Istanbul Metro & Tram Map – Free PDF (2025 Update)

As a licensed tour guide who has been navigating this city with travelers for over 20 years, I know how challenging it can be to figure out the public transportation system on your first visit. With dozens of metro and tram lines crisscrossing Istanbul on the map, it’s easy to get confused about which line to take, where to transfer, or how to reach iconic sites like Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar, or Taksim Square.

That’s why I prepared this guide. Here you will find up-to-date Istanbul metro and tram maps, as well as insider tips that will make your journey much easier. Whether you’re traveling from the airport to Sultanahmet, or taking the tram along the historic Golden Horn, this article will help you plan your trip with confidence.

To fully enjoy Istanbul’s public transport network, you will need an Istanbulkart (public transport card). This card allows you to travel seamlessly on the metro, tram, ferry, and buses across the city. For step-by-step instructions on where to buy Istanbulkart, how to top it up, and how to get refunds, please see our detailed guide: Istanbulkart Price & Usage Guide (Updated for 2025) .

1. Istanbul Metro Map 2025

You can view and download the Istanbul Metro Map in PDF format free of charge using the dark blue button below.
The map is officially prepared by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and is suitable for both online viewing and printing.

This high-resolution Istanbul metro map focuses on the main metro lines that are most useful for visitors traveling around the city. Below, you will find a short overview of the metro lines that tourists use most frequently in Istanbul.

Among these, M2, M4, and M11 are the most popular lines, as they provide direct access to key areas such as the historic city center, Taksim, and Istanbul Airport.

M2 Yenikapı – Hacıosman Metro Line

The M2 Yenikapı – Hacıosman Metro Line is the most frequently used metro line in Istanbul. Starting from Yenikapı (Historical Peninsula of Istanbul), one of the city’s main transportation hubs, it provides direct access to major business and lifestyle areas such as Taksim, Levent, and Maslak.

The M2 line is also the most popular metro line among both local residents and foreign visitors, as some of Istanbul’s best-known shopping malls—such as Cevahir, Kanyon, and İstinyePark—are located along this route.

In addition, through its Yenikapı and Vezneciler stations, the M2 line serves the extensive hotel districts of Aksaray, Laleli, and Beyazıt, which are especially popular with families due to their larger hotels and central location. From these areas, the line continues north and provides a direct connection to Gayrettepe, the main transfer point for the Istanbul Airport metro line (M11).

M4 Kadıköy – Sabiha Gokcen Airport Line

The M4 line, which starts from Kadikoy on the Asian side, connects to Sabiha Gokcen Airport. To access this line from the European side, you can take the Marmaray to Ayrilik Cesmesi Station, where you can seamlessly transfer to the M4 metro.

Those who stay around Beyazit and Laleli can get on Marmaray from Yenikapi Station. On the other hand, those who stay in places such as Sultanahmet, Sirkeci and Eminonu can also go to the Asian Side by Marmaray from Sirkeci Station.

Leaving the Old City, Marmaray comes to a station called “Ayrilik Cesmesi” on the Asian Side. You can transfer to M4 here. You can go to Sabiha Gokcen Airport by M4 metro, as well as Akasya, Optimum, Palladium, Piazza and Neomarin, which are the most popular shopping malls on the Asian Side.

M11 Gayrettepe – Istanbul Airport Line

M11 Gayrettepe – Istanbul Airport metro line was completed in 2024. It is now possible to come from Istanbul’s new airport to the city center by metro. You can see that the M11, marked in purple on the above metro map of Istanbul, extends towards the north of the city.

2. Istanbul Tram Map 2025

You can view and download the Istanbul Tram Map (2025) in PDF format free of charge using the dark blue button below.
The tram map shown above is officially prepared by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and highlights the tram and funicular lines that are most useful for visitors.

Below, you will find brief and practical descriptions of the main lines displayed on this tram map, with a focus on routes commonly used by tourists.

T1 Kabataş – Bağcılar Tram Line

The T1 Kabataş – Bağcılar Tram Line runs from Bağcılar, one of Istanbul’s busiest residential areas, to Kabataş on the Bosphorus waterfront.
While the eastern part of the line mainly serves local commuters, the most important stops for visitors appear as the tram approaches Kabataş, passing through key historic areas such as Sultanahmet, Eminönü, and the Grand Bazaar area.

T5 Eminönü – Alibeyköy Tram Line

The T5 Eminönü – Alibeyköy Tram Line is a convenient option for travelers heading from the Old City toward districts like Fener and Balat, Ayvansaray, and Eyüp.
The line starts from a tram stop located very close to the Spice Bazaar, making it easy to combine sightseeing with local transport.

Using this line, you can explore Fener and Balat’s colorful streets, visit Ayvansaray to see the Byzantine city walls, Chora Church, and Tekfur Palace, and continue to Eyüp to reach Pierre Loti Hill.

F1 Taksim – Kabataş Funicular Line

The F1 Taksim – Kabataş Funicular Line is not technically a tram line, but it is shown on the tram map for a practical reason.
The T1 Tram Line, which runs from Sultanahmet to Kabataş, connects directly to Taksim Square via the F1 funicular.

Since Sultanahmet and Taksim Square are the two most important areas for visitors, the easiest way to travel between them is to take the T1 tram to Kabataş and then transfer to the F1 funicular up to Taksim.

3. Istanbul Marmaray Line 2025

On the Istanbul Marmaray Map, the Marmaray route is shown as a yellow line.
You can view and download this map free of charge in PDF format using the dark blue button below. The map above clearly shows how Marmaray runs along the Marmara coast, connecting the Asian and European sides of Istanbul.

The Marmaray line starts from Gebze, on the eastern edge of the metropolitan area, and continues westward along the coast before ending at Halkalı. It is a modern rail system built on the city’s historic railway corridor, which is why Marmaray has a relatively large number of stations.

Since this article focuses on routes most useful for visitors, we will mainly refer to the Marmaray stations located between Ayrılık Çeşmesi (Kadıköy) and Yenikapı, where the line connects with Istanbul’s central transport network.

In the past, ferries were the most reliable way to travel between the Asian and European sides of the city, as crossing the Bosphorus by bus could take an unpredictable amount of time. With the introduction of Metrobus and Marmaray, cross-continental travel in Istanbul has become much faster and more efficient.

Today, Marmaray allows you to travel from Sirkeci (Old City) to Üsküdar in just 4 minutes, or to Kadıköy in about 8 minutes, making it one of the fastest transport options in the city.

Most visitors stay around Sultanahmet or Taksim.
For travelers based in Sultanahmet, the closest Marmaray station is Sirkeci. Those staying in Taksim can take the M2 Metro to Yenikapı, transfer to Marmaray, and continue easily to the Asian Side of Istanbul.

4. Istanbul Metrobus Map 2025

On the Istanbul Metrobus Map, the Metrobus route is highlighted with a light brown line.
You can view and download this map free of charge in PDF format using the dark blue button below. The map above clearly shows how Metrobus connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul via its dedicated bus corridor.

The Metrobus line starts from Söğütlüçeşme on the Asian Side, crosses the Bosphorus bridge, and continues westward to Beylikdüzü, one of the outermost districts on the European Side.

While Beylikdüzü itself is not a touristic area, it is home to some of Istanbul’s largest exhibition and fair centers. For this reason, Metrobus can be useful for visitors attending international tourism, food, or book fairs held in this district.

One of the most important advantages of Metrobus is that it provides fast and direct access to the Asian Side from central areas such as Mecidiyeköy and Zincirlikuyu, without the need to pass through Beşiktaş or Taksim.

Many visitors stay in districts like Mecidiyeköy, Şişli, Levent, or Maslak, where there is a wide range of hotels. From these areas, Metrobus offers a much quicker alternative for reaching Kadıköy compared to traditional routes.

The main drawback of Metrobus is crowding during rush hours. It can be very difficult to use between 08:00–10:00 in the morning and 18:00–20:00 in the evening. Outside of these peak hours, however, Metrobus can be a highly efficient and time-saving option for crossing between the two sides of the city.

5. Istanbul Ferry Lines 2025

The Istanbul Ferry Map highlights many of the city’s most historic and touristic waterfront areas.
You can view and download this map free of charge in PDF format using the dark blue button below. The map above shows ferry routes connecting key districts along the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and both sides of Istanbul.

Since it can be difficult to identify ferry piers only by neighborhood names, the map uses numbered markers. Below is a clear explanation of each numbered ferry route, showing where each ferry departs from and where it goes.

Numbered Ferry Routes on the Map

1) Turyol Bosphorus Cruise
Bosphorus sightseeing cruises operated by Turyol, departing mainly from Eminönü and Karaköy.

2) Şehir Hatları Bosphorus Cruise
Official Bosphorus cruise routes operated by Şehir Hatları, with departures from Eminönü and nearby piers.

3) Eminönü → Kadıköy / Üsküdar
Regular ferry services from Eminönü to the Asian Side, stopping at Kadıköy and Üsküdar.

4) Karaköy → Kadıköy
Direct ferry connection between Karaköy (European Side) and Kadıköy (Asian Side).

5) Dentur Bosphorus Cruise
Bosphorus sightseeing cruises operated by Dentur, departing from central waterfront piers.

6) Beşiktaş → Kadıköy / Üsküdar
Regular ferry services from Beşiktaş to both Kadıköy and Üsküdar on the Asian Side.

7) Üsküdar → Eminönü
Return ferry route from Üsküdar to Eminönü, commonly used by commuters and visitors.

8) Kadıköy → Eminönü
Direct ferry connection from Kadıköy back to Eminönü on the European Side.

It is important to note that ferries departing from Eminönü and Beşiktaş usually serve both Kadıköy and Üsküdar. Since these two districts are located very close to each other, they are grouped together on the map rather than being numbered separately.

Conclusion

I hope this guide to Istanbul’s metro, tram, ferry, Marmaray, and Metrobus maps has been helpful in planning your movements around the city. While each of these maps is useful on its own, they focus purely on transport routes and do not compare districts in terms of touristic value. On most transport maps, all neighborhoods—whether interesting for visitors or not—are simply shown as small dots.

If you would like a clearer picture of where the main tourist attractions are located, you may also want to review my article titled Istanbul Tourist Attraction Maps. That guide focuses on historic areas, landmarks, and sightseeing zones, and can help you create a more efficient travel plan while visiting Istanbul.

As a final note, in this article we examined Istanbul’s transportation system by separating it into categories such as metro, tram, funicular, ferry, and Metrobus. If you prefer to see all rail-based transport systems together, you can view the All Transport Systems Map below. This comprehensive map shows Istanbul’s entire rail network on a single screen and can be viewed in full size using the link in the dark blue box.

Written by Serhat Engul