Istanbul to Antalya 2027: Flight, Bus, Car or Train Compared

The fastest way from Istanbul to Antalya is to fly: the flight takes 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 25 minutes, and one-way tickets booked in advance usually cost around €40 to €70. The overnight bus takes 11 to 13 hours, driving the 700-odd km takes about 8 to 9 hours, and there is no direct train.

If you would rather combine both places without booking each leg yourself, our Turkey tour packages already do it: the 8-day Istanbul and Antalya package costs from $1,980 per person and includes the domestic flight, airport transfers and seven hotel nights. Below we compare flight, bus, car and train with real times and prices, explain how to get from Antalya Airport to your hotel and list what is worth booking once you are there. Everything was checked in October 2026.

Flight times and fares come from search sites such as Kayak and Trabber, bus data from the booking platform Obilet, all as of October 2026. Prices move a lot with dates and holidays.

How do you get from Istanbul to Antalya?

For almost everyone the answer is the plane. Antalya is one of the busiest domestic routes in Turkey, with departures all day, and even counting the ride to the airport and security you are at your hotel four to five hours after leaving your door. The bus only makes sense on a very tight budget or to save a hotel night. A car is worth it if you want to see something on the way, such as Pamukkale or Lake Eğirdir.

Istanbul to Antalya flight: IST or Sabiha Gökçen?

Istanbul has two big airports, and that is the most important point when you plan. Istanbul Airport (IST) is on the European side, about 40 km north of the Old City; Turkish Airlines flies to Antalya mainly from here. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side, about 50 km from Sultanahmet, and is the base of Pegasus and AJet, Turkish Airlines' low-cost arm.

Choose the airport by your hotel, not only by the fare. From Sultanahmet or Taksim, either airport takes 45 minutes to more than an hour by bus or taxi depending on traffic. A ticket that is €10 cheaper can easily be eaten up by a long taxi ride across the Bosphorus. Our guide IST or SAW shows which airport is closer to which part of the city.

Watch the baggage. The cheapest AJet and Pegasus fares often include only a small cabin bag; a checked suitcase costs extra, and much more at the airport than online. According to Kayak, February is the cheapest month on the route from Sabiha Gökçen, while May and July are the most expensive. Around Eid al-Adha 2027, expected on 16 to 19 May, domestic flights and buses in Turkey sell out quickly.

In Antalya, domestic flights arrive at the domestic terminal, a few minutes' walk from the international terminals. If you fly on to Europe the same day, allow at least three hours, because baggage and security are handled separately.

From Antalya Airport to your hotel

Antalya Airport is about 12 km east of the city centre, and the distances to the resorts vary a lot. Lara is 15 to 20 minutes away, Belek about 35 minutes, Side just over an hour, and Kemer around an hour along the coast road.

For the centre, the AntRay tram (line T1A) runs from a stop near Terminal 1 to Meydan square in about 20 to 25 minutes, every 15 to 20 minutes during the day until around 23:00 according to local transport sites. You pay with an AntalyaKart or a single ticket from the machine. With a large suitcase and a hotel in Kaleiçi, a taxi or transfer is easier.

For families and groups, a transfer booked ahead at a fixed price is worth it. The driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name sign, even if the flight is late. Details are on our Antalya airport transfer page.

Istanbul to Antalya by bus

Long-distance coaches in Turkey are a serious way to travel, not a last resort. Obilet lists around 190 departures a day on the route, with an average journey of just over 12 hours. In October 2026 the cheapest ticket was 950 TL and most trips cost between 1,300 and 1,600 TL, roughly €17 to €29 at about 56 lira to the euro.

The big companies are Pamukkale Turizm, Kamil Koç, Varan and Metro. Most buses leave from the main coach station at Esenler in the west of the city or from Alibeyköy; some also stop on the Asian side, which saves time if you stay in Kadıköy. In Antalya you arrive at the Otogar north of the city, where the tram also runs into the centre.

What to expect: 2+1 seating, a screen at every seat, tea and snacks from a steward, and two or three stops at service areas. Women travelling alone are normally not seated next to a man they do not know on Turkish coaches. The drawback is simply time. A night bus saves a hotel night, but in our experience half of the arrival day is lost.

Driving from Istanbul to Antalya

The route is just over 700 km and, depending on your navigation, runs via Bursa or Eskişehir, then via Afyonkarahisar and Burdur down to the coast. Allow 8 to 9 hours of driving and closer to ten with breaks. The last section through the Taurus Mountains is a good road but winding, and sometimes snowy in winter.

Motorways and bridges are tolled electronically through the HGS sticker, which rental cars almost always carry. The Osmangazi Bridge across the Gulf of İzmit alone cost about 1,170 TL for a car at the start of 2026, according to published tariff lists, if your route crosses it. A driving licence from the EU, UK or US is accepted for car rental in Turkey.

The expensive part is often the one-way fee: picking up in Istanbul and returning in Antalya carries a large surcharge with many rental companies. A car therefore pays off mainly as a road trip with stops, for example a night in Pamukkale. If you would rather be driven, see our Turkey private tour with driver guide with real drive times.

Is there a train from Istanbul to Antalya?

No. Antalya is not on the railway network. The one combination that works is the TCDD high-speed train from Istanbul to Konya in just over four hours, then a bus of about five hours over the mountains to Antalya. That takes longer than the bus and only makes sense if you want to visit the Mevlana Museum and stay a night in Konya. Our guide to the Konya day trip explains the train.

There is no regular ferry between Istanbul and Antalya either.

How much does the trip cost for two?

A rough comparison for two adults, one way, as of October 2026:

Flying is rarely much more expensive than the bus and saves a full day. A rental car only adds up if you stay overnight on the way.

Best time to travel between Istanbul and Antalya

The two cities have different best seasons, which is why the order of your trip matters. Istanbul is most pleasant from April to June and in September and October, when walking all day between mosques and bazaars is comfortable. Antalya's beach season runs from May to October, with the sea warmest in August and September. Late May or September works for both: mild days in Istanbul, warm water on the coast.

In July and August, put Istanbul first and the beach second, because the humid heat in the city is harder to bear after a week of rest. From November to March, Antalya is a quiet city break rather than a beach holiday: many resort hotels in Belek and Side close, but the old town, the archaeological museum and the ancient sites at Perge and Aspendos stay open and are almost empty. This is also when domestic fares are lowest, with February the cheapest month from Sabiha Gökçen.

Coming from abroad: an open-jaw ticket

Most European visitors who combine Istanbul and Antalya never fly back to Istanbul. They book an open-jaw ticket: into Istanbul, home from Antalya. Antalya has direct flights from most German, Dutch, British and Scandinavian airports, with SunExpress, Condor, TUIfly, Corendon, Jet2 and Pegasus among others, in about three and a half to four and a half hours. Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and the Lufthansa group fly to Istanbul in about three hours from Germany.

Citizens of Germany, the UK and most EU countries need no visa for stays of up to 90 days, according to their foreign ministries, and Germans may enter with a valid national ID card. We plan the city and beach combination in detail on our Istanbul and Antalya 2027 page.

What to book in Antalya

Once you land in Antalya, the choice is between beach, old town and ancient sites. These are the tours we run now, prices per person:

All tours with hotel pick-up are listed under Antalya tours. Prices change with the season and group size; ask us for the current price.

If you plan a day in the city itself, our Antalya city tour covers Kaleiçi, Hadrian's Gate, the Upper and Lower Düden Waterfalls and a one-hour boat trip, with lunch and hotel pickup, from $90 per person.

For a full day at sea, our Suluada boat tour from Antalya picks you up at your hotel, drives about 2 to 2.5 hours to Adrasan and sails to Suluada, the "Turkish Maldives", with swim stops, the Blue Cave and lunch on board, from $50 per person in the summer season.

Our package: 8 days in Istanbul and Antalya

The Istanbul and Antalya package starts at Istanbul Airport and ends with your flight from Antalya. In Istanbul it includes a guided Old City tour, a private city tour by car with driver and a Bosphorus dinner cruise. Then you fly to Antalya, visit Kaleiçi old town and the Düden Waterfalls, take a boat trip to Suluada and have a free beach day.

The price from $1,980 per person covers seven nights with breakfast, the domestic flight, all airport transfers, a guide on tour days and lunch on those days. Send us your dates on WhatsApp and we confirm hotels and flights before you pay.

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