Whether you have a layover, overnight sleepover or you are just quickly passing through, our Istanbul Airport Guide is a great place to start planning your visit. Here, you’ll find information on services and facilities available inside the airport – including details about airport lounges, WiFi, mobile charging points, lockers, 24-hour food options, nearby hotels, and everything in between.
You need to go to a kiosk and to use your passport to get a password to use wi-fi for just one hour. And it doesn’t work well.” – a traveller
IST Airport Overview
To help you plan your layover or overnight sleepover, here is a quick run-down about what to expect during your time at Istanbul Airport.
What to Expect
The new Istanbul Airport (code: IST) opened in April 2019 and replaces the old Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which now operates cargo flights only. The airport currently has one terminal for both Domestic and International flights; however, the airport has only opened Phase I to date. Construction is expected to continue until 2027. The new terminal is currently the largest, single terminal building (under one roof) in the world and it is only going to grow. The airport advertises space for over 150 restaurants and cafes, plenty of shopping to pass the time and modern amenities to make your time at the airport fly by.
Sleeping in Istanbul Airport
The new Istanbul Airport has “Nap Zones” in the International terminal that are equipped with semi-reclined seats. There is one near Gate D section and there may also be others. Other readers have mentioned round couches at Gate B9, B17, B18 and 20+ lounge chairs (with a bamboo privacy wall) at upper level of the E1/E2 section. Unfortunately the airport has installed center pieces on the round couches (see photo above), so sleep will not be as good here as it was in the past. Thumbs down Istanbul Airport! Besides the floor, you may be able to stretch on the seats at empty gates. You’ll find armrests every 3 seats or so, enabling a decent stretch out for now anyways. As the airport traffic grows, there may be few empty gates.
For those of you who don’t mind paying for comfort, there are small cocoon-like sleep pods that can be rented by the hour. Perfect for some privacy during a layover. There are also several hotels located at and near the airport including one on-site which offers rooms both Landside and Airside. See the Airport Hotels section below for locations or read some traveller airport reviews for more tips.
Covid-19 Update
Some airport reviews and tips in this guide and elsewhere on the site were written before March 2020 and may no longer be valid. To help us keep this guide up-to-date, you can add or update information or write a review to submit airport tips and photos. You can also visit the airport’s web site for current information.
For more airport information continue scrolling down to explore more in our Istanbul Airport Guide.
In this guide we may refer to locations as “landside” and “airside”. Landside is the public area of the terminal located in the non-secure zone, before security. Airside is the secure area of the terminal that you must reach by going through security. For more information on Europe’s Schengen Area, click here.
Airport Lounges
Pay-per-use, Single Visit Passes & Lounge Memberships
Regardless of what class of service you are flying, there are lounges that you can enter by paying at the door.
- IGA Lounge – Location: International Terminal, Airside, on the left after passport control. Lounge Access: Pay at the Door • Prepaid lounge pass.
- SkyTeam Lounge – Location: Terminal A, Airside, Level H. Hours: open 24 hours. Lounge Access: Lounge membership programs.
Airline Lounges
If you are a First or Business Class traveller you may have access to the lounges listed below. For more information, check the airline’s website.
- Domestic Terminal – Turkish Airlines Lounge Domestic (Location: Landside)
- International Terminal – Turkish Airlines Lounge Miles & Smiles (Location: Airside) • Turkish Airlines Business Lounge (Location: Airside).
Related Pages: Istanbul Airport Lounges
Istanbul Airport Hotels, Day Rooms & Sleep Pods
Quick Facts
- Nearest Hotel: Inside the Airport
- Sleep Cabins or Pods: Yes
- Day Rooms: Yes
- Nearby Hotels with Free Shuttles: No
When the prospect of sleeping on the floor or in a chair is giving you nightmares, there is good news for those of you who are looking to sleep at Istanbul Airport in comfort. If you are on a layover, you don’t have to go through security as there are two transit hotels offering both short-term and overnight rates. Sleep pods, perfect for single travellers seeking some privacy, are also available. The off-site hotels are a bit of distance from the airport so there doesn’t seem be any hotels with airport shuttles, but we have included a few nearby hotels in case you want to stay somewhere other than an sleep cabin.
With Covid restrictions constantly changing, we recommend that you confirm shuttle availability prior to booking and/or prior to your arrival.
Reader Tip: “If you are flying with Turkish Airlines and you have a layover of minimum 4 hours and maximum 9 hours, you maybe eligible for a free stay in a sleep cabin.” Check with the airline.
For more options, visit Tripadvisor to see a list of hotels near the new Istanbul Airport that can be sorted by price, distance, traveller rating and popularity.
Airport WiFi/Internet
Free WiFi is available at Istanbul Airport for one hour. To connect, go to a login page and create an account. A reader tells us “there are two ways to get free wifi 1) By using your phone number (not necessarily Turkish number, any country is applicable). You will receive a code to that number which will be needed to start using the wifi 2) By using your passport at wifi kiosks So basically, you have at least two hours of free wifi by using both of the above options The wifi name is “Turktelekomfree” or “Istanbulairport Turktelekomfree”. Connect to it and you will be redirected to a page where you can choose either option given above. ” (January 2020)
More Services, Facilities & Things To Do On A Layover At The Airport
ATMs / Cash Machines – Need cash? ATMs are available from seven different institutes. Fees may apply, so be sure to check your bank’s fee schedule and your daily withdrawal limit if you are travelling internationally. You may also want to notify your bank of your travel plans. Locations: Landside and Airside in both the Domestic and International Areas.
Banking Services – Bank Branches are available at the airport. It appears as though services are available Landside and Airside in both the Domestic and International Areas.
Currency Exchange – Information not available; however, perhaps services are available at the airport’s banks. See Banking Services above.
Duty Free & Shopping – UniFree Duty Free is available offering a high-tech shopping experience including 3-D Hologram systems (think virtual shopping), rechargeable smart shopping baskets, mobile payment points and more. A good variety of additional shops are available to pass your time at the airport. Hours: unknown.
Family Services
- Baby Care Rooms – If you are travelling with an infant, there are dedicated rooms equipped with diaper changing facilities and comfortable seating for private nursing. These rooms can be found at the following locations:
- Landside – Check-in Hall, near Entrance 1 • Arrivals Hall, after Baggage Claim.
- Airside – International Departures, Concourse A, across from Gate A6 • International Departures, Concourse B, Gate B2 • International Departures, at the start of Concourse D • International Departures, Concourse F, Gate F2 • Domestic Departures, Concourse G, between Gates G4 and G5.
- Children’s Play Area – When you want to ensure your kids burn off all their energy before their flight, take them to the children’s play area. Airside, Departures Level in the Playland.
Food & Drink – At the time of this update, we do not know if any food and drinks options are available 24 hours a day. The airport offers a good variety to choose from both Landside and Airside and will eventually offer 150 restaurants/coffee shops. A reader (July 2019) mentioned the availability of snacks (24/7) at the Duty Free shop and vending machines (might be best to have Lira available). If you can confirm other 24 hour food options, click here to update this airport guide.
Luggage Storage & Lockers – Öztürk Luggage Storage offer services in the International Area, Landside, Arrivals Area. Rates and hours: unknown.
Luggage Wrapping – QuickWrap offer services in the Landside, Departures Area of both the Domestic and International Areas. Rates and hours: unknown.
Mobile Charging – A reader tells us that mobile charging is available at every gate under the seats. (May 2019)
Pharmacy – Two are available: The Airport Pharmacy (International Terminal, Landside, Departures Area) • Melike Sultan Pharmacy (International Terminal, Landside, Arrivals Area). Hours: 24 hours.
Prayer Rooms – There are 22 rooms available for men and 22 rooms available for women. Locations: Multiple prayer rooms can be found in each concourse and locations are available landside and airside.
Rest Zones – A few options are available to tired passengers looking to catch some rest in between flights. A reader tells us: “The new Istanbul Airport has “Nap Zones” in the International terminal. There is one near Gate D section. There may also be others. They are equipped with day beds. ” Other readers have mentioned round couches at Gate B9 and 20+ lounge chairs (with a bamboo privacy wall) at upper level of the E1/E2 section.
Take precaution even when sleeping in the rest zones. In December 2019, a traveller at another airport reported that money and credit cards had been stolen from their bag even though the bag was right beside them. Protect and lock your bags as you would sleeping elsewhere in public.
Showers – Freshen up in between flights. Showers are available in the following area:
- IGA Lounge – Landside: Airside. See Airport Lounges above.
- The Ambassador Spa & Beauty Salon – Offers steam room and shower packages. Showers cost 15 EUR. See also Spa Services below.
- YOTEL Hotel – Airside and Landside locations. See Airport Hotels above.
SIM Cards – A reader tells us you can purchase SIM cards in the Domestic Terminal near the food court. As of late October 2022, it cost 700TL for a 40GB tourist SIM.”
Spa Services – The Ambassador Spa & Beauty Salon offers 30 minute treatments, full day spa and beauty services, steam room and shower packages, and even a place to catch a nap for a few hours. Locations: Terminal 1, Airside, beside the IGA Lounge. Hours: 24 hours.
Airport Hours
The airport is open 24 hours.
Airlines
The New Istanbul Airport is served by the following airlines: Aegean Airlines • Aeroflot • Afriqiyah Airways • Air Albania • Air Algérie • Air Astana • Air China • Air France • Ariana Afghan Airlines • ATA Airlines • AtlasGlobal • Air Moldova • Asiana Airlines • Azerbaijan Airlines • Belavia • British Airways • Buraq Air • China Southern Airlines • Corendon Airlines • Egyptair • Emirates • Ethiopian Airlines • Etihad Airways • Finnair • Fly Baghdad • Gulf Air • IndiGo • Iran Air • Iraqi Airways • Jazeera Airways • Kam Air • KLM • Korean Air • Kuwait Airways • LOT • Lufthansa • Libyan Airlines • Libyan Wings • Mahan Air • Meraj Airlines • Middle East Airlines • Nouvelair • Oman Air • Onur Air • Pegasus Airlines • Qatar Airways • Qeshm Air • Rossiya Airlines • Royal Air Maroc • Royal Jordanian • Saudia • Singapore Airlines • Somon Air • SCAT Airlines • Sichuan Airlines • Taban Air • TAROMA • Tunisair • Turkish Airlines • Turkmenistan Airlines • Ukraine International Airlines • Uzbekistan Airways • Zagros Airlines.
Airport Transportation: Getting To/From The Airport
Bus
Whether you are looking for a local bus or a luxury coach bus, the airport is well connected. Havaist offers luxury passenger (with luggage) transportation and connects every 15 and 40 minutes to/from the airport. They offer connections on 20 different lines. Local bus transportation is also available to a variety of destinations at a lower price. For routes and schedules visit the hava.ist and iett.istanbul web sites.
Hotel Shuttles
At the time of this update we were unable to find any hotels that offer airport shuttles. See also Airport Hotels above to see some hotel options at the airport.
Taxi
Taxis are available 24 hours a day and can be found outside the Domestic and International Arrivals and Departures halls. Three services are provided: black “E” type, blue “D” type, and orange “C” type taxis.
Metro
A connection to the light railway metro system which will connect IST airport to the city centre is expected to be completed in 2020.
Last updated: 2022-10-28
This guide is for informational purposes only to assist with your planning. All information, including rates and hours, are subject to change at any time without notice. The information in this airport guide is based on information collected and/or received from the airports, lounges, hotels, transportation providers and their web sites. We are not representatives of any of the above mentioned service providers. To report errors or to add/update any items mentioned in the guide: update the airport guide or write a review.
