Getting around Istanbul: Istanbulkart, tram, metro and ferries

The Istanbulkart: the card to buy as soon as you arrive

The Istanbulkart is a contactless card loaded with Turkish lira. It is valid on the tram, metro, funiculars, Marmaray, metrobus, IETT buses and city ferries, including private operators on the same crossings. Cash is not accepted on buses, trams or the metro.

Where to buy and top up

The card costs 165 TL, non-refundable, with no credit included. You buy and top it up at the Biletmatik machines in tram, metro and Marmaray stations and at ferry piers, as well as at kiosks marked "İstanbulkart" near stops. An official mobile app, İstanbulkart, also lets you check your balance and top up. For the airports, see our guide to Istanbul's airports and transfers to the city centre: there are Biletmatik machines there too.

Fares and transfers

A full-fare trip costs 46.20 TL with the Istanbulkart. Transfers get cheaper within a 120-minute window after the first tap: 34.40 TL for the first, 26.42 TL for the second, then 17.18 TL for the next three. Ferries have their own fare scale, and the Marmaray and metrobus charge by distance (see below). Children travel free until their 7th birthday.

One card can be used by several people: tap it on the reader once per traveller, and each tap is charged. For more than two or three people, or if you split up during the day, one card each is more practical.

Limited-use tickets, bank cards and the tourist card

Biletmatik machines also sell limited-use tickets, with no card to buy: 65 TL for one trip, 120 TL for two, 185 TL for three, 275 TL for five and 530 TL for ten. They do not give access to transfer fares.

Readers accept contactless bank cards. Each trip is then charged at the limited-use ticket price, 65 TL, against 46.20 TL with the Istanbulkart: beyond two or three trips, the card quickly pays for itself.

Finally, the official fare scale includes a tourist pass on the Istanbulkart, with a capped number of trips: 615 TL for 1 day (30 trips), 1,380 TL for 3 days (70 trips), 3,080 TL for 5 days, 4,000 TL for 7 days and 6,160 TL for 15 days. You would need more than 13 trips in a day for the 1-day pass to beat the standard card: for most visitors, a loaded Istanbulkart is enough.

The T1 tram: the old city line

The T1 runs from Kabataş to Bağcılar with 31 stations in about 65 minutes. It operates from 06:00 to midnight, every 2 minutes at peak times. It is the line you will use most:

• Kabataş: terminus, connection with the F1 funicular and ferries, a few minutes' walk from Dolmabahçe Palace.
• Karaköy: at the foot of Galata; Galata Tower is a 10-minute uphill walk, or one stop on the Tünel funicular.
• Eminönü: ferry piers for Kadıköy and Üsküdar, Spice Bazaar.
• Sirkeci: connection with the Marmaray.
• Gülhane and Sultanahmet: Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern.
• Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı: Grand Bazaar.
• Zeytinburnu: connection with the M1A metro.

Trams are packed in the late afternoon between Eminönü and Sultanahmet: keep your bag closed and in front of you.

The M2 metro and the two funiculars

The M2 metro

The M2 runs from Yenikapı to Hacıosman in 32 minutes, from 06:00 to midnight. It crosses the Golden Horn on a bridge, with a station halfway across, Haliç. Useful stops: Yenikapı (connection with the Marmaray and M1), Vezneciler for the university and the Süleymaniye Mosque, Şişhane for the lower end of İstiklal Avenue and Galata, Taksim, Osmanbey for Nişantaşı, then the Levent business districts.

The F1 funicular, Taksim–Kabataş

The F1 links Taksim Square (M2 connection) with Kabataş on the Bosphorus (T1 and ferry connection) in 2 minutes 30. It runs from 06:00 to midnight, every 5 minutes at peak times. Combined with the T1, it is the fastest way between Sultanahmet and Taksim.

The Tünel, between Karaköy and Beyoğlu

The Tünel, opened in 1875, is a 573-metre underground funicular between Karaköy and Beyoğlu station, on Tünel square, at the top of İstiklal Avenue. The ride takes 90 seconds, from 07:00 to 22:45 (from 07:30 on Sundays). It is paid with the Istanbulkart at the same fare as the tram, as is the T2 nostalgic tram running up İstiklal to Taksim.

The Marmaray: under the Bosphorus by train

The Marmaray is a rail line from Halkalı to Gebze that runs under the Bosphorus. For visitors, the useful section links Sirkeci to Üsküdar in one stop, and Yenikapı to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, with a connection to the M4 metro towards Kadıköy. The fare depends on the number of stations: 37.40 TL for up to 7 stations. The maximum fare is charged on entry and the difference is refunded on exit, so remember to tap your card at the gate when you leave. The Marmaray does not get the transfer fare on entry.

Ferries: the best way to cross

The public Şehir Hatları ferries, and private operators such as Turyol on some crossings, accept the Istanbulkart. The most useful routes:

• Eminönü or Karaköy – Kadıköy: 65.21 TL, the most direct crossing to Kadıköy and the Asian side.
• Eminönü – Üsküdar: 58.52 TL.
• Kabataş – Üsküdar: 51.81 TL; Beşiktaş – Üsküdar: 50.15 TL.
• Princes' Islands: 151.23 TL, see our Princes' Islands page.

Ferries have their own transfer scale, more expensive than the tram's: 41.43 TL for the first. Luggage over 50 litres or 30 kg is charged. Timetables change with the seasons and the last departures on some routes leave in the evening: check the app or the pier boards before crossing late in the day. To sail up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, see our Bosphorus cruise page.

Metrobus, dolmuş and minibuses

The metrobus

The metrobus is a bus rapid transit line between Beylikdüzü in the west and Söğütlüçeşme, near Kadıköy, crossing the Bosphorus on the 15 July Bridge. It runs day and night and charges by distance, from 33.08 TL for one stop to 68.59 TL for 34 stops or more. It mainly serves residents: at rush hour, the buses are packed.

Dolmuş and minibuses

Dolmuş are shared yellow minibuses that leave when full, follow a fixed route and stop on request. They do not take the Istanbulkart: you pay the driver. Useful official fares: 55 TL between Taksim and Eminönü or between Taksim and Beşiktaş, 130 TL between Kadıköy and Taksim. The blue minibuses, mostly on the Asian side, charge by distance from 43 TL for up to 4 km.

Taxis: meter required, and apps

Yellow taxis have a meter, the taksimetre, which the driver must switch on. Official fare for standard yellow taxis: 71.94 TL flag fall, 47.92 TL per kilometre, 9.98 TL per minute when stopped or crawling, with a minimum of 230 TL per ride. Larger, electric and luxury vehicles charge higher rates (flag fall from 82.73 TL to 122.30 TL).

To avoid detours and drivers refusing the meter, book through an app where possible: BiTaksi, İTaksi (the municipality's app) or Uber send standard yellow taxis and show the route. If a driver refuses the meter or quotes a flat price, get out and take another one; other common traps are covered in our guide to scams and safety in Istanbul.

Operating hours and night travel

Most rail lines run from 06:00 to midnight. On Friday-to-Saturday and Saturday-to-Sunday nights, the night metro runs non-stop from Friday 06:00 to Sunday midnight on lines M1A, M1B, M2, M4, M5, M6 and M7. The T1, F1 and Tünel are not included. Between 00:30 and 05:30, metro, bus and ferry trips are charged at double the fare, except on the metrobus. After midnight on weekdays, the metrobus and taxis are the simplest options.

Summary table

Fares observed in October 2026, doubled between 00:30 and 05:30 except on the metrobus and in taxis.

Further reading

To put these routes into practice, follow our Istanbul in 3 days itinerary. To estimate what transport, sights and meals will cost, read our guide to the budget for a trip to Istanbul. And to choose accommodation near a tram line or ferry pier, see where to stay in Istanbul.