Field guide · Updated October 2026
Getting around Istanbul
Trams, ferries, funiculars and taxis: what to use for the three walks, what it should cost, and the tricks to avoid.
An İstanbulkart travel card. A contactless bank card also works, but each ride costs more.
About 46 TL with İstanbulkart on tram, metro, bus or ferry. Changing lines soon after is cheaper.
Book in an app so you see the price first. On the street, make sure the meter is on before you move.
01 · Paying
One card for everything
The same card pays for the tram, metro, buses, ferries, funiculars and the Marmaray train. You tap it once at the gate or when you board.
Buy an İstanbulkart
- Find a yellow-and-blue ticket machine at any tram stop, metro station or ferry pier. They have an English menu.
- Choose İstanbulkart. The card itself costs 165 TL; machines take Turkish lira notes, and many take bank cards.
- Add credit to the card at the same machine. For a day on the three walks, enough for about 6 rides is plenty.
- Tap the card on the round reader. Wait for the green light and beep; the screen shows your balance.
Good to know
- Travelling together? You can tap one card once for each person. A card each is simpler and keeps the transfer discount.
- Changing lines soon after your first ride costs less than a new fare.
- Contactless bank card: tap it like the İstanbulkart on trams, metro, buses and ferries. Fares are higher, there is no transfer discount, and your bank may add a foreign-card fee.
- Leftover credit is not refunded, so top up little by little.
- Single-ride tickets are sold at the same machines, but cost more per ride than the card.
- Keep the card on its own when tapping: a bank card in the same wallet can confuse the reader.
Fares change several times a year. Prices on this page were checked in October 2026.
02 · The lines you'll use
Five lines cover all three walks
You can do every walk on foot. These lines save your legs between walks and get you home at the end.
| Line | Useful for | Stops to know | Hours (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Tram | The old city and the bridge to Galata | Beyazıt‑Kapalıçarşı, Çemberlitaş, Sultanahmet, Gülhane, Sirkeci, Eminönü, Karaköy, Kabataş | 06:00–24:00 |
| F2 Tünel | The 1875 funicular: Karaköy up to Beyoğlu in 90 seconds | Karaköy · Beyoğlu (Tünel) | 07:00–22:45 |
| T2 Nostalgic tram | The red tram along İstiklal Avenue (a ride for fun) | Tünel · Galatasaray · Taksim | daytime |
| F1 Funicular | Taksim down to the Bosphorus, to change to tram T1 | Taksim · Kabataş | 06:00–24:00 |
| M2 Metro | Taksim to the north, and to the M11 airport metro | Taksim · Şişhane · Gayrettepe | 06:00–24:00 |
| ⛴ Ferries | Bosphorus views for the price of a ride; to Kadıköy and Üsküdar | Eminönü · Karaköy · Kabataş | early to late |
Rush hours (about 07:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:30) are very crowded. With luggage or small children, avoid them if you can.
03 · To and from the walks
Where to start, how to get home
Walk ISultanahmet
- Start · Hippodrome
- Tram T1 to Sultanahmet, then 3 minutes on foot.
- Finish · Gülhane Park
- Tram T1 from Gülhane, right by the park gate.
- On to Walk II
- Walk 1.3 km along Divanyolu, or ride T1 from Gülhane to Çemberlitaş (2 stops).
Walk IIBazaars & Sinan
- Start · Çemberlitaş
- Tram T1 to Çemberlitaş: the column stands next to the stop.
- Finish · Spice Bazaar
- Tram T1 from Eminönü, or a ferry from Eminönü pier.
- On to Walk III
- Walk across Galata Bridge (about 1.3 km), or ride T1 from Eminönü to Karaköy (1 stop).
Walk IIIThe Strangers of Pera
- Start · Camondo Stairs
- Tram T1 to Karaköy, then 5 minutes uphill on Bankalar Caddesi.
- Too steep?
- Take the F2 Tünel up from Karaköy and start at stop 16 (Tünel). Galata Tower and the Camondo Stairs are a gentle walk downhill from there.
- Finish · Taksim Square
- Metro M2 from Taksim, or the F1 funicular down to Kabataş and tram T1 back to the old city.
04 · From the airports
Arriving in the city
Istanbul Airport (IST)
- HVL‑11 Havaist bus to Sultanahmet: 315 TL. Leaves from the transport floor (−2), platform 11. HVL‑9 goes to Taksim, 355 TL.
- M11 Metro to Gayrettepe (about 30–45 minutes), then M2 to Taksim. Cheapest; harder with big suitcases.
- Taxi: book in an app from the arrivals hall so you see the price first. Expect about an hour in traffic.
Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)
- M4 Metro to Kadıköy (about 50 minutes), then a ferry across to Eminönü or Karaköy: a beautiful first view of the city.
- Taxi: a long ride across the Bosphorus. Bridge tolls are added to the meter.
Bus fares and timetables change. Check the Istanbul Airport transport page before you fly.
05 · Taxis
Three colours, one meter
All official taxis use a meter (taksimetre). Istanbul has one rate day and night: there is no night tariff.
| Taxi | What it is | Start | Per km | Shortest ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | The standard city taxi | 71.94 TL | 47.92 TL | 230 TL |
| Turquoise | A step up, usually newer cars | 82.73 TL | 55.10 TL | 265 TL |
| 8-seat yellow | Minivan for families and luggage | 93.52 TL | 62.29 TL | 300 TL |
| Black | Premium cars, the most expensive | 122.30 TL | 81.46 TL | 400 TL |
Getting a fair ride
- Before you move, check the meter is on and starts at the opening fare.
- Short trips are allowed: a driver may not refuse you because the ride is short.
- Bridge and tunnel tolls are added to the meter. The driver's toll for the return trip is not.
- Within the three walks, trips are short: the tram or your feet are usually faster than a taxi in traffic.
Paying
- Not every street taxi takes cards. Carry some smaller lira notes.
- Hand notes over one at a time and say the amount out loud ("two hundred").
- Ask for a receipt (fiş) if you may need to complain.
- Note or photograph the plate number on the roof sign or door. It is the key to any complaint.
Taxi tariff in force since 20 July 2026.
06 · Calling a taxi with an app
See the price before you ride
Ride-hailing apps in Istanbul book licensed taxis, so you get a registered car, a recorded route and help if something goes wrong. Install one before you arrive.
BiTaksi
The most widely used local app. English menu, card payment in the app or cash to the driver.
Uber
Works in Istanbul, but books yellow taxis on the meter rather than private cars. Check the payment method before you set off.
İTaksi
Istanbul's municipal taxi app. It can charge your İstanbulkart.
Availability and payment options differ between apps and change over time; check in the app before you book.
07 · Be careful
Five tricks, and how to avoid them
The helpful stranger at the ticket machine
Someone offers to buy the card for you, takes more cash than goes on the card, or swaps your card. Use the machine yourself; it has English. Check the balance on the reader right away.
"The meter is broken"
A driver suggests a fixed price instead of the meter. Say no and take another taxi, or book in an app.
The banknote switch
You pay with a large note and the driver claims you gave a smaller one. Use small notes and name each one as you hand it over.
The long way round
Follow the route on your phone's map. If it looks wrong, say so calmly; note the plate number.
Pickpockets on crowded trams
Tram T1 around Sultanahmet, Eminönü and the ferry gangways get packed. Keep bags zipped and in front of you, phones in a front pocket.
On the street
- Trams run in the middle of the road, close to the pavement: stand back from the tracks and cross at crossings.
- Let passengers off first; trams and ferries are boarded quickly.
- Last trams and metros leave around midnight. Late at night, book a taxi in an app.
On the ferry
- Tap your card at the pier gate, not on board.
- Hold the rail on the gangway; boats move with the waves.
- Seats on the open deck at the back are best for views. Bring a layer: it is windy on the water.
08 · Show this to the driver
Useful phrases
Tap “Show large” to fill your screen with the sentence, so a driver or ticket clerk can read it.
09 · If something goes wrong