Istanbul Public Transport Prices 2026: Fares, Transfers and Passes

A single ride on Istanbul’s metro, trams, city buses, funiculars and the historic Tünel costs ₺46.20 with an İstanbulkart, under the city’s official tariff in force since 20 July 2026. If you change to another line within 120 minutes, the next ride is cheaper: ₺34.40, then ₺26.42, then ₺17.18 for each further change. City ferries cost ₺50–77 on the main Bosphorus crossings. The Metrobüs, the Marmaray and the M11 airport metro charge by distance: the Metrobüs from ₺33.08, the Marmaray from ₺37.40 and the M11 from ₺37.40. Paying with a paper ticket or a contactless bank card costs more, because single tickets are ₺65 and give no transfer discount.

Last checked: 24 September 2026, against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (İBB) official public transport tariff, in force from 20 July 2026.

Fare type (full fare, İstanbulkart)	Price
Metro, tram, bus, funicular, Tünel — first ride	₺46.20
1st transfer (within 120 minutes)	₺34.40
2nd transfer	₺26.42
3rd to 5th transfer	₺17.18 each
Single-ride limited-use ticket (paper or QR)	₺65.00
Monthly Mavi Kart (180 rides)	₺3,628

The basic fare, and why the İstanbulkart matters

Almost everything inside the city runs on one flat fare: ₺46.20 for a first boarding. That covers the metro lines, trams, İETT and private public buses (özel halk otobüsü), the funiculars, the Tünel, the nostalgic tram on İstiklal Avenue and the Ulaşım A.Ş. lines.

The price depends on how you pay, not just where you go:

• İstanbulkart: ₺46.20, with transfer discounts.
• Limited-use ticket (paper, SMS or QR): ₺65 for one ride, ₺120 for two, ₺185 for three, up to ₺635 for twelve. No transfer discounts.
• Contactless bank card: the tariff treats “open-loop” cards (credit, debit and prepaid) exactly like limited-use tickets. You pay the higher rate and lose the transfer discounts.

Cash isn’t accepted anywhere. The tariff explicitly bans collecting cash fares on rail, bus and sea lines. How to buy and top up a card is covered in our İstanbulkart guide.

How transfer discounts work

This is where most visitors overpay without knowing it. With an İstanbulkart, each extra journey within 120 minutes of your first tap gets cheaper.

A realistic example: a tram from Sultanahmet to Kabataş, the funicular up to Taksim, then a metro to Şişli. That’s three rides:

• İstanbulkart: ₺46.20 + ₺34.40 + ₺26.42 = ₺107.02
• Single tickets or a bank card: 3 × ₺65 = ₺195

The rules behind the discount:

• The 120-minute window counts from your first tap.
• You can’t transfer at the same stop or station. The tariff treats places like Zeytinburnu, where the Metrobüs, tram and metro meet, as one location. You must tap in somewhere different.
• The M11 airport metro, the Marmaray and the Metrobüs don’t give transfer discounts.
• Between 00:30 and 05:30, any line that runs is charged double, unless a separate decision says otherwise. The Metrobüs is the exception.

Ferry fares

City ferries (Şehir Hatları) and private sea buses are priced by distance. Main routes on the July 2026 tariff:

Ferry route	Full fare
Beşiktaş – Üsküdar	₺50.15
Kabataş – Üsküdar / Ortaköy – Üsküdar	₺51.81
Üsküdar – Eminönü	₺58.52
Kadıköy – Kabataş / Üsküdar – Kadıköy	₺62.70
Kadıköy – Eminönü / Karaköy / Beşiktaş	₺65.21
Ortaköy – Kadıköy	₺71.07
Karaköy – Bostancı	₺76.90
Sirkeci – Harem car ferry (foot passenger)	₺54.33

Ferries have their own transfer ladder: ₺41.43 for the first transfer and ₺34.28 for the second. Transfers between land and sea get a further 50% off the transfer or subscription fare. Luggage over 50 litres or 30 kg is charged extra on ferries and sea buses.

Princes’ Islands (Adalar): the city ferry costs ₺151.23 each way. İDO sea buses from Kabataş or Yenikapı to the islands cost ₺272.18, and from Bostancı ₺171.89.

Metrobüs fares (distance-based)

The Metrobüs charges by the number of stops you travel:

Stops travelled	Full fare
1	₺33.08
2	₺39.57
3	₺46.20
4–9	₺52.81
10–15	₺58.00
16–21	₺60.69
22–27	₺62.67
28–33	₺64.03
34 or more	₺68.59

Tap in when you board and tap out when you leave, so the card can refund the difference between the maximum and your actual fare. The refund window is 120 minutes, and no refunds are given between 01:00 and 06:00.

Marmaray and the M11 airport metro

Both are run by TCDD Taşımacılık, the state railway company. Both charge the maximum fare when you enter and refund the unused part when you tap out.

Marmaray (Halkalı–Gebze):

Stations travelled	Full fare
1–7	₺37.40
8–14 (e.g. Halkalı → Sirkeci)	₺47.74
15–21	₺55.11
22–28	₺63.56
29–35	₺74.24
36–43 (end to end)	₺82.17

M11 (Gayrettepe–Istanbul Airport–Halkalı):

Stations travelled	Full fare
1–3	₺37.40
4–6 (airport → Gayrettepe)	₺42.34
7–8 (airport → Halkalı)	₺47.89
9–10	₺53.74
11–12	₺59.90
13–14	₺66.39
15–16 (end to end)	₺73.19

On the Marmaray, you only get the refund if you exit at a different station, within 240 minutes. For the airport, see our guide to getting from Istanbul Airport to the city centre. It compares the M11, Havaist buses and taxis.

Airport buses

Service	Fare
İETT H-lines to Istanbul Airport (H-1, H-2, H-3, H-6, H-8)	₺92.40 (two full fares)
Havaist, Istanbul Airport – Taksim / Aksaray	₺470
Havaist, Istanbul Airport – Kadıköy	₺515
Havaist, Istanbul Airport – Halkalı	₺350

Havaist fares on the operator’s own ticket page were checked on 24 September 2026. Havaist accepts İstanbulkart and credit or debit cards, but discounted and subscription cards aren’t valid.

Minibuses and dolmuş

Yellow minibuses charge by distance: ₺43 for up to 4 km, rising to ₺52 for 15–20 km, plus ₺1.50 for each km after that. Shared taxi-dolmuş routes have fixed fares. Some examples: Beşiktaş–Taksim ₺55, Eminönü–Taksim ₺55, Kadıköy–Taksim ₺130 (including the bridge toll) and Kadıköy–Bostancı ₺70. These are usually paid in cash to the driver.

Are tourist passes worth it?

İBB sells tourist İstanbulkart passes with a ride limit. For most visitors they cost more than simply paying as you go.

Pass	Price	Ride limit
1 day	₺615	30
3 days	₺1,380	70
5 days	₺3,080	150
7 days	₺4,000	200
15 days	₺6,160	300

A busy sightseeing day of three journeys, each with one change, costs about ₺242 on a normal İstanbulkart. The 1-day pass costs ₺615. The passes only make sense if you’re criss-crossing the city from morning to night every day. For most visitors, a regular İstanbulkart topped up as needed is the cheaper choice.

Ways to pay less

• Use an İstanbulkart, not a bank card. On a three-ride trip it saves you about ₺88.
• Plan changes within 120 minutes. The third, fourth and fifth rides cost only ₺17.18 each.
• Tap out on the Metrobüs, the Marmaray and the M11 to get your distance refund.
• Avoid rides between 00:30 and 05:30 if you can, when fares double.
• Take a ferry instead of a taxi across the Bosphorus. It’s around ₺50–65 and often faster than the bridges at rush hour.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a metro ticket in Istanbul in 2026?

₺46.20 with an İstanbulkart since 20 July 2026. A single-ride paper or QR ticket costs ₺65.

Can I pay for Istanbul transport with my bank card?

Yes, on most lines, but the tariff charges contactless bank cards like limited-use tickets. That means ₺65 a ride and no transfer discounts.

How much is the ferry from Kadıköy to Eminönü?

₺65.21 full fare with an İstanbulkart, on the July 2026 tariff.

Is the Istanbul tourist transport pass worth it?

For most visitors, no. A 1-day pass costs ₺615, about the same as 13 full-fare rides. A normal İstanbulkart with transfer discounts is cheaper unless you travel constantly.