How to travel to Turkey from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Ireland

Travel to Turkey from the USA

Most Americans arrive at Istanbul Airport (IST), the large airport on the European side of the city. Some airlines fly direct from a number of US cities to Istanbul, including on the east coast and in other major hubs, and some of these routes run all year. Check current schedules for your departure city. If there is no direct flight, the usual alternative is a connection in a European hub or the Gulf.

Flight time: roughly 9.5–11 hours non-stop from the east coast and around 12–14 hours from the west coast or Texas. Add time for a domestic connection if you are heading to Cappadocia or the coast.

Entry for US citizens

Turkey's rules for US passport holders have changed in recent years, including whether an e-visa is needed. Check the current requirement on the official site, evisa.gov.tr, and on the Türkiye page of travel.state.gov before you book. If you do need an e-visa, apply only through the official government website; look-alike sites add fees. Turkey often requires your passport to be valid well beyond your stay, so check the validity rule too.

Time difference

Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year and does not change its clocks. It is 7 hours ahead of New York during US daylight saving time and 8 hours ahead in the US winter; from Los Angeles it is 10 or 11 hours ahead.

Tips for the trip

Many eastbound flights arrive in the afternoon or evening. If you are flying on to Kayseri or Nevşehir for Cappadocia, check whether your domestic flight leaves from Istanbul Airport or from Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side, as moving between them takes a long time. Booking one through-ticket protects you if the long-haul flight is late.

Travel to Turkey from the UK

The UK has frequent direct flights to Istanbul, using both Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen, from London and several regional airports. In summer, direct flights also run from many UK airports to Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and Izmir, which are the gateways for the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. Check current schedules for your airport, as some coastal routes are seasonal.

Flight time: roughly 3.5–4 hours from London to Istanbul and around 4–4.5 hours to Antalya or Dalaman.

Entry for UK citizens

British passport holders have generally been able to visit Turkey visa-free for short tourist stays, often up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Turkey usually requires your passport to be valid for a period well beyond your stay and to have a blank page. Rules can change, so check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey before you travel, which also explains areas near the Syrian border where travel is advised against.

Time difference

Turkey is 2 hours ahead of the UK during British Summer Time and 3 hours ahead in the UK winter, because Turkey does not change its clocks.

Tips for the trip

A short flight and a range of airports make it easy to fly into one city and out of another, for example arriving in Istanbul and leaving from Antalya or Dalaman at the end of a coast route. Check which airport your group trip starts from: Istanbul has two, about an hour or more apart by road, and choosing the wrong one is a common mistake.

Travel to Turkey from Canada

Canadians usually fly to Istanbul. Some airlines fly direct from Toronto and Montreal at times, and there have been direct routes from other Canadian cities too; check current schedules. Otherwise, a connection in a European hub, a US city or the Gulf is common, particularly from western Canada.

Flight time: roughly 10–11 hours non-stop from Toronto or Montreal, and often 14–18 hours or more with a connection from Vancouver or Calgary.

Entry for Canadian citizens

Turkey's requirements for Canadian passport holders have changed in recent years, so do not rely on older advice about the e-visa. Check the current rule on evisa.gov.tr and on the Türkiye page of travel.gc.ca before booking, along with Turkey's passport validity requirement.

Time difference

Turkey is on UTC+3 all year. It is 7 hours ahead of Toronto and Montreal in the North American summer and 8 hours ahead in winter; from Vancouver it is 10 or 11 hours ahead.

Tips for the trip

If you are combining Turkey with Greece or another Schengen country, remember that days in Turkey do not count towards the Schengen 90-day limit, but you will go through the EU Entry/Exit System again when you enter the Schengen area. Leave a generous connection time in Istanbul if you are continuing on a domestic flight, as the airport is very large and transfer walks can be long.

Travel to Turkey from Australia

Most Australians reach Turkey with one stop. Common routes connect through Gulf hubs such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, or through Asian hubs such as Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, to Istanbul. Some airlines have offered one-stop services between Australian cities and Istanbul on a single airline at times. Check current schedules, as routes change.

Flight time: roughly 20–25 hours in total from Sydney or Melbourne, depending on the stopover; somewhat less from Perth.

Entry for Australian citizens

Australian passport holders have often needed an e-visa for Turkey, but rules for several nationalities have changed in recent years. Check the current requirement on evisa.gov.tr and smartraveller.gov.au before you book. If you need an e-visa, use only the official site.

Time difference

Turkey is on UTC+3 all year. It is about 7 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne in the Australian winter and about 8 hours behind during Australian daylight saving time. Perth is about 5 hours ahead of Turkey.

Tips for the trip

Anzac Day at Gallipoli on 25 April draws many Australians and New Zealanders, and flights and rooms around the Dardanelles and Istanbul are much busier at that time. If you plan to attend, check the official arrangements early. With such a long journey, arriving two days before a group starts gives you time to recover.

Travel to Turkey from Mexico

Some airlines have operated flights between Mexico and Istanbul at times, including from Mexico City and Cancún, sometimes with a stop. Check current schedules, because these routes have changed. Many travellers instead connect through a European hub such as Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt, or through a US city.

Flight time: roughly 13–16 hours on a one-stop service from Mexico City, and often 16–22 hours with a connection in Europe or the US.

Entry for Mexican citizens

Whether Mexican passport holders need an e-visa or a visa for Turkey, and on what conditions, depends on current rules, which have changed for several countries in recent years. Check evisa.gov.tr, the Turkish embassy or consulate in Mexico and gob.mx/sre before you book. If you connect through the USA, check the US transit document rules as well.

Time difference

Turkey is 9 hours ahead of Mexico City all year, because neither changes its clocks. From Cancún it is 8 hours ahead.

Tips for the trip

Overnight flights usually reach Istanbul in the afternoon or evening of the next day. Istanbul makes a good first base for a solo traveller: it is easy to spend two or three days there before joining a group for Cappadocia and the coast. Learning a few words of Turkish is appreciated, and Spanish speakers will find the market haggling style familiar.

Travel to Turkey from Ireland

Some airlines fly direct from Dublin to Istanbul, and in summer there are often direct flights from Dublin, and sometimes Cork or Belfast, to coastal airports such as Antalya, Dalaman and Bodrum. Outside summer, coastal routes usually mean connecting in Istanbul or another European hub. Check current schedules.

Flight time: roughly 4–4.5 hours from Dublin to Istanbul and around 4.5–5 hours to the Mediterranean coast.

Entry for Irish citizens

Irish passport holders, like citizens of most EU countries, have generally been able to visit Turkey visa-free for short tourist stays, often up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Check the passport validity rule and any changes on dfa.ie/travel and evisa.gov.tr before you go.

Time difference

Turkey is 2 hours ahead of Ireland in the Irish summer and 3 hours ahead in the Irish winter.

Tips for the trip

Coastal flights from Ireland are mostly aimed at beach holidays, so the most flexible way to do a culture-focused trip is to fly into Istanbul, travel through Cappadocia and the Aegean, and fly home from Izmir, Antalya or Dalaman, connecting where needed. Check whether your group trip includes the internal flight to Cappadocia or whether you book it yourself. Domestic flights within Turkey are frequent, but bag allowances on some low-cost fares are small.

Arriving in Turkey solo: Istanbul airports, night arrivals and meeting your group

Istanbul has two international airports. Istanbul Airport (IST) is north of the city on the European side, usually about 45–75 minutes from Sultanahmet or Taksim by road depending on traffic. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is on the Asian side and also an hour or more from the old city. Both are served by airport buses, and Istanbul Airport also has a metro line that connects into the city network.

Taxis and transfers

Use the official taxi rank, and make sure the meter is running, or pre-book a transfer, which many accommodations can arrange. It helps to have your hotel address on your phone in Turkish. Traffic in Istanbul can be heavy at rush hour, so add extra time if you are meeting a group.

Arriving at night

Night arrivals are common because of long-haul schedules. Airport buses run late, but a pre-booked transfer is the most relaxed option when you are tired and alone. Message your accommodation with your arrival time. Central areas like Sultanahmet and Karaköy are usually busy into the evening; quieter back streets are best avoided very late.

Money and connection

Change only a small amount at the airport and use bank ATMs in the city. Buying a local SIM or eSIM on arrival is straightforward but may require passport registration.

Joining a group trip on arrival

Check the meeting point, time and airport carefully, and whether a pick-up is included. Many group trips start with a welcome meeting in the evening, so landing in the morning or the day before gives you time to rest. Save the organiser's emergency contact offline.

Best time to fly to Turkey from the northern and southern hemisphere

For travellers from the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Mexico, the best months to be in Turkey are usually April to June and September to October, when Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast are all pleasant. These are also months when seasonal routes to the coast are usually running, but airports are less crowded than in July and August.

From the southern hemisphere

For Australians, the Turkish spring and autumn fall in the Australian autumn and spring. April is popular because of Anzac Day, and September and October work well for combining Turkey with Greece or Europe. Travelling over the Australian summer holidays means arriving in the Turkish winter, which suits an Istanbul city break or snowy Cappadocia but not the beaches.

Holiday periods

Flights and buses are much busier around the two main religious holidays, whose dates move about 11 days earlier each year, and in the Turkish summer holidays. Check the dates when you book.

Jet lag tips

• From North America, flying overnight and staying awake until the local evening on day one helps you adjust quickly.
• From Australia, the journey is long; a stopover or a slow first day in Istanbul helps.
• Morning light is the best reset: take an early walk along the Bosphorus or through Sultanahmet before the crowds.
• Cappadocia balloon flights start before dawn, so do not plan one for your first morning after a long-haul flight.

Combine Turkey with Morocco

Turkey and Morocco sit at opposite ends of the Mediterranean and there is no practical overland or ferry route between them, so you will fly. Istanbul is a large hub and there have been flights between Istanbul and Morocco's main airports; check current schedules for the dates you want. Otherwise, connect through a European hub such as Madrid, Barcelona, Paris or Rome.

A common pattern for travellers from the Americas or Australia is to fly into Istanbul, spend time in Turkey, fly to Morocco, and then fly home from Morocco or via Spain or Portugal. Neither Turkey nor Morocco is in the Schengen area, so days in either country do not count towards the Schengen limit, but a connection through a Schengen hub may mean passport control there.

The two countries complement each other well: Ottoman Istanbul and the landscapes of Cappadocia on one side, and the medinas, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara on the other. Spring and autumn are good in both. Check Morocco's entry rules for your passport separately, and allow for the time difference, as Morocco is usually two or three hours behind Turkey.