; a real journey moves with weather, incidents and events.
Step by step on public transport
79 minutes, TRY 119, 1 change(s). Here is the sampled itinerary.
M11metroAt İstanbul Havalimanı, board the M11 metro towards Gayrettepe.
- İhsaniye
- Göktürk
- Kemerburgaz
- Hasdal
- Kağıthane
Ride 6 stops and get off at Gayrettepe.
25 minutes · every 15 minutes
- M2metro
At Gayrettepe, change to the M2 metro towards Yenikapı.
- Şişli-Mecidiyeköy
- Osmanbey
- Taksim
Ride 4 stops and get off at Şişhane.
12 minutes · every 5 minutes
Arrival
Walk 378 metres from Şişhane to the address, about 10 minutes.
You walk 1264 metres in total along the way. One itinerary sampled for a weekday daytime departure. Lines, timetables and fares change; check before you travel.
- Route
- About 22 km on the D-020
- Nearest rail station
- Tünel (F2), 314 m away
The airport is on the M11 metro line
Choose your vehicle
Fixed prices for the 46 km Istanbul Airport (IST) → Karaköy / Galata route. Pick the class that fits your group.
Eco Van
StandardUp to 75€42Reserve
Mercedes Vito / VW Caravelle
BusinessUp to 75€50ReserveVIP Mercedes Maybach
VIPUp to 45€58Reserve
Mercedes Sprinter / VW Crafter
GroupUp to 1610€70Reserve
VIP Mercedes Sprinter Black
VIPUp to 1212€88Reserve
Mercedes E-Class
BusinessUp to 33€293Reserve
Mercedes S-Class
VIPUp to 33€529Reserve
Midibus
GroupUp to 2626€195Reserve
Bus
GroupUp to 46100€423Reserve
Included in every transfer
Frequently asked questions
- How much is a transfer from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Karaköy / Galata?
- The fixed price starts at €42 and is per vehicle, not per person. The vehicle at that price seats 7 with room for 5 bags, so a group of four pays €11 · TRY 618 each.
- How long does the journey from Istanbul Airport (IST) to Karaköy / Galata take?
- The distance is 46 kilometres. With traffic ignored the drive is 50 minutes; around 08:00, the busiest hour measured, it reaches 59 minutes.
- What time of day is best to travel?
- The quietest hour measured is 03:00, at 46 minutes. The busiest is 08:00, when the same drive takes 59. That is a 13 minute difference.
- Can you reach Karaköy / Galata by public transport?
- Yes. The sampled itinerary takes 79 minutes and needs 1 change(s): M11 + M2.
- What does public transport cost?
- The İstanbulkart fare for the sampled itinerary is TRY 119 per person. The transfer's €42 is per vehicle, so it divides among the passengers.
- What if I land late at night?
- The first HVL-13 departure is 05:00 and the last is 23:45. Flights landing between 23:45 and 05:00 have no bus; a private transfer is timed to the flight instead.
- How far do you walk on public transport?
- The sampled itinerary involves 1264 metres of walking, about 29 minutes, of which 378 metres are from the last stop to the address. A private transfer stops at the door.
- Where does the HVL-13 bus drop you?
- At Şişhane 6. The address is 586 metres further, and that is a walk you make with your luggage.
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