Why you should buy an Istanbulkart for your time in Istanbul

Istanbul’s public transport system is excellent, with metro, tram, bus, and ferry services – making it genuinely the best way to get around the city. We found no need for taxis, which I’m glad about given the constant gridlock traffic we saw.

When it comes to paying for the public transport, Istanbul’s travel card (Istanbulkart) is your best option. While you can pay by tapping your credit card, I heard some tourists having issues with foreign cards being rejected. There’s also a surcharge for credit card payments that is around 60% more, so a single ride that costs 27TL with an Istanbulkart jumps to 40TL when using a credit card.

Note: Don’t confuse the Istanbulkart with the Istanbul City Card. While the City Card offers unlimited travel for tourists, when we calculated the prices it wasn’t cost-effective for our 5-day trip compared to paying individually with the Istanbulkart.

How much does the Istanbulkart cost?

Keep in mind that Türkiye has experienced high inflation in recent years, so prices change frequently. Even ‘recent’ prices I found on forums were outdated by the time we visited.

Istanbulkart card price: 130TL – This is the one-time cost for the physical card (unfortunately this doesn’t include an credit).

Top-up fee: 11.55TL – This is the processing fee charged every time you add money to your card, including your initial purchase.

Average cost per ride: (Prices may vary by route)

• Bus, tram, metro: 27TL
• Ferry: 38TL – 88TL

Money-saving tip: Try to roughly calculate how much you’ll need for your entire stay and load it when you purchase your card. We had to top up 5 times during our 5-day trip, paying the 11.55TL fee each time – which could have gone toward another Ayran!

Ticket machines

You’ll see two types of machines throughout Istanbul: newer touchscreen models and older button-operated versions. All of the machines we saw had the same functionality – you can purchase new cards or recharge existing ones using either cash or debit/credit cards (both insert and contactless payments are accepted).

Sharing the card with multiple people

A great feature of the Istanbulkart is that multiple people can share it. My partner and I shared one card, which saved us the cost of buying a second one. Doing this was simple – tap the card and pass it to the next person as you go through the turnstile.

Do you need a Istanbulkart to get from Istanbul airport into the city?

There are a few options to help get you into the city after arriving at IST (prices are based on trips to Fatih):

Where to buy an Istanbulkart at Istanbul Airport

To purchase a card, you’ll need to exit the arrivals terminal. There are two main locations to buy an Istanbulkart, depending on the transport you want to use: the bus or the metro.

Buying an Istanbulkart for the Metro

1. Use the Door 11 Exit:
Within the arrivals hall head toward the door 11 exit (this is the most direct route). You’ll find this exit between the cafes ‘Cups & Clouds’ and ‘Simit Sarayı’.
You can exit the arrivals hall from any door, just follow the red ‘U’ signage outside to reach the same spot.

2. Follow the Metro Signs:
Look for the red ‘U’ signs directing you toward the metro. You’ll see a curved, covered walkway with two long flat moving walkways. Take these down and continue following the path.

3. Head to Floor -2:
After the moving walkways, you’ll reach an open area (you’ll spot a mosque in the distance). Use the elevators or escalators to go down to floor -2.

4. Buy Your Istanbulkart:
On floor -2, look for the blue Istanbulkart machines along the wall (you need to use the darker blue machines with the Istanbul ♡ logo on the top right). Change the language and select “Buy Istanbulkart, Bilet.” You’ll be prompted to add credit – if you’re staying a few days and using public transport often, consider topping it up with a higher amount.

5. Enter the Metro:
You’ll see the metro turnstiles also on this floor. Tap your card to enter (your new balance will show on the screen) and you’re good to go.

Buying an Istanbulkart for the Bus

1. Head to the Transportation Floor:
Within the arrivals hall, head to Exit 9 (this is the most direct route) – but don’t leave the building. Instead use the elevators or escalators by the exit.
You can exit the arrivals hall from any door, just follow the signage outside to the escalator/elevator and go to the transportation floor (-2).

2. Find the Ticket Machines:
Once you’re on the transportation floor, exit the doors and head left toward bus bays 2, 3, and 4 (look for yellow markings). You’ll see a row of machines along the wall.

Note: The orange manned kiosks are for Haviast services which is the more expensive airport service bus I listed in the transfer options above.

3. Buy Your Istanbulkart:
Look for a blue and yellow machine. Change the language and select “Buy Istanbulkart, Bilet.” You’ll be prompted to add credit – if you’re staying a few days and using public transport often, consider topping it up with a higher amount.

4. Board the Bus:
When it’s time to catch the bus, tap your Istanbulkart on the screen in front of the driver (your new balance will be displayed).

Istanbulkart scam to watch out for

Before purchasing your card, it’s worth knowing about a common scam targeting tourists. There are scammers who pose as helpful locals or even transport staff, offering to ‘assist’ you with purchasing or topping up your Istanbulkart. What they actually do is use sleight of hand to swap your freshly loaded card with another that contains only enough credit for a single ride.

My partner and I were approached by someone offering ‘help’ while we were topping up at a metro station in the city. We politely declined, and although they lingered for a moment, they eventually moved on. While I’m unsure how frequently this occurs at the airport specifically, it’s definitely worth being aware of.