$1,220 Find Cheap Flights to Istanbul – Compare and Save

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Everything you should know

Cheapest return flight
$1,932
Typical prices: $2,039-$2,838
China Southern
Sun 25/2Wed 28/2
CHC - IST • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way flight
$1,152
Typical prices: $1,189-$1,696
Multiple Airlines
Fri 16/3
AKL - SAW • 3 stops
Top airlines
Best reviews • 8.4 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
Top routes
Cheapest • 21% average savings
Most popular
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 22 weeks in advance save around 26% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 7% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
+1
Good to know
+1
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We hope you enjoy your trip to Istanbul!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Istanbul

 
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals to Istanbul

Thu, 25 Feb - Sun, 28 Feb
China Southern Logo
22:30 - 06:40Christchurch  Christchurch-Istanbul Istanbul
42h 10m2 stops Guangzhou Baiyun Beijing Daxing Intl
China Southern Logo
14:25 - 17:20Istanbul  Istanbul-Christchurch Christchurch
40h 55m1 stop Guangzhou Baiyun
$1,932China Southern
1 day ago
Thu, 25 Feb - Sun, 28 Feb
China Southern Logo
22:30 - 06:40Christchurch  Christchurch-Istanbul Istanbul
42h 10m2 stops Guangzhou Baiyun Beijing Daxing Intl
China Southern Logo
14:25 - 17:20Istanbul  Istanbul-Christchurch Christchurch
40h 55m1 stop Guangzhou Baiyun
$1,935China Southern
2 days ago
Thu, 22 Apr - Thu, 20 May
Multiple Airlines Logo
06:10 - 07:15Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
34h 05m2 stops Brisbane Guangzhou Baiyun
Multiple Airlines Logo
15:30 - 06:30Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
30h 00m2 stops Beijing Daxing Intl Guangzhou Baiyun
$2,159Multiple Airlines
3+ days ago
Thu, 6 May - Sat, 22 May
Multiple Airlines Logo
17:20 - 12:35Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 15m2 stops Sydney Kingsford Smith Abu Dhabi Zayed Intl
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,164Multiple Airlines
1 day ago
Thu, 6 May - Sat, 22 May
China Eastern Logo
21:00 - 08:00Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
44h 00m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
China Eastern Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,177China Eastern
1 day ago
Sat, 10 Apr - Fri, 7 May
China Eastern Logo
21:00 - 08:00Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
44h 00m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
China Eastern Logo
14:00 - 15:45Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 45m1 stop Shanghai Pu Dong
$2,222China Eastern
3+ days ago
Mon, 19 Apr - Tue, 4 May
Qatar Airways Logo
12:15 - 12:10Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen
32h 55m2 stops Melbourne Doha Hamad Intl
Qatar Airways Logo
13:35 - 06:40Istanbul  Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen-Auckland Auckland Intl
32h 05m2 stops Doha Hamad Intl Melbourne
$2,305Qatar Airways
2 days ago
Thu, 11 Feb - Sun, 21 Feb
Qatar Airways Logo
13:15 - 12:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
33h 05m2 stops Melbourne Doha Hamad Intl
Qatar Airways Logo
13:50 - 06:50Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
31h 00m2 stops Doha Hamad Intl Melbourne
$2,312Qatar Airways
1 day ago
Thu, 31 Dec - Sat, 9 Jan
Air China Logo
14:15 - 08:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 05m1 stop Beijing Capital
Air China Logo
14:45 - 17:35Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 50m1 stop Beijing Capital
$2,420Air China
1 day ago
Thu, 31 Dec - Sun, 10 Jan
Air China Logo
14:15 - 08:20Auckland  Auckland Intl-Istanbul Istanbul
28h 05m1 stop Beijing Capital
Air China Logo
14:55 - 17:35Istanbul  Istanbul-Auckland Auckland Intl
40h 40m1 stop Beijing Capital
$2,420Air China
1 day ago
Booking Insights

Price, demand, and travel trends for flights to Istanbul

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines, and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights with more confidence.

What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul?

Christchurch to Istanbul is the cheapest route at $1,932 return, found in the past 5 days on KAYAK. Auckland to Istanbul is the most popular connection with return deals from $2,159.

How much is a flight to Istanbul?

On average, a return flight from New Zealand to Istanbul costs $2,335, based on KAYAK data over the past 12 months. Return fares from Auckland average $2,288, while Wellington runs a bit higher at $2,408.

What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul?

Monday is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul at $2,294 return on average over the past 12 months on KAYAK. Saturday is the most expensive at $2,480.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Istanbul?

•February is the cheapest month to fly to Istanbul with an average price of $2,170 return.
•December ($2,658) and September ($2,496) are the most expensive.

Based on KAYAK data over the past 12 months.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul?

Morning flights to Istanbul are the cheapest at $2,224 return on average. Evening flights are the most expensive at $2,903.

What is a good deal for flights to Istanbul?

Flights under $2,039 are considered a good deal. 25% of KAYAK users found return flights to Istanbul at or below these prices, with the lowest fares from:
•Auckland $2,020.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Istanbul?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Istanbul is Istanbul (IST), with an average flight price of $2,314.

When are flights to Istanbul the cheapest?

Flights to Istanbul are cheapest 22 weeks before departure. Booking in this window typically costs about 26% less than the average last-minute fare (within 2 weeks of the flight), based on KAYAK data.

Key details for flights to Istanbul

Low season

March

Cheapest flight

$1,152
Beat the crowds with an average 22% drop in travellers.
The most popular month to fly with an average 36% increase in travellers.
One-way flight from Auckland to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport

When to book flights to Istanbul

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel to Istanbul based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price

Your questions about flights to Istanbul, answered

Find helpful route details based on KAYAK data, including flight times, airports, airlines, and booking questions.

  • How do I know if a flight to Istanbul is a good deal?

    A good deal on a flight to Istanbul is around $2,039 return. This fare is in the lowest 25% of return flight prices searched on KAYAK, averaged across the cities most often searched as origins by KAYAK users.

  • Which airports serve Istanbul?

    Flights to Istanbul arrive at: Istanbul (IST) and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW).

  • How expensive are last-minute flights to Istanbul?

    Last-minute fares to Istanbul (booked within two weeks of departure) are typically 17% higher than the average return fare of $2,335.

  • What is the difference between the most popular and the most frequent airline at Istanbul?

    American Airlines operates the most flights from New Zealand to Istanbul at 0 per week, while China Southern is the airline most often selected by KAYAK users searching for flights from New Zealand to Istanbul. The two are often different because flight volume reflects an airline's schedule, while popularity reflects traveller choice.

  • Which airports serve Istanbul and the surrounding area?

    Flights to Istanbul can arrive at several major airports serving the metro area, including Istanbul (IST) and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW).

Your guide to booking Istanbul flights

From booking to airport arrival, find tips to help you plan your flight with more confidence.
  • For the best chance at a low fare to Istanbul, book around 22 weeks before departure. Based on KAYAK data from the last 12 months, fares are historically about 26% lower during this window than last-minute fares.
  • For flights to Istanbul, a good return fare is around $2,039. If you find a fare below that, you're getting a strong deal.
  • If your travel dates are flexible, consider flying to Istanbul in February. Return fares historically average $2,170, making February the cheapest month to travel based on KAYAK data from the last 12 months.
  • Before you book:

    • Check the route's typical price range so you can spot a deal.
    • Confirm baggage fees and seat selection costs on budget carriers.
    • Verify whether you need any travel documents beyond an ID.
    • Pick a departure airport, since your nearest may not be the cheapest origin.
  • Shift your departure to morning to save up to $679 on a return flight. Morning flights to Istanbul average $2,224 compared to $2,903 for afternoon flights.
  • Once you arrive in Istanbul, a few great places to start are Sultan Ahmet Camii, Taksim Square, and Tüpraş Stadyumu. These are popular with first-time visitors and can give you a good feel for the area.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Istanbul

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Istanbul? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3694 reviews
8.2Entertainment
8.2Boarding
7.9Food
8.1Comfort
8.4Crew
Airline reviews

As always Emirates is always dependent on the crew you get on the day and today was a good one. Everyone knew what they were doing and gracefully without hesitation . Great conversation all round even about the food and wine.

10.0 ExcellentWoei, May 2026
Read more Emirates reviews

As always Emirates is always dependent on the crew you get on the day and today was a good one. Everyone knew what they were doing and gracefully without hesitation . Great conversation all round even about the food and wine.

The crew were absolutely fantastic. They actively asked if passengers wanted refills and if they were comfortable. I was extremely impressed.

I liked everything: the service, the food, the cleanness. I flew last year with Qatar Airways, so I can compare. Emirates did much better! Especially their meals and service.

I would have liked less packaged snacky stuff, more fruit. The crew was great.

Emirates A380s are always wonderful to fly on. Their crews, food and service are always excellent. They are typically on time and the only thing I would change (maybe newer or upgraded aircraft have this) is bluetooth so I can pair my noise cancelling headphones without a cable.

Premium economy was worth it-comfort was definitely better than economy class. The seats were more comfortable, blankets and pillows thicker

Food was excellent. Leg room in economy, not so good; I’m 6’-1”.

The queue for checking for economy passengers was enormous! Only one desk open for economy faith s queue a mile long, whilst business and first class desks empty and unemployed. Will seriously consider changing to another next trip. Disappointed customer.

Food service must be faster and make vegetarian food in good quality

Flight good but it was 30min late taking off. Also don’t like landing then being loaded on bus and driven around the airport like it’s a sightseeing tour.

The barcode on the boarding pass could be made for everyone not just the wechat user.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

The airport didn‘t give me the ticket. I called customer service to ask for a refund but they kept giving me a perfunctory response and refused to refund me.

The back of the chair - premium economy could not move back - not worth the price

Crew: Everybody was polite. People just need to get efficient and less reworking things. Entertainment: Could have move movies and games. The “music” section is a joke, only ONE available. Food: The food provided on the flights boarding in china needs a serious reworking. Too much oil, bad for your stomach, tastes too artificial and the eggs were a giant mass of green dough.

Never got the wheelchair service when my parents arrived at LA . My mom was 74 , also my dad was 84 years old, both don’t speak English. I double checked with the front desk at Phoenix airport, making sure that they will be taking care of.

Had some luggage loading delays but it was still a good experience

1. I got very poor check in experience with the counter lady . This is the first airline I ever experienced that no combine check in weight allow . Even we have 4 of us but weight counter by piece . So we wasted lot of time argue and repack . This is super crazy 2. Next I left my Samsung tablet on the plane . And I started to escalate and finally spoke to southern airline lost and found in Malaysia and the amazing answer she give is : system nothing found and please try to call southern airline in china 🧐 . I have been flying many other airlines but this is my first encounterment with such irresponsible airline response and no empathy given to customer . My feeling is nobody bother whether how customer like me feel and I’m just too small for the management to take note .

The flight was okay it was the kayak customer service that was poor, I have been trying to change my name on my flight ticket 3 days before my flight and nothing got done about it even tho I messaged so many times and phoned, all I got in return was that is was being processed and still to this day nothing has been done about it, I think it’s disgusting and un needed stress to the trip.

Traveling with the Chinese airlines , their service superior to the US Airlines , they are much more friendly and the seats are comfortable , In the past I flew with United , now ,United Airline will become history for me .

old aircraft, some of the crew are not polite. I chose my seat to be window and I found it with no window and the seat was not operating...!!!

The plane cleanness, punctuality and crew attention was great. The airline is offering free fast wifi on the flight, however apparently without much policy on the use. Quite a few passengers felt the liberty to watch shorts or other content without headphones from their devices as well as talking for long durations over phone calls. This made a 4-hour, fully booked flight somehow difficult to bear.

Horrible horrible plane for such a long flight. I thought Qatar was a reputable airline. Was proven so wrong. Never again…:-(

The flight from HYD to DOH was delayed by 3 hours and we missed the connection from DOH to MIA. We had to wait 24H more to get the MIA flight. It was a total disaster. If the flight crew had waited 1 more hour to accommodate their 3 hour delayed flight, we would not have lost a whole day !

Flight departed punctually on time. Unfortunately it seems because the destination airport is a secondary airport the airline sees it fit to operate a plane with lower comfort and offerings. There was no inflight entertainment, wifi or let alone a screen to at least track flight status for remaining flight time.

No difference between US airline and Qatar. Both cramp as many people. The airline seems to change planes without notice choice is seating when making reservations online doesn’t match the plane a passenger is on. Especially paying extra. Nothing special No different than US carriers.

They made us deliberate waste time by holding our passports and boarding passes making us miss the flight

The qatar airways flights were great, the code share with Indigo could have been a lot better. There is no option for web check in, there is not information on the tickets for the INDIGO PNR this caused a problem with security letting us into the airport. The indigo staff did not even want us to line up before they opened the counters. There is not option on the indigo flgith to request special meals.

This was a really enjoyable flight. Even though I was in economy, I had a great deal of leg space, I had a nice meal, and the flight staff was helpful and friendly. A really great flight.

Seats were not comfortable and touch free remote wasn’t working.

everythings was good only the food is bad they don’t have enough food for all peoples they have only pasta and when i asked them about beef they said we don’t have

We were not aware of the strict 8kg limit on our carry on bag so we had to check out carry on bags. We were told of it by the gentleman putting tags on the smaller cabin baggage, and we had hoped since we had no checked bags, that they would allow the over weight bags at the cou twr, but they did not.

The boarding areas are not open and the direction signs for Business are not clear

It was good but Food I didn’t get as per choice, I asked for Non veg but I got veg . Entertainment, there is no Panjabi movies and Hindi movies also almost same which was a year ago .

Boarding is chaotic and confusing but otherwise it was fine.

Very good in general but we were assigned seats in different rows.

On plane great. Everything else needs improvement. Missed both connecting flights because of flight delays. The directions to go to the hotel desk were terrible. On the flight here I mistakenly went to wrong “hotel” both and got hoodwinked into paying for transportation and stayed in lesser hotel. The staff at airport were not helpful and signage is not clear. Next time I will fly different airline. Not sure how they got such a high rating with how they manage flights at Istanbul. Also the flight temp is hotter than any other carrier I have flown.

First Flight got delayed had to get rebook for another plane ride to connect the next day the process was not helpful at all had to figure the whole processs myself poor service plane was small and customer service was horrible will not fly this airline again

Boarding took long and there was a long queue. The seat didn't recline. The crew didn't have access to any medicine.

Excellent overall. Boarding was a mess. Queue up too early, takes too long for them to start boarding but they want everyone to queue up and wait and wait.

The flight was delayed. The staff made us wait in the room that is too small and it was crowded and with no seats available for waiting. They did not tell us why the delay occurred.

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

The temperature of the plane cabin is too hot. Sweat and uncomfortable. Also my food tray was broken down drinks fall off

For the price we paid, I couldn’t complain. Was good value for money. Service was excellent but food was mediocre. Crew were excellent and spoke English. You will never go hungry. The food was ample but was mediocre. Entertainment limited and wifi doesn’t all allow you to access some social media. The best part was comfortable seats and bed (business class) with a screen to close out the rest of the cabin.

Cheapest option from Gatwick £400 cheaper than Emirates and Qatar. Entertainment no where near as good as Emirates and Qatar, but saved £400 so all good.

Great staff and food. Seats pretty uncomfortable but plenty of legroom. Entertainment system outdated.

Gatwick London-Shanghai -Bangkok.. Would have liked entertainment screens, but I know these planes are not that new. Cheap flights at the time of booking, Emirates wanted double so you get what you paid for. I would fly again with them, but if Emirates was the same price I would go with them.

How do you run out of beer after one hour of a twelve hour flight?!

Couldn’t fly since they wouldn’t issue a boarding ticket. Something to do with not taking the departing flight since it was cancelled due to weather. No notice or anything about the trip being invalid. The app made it seem like I was all good for it. Never trusting travel agency

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