Sabiha Gökçen Airport→Eyüpsultan

Sabiha Gökçen sits on the Asian side of Istanbul. Eyüpsultan sits at the top of the Golden Horn on the European side. Between the two lies the Bosphorus, and most of the city as well. The road distance is about 56 km, and the drive takes around 50 minutes when traffic flows. It is one of the longer airport runs in Istanbul, and it feels more like crossing a city than leaving an airport.

This page explains how the journey goes, what you find when you arrive, and how to plan around the traffic. It also covers early flights, late landings and the trip back to the terminal. A private car booked in advance means a driver is waiting when you land. You walk out to a vehicle sized for your group and your bags, and you ride straight to your door.

The route starts at the airport on the Asian side and heads west along the main motorway system towards the Bosphorus. The driver normally crosses on the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, also called the Bosphorus Bridge. This is the most direct line to the Golden Horn. When congestion builds, the driver can switch to the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the third bridge further north. The driver chooses the crossing on the day, based on live traffic, so you do not need to decide anything.

After the bridge you are on the European side. The road then turns north-west along the Golden Horn towards Eyüp. On a clear day you see the Bosphorus open out beneath the bridge, with ships queuing in both directions. Behind you the Asian shore recedes. Ahead, the hills of the old city rise above the water. For a first-time visitor, this stretch is a good introduction to Istanbul's scale.

Plan your day around the 50-minute figure as a best case, not as a promise. Istanbul traffic varies a lot by hour:

• Late at night and in the early morning, the motorway and the bridge move freely. The drive is close to the quoted time.
• At the morning and evening peaks, the bridge approaches slow down. The same journey takes noticeably longer.
• On Fridays, the streets around Eyüp grow busy near midday prayers. This adds time on the final stretch.
• On public holidays and religious festivals, Eyüp attracts large numbers of visitors. Expect slower roads close to the mosque.

If you have a dinner reservation, a tour pick-up or a hotel check-in deadline, keep a comfortable margin. Do not plan to the minute.

Eyüpsultan is a long way from Sabiha Gökçen by any other means. The public-transport option is a shuttle bus into the city, then a metro or bus connection, then another bus or a walk uphill. That is several changes, and you carry your luggage through all of them. With children or older relatives, it quickly becomes tiring.

A taxi from the rank is possible, but the ride is long and you negotiate or watch a meter after a flight. A pre-booked private transfer removes these problems:

• The car is yours alone. You never share it with other passengers.
• The price is agreed when you book, for the whole vehicle and not per person.
• The driver tracks your flight, so an early or late landing changes nothing for you.
• Waiting time for flight delays is free, so nobody rushes you.
• You are dropped at your own address, not at a distant corner.

Door-to-door matters more in Eyüp than in many districts. The old streets near the mosque are narrow and they climb the hillside. A driver who knows the area finds the right lane quickly. You avoid the long walk with suitcases that a taxi drop-off at the main road would give you.

After you clear passport control and collect your bags, you enter the arrivals hall. Your driver waits inside with a sign that shows your name. You do not search for a car park or a pick-up point.

The driver helps with your luggage and walks you to the car. Because the booking is linked to your flight number, the driver already knows when you land. If the plane is early, the driver adjusts. If it is delayed, the driver waits. In both cases the fare does not change.

Give the transfer team these details when you book:

• Your flight number and landing time
• The number of passengers
• The number of large suitcases, and any special items such as prams or sports bags
• The exact name and address of your hotel or guesthouse in Eyüpsultan
• A mobile number that works in Turkey, or a messaging app

The vehicle is chosen to fit your group and your luggage. A couple with two cases needs a smaller car than a family of five with a pram. A larger group travelling together can ride in one van or minibus. If you travel with small children, ask for child seats when you book and give the ages of the children. Child seats are available on request.

Eyüpsultan is one of the most respected districts of Istanbul. Its heart is the Eyüp Sultan Mosque, together with the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Pilgrims and visitors come here from across the city and from abroad. The atmosphere is quieter and more traditional than in the busy tourist areas of Sultanahmet, across the water.

Your driver takes you as close to your accommodation as the street allows. Most addresses can be reached directly. In a few narrow historic alleys near the mosque, a vehicle cannot enter. In that case the driver stops at the nearest point a car can reach, and you walk a short distance, roughly 50 to 100 metres, to the gate. The driver helps you carry your bags to the door. When you give the team your address before the trip, they check this in advance. This is also a good moment to tell them if anyone in your group has difficulty with steps or slopes.

Some smaller guesthouses in the old lanes close the reception desk in the late evening. If you land late, tell your host your arrival time. Ask for a door code or the name of the person who opens the gate. The transfer team can also coordinate the night arrival with your host before the driver leaves the airport.

Many flights reach Sabiha Gökçen late in the evening or in the small hours. This is where the route is easiest on the road. After 23:00 the motorway is far quieter than at midday, and the drive runs close to the 50-minute figure. You arrive in Eyüp when the district is calm and the lanes are almost empty.

The risk on a late arrival is not the road, it is the front door. Check these points before you fly:

• Does your hotel or guesthouse keep the reception open for your landing time?
• Does the host know that you arrive in the middle of the night?
• Do you have a phone number that the driver can call from the street?

For an early-morning landing, the situation is the opposite. You may reach Eyüp before check-in time. Ask your hotel if it can store your luggage. If it cannot, a walk to the mosque area and a quiet breakfast near the water is a pleasant way to wait. The district is at its most peaceful in the first hours of the day.

The district is easy to explore once you arrive. You do not need a car for most of it.

The Mosque and the Tomb

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque dates from the 15th century. It stands in a courtyard shaded by old trees. The tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari is beside it, and many visitors come to pray or to pay their respects. Visitors of every background are welcome in the courtyard. Dress modestly, remove your shoes where required, and keep your voice low. Women should carry a scarf to cover the hair when entering the prayer areas. Prayer times affect the flow of people, and the mosque gets busier around midday on Fridays.

The Old Cemetery

Behind the mosque, the hillside is covered by one of the most atmospheric cemeteries in Istanbul. Weathered Ottoman headstones lean among the trees, and narrow paths wind upward. The walk is steady rather than steep, and the shade makes it pleasant. It leads to Pierre Loti hill. Wear comfortable shoes, because the paving is old and uneven in places.

Pierre Loti Hill

At the top of the hill, a famous café looks over the whole sweep of the Golden Horn. It is named after the French novelist Pierre Loti. The view includes the glittering water, the minarets of the old city and, on a clear day, the far shore. Many visitors go at sunset for tea. You can climb through the cemetery on foot or take the cable car from near the mosque. The cable car is a better choice for older visitors and for families with young children.

Eyüpsultan is not a resort. It is a living neighbourhood with a strong religious character. The right base depends on what you want from the visit.

• Near the mosque. This is the best choice if the mosque and the tomb are the purpose of your trip. You walk to prayers and to the cemetery in a few minutes. It is lively in the day and quiet at night. Expect narrow lanes and some slopes.
• Along the waterfront. The area beside the Golden Horn is flatter and easier with luggage or a pushchair. It gives you open views and a calmer walk in the evening.
• Uphill, towards Pierre Loti. The upper streets are quiet and have wide views. The climb is real, so they suit visitors who are comfortable with hills, or who plan to use the cable car.

Eyüp also works well as a base for people who want to avoid the crowds of the main tourist district. Sultanahmet and the old walled city lie across the Golden Horn, and the neighbourhoods of Balat and Fener on the opposite shore are close as well.

Eyüp has a long tradition of home-style Turkish cooking. You find traditional restaurants with meze plates, grilled meats and fresh fish. Many places close earlier than the restaurants in the busier tourist areas, and the district has a calm evening rhythm.

A simple plan for the first evening works well. Walk to the mosque courtyard in the late afternoon, then eat at a local restaurant. If you still have energy, go up to Pierre Loti for tea as the light changes. If you arrive tired, a quiet meal near your lodging is enough.

A cross-city drive of this length is tiring for small children. Request child seats when you book. Keep snacks and water in your hand luggage, not in the boot. Tell the driver if a child tends to feel sick in cars, so that the ride is smooth. For older relatives, ask the team to check the final approach, because some lanes near the mosque include steps and slopes. Use the cable car for Pierre Loti hill instead of the walk through the cemetery.

Many families who visit Eyüp travel in larger groups, with grandparents, parents and several children. One larger vehicle keeps the whole group together. This is much easier than splitting into two taxis at the airport.

Eyüpsultan is open to visitors through the whole year.

• Spring. The hillside greens, the temperatures are mild, and the walk to Pierre Loti is at its most comfortable.
• Summer. Days are warm. Walk in the early morning and in the evening, and take tea at the hilltop café as the sun goes down.
• Autumn. The light is soft over the Golden Horn, and the crowds are smaller than in high summer.
• Winter. The district is quiet. Bring a coat, because the wind off the water can be sharp.

Religious holidays bring many more visitors to the mosque. If you want the quiet version of Eyüp, avoid those dates. Book your transfer early in either case.

The trip back to the airport follows the same road in the opposite direction. The same traffic rules apply, and you should be more careful, because a missed flight costs more than an early arrival.

Use this planning method:

1. Check the departure time of your flight and the check-in desk opening time.
2. Count back from the departure time. Leave room for check-in, bag drop, security and passport control.
3. Add the drive from Eyüp. Use 50 minutes as the minimum, not as the usual figure.
4. Add a buffer for traffic. If you leave in the morning or evening peak, add a larger buffer.
5. Agree the pick-up time with your driver the day before.

For a flight in the early morning, the roads are empty and the bridge is quick. For a flight at midday or in the evening, the traffic works against you, so leave earlier than you think necessary.

Tell the driver which airline you fly with, so that the car stops at the correct entrance. The driver helps with your bags at the kerb, and you walk straight into the terminal.

A transfer from Sabiha Gökçen to Eyüpsultan is a long ride, but it does not have to be a hard one. With a driver at the arrivals hall, a vehicle that fits your group and a clear plan for the last stretch, you cross Istanbul in comfort. You arrive in one of the city's most peaceful and historic districts rested, with your bags at the door.

Eyüpsultan is a good base for a stay of three or four days. The Golden Horn shore, the old walled city and the forests north of Istanbul all lie close by. You can reach most of them in a short taxi or ferry ride, so plan one or two outings around your time at the mosque.

Balat and Fener lie on the same shore, a short drive south-east of Eyüp. Their steep streets hold coloured houses, old churches and small cafés. They suit a slow morning walk. Wear flat shoes, because the cobbles are uneven and the streets climb.

Further along the water you find the Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the great Ottoman monuments of the old city. The Chora Church, known in Turkish as Kariye, lies near the Theodosian land walls and is famous for its Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. Check the current visiting arrangements for each site before you go, because opening rules change.

On the opposite shore of the Golden Horn, Miniatürk and the Rahmi M. Koç industrial museum give families a lighter alternative to mosques and cemeteries. Children usually enjoy both.

Eyüpsultan is the northern edge of the old city. Beyond it the land turns green. The Belgrade Forest, north of the district, is a popular place for a picnic or a walk under tall trees. It is a calm break from the stone streets, especially in warm weather.

The Black Sea coast is also within reach for a longer day out. Fishing villages and sandy bays line the shore to the north. A private car makes this trip simple, because public transport to the coast needs several changes. Ask the team for a driver for the day, and give your pick-up time and your return time when you book.

The streets around the mosque form a small market area. It is more modest than the Grand Bazaar and much calmer. Shops sell prayer beads, prayer mats, Quran stands, calligraphy and other religious keepsakes. Many visitors buy a small item as a memory of the pilgrimage.

Look for these things as you walk:

• Turkish delight and other sweets sold from open counters, often cut and weighed in front of you.
• Dried fruit and nuts, which travel well in a suitcase.
• Rosewater, perfumed oils and incense, sold in small bottles.

Food in Eyüp is simple and traditional. Look for grilled meat, lentil soup, stuffed vegetables and fresh bread. Breakfast is a local custom here: cheese, olives, eggs, tomatoes and tea, served in small dishes. A late breakfast followed by a walk uphill is a very good start to the day.

During the month of Ramadan, the district is especially full at sunset, when the fast ends. Restaurants fill quickly, and the streets are crowded. If you travel at that time, book your table early and expect busy roads near the mosque in the late afternoon. Many visitors find the atmosphere moving, and the evening call to prayer carries across the hillside.

If your flight leaves Sabiha Gökçen in the evening, you have a full day in Eyüp. Use it with care. The route back crosses the whole city, and the afternoon traffic is the heaviest part of the day.

1. Pack before breakfast. Leave your bags ready at the door.
2. Eat a slow breakfast near the mosque, then check out.
3. Ask your host to keep your suitcases at the reception desk. Most guesthouses agree if you ask the day before.
4. Take a last walk through the cemetery or ride the cable car to the hilltop.
5. Buy gifts before lunch, when the market streets are quieter.
6. Return to your accommodation, collect your bags and meet your driver.

Keep passports and boarding passes in your hand luggage. Souvenirs add weight, so check your airline baggage allowance before you buy. If your luggage grows, tell the transfer team when you confirm the pick-up, so the vehicle has room.

Agree the pick-up point with your driver the day before. If the street is too narrow for a car, walk to the nearest point the driver names, and allow extra minutes for the walk with your bags. Keep your phone switched on during the last hour. The driver then reaches you quickly, and you reach the terminal with time for a coffee before check-in.