Jednodnevni izlet u Istanbul iz Antalije: vaš let, naš vodič na aerodromu

An Istanbul day trip from Antalya works only by plane: the flight takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, while the road is close to 700 km each way. We do not sell the flights. What we sell is the day on the ground: a private guide and van meet you at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen, show you Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar, and drive you back for your evening flight. For many people one night in Istanbul is the better plan, and we explain why below.

How an Istanbul day trip from Antalya works

You book a morning flight from Antalya to Istanbul and an evening flight back, on your own or through your hotel. Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet fly the route, and there are flights all day, roughly two dozen a day according to the flight schedules we checked. Turkish Airlines lands at Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side; Pegasus and AJet mostly use Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side.

Then you book our private Istanbul layover tour, which is built for exactly this: the guide and van wait at arrivals at IST or SAW, the tour runs 6 to 8 hours, and it ends back at the airport. It was designed for international connections, but a domestic arrival is simpler, because there is no passport control. It is one of the day tours we run, and the only one that starts and ends at the airport.

The price, from $550 per person, covers the private licensed guide, the private van and both airport transfers; it varies by season and group size, so ask us for today's price. Museum tickets, lunch and tips are not included.

A realistic timetable

Count backwards from the return flight. A domestic flight in Turkey still asks you to be at the airport well before departure, and the drive from the Old City to Istanbul Airport takes 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic; from Sabiha Gökçen, across the Bosphorus, it is usually longer.

1. Early morning: leave your hotel for Antalya Airport. From Side allow about an hour by road, from Alanya about two hours.
2. Morning: land in Istanbul; the guide meets you at arrivals and the van drives to the Old City.
3. Late morning to afternoon: Topkapı Palace, the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar, with a lunch stop.
4. Late afternoon: drive back to the airport.
5. Evening: fly back to Antalya and return to your hotel, often close to midnight from Alanya.

It is a long day. With an early morning flight and an evening return it works; with a late morning arrival the route has to drop one or two sights. Tell us your flight times when you book and the guide plans the order around them.

What you see, and what you skip

The layover route covers the Old City, the part of Istanbul where most of the famous buildings stand within a short walk of each other: Topkapı Palace, the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. That is a full day by itself. What you do not get is the Bosphorus, Galata, Istiklal Avenue or the Asian side, and you will see Istanbul in daylight only. Those parts of the city are covered by our other Istanbul city tours, which start from a hotel rather than the airport.

Three days change the plan. Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays, the Grand Bazaar on Sundays (the Spice Market is visited instead), and on Fridays Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are closed to tourists from about 12:30 to 14:30 for prayers. A Wednesday or Thursday is the easiest day for this trip.

If the Bosphorus matters more to you than the monuments, the second layover tour does a Spice Market, Bosphorus cruise and Grand Bazaar route instead, over about 9 hours from and to the airport. Our page on the Istanbul layover tour compares the two routes in detail.

What the day involves, and who pays for what

Be honest with yourself about the total. A private guide and van for a full day with two airport runs is priced per person, so for two or more people it adds up quickly, before flights and tickets. If you are travelling as a family or on a budget, the overnight plan below usually costs less per person and is far less tiring.

The better plan for many people: one night in Istanbul

Fly to Istanbul in the afternoon, sleep in the Old City, take a full guided day, and fly back the next evening. You then need only a private airport transfer, priced per car for up to six people, and a private full-day Old City tour. You also get an evening by the Bosphorus or on Istiklal Avenue, which the day trip cannot give you. All our walking and driving tours of the city are on the city tours list.

For a longer stay that combines the two cities properly, our Istanbul and Antalya package runs 8 days with the domestic flight, an Old City tour, a Bosphorus dinner cruise, the Antalya old town and waterfalls tour, the Suluada boat trip and a free day, with hotels added separately. It starts in Istanbul and ends in Antalya, so it suits people flying into Istanbul from abroad rather than those already on the coast.

Staying on the coast instead

If a day of flights sounds like too much, there is plenty within a short drive of Antalya. Our Antalya tours include a private Kaleiçi old town tour, the Demre, Myra and Kekova sunken city tour, Perge, Aspendos and Side, boat trips to Suluada, and a Pamukkale tour from Antalya (private, from $180). Pamukkale is the one long day trip from the coast that works by road, at about 12 hours private or 8 hours on the shared tour. The Demre, Myra and Kekova sunken city private tour is the one to pick if you want the St Nicholas church and the sea in a single day.

The full list of coast trips and Istanbul options is on our Antalya tours page and the day tours list. For the region itself, see our Antalya destination guide.

Booking an Istanbul tour from Antalya

Book the flights first, then send us the request for the guided day with both flight numbers, the date and the number of people. The order matters: the guide's start time, the route and whether the van waits at IST or SAW all depend on your arrival. If your flight is delayed, tell us and the route is shortened to fit; the return flight is the fixed point, and the van leaves the Old City in time for it.

Nothing is charged online when you send the request. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the tour; inside 7 days it is not refundable, so do not book the guided day until your flights are ticketed. Dress for mosques on the day: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women. A light bag helps, because there is no hotel to leave luggage at, though the van stays with you.

Frequently Asked Questions