Using the Metro in Istanbul (2026)

A standard single fare on Istanbulkart is ₺46.20, covering metro, tram, bus, and funicular under the İBB tariff that took effect on 20 July 2026 (a 10% rise from the previous ₺42.00). Marmaray and Metrobüs use distance-based fares instead of a flat rate, ranging roughly from ₺33–38 for short hops up to ₺69–82 for the longest cross-city journeys.

You can tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or use Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, directly on metro, tram, and bus turnstiles (not on Marmaray). It works, but you always pay the full single fare with no transfer discount, and your phone must be unlocked since Istanbul does not yet support Express/Transit mode. An Istanbulkart is cheaper if you're taking more than one or two trips.

A blank Istanbulkart costs roughly ₺165 as a non-refundable card fee, with no travel credit included — you top up separately at the same yellow/blue machines found at every station, or via the Istanbulkart mobile app. Cards are also sold at kiosks, some corner shops, and at Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport arrivals.

After your first tap, you have a 2-hour window to transfer between metro, tram, bus, Marmaray, Metrobüs, and ferry lines at a discount rather than paying a fresh full fare. The first transfer within that window is discounted by roughly a quarter, and each further transfer in the same window is discounted more steeply. The clock resets with each new first tap outside the window.

On most days, metro lines operate from around 06:00 to midnight. Several core lines — M1A, M1B, M2, M4, M5, M6, and M7 — run a continuous "Night Metro" (Gece Metrosu) from Friday morning straight through to Sunday midnight, with no overnight closure on those two nights. Outside that window, tapping in after 00:30 on a night-service line triggers a higher night tariff until the normal fare resumes at 05:30.

Yes, but only on Friday and Saturday nights, and only on specific lines (M1A, M1B, M2, M4, M5, M6, M7). On those two nights the service runs continuously with no closure. On all other nights, and on lines without night service, the network closes at or around midnight and resumes around 06:00.

Children under 6 travel free when accompanied by an adult and need no card at all. Children aged 6–12 need a registered child Istanbulkart to receive the discounted child fare. From age 12 onward, the standard adult fare applies unless a student Istanbulkart is registered. Separately, Law No. 4736 gives free travel to Turkish citizens aged 65+ and to registered disabled citizens — this is a citizenship-based benefit, not an automatic residency one, so foreign residents should check current eligibility directly with Istanbulkart rather than assume it applies to them.

Take the M11 line, which as of June 2026 runs the full 69km from Istanbul Airport through Gayrettepe to Halkalı, making it Turkey's longest metro line. For central districts like Taksim or Şişli, ride M11 to Gayrettepe and transfer to M2 — the whole trip typically takes 50–60 minutes. If your destination is on the western side of the city or you need Marmaray, M11 now runs directly through to Halkalı without any transfer.

Yes — Marmaray, the undersea rail tunnel beneath the Bosphorus, connects Halkalı on the European side to Gebze on the Asian side and functions like a metro line within the city, with frequent service and the same Istanbulkart ticketing. It is the fastest and most weather-proof way to cross between the two sides.

The metro system itself is well-run, well-lit, and heavily used by locals of all ages, including children and elderly passengers, at all hours it operates. As with any large city system, keep an eye on bags in crowded tourist-area stations (Sultanahmet, Taksim) where pickpocketing is the main practical risk, rather than violent crime.

Avoid M2 and Marmaray between 07:30–09:30 and 17:30–20:00 where possible. If your schedule allows, traveling in the 10:00–16:00 window is noticeably more comfortable. For fixed commutes, Marmaray tends to handle crowding better than surface trams like the T1 through Sultanahmet, which is busy with tourists throughout the day.

Yes. One Istanbulkart works across the entire Istanbul public transport network — metro, tram, Marmaray, Metrobüs, city buses, and İDO/Şehir Hatları ferries — with the same 2-hour transfer discount system applying across modes.

Four lines are under construction: M10 (Pendik–Sabiha Gökçen Airport, targeted early 2027), M12 (60. Yıl Parkı–Kazım Karabekir on the Asian side, targeted late 2026), M13 (extending the western European-side network), and M14 (Altunizade–Ümraniye Spor Köyü, first phase targeted early 2027). Construction timelines in Istanbul frequently shift, so treat these as planning estimates rather than firm dates.

The metro is dramatically cheaper. As of the July 2026 tariff, a yellow taxi's meter starts at roughly ₺72 plus about ₺48 per kilometre — a short 5km ride can easily run ₺300 or more, versus a ₺46.20 flat metro fare for almost any distance on one line. Taxis make sense for late-night trips outside metro hours, heavy luggage, or door-to-door convenience; the metro wins on cost and, during rush hour, often on speed too.