£21 Find Cheap Flights to Istanbul

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Istanbul departing on 29/8. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
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KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Istanbul

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Istanbul
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Istanbul
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Flights Deals

Cheap Flights to Istanbul

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights to Istanbul that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Istanbul

Fri, 3 Oct - Sat, 11 Oct
Wizz Air Logo
21:50 - 03:50LGW-IST
4h 00mdirect
Wizz Air Logo
04:45 - 06:35IST-LGW
3h 50mdirect
£57Wizz Air
Find Deal
Thu, 2 Oct - Mon, 6 Oct
Wizz Air Logo
21:50 - 03:50LGW-IST
4h 00mdirect
Wizz Air Logo
04:45 - 06:35IST-LGW
3h 50mdirect
£58Wizz Air
Find Deal
Sat, 10 Jan - Thu, 5 Feb
Pegasus Airlines Logo
17:25 - 00:10STN-SAW
3h 45mdirect
Pegasus Airlines Logo
21:15 - 22:15SAW-STN
4h 00mdirect
£88Pegasus Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, 14 Sep - Tue, 30 Sep
Ajet Logo
11:50 - 17:45STN-SAW
3h 55mdirect
Ajet Logo
08:45 - 10:50SAW-STN
4h 05mdirect
£102Ajet
Find Deal
Fri, 10 Oct - Tue, 14 Oct
Ajet Logo
11:50 - 17:45STN-SAW
3h 55mdirect
Ajet Logo
19:40 - 21:45SAW-STN
4h 05mdirect
£103Ajet
Find Deal
Sun, 28 Sep - Sat, 4 Oct
Pegasus Airlines Logo
00:20 - 06:05STN-SAW
3h 45mdirect
Pegasus Airlines Logo
21:10 - 23:10SAW-STN
4h 00mdirect
£104Pegasus Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, 10 Jan - Thu, 5 Feb
British Airways Logo
07:00 - 13:55LHR-IST
3h 55mdirect
British Airways Logo
07:35 - 09:05IST-LHR
4h 30mdirect
£129British Airways
Find Deal
Fri, 5 Dec - Mon, 15 Dec
British Airways Logo
18:15 - 01:10LHR-IST
3h 55mdirect
British Airways Logo
15:15 - 16:40IST-LHR
4h 25mdirect
£130British Airways
Find Deal
Sun, 28 Sep - Thu, 9 Oct
Turkish Airlines Logo
23:30 - 05:35MAN-IST
4h 05mdirect
Turkish Airlines Logo
07:20 - 09:35IST-MAN
4h 15mdirect
£183Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, 6 Jan - Tue, 13 Jan
Turkish Airlines Logo
14:05 - 21:15MAN-IST
4h 10mdirect
Turkish Airlines Logo
11:45 - 13:05IST-MAN
4h 20mdirect
£186Turkish Airlines
Find Deal

Expert advice for your flight to Istanbul

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarisation of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airports
IST

The M11 metro line connects IST to Istanbul city centre, running every 5 minutes from 6 am to midnight.

Read more about ISTby Jenna Scatena
Our travel experts
Jenna Scatena

Jenna Scatena

Expert on IST

Jenna Scatena

Jenna Scatena

Journalist and Travel Writer, Jenna Scatena is an award-winning travel writer with a love for sharing stories and exploring new places, especially by Vespa. Though she's from San Francisco, she has spent a significant chunk of her vacation days over the last decade eating her way through Texas and sleeping in hotels around the world—especially in California, the Middle East, and Europe.

Read more
Useful Info

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Istanbul

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights to Istanbul to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul was found on the route from London, at £42 return. The most popular connection is from London to Istanbul and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as £128 in the last 3 days.

How much is a flight to Istanbul?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to Istanbul from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.

A flight to Istanbul costs £390 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost £26 and departed from London Luton Airport. The most popular routes on KAYAK are London to Istanbul which costs £463 on average, and Birmingham to Istanbul, which costs £478 on average.

See prices from:

What is a good deal for flights to Istanbul?

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to Istanbul, 25% of our users found tickets to Istanbul for the following prices or less: From London Luton Airport £113 return, from Bristol £162 return, from London Gatwick Airport £283 return.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Istanbul?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to Istanbul, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price, you should book around 5 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Istanbul?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Istanbul is Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), with an average flight price of £168.

Good to know - Cheap tickets to Istanbul

Cheapest flight£21
Flight from London Luton Airport to Istanbul Airport

When to book flights to Istanbul

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel to Istanbul based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. The information is for flights to Istanbul based on your location. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs - booking Istanbul flights

  • How many airports are there in Istanbul?

    Istanbul is served by two international airports, which can often be more convenient depending on where in the city you are staying. New Istanbul Airport sits to the north-west of the Turkish capital, while Sabiha Gokcen Airport is to the south-east. By booking through KAYAK, you can find flights to both so check where your hotel is situated to make your trip that bit easier.

  • How do I get from the airport to central Istanbul via public transport?

    From New Istanbul Airport, you can catch the HAVAIST shuttle bus. For example, to get to the central district of Taksim you can catch the HVIST-14 bus with a duration of 90min and a price of ₺30 (roughly £2.60). To get from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Taksim, you can catch the HAVABUS which costs ₺18 (roughly £1.60).

  • Are there on-site hotels at the airports in Istanbul?

    IST airport offers sleeping pods that can be rented as well as an on-site hotel, with rooms both landside and airside. At SAW Airport you can also find services offered by Kepler, which includes a private lounge with sleeping pods to rent per hour or for the day.

  • Which Istanbul airport is nearest to Hagia Sophia?

    The nearest airport to Hagia Sophia is New Istanbul Airport, which is roughly 28 miles away. By flying in to IST airport, there is no need for you to cross the Bosphorus River to get to the Hagia Sophia and other nearby attractions as you would if you flew into SAW Airport.

  • Which is the nearest airport to Bursa?

    If you are planning on travelling to Bursa, it is best to fly into Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW). From there, you can get to Bursa by driving southwards for roughly 75 miles or 90min. A bus service also runs from Istanbul Otogari, which costs roughly ₺80 or £7 and has a total duration of around 3h.

  • Are there any family-friendly facilities at Istanbul airport?

    At Istanbul Airport, families with children under five years old are permitted to use the allocated Family First security check points. Infant Care rooms throughout the airport make it easy to change and feed babies in comfort. Arriving passengers with toddlers can take advantage of the strollers located at the flight gates to get to the baggage collection areas.

  • Can I book a Meet & Greet Service on arrival?

    Passengers arriving at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport can reserve Airport Meet & Greet services, which include an escort through visa and immigration and assistance with luggage. You can also book the ALLWAYS Fast Track Service, which offers priority access through passport and security control.

  • Where can I fly to in Turkey once I arrive in Istanbul?

    Once you arrive in Istanbul, you can fly to a number of domestic destinations within Turkey from Istanbul Airport or Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Popular cities include Antalya, Ankara, Bodrum, Eskisehir, İzmir, Nevsehir and Trabzon.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul?

    In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul was found on the route from London, at £42 return. The most popular connection is from London to Istanbul and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as £128 in the last 3 days.

  • Which Istanbul airport is closest to central Istanbul?

    There are 2 airports in Istanbul. The closest airport to Istanbul’s city centre is Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (20 miles). Istanbul Airport is 21 miles from the centre.

  • How much is a flight to Istanbul?

    On average, a flight to Istanbul costs £390. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost £26 and departed from London Luton Airport.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul is Monday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as £482. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are £528 on average.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights to Istanbul?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights to Istanbul.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket to Istanbul?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Istanbul is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights to Istanbul?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Istanbul with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight to Istanbul?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Istanbul up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost £426 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Istanbul is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is £688.

  • How many direct flights to Istanbul are there each week?

    Each week there are around 271 direct flights from within United Kingdom to Istanbul. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 15% of flights taking off on this day.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Istanbul

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Istanbul flight deals.
  • For a taxi from the airports to the city centre, you can expect to pay around ₺170 (£15) for a ride to or from both New Istanbul (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) Airport.
  • For direct flights going to Istanbul, look out for those operated by Turkish Airlines, the national airline of Turkey, or its low-cost alternative Pegasus Airlines.
  • If you are looking to hire a car, you can find a number of companies operating from the Arrivals Terminal at New Istanbul Airport including Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Europcar.
  • If you need to freshen up after your flight, you can find spa services at New Istanbul Airport at the Ambassador Spa located in the International Terminal on the airside.
  • To use public transport in Istanbul, it is a good idea to buy and top-up an IstanbulKart, which can be purchased for ₺10 (roughly £0.85) from the yellow and blue machines in the Arrivals Terminal at Istanbul Airport and offers a discount on journeys.
  • The fastest direct flights from the UK to Istanbul depart from London Stansted Airport and arrive at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW). If you prefer to depart from London Heathrow or London Gatwick, you can find direct flights to Istanbul Airport (IST). A number of airlines operate along these routes including Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, and British Airways.
  • Passengers arriving on a late flight to Istanbul can stay the night at the ISG Airport Hotel in the passenger terminal of Sabiha Gokcen Airport or the YOTEL Istanbul Airport Hotel at Istanbul Airport. If you are transiting through Istanbul, this is a good option to get some rest.
  • If you are arriving on an early flight to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport, you can leave your luggage in the Baggage Storage Office in the International Arrivals terminal. It is open 24/7 and fees are charged depending on the size of your luggage.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Istanbul

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Istanbul. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from the United Kingdom to Istanbul. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Istanbul? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.3
Turkish AirlinesOverall score based on 3901 reviews
7.4Food
7.4Entertainment
7.3Boarding
7.7Crew
7.3Comfort
Airline reviews

Very good overall.... apart from the cost of extra check ed in luggage where they charge £17 per kg, and no option to just buy an extra bag allowance (at least on the route I took)

10.0 ExcellentKarim, Jul 2025LGW - IST
Read more Turkish Airlines reviews

Very good overall.... apart from the cost of extra check ed in luggage where they charge £17 per kg, and no option to just buy an extra bag allowance (at least on the route I took)

Amazing! Big line at Check in was diminished in 10 minutes. Boarding was quick and efficient. Service and food great. Only minor point: seats could be a little broader and for me being small, something to put your feet on during the flight would be great.

Except for spending an extra day in Istanbul due to late departure from Athens on Saturday and missing the connection flight TK0044 to Cape Town and again arriving 45 min late on Monday in Cape Town, it was all good.

The best food I’ve ever been served on an airplane. The security at the gate was frustrating as was the heavy editing of the films and television shows offered.

The 2 agents on the check in counter were super nice , helpful and very polite. Boarding was like a 1 2 3, I would recommend Turkish airlines for your next trip.

It was an old airline with the old configuration of business class seats. Not really what we signed up for for the longest leg of the trip. Disappointing.

flight with heavy turbulence old boeing 777 rest wasnt clean dashboard doesn’t work

Very bad overall. The comfort level was undeniably uncomfortable. The in-flight entertainment was no good because my screen froze and “wasn’t able to reset”. The staff were rude and non-helpful. Instead of offering me an upgrade for all inconveniences for the ticket, and seat I paid extra for, I was offered a downgraded seat all the way at the back of the aircraft. The flight was delayed for so long, making the experience at the layover airport that much more unpleasant.

Food wasn’t nice and doesn’t have halal option

Light and recline did not work on my seat. Very uncomfortable and could not read in the dark

Not because when i try to do check in there is only in turkish language i can not select other language

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGVSRsasQcG/?igsh=dmkxa2s1eHNlbHZs

Don't fly Pegasus, terrible service at the airport and boarding was really bad. Both flights I took with them were significantly late. This flight had us all changing the gate at the last moment and it was chaos.withour explanation or apology. The planes have seats that don't recline and seats are really hard. The crew on board was good both flights, but that is the only positive thing I can say about this airline. It's not worth it and I won't be flying them again.

The airport staff were some of the worst I've ever flown, and I fly at least 50x every year. From the staff at the gate, to the check in staff, to the ticketing sales staff. My experience in Instanbul was so bad Ill.never fly Pegasus again. They were incredibly rude, dismissive and not helpful whatsoever. This is the worst of the worst if you want to fly a budget airline I'd go elsewhere. The airplane seats are really uncomfortable and don't recline at all, you get charged for every single thing so in the end you will pay more flying with them. The crew on the plane were the only kind people we encountered with Pegasus.

Pegasus Airlines which is the most efficient and cost worth low cost airline all over the Europe

Flight from London was delayed and we had to hurry up to catch the connecting flight to Riyadh

The crew were outstandingly kind and cheerful. We carried our cat and they offered help.

Late departure. No announcements. Boarding was a disaster. Some kind of technical issue scanning boarding passes.

Pegasus is a very efficient airline. Passengers, however are sometimes unruly. Getting up right after take off. Getting up right when we land and before getting to the gate. Switching seats to the front so she can get a better seat. It is unfair for those that actually paid for seats. Flight attendants seem to not enforce it. One or two bad actors ruins it. Overall, the airline is great.

Pegasus is not a very comfortable airline. They’re not in any way hospitable

The air hostess were good, cheerful, but I didn't like the boarding. My son and I initially bought our flight tickets, making sure it included 1 luggage and a carry on. Tickets were purchased for British airlines, but we were merged with American Airlines. At checking in our languages, we were told, we don't have luggage prepaid so we had to pay extra $125 each and almost £60 on our way back. I think that's unfair.

Economy seats are so small and compacted so close together that comfort is negatively affected, especially on long flights. However that is due to aircraft design, not anything the airline can do about it.

Terrible, We experienced massive delays and then couldn’t book a hotel through the link provided, nothing was available. We then went to the airport the next day and experienced further delays, almost no communication was given. We had dinner at lunchtime and breakfast at midnight. We then landed in Jhb at 1am and had to book another hotel as our flight to durban was at 8am. The experience was painful and very expensive.

Flight was cancelled at the last minute with no explanation. No viable alternative offered and zero customer service support. Totally useless.

Experience with British Airways was hopeless and the response from ground staff after flight cancellation was hopeless

3/4 bags delayed and 1/4 damaged at the other end. Flight was freezing

On time. Clean. Efficient. Just what is required for the short hop.

this was a good experience from on time boarding and take off to early arrival. Comfortable seats became empty seat next to me.

Cancelled flight, limited information and chaotic rebooking and accommodation provision. Apathetic crew who were more interested in taking about their layover plans than remembering passengers orders and actually bringing them (after 3 reminders). To top it off, priority baggage checked in at The Wing (LHR’s first class checkin) was delivered last to the baggage belt.

The crew were good. The flight was on time. The entertainment choice was ok. But the food was bad, tasted and texture were awful.

Bad. Cancelled and delayed flight. Payed 25£ for seat but got just normal one. No one refunded the money.

Great crew. Seats do not recline :( but it is budget so i should have known. Otherwise comfy leather chair. Slight slim chair but again budget so expected. No entertainment do makes journey boring. Recommend packing plenty of snacks and games or download plenty of films and music in your device. Staff excellent. Clean flight. On time.

Both of my flights had issues with their time slot with air traffic control, so they left over an hour late and the flight back to London was delayed by over an hour. Please provide more clarity about baggage requirements on booking sites, your website and within the app. I had to pay for extra bags at the airport when departing London, because they didn’t specify that your carry on bag can only be a backpack and not a trolley, my trolley bag fit the size requirements of the backpack but still I was made to pay

The crew at Check-in was very helpful. It’s was appreciate.

It’s a budget airline. You get what you pay for. They insisted on getting us out of the gate and into our slot on time. They got us to the destination safely. Aircraft was clean and well maintained. What more could we want

Half an hour delay. Squeezed into a small Departure Lounge with very few seats. Noisy flight with screaming unruly kids. Loud IPads and Phones. Heaven!

Were delayed in the airport for 5 hours with no explanation. Flight kept getting delayed by an hour at a time and wizz air staff were no where to be found

The flight was delayed 5 hours and I'm and invalid,I wan a refund for this

The cabin crew on that flight were super fantastic and super helpful. They were so polite and considerate that i felt i travelled with a 5star airline.

Delayed delayed delayed - always with Wizzair. Staff were friendly and well mannered but clearly the company is unorganized and the aircrafts are outdated.

It's a budget airline. Great for short flight. Smooth landing.

Everything you need to know for your flight to Istanbul

Flights with popular airlines flying to Istanbul

Flights from the other most popular airlines that fly from the United Kingdom to Istanbul according to KAYAK users. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability are not guaranteed.

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