Istanbul Metro Map 2026: Lines, Tickets & Fares

Istanbul Metro Map: Key facts at a glance

• On Metro İstanbul lines, a regular ride with an İstanbulkart costs 46.20 ₺ (≈ $0.93); a BİRgeç electronic single-entry ticket costs 65 ₺ (≈ $1.31).
• The M2 and M4 normally run from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM. First and last departures vary by station.
• On Friday and Saturday nights, seven metro lines operate every 30 minutes from 12:30 AM to 5:30 AM; the M2 branch to Seyrantepe is excluded.
• The M11 reaches İstanbul Havalimanı from Gayrettepe. The transport ministry gives about 30 minutes for this section of the journey.
• The M4 reaches Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı from Kadıköy in 52 minutes, according to Metro İstanbul.

Current service alerts

Night metro services run on M1A, M1B, M2, M4, M5, M6 and M7 on Friday and Saturday nights from 12:30 AM to 5:30 AM every 30 minutes. Check the latest service updates before traveling.

Istanbul spans two continents, but its modern metro is much younger than the historic Tünel. The first section of today’s M1A opened in 1989; the Tünel, opened in 1875, is an underground funicular instead. TÜİK recorded around 15.8 million residents in Istanbul in 2025. Ankara is the capital of Türkiye.

The Istanbul Metro Map uses line codes and colors to distinguish modern M lines. Metro İstanbul lists M1A and M1B plus M2 through M9 in its timetable selector. The M11 to İstanbul Havalimanı and Marmaray, which links the continents, are operated by TCDD Taşımacılık and need to be considered separately for services and fares.

A Metro İstanbul update dated October 10, 2026 reports 245.8 km, 240 stations and 18 rail lines. Those figures include tram, funicular and cable-car services, so they do not describe the metro alone. On October 6, the operator recorded 3,301,070 passenger journeys on a day with free travel; that was a record, not a typical daily average.

The operator’s current diagram distinguishes metro, tram and other rail services. That matters for an Istanbul subway map: many Old City sights are on tram T1, whereas Taksim is directly on metro M2. The Istanbul Metro Map in the viewer shows Metro İstanbul’s official July 2026 rail network map. It includes M11 via İstanbul Havalimanı to Halkalı and M4 to Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı.

Istanbul recorded 18,972,699 foreign arrivals through its border crossings in 2025; this is not an attendance figure for individual attractions. For Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar, take tram T1 after transferring from the metro. For Galata Tower, use M2 Şişhane; for Taksim Square, leave M2 at Taksim.

The destinations table identifies the final rail leg and the station to use. T1 is a tram and F1, used for Dolmabahçe Palace, is a funicular. Both are rail services, but neither is a metro line. Allow time to walk from the listed stop to your destination.

For İstanbul Havalimanı (IST), change from M2 to M11 at Gayrettepe; M7 Kağıthane is another interchange. The M11 serves İstanbul Havalimanı station. The transport ministry gives about 30 minutes from Gayrettepe to the airport. The line now continues to Halkalı and is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık. Check the M11’s own fare information for that journey.

For Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı (SAW), take M4 to the station of the same name. Metro İstanbul gives 52 minutes from Kadıköy for the full line journey. From Marmaray, change at Ayrılık Çeşmesi for the M4 towards the airport; the airport identifies Terminal Entrance 3. The M1A terminus named Atatürk Havalimanı refers to a different airport and is no substitute for IST or SAW.

Metro İstanbul fares apply to its own lines and must not be assumed for the TCDD-operated M11. A regular metro entry with a reloadable İstanbulkart costs 46.20 ₺ (≈ $0.93). The BİRgeç electronic single-entry ticket costs 65 ₺ (≈ $1.31). These prices were listed on October 20, 2026; the dollar estimates use the European Central Bank reference rates for that date.

Besides BİRgeç, the operator lists electronic tickets for two, three, four, five and ten rides. A physical İstanbulkart costs 165 ₺ (≈ $3.33) before any travel credit is added. For frequent travel, the full-fare Mavi Kart allows 180 uses; it is not an unlimited monthly pass. İstanbulkart also works on other public transport, while Şehir Hatları ferries have their own fares, some of which depend on the route.

You can get and top up an İstanbulkart at Biletmatik machines in metro stations. At the gate, hold the card or a valid electronic ticket against the reader. If you enter through another gate later, scan the card again; other transport modes have their own transfer rules. Jetons have not been sold for years.

The official İstanbulkart Mobil app from BELBİM supports QR rides and topping up a physical İstanbulkart. Links to Google Play and the Apple App Store are in the ticket table. TCDD Taşımacılık provides separate fare and ticket information for the M11. Metro İstanbul uses access gates and security staff; unauthorized entry can result in administrative action.

The operator lists normal service on M1A, M2 and M4 from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM. These are line hours, and the first or last train at your station may differ. The station timetable selector covers M1A, M1B and M2 through M9. The winter timetable has applied since September 14, 2026, with different daytime frequencies.

Frequency varies by line. Metro İstanbul lists a peak interval of 3 minutes 55 seconds on the main M2 section and 5 minutes on M4. The published peak figures are 7 minutes on M3 and M8, and 9 minutes on M9. A blanket 10-minute frequency would misrepresent the network. Check your station when planning for the last train.

The operator’s line information remains available for M1A, M1B, M2, M3, M4 and M6. These pages also list stations and interchanges. For M5, M7, M8 and M9, use the operator’s corresponding line selector.

For departures from a specific station, choose the line and then your stop in the official timetable selector: timetable M1A, timetable M1B, timetable M2, timetable M3, timetable M4, timetable M5, timetable M6, timetable M7, timetable M8, timetable M9.

On Friday and Saturday nights, M1A, M1B, M2, M4, M5, M6 and M7 run every 30 minutes from 12:30 AM to 5:30 AM. The M2 branch between Sanayi Mahallesi and Seyrantepe is excluded. Separately, İETT runs Metrobüs around the clock and currently lists six routes. Individual late-night departures depend on the station and line.

The M4 remains on the Asian side. To travel between Europe and Asia, you can take Marmaray beneath the Bosporus and transfer to M4 at Ayrılık Çeşmesi. For M11, the ministry lists a 15-minute interval and departures from the termini from 6:00 AM to 11:45 PM from Halkalı towards Gayrettepe and 5:55 AM to 11:55 PM in the other direction. Those windows do not apply automatically to every intermediate station.

For a trip to İstanbul Havalimanı, treat the M11 separately from Metro İstanbul timetables. The ministry’s M11 operating information gives the interval and terminal departure windows, but no station-by-station timetable. For a current cancellation or short-term service change, check information from the responsible operator.

The metro continues to expand, although M4, M7 and M8 are already in service. The M8 from Bostancı to Parseller opened in 2023, and M5 has reached Sultanbeyli since May 2026. Metro İstanbul lists the M1B extension to Halkalı, two M7 sections, and M10 and M12 as ongoing projects. Distinguish these future routes from operating lines when using the Istanbul Metro Map.

For the planned M7 extension from Mahmutbey to Esenyurt, a 2024 İBB planning report named 2027 for the first stage and 2029 for the second. These are planning targets, not guaranteed opening dates. By contrast, the M11 extension to Halkalı has carried passengers since June 2026. The operator pages linked above provide current line status.

At Metro İstanbul stations, access gates, security staff and cameras are part of everyday operations. Security staff may inspect bags and parcels, so follow any instructions at the gate. Have your valid ticket ready when you pass through the barrier.

Fun Fact: The historic Tünel opened on January 17, 1875 and covers 573 meters between Karaköy and Beyoğlu. İETT operates it as an underground funicular. It belongs to Istanbul’s transport history, but it is not one of the modern M lines.