How to Use the Marmaray: Istanbul's Cross-Bosphorus Train

How to use the Marmaray in Istanbul

The Marmaray is a commuter rail line that runs under the Bosphorus, connecting the European and Asian sides through a tunnel between Sirkeci and Üsküdar. Trains run roughly every 5 to 10 minutes from around 06:00 to midnight, and you pay with the same İstanbulkart or contactless bank card you use for the metro and tram. The undersea crossing itself takes about four minutes.

For a visitor, the Marmaray solves one specific problem well: getting from the old city on the European side to the Asian side quickly, without waiting for a ferry. It is not a scenic ride, since most of the useful stretch is underground. But it is fast, cheap, and runs later than the ferries. If you are staying in Sultanahmet and want to eat dinner in Kadıköy, this is often the smartest way over.

Do I need a separate ticket to ride the Marmaray in Istanbul?

No separate ticket is needed. The Marmaray runs on the same İstanbulkart and contactless payment system as every other public transport line in Istanbul, so you tap the same card at the turnstile that you use on the tram, metro, and ferry. One important detail: an İstanbulkart bought fresh from a machine sometimes needs to be activated with an initial top-up before it will open the Marmaray gates.

If the gate rejects your card on the first try, it is usually because the card has no balance or was never loaded. Top it up at any yellow İstanbulkart machine in the station, then tap again. Contactless bank cards (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) also work directly at the turnstiles, and this is the simplest option for a short visit where you do not want to buy a physical card.

How much does the Marmaray cost with an Istanbulkart?

The Marmaray uses distance-based pricing across three fare zones, so the cost depends on how far you ride rather than a flat rate. Short trips inside the central stations start around 40 to 50 lira with an İstanbulkart in 2026, and the longest end-to-end journeys run higher as you cross more zones. Metro Istanbul's posted fare tables show the current per-zone rates.

Because the fare is measured gate-to-gate, you tap once when you enter and once when you exit, and the system calculates the distance. This is different from the flat-fare metro and tram, where a single tap covers the whole ride. If you are only crossing between Sirkeci and Üsküdar, you stay within the cheapest zone band, so the Bosphorus crossing is one of the best-value train rides in the city.

How do I get from Sultanahmet to the Asian side by train?

From Sultanahmet, walk down toward the water to Sirkeci Marmaray station, which sits near Eminönü and takes about 12 to 15 minutes on foot from the Blue Mosque area. Take any Marmaray train heading east, ride under the Bosphorus, and get off at Üsküdar. The whole trip from platform to platform is under ten minutes, and Üsküdar station connects up to the ferry pier and the M5 metro line.

If you are heading further, stay on past Üsküdar toward Ayrılık Çeşmesi, where the Marmaray meets the M4 metro. The M4 carries you down to Kadıköy and out toward Sabiha Gökçen airport. For a trip to Kadıköy specifically, many visitors still prefer the ferry from Eminönü for the view, but when the ferries have stopped for the night, the Marmaray plus a short M4 hop is the reliable backup.

Which stations connect to the tram and metro

Three Marmaray stations matter most for visitors making connections. Sirkeci links to the T1 tram, which runs through Sultanahmet and up to Kabataş, so you can chain a train ride into old-city sightseeing. Üsküdar connects to the M5 metro on the Asian side. Ayrılık Çeşmesi is where the Marmaray meets the M4 metro toward Kadıköy and Sabiha Gökçen airport.

Because all of these run on the same card system, transfers are simple: you tap out of the Marmaray and tap into the next line, and Istanbul's transfer discount reduces the fare on the second leg if you switch within about two hours. For live routing and current schedules, the official İstanbul transport site and the Moovit app both cover the full network.

Last note: the Marmaray stops running around midnight, earlier than a taxi but later than the ferries. Check the last-train time at your station before you plan a late crossing back.