The Istanbulkart: Your Key to Public Transportation in Istanbul

This article may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we use and love, or tours we’ve personally experienced.

If you plan to use public transportation in Istanbul, one of the first things you’ll hear about is the Istanbulkart.

This small red transit card is the easiest way to access nearly all of the city’s public transportation systems.

In this article we’ll explain: 

• What the Istanbulkart is
• Where to buy it
• How to load money onto it
• Whether you actually need one for your trip

What Is the Istanbulkart?

The Istanbulkart is a rechargeable public transportation card that allows you to access almost all transit systems throughout the city.

You can use it for:

• Metro
• Trams
• Buses
• Ferries
• Funiculars
• The Marmaray train under the Bosphorus

The only public transportation system that does not accept the Istanbulkart is the dolmuş, which are small blue minibuses that typically require cash.

Want a full step-by-step on using public transit in Istanbul? Check out our detailed public transportation article here.

Do You Need an Istanbulkart?

If you plan to use public transportation more than once or twice during your trip, getting an Istanbulkart is almost always worth it.

The card makes it easy to move between metro lines, trams, ferries, and buses without having to buy individual tickets each time. While there are a few alternative payment options available, most visitors find the Istanbulkart to be the simplest and most flexible way to get around the city.

Where to Buy an Istanbulkart

You can purchase an Istanbulkart at many locations across the city, including:

• The airport
• Metro stations
• Ferry terminals
• Major transit hubs

Most stations have electronic kiosks where you can buy the card and load money onto it.

The initial fee is just for the card itself — you’ll still need to load additional credit before using it. 

How to Add Money to Your Card 

Adding money to your Istanbulkart is simple.

At the kiosk:

1. Place your card on the reader
2. Insert cash or a credit card (depending on the machine)
3. Wait for the machine to confirm the balance

One important thing to remember is not to remove the card too quickly.

Wait until the machine confirms the balance has been updated or the money may not load properly.

Also note that machines usually do not give change, so whatever bills you insert will be added directly to the card balance. 

One final thing to note is the machines typically default to Turkish, but you can easily switch to English and other languages.

One Card Can Be Used for Multiple People

One nice feature of the Istanbulkart is that a single card can be used by multiple travelers.

Up to five people can share one card, which means you don’t necessarily need to buy one for everyone in your group. Just make sure the card has enough balance before passing through the turnstiles.

Other Transportation Payment Options

While the Istanbulkart is the primary option most travelers end up using, there are a few other ways to pay for public transportation in Istanbul.

Istanbul City Card

You may also see something called the Istanbul City Card, which is marketed toward tourists.

This card offers unlimited public transportation for a set number of days, including:

• 1 day
• 3 days
• 5 days
• 7 days
• 15 days

While it sounds convenient, we generally don’t recommend this option.

Unlike the Istanbulkart:

• Each person needs their own card
• The cards are fairly expensive

Individual transit rides in Istanbul are already quite affordable, and most visitors won’t take enough rides each day to make an unlimited pass worth it.

For most travelers, the standard Istanbulkart will be the better value. 

Limited-Ride Tickets

If you’re only planning to use public transportation a few times during a very short visit, you may also see a limited-ride ticket option.

These tickets allow you to purchase a small set number of rides.

They work similarly to the Istanbulkart — you simply tap the ticket at the turnstile when entering the system.

For travelers who only plan to take public transportation once or twice during a very short stay, this can sometimes be a convenient option because you don’t need to buy and load a separate transit card.

However, there are a couple of downsides:

• Each ticket is only valid for a limited number of taps
• The tickets cannot be reloaded

Because of this, most travelers still find the Istanbulkart to be the easiest and most flexible option, especially if you plan to use public transportation more than a couple of times during your trip.

Contactless Credit Cards

Some stations now allow you to tap a contactless credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet directly at the turnstile. 

In theory this works across many transit systems. However, in our experience credit cards don’t always work reliably, and fares are typically higher per ride than using an Istanbulkart.

Because of this, most travelers still find the Istanbulkart to be the easiest and most reliable option. 

Final Thoughts

If you plan to use public transportation during your trip, the Istanbulkart is by far the easiest way to get around Istanbul.

It works across nearly the entire transportation network and makes traveling between neighborhoods quick and affordable.

Once you have the card, you can easily explore the city using the metro, trams, buses, and ferries.