The Istanbulkart is a plastic top-up card that works on every metro, tram, funicular, bus, Metrobüs, public ferry and the Marmaray train in Istanbul. The card costs ₺165 (about £2.50) and a standard ride is ₺46.20 (about 70p), with discounts on connecting journeys within two hours. You can tap a UK contactless bank card on most gates instead, but it costs more per ride, gives no transfer discount and does not work on the Marmaray. For anything beyond a day trip, buy the card.
| Item | Lira | Roughly in £ |
|---|---|---|
| Istanbulkart (the card itself, no credit) | ₺165 | £2.50 |
| Standard ride: metro, tram, bus, funicular | ₺46.20 | £0.70 |
| Marmaray (distance-based) | ₺37.40 for 1–3 stations, up to ₺82.17 end to end | £0.55–1.25 |
| Metrobüs (distance-based) | ₺33.08 for 1 stop, up to ₺68.59 | £0.50–1.00 |
| Ferry Üsküdar–Eminönü | ₺58.52 | £0.90 |
| Ferry Kadıköy–Eminönü or Kadıköy–Beşiktaş | ₺65.21 | £1.00 |
| Ferry Bostancı–Princes’ Islands | ₺171.89 | £2.55 |
| Single-ride ticket (BİRgeç), no card needed | ₺65 | £1.00 |
| Two-ride ticket (İKİgeç) | ₺120 | £1.80 |
| Five-ride ticket (BEŞgeç) | ₺275 | £4.10 |
| Ten-ride ticket (ONgeç) | ₺530 | £7.90 |
These are the fares set by the city council on 20 July 2026, the second rise that year after a 20% increase in February. Istanbul typically adjusts fares twice a year, so expect new numbers in early 2027; the official Istanbulkart fees page has the current card prices and the IETT site the ride fares. Pound figures use about ₺67 to £1 (6 November 2026).
Put that in context: the card pays for itself against single-ride tickets after nine rides, and a day of heavy sightseeing (six to eight taps, several of them discounted transfers) comes to roughly £3–4. A London Zone 1 Tube fare costs more than a whole day in Istanbul. For a full budget breakdown see Turkey travel costs 2027.
The card is anonymous and needs no ID or registration. Named and student cards exist for residents and are not worth the hassle for a visitor. The İstanbulkart mobile app and ‘digital’ cards are aimed at residents with Turkish phone numbers; stick with plastic.
At any Biletmatik: tap ‘Load credit’ (Bakiye Yükle), place the card on the reader, feed in notes or tap a bank card, and wait for the screen to confirm before lifting the card. Keep the card flat on the reader throughout; the most common fault is pulling it away too early. Kiosks top up over the counter for cash. The machines sometimes add a small service fee on card payments, so cash is marginally cheaper. Check your balance any time by tapping on a machine; the gate also shows the remaining balance briefly when you tap through.
Tap in, and within two hours each further tap on a different line is cheaper: the first transfer is roughly a third off, the second around half off, and the third to fifth cheaper still. Change from the T1 tram to the M2 metro at Vezneciler, then to the F1 funicular at Taksim, and you pay one full fare and two reduced ones. Transfers do not apply if you tap the same line twice, and they do not apply to ferries or when paying by bank card. Each person taps once per ride; up to three people can share one card by tapping it in turn, but then only the first tap gets the transfer discount, so couples staying more than a couple of days are better off with a card each.
| Istanbulkart | UK contactless card or phone | |
|---|---|---|
| Metro, tram, bus, funicular | ₺46.20 | Charged at the single-ride rate, about ₺65, per tap |
| Marmaray | Yes | Not accepted at the gates |
| Public ferries (Şehir Hatları) | Yes | Accepted at most piers |
| Transfer discounts | Yes | No |
| Bank fees | None | Depends on your card; a non-sterling fee per tap adds up |
| Set-up | ₺165 and five minutes at a machine | None |
Tapping your phone is fine for a single evening or if you are only in Istanbul for a day. For two days or more, with any plan to use the Marmaray or make connections, the card wins. Use a fee-free travel card (Monzo, Starling, Chase, Revolut and the like) if you do tap, and never let an attendant ‘help’ you at the machine or hold your card; our scams guide covers the usual tricks.
It does not cover taxis, dolmuş minibuses, the Havaist and Havabüs airport coaches (though Havaist readers accept it as a payment card at full fare), or intercity ferries to Bursa and Yalova.
| From | To | How | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sultanahmet | Taksim | T1 tram to Kabataş, F1 funicular up to Taksim | 25 min |
| Sultanahmet | Grand Bazaar | T1 tram two stops to Beyazıt–Kapalıçarşı, or walk 10 minutes | 5–10 min |
| Sultanahmet | Galata Tower and Karaköy | T1 tram to Karaköy, walk uphill or take the Tünel | 15 min |
| Eminönü | Kadıköy | Ferry | 20 min |
| Sultanahmet | Üsküdar and the Maiden’s Tower | Walk or tram to Sirkeci, Marmaray one stop | 15 min |
| Taksim | Dolmabahçe Palace | F1 funicular to Kabataş, walk 10 minutes | 15 min |
| Eminönü | Chora (Kariye) Mosque | T5 tram or bus 36CE/37Y to Edirnekapı | 30 min |
| Kabataş or Eminönü | Princes’ Islands | Şehir Hatları ferry to Büyükada | 90 min |
| Taksim | Istanbul Airport | M2 to Gayrettepe, M11 to the airport | 50–60 min |
Google Maps and the city’s Moovit-style apps give live times for all of this. Rush hour (08:00–10:00 and 17:00–19:30) is crushingly busy on the M2 and the T1; sightsee against the flow and you will barely notice.
₺165 for the card (about £2.50), plus whatever credit you load. A ride is ₺46.20 at the tariff set in July 2026; check for the early-2027 increase before you go.
Yes. The standard anonymous card needs no ID. Buy it from any Biletmatik machine or kiosk, including at both airports’ metro stations.
On metro, tram, bus and most ferries, yes, at about ₺65 a tap with no transfer discount. Not on the Marmaray. It works for a day; for longer, get the card.
Yes, tap it twice at the gate, but only the first tap gets transfer discounts. A card each is cheaper over several days.
Not in practice. Load small amounts and spend it down on your last day, or give the card to someone who is staying.
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Prices and rules checked on 8 November 2026 against official sources and change often; always confirm before you travel. Sources: Istanbulkart card fees (official), İBB fare tariff 20 July 2026, February 2026 tariff incl. transfer fares, Contactless vs Istanbulkart report, Traveller reports Aug 2026.