Istanbul Cable Cars 2027: Maçka and Eyüp–Pierre Loti, Hours, Istanbulkart

Istanbul runs two city cable cars, Maçka–Taşkışla (TF1) and Eyüp–Piyer Loti (TF2), and both are operated by Metro İstanbul and ride on the Istanbulkart system. Each trip lasts only about three minutes, so the question is rarely the ride itself. It is what sits at the top. TF2 lifts you from the Eyüp Sultan quarter to the Pierre Loti terrace above the Golden Horn; TF1 is a commuter shortcut between Maçka and the Taşkışla side of Taksim. If you want the Golden Horn view without a taxi climb, we can fold it into a private day, for example the classic private Istanbul tour at $200 per person.

A note on numbers before anything else. On 14 November 2026 the Metro İstanbul line pages (metro.istanbul, TF1 and TF2) refused our server's connection, so we cannot quote a cable-car fare or timetable from the operator itself. Instead of repeating an old forum figure, this article gives what we could confirm and tells you where to check the rest.

At a glance

Ride times, cabin counts and opening years are from the public line descriptions (Wikipedia, checked 14 November 2026). Fares and timetables are not in the table on purpose: sources disagree and we could not reach the operator.

Eyüp–Piyer Loti: the one visitors actually use

The lower station is a short walk from the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and the tomb complex, and next to the T5 tram stop, which makes Eyüp an easy half-day by public transport. The line climbs the hillside in two parallel pairs of cabins and drops you at the Pierre Loti terrace, named after the French novelist who wrote about the district. Most travellers go up for the view and a tea, then walk down through the old Ottoman cemetery, a path of shaded stone steps that takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes.

Published hours for TF2 differ between sources. The longest window we found was a daytime opening running into the evening, shorter in winter. That matters in November, when the sun is down by about 17:00 and the terrace is dark. Do not plan a sunset drink here without checking the board at the lower station.

Our Pierre Loti hill and Eyüp cable car page covers the visit in more detail. For the religious side of the district, the news piece on the Islamic Istanbul tour in Eyüp Sultan explains what the tombs are and how to behave inside.

Maçka–Taşkışla: useful, but not a sightseeing ride

The Maçka line crosses a green valley between the Maçka residential streets near Nişantaşı and the Taşkışla campus on the Taksim side. The line is roughly 330 to 350 metres long, depending on the source. Visitors staying near the Hilton, Harbiye or Nişantaşı save a steep walk; nobody else needs it. Reports differ on the hours (one gives a shorter weekend schedule, another a daily window from about 08:00), so confirm before you rely on it for an early start.

What does it cost, and does Istanbulkart work?

Both cable cars take Istanbulkart, the rechargeable city card. We could not confirm the cable-car tariff from Metro İstanbul. What we can confirm is the general fare: after the 16 February 2026 increase approved by the İBB Assembly, the electronic full fare on İETT buses, metrobus, metro and rail is 42 TL (BirGün, 13 February 2026). The Üsküdar–Eminönü ferry is listed at 53.20 TL in the same table. Cable-car fares are set separately, so do not assume 42 TL.

The practical tip: buy or top up the card before you reach the cable-car station. How to do that as a visitor is in our Istanbulkart guide for tourists, and the wider network is in the Istanbul transportation guide.

The funiculars people confuse with cable cars

Istanbul has two funiculars that visitors often lump in with the cable cars, and both are cheap, fast and useful:

• Kabataş–Taksim (F1): links the T1 tram and the ferry piers at Kabataş with Taksim Square. It is the quickest way up from the Bosphorus shore.
• Karaköy–Tünel (F2): the short underground line that opened in 1875 and is often described as one of the oldest metro lines in the world. It takes you from Karaköy up to the bottom of İstiklal Avenue.

From the Tünel exit, the red nostalgic tram runs the length of İstiklal to Taksim. If you are staying in Sultanahmet, a sensible combination is tram to Karaköy, Tünel up, walk İstiklal, then F1 down to Kabataş.

A half-day route that uses the cable car

1. Take the T5 tram or a taxi to Eyüp in the morning, before the tour buses arrive.
2. Visit the mosque courtyard and tomb complex. Cover shoulders and knees; headscarves are expected for women in the shrine.
3. Ride TF2 up to Pierre Loti and have tea on the terrace.
4. Walk down through the cemetery path, or ride back.
5. Continue by ferry from Eyüp or by road to Balat, then the Old City.

What this means for your trip

Cable cars are a short add-on, not a full activity. Give TF2 one to two hours including the walk and the café; skip TF1 unless your hotel is next to it. If you have only two or three days, the Golden Horn view is better combined with the Old City than done alone, because the Eyüp side is a 25 to 40 minute drive from Sultanahmet depending on traffic.

Questions travellers are asking

Plan it with us

Our private and small-group Istanbul days cover the Old City and the Bosphorus, and Eyüp can be added on a private day:

• Istanbul Old City morning highlights, small group: from $120 per person
• Istanbul classic private guided tour: from $200 per person
• Best of Istanbul private guided tour, 1, 2 or 3 days: from $199 per group per day
• Luxury Bosphorus dinner cruise with night show: from $90 per person

More options are on Istanbul tours and in the tour packages. WhatsApp: +90 545 307 67 88.

Sources: BirGün, Istanbul public transport fares 2026, 13 February 2026; Wikipedia line descriptions for Maçka Gondola and Eyüp Gondola, checked 14 November 2026. Metro İstanbul line pages (TF1, TF2) could not be reached on 14 November 2026.