CPT - IST

Find cheap flights from Cape Town to Istanbul

1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Istanbul Airport

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Cape Town to Istanbul, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Cape Town to Istanbul, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Cape Town to Istanbul (CPT-IST)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Cape Town to Istanbul that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Cape Town to Istanbul

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CPT-IST
5235 mimulti-stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
IST-CPT
5235 mimulti-stop
Multiple Airlines
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Everything you should know

Our travelers' advice
AI-generated summary based on content written by travel experts
For a quick check-in, use Cape Town's main hall.
Istanbul's M11 Metro Line connects IST to the city.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 11% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
November
Cheapest • 13% price drop
June
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Cheapest round-trip
Multiple Airlines
Wed 10/29
CPT - IST • multi-stop
Cheapest one-way
Multiple Airlines
Wed 10/29
CPT - IST • multi-stop
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KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Istanbul!
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Cape Town to Istanbul flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Cape Town to Istanbul to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Cape Town to Istanbul?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Istanbul on a Wednesday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to Cape Town, you should consider flying back on a Friday, and avoid Saturdays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport is November, where tickets cost $611 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $840 and $805 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $770, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 11% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 23 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Cape Town to Istanbul

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarization of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airports
CPT

For a quick check-in, head to the central main hall. International departures are in the northern terminal section.

Read more about CPTby Daniel Scheffler
IST

Use the M11 Metro Line for a quick trip from IST to the city centre, operating from 6 am to midnight.

Read more about ISTby Jenna Scatena
Our travel experts
Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

Expert on CPT

Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler is a travel writer, podcaster, and producer. Born in Africa, bred in Europe and now living in America he has traveled to 140 countries (and all 50 U.S. states). Plus he has stayed at over 2500 hotels across the globe. His original shows Everywhere and Without Maps (available on Spotify) showcase his beliefs, travel is about humanity and sharing that beauty. And thus it reminds you that you shouldn’t believe everything you think.

Read more
Jenna Scatena

Jenna Scatena

Expert on IST

Jenna Scatena

Jenna Scatena

Journalist and Travel Writer, Jenna Scatena is an award-winning travel writer with a love for sharing stories and exploring new places, especially by Vespa. Though she's from San Francisco, she has spent a significant chunk of her vacation days over the last decade eating her way through Texas and sleeping in hotels around the world—especially in California, the Middle East, and Europe.

Read more

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 1% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 4% increase in price.

When to book flights from Cape Town to Istanbul

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Cape Town to Istanbul based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking Cape Town to Istanbul flights

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Cape Town and Istanbul?

    A passport is required to fly from Cape Town to Istanbul.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    Lufthansa, KLM, and South African offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Cape Town to Istanbul flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    The Airbus A350-900 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Cape Town to Istanbul flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Cape Town and Istanbul, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    There are nonstop flights from Cape Town to Istanbul on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Cape Town to Istanbul, Emirates or Qatar Airways?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Cape Town to Istanbul are Emirates and Qatar Airways. With an average price for the route of $856 and an overall rating of 8.1, Emirates is the most popular choice. Qatar Airways is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $661 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Cape Town to Istanbul.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Istanbul from Cape Town is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Istanbul with an airline and back to Cape Town with another airline. Booking your flights between Cape Town and IST can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Cape Town to Istanbul?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Istanbul from Cape Town up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Cape Town to Istanbul Airport

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $436 or less one-way and $743 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Cape Town to Istanbul?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Cape Town Intl to Istanbul.
Find which airlines fly direct from Cape Town Intl Airport to Istanbul Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Cape Town Intl to Istanbul

Monday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Tuesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Wednesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Thursday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Friday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Saturday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Sunday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Istanbul to Cape Town Intl

Monday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Tuesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Wednesday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Thursday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Friday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Saturday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

Sunday

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from Cape Town to Istanbul

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Cape Town to Istanbul. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Cape Town 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 3394 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.9Food
8.3Crew
8.2Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

The food options were excellent for Economy. It was difficult to find the lounge after clearing security and boarding was clunky

10.0 ExcellentRoss, Oct 2025FRA - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

The food options were excellent for Economy. It was difficult to find the lounge after clearing security and boarding was clunky

Crew were very good. Food service was a little slow and disappointing not having on demand dining and only 3 options. Amenity kits and pyjamas were excellent.

No kids provided. Instead we were told to have contacted the airline that we have kids and require kids meals. We were not the only ones who inquired about kids meals. It’s odd. Emirates and other airlines give kids meals as standard and before the adult food comes out. The rice in our meals was gluggy and under cooked. The chicken was also raw. Sadly not the best experience with Finn Air. The hostesses tried to compensate with the snacks and drinks but missed the mark by a long way. Especially when paying Emirates/Qantas prices

Sadly I couldn't get the food I requested as it was out. Also, if you don't want to be woken up make sure the crew knows it. My wife was woken on every service.

This was my first time flying with Emirates. Overall, the experience was very good. I thought the seats in economy would have been a bit more comfortable, but, they seem to be on par with other airlines. The food was excellent and very satisfying. If you can afford it, I would definitely suggest upgrading to at lest premium economy seats for long haul flights.

Similar to Hyd->Dubai this too was worst airlines. Bad seats, bad seating arrangement which created lot of confusion since family member were not given seat together. However most of them changed the seat and got with the family. Cheap tactics by Emirates.

We loved flying with Emirates in business class, the staff were fabulous, going above & beyond

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.

Very pleasant.The crews are very nice.Food were excellent.

Emirates is superb service. The A380 was very comfortable. The cabin crew is really helpful

I prebooked a comfort plus seat on this flight and therefore the flight was comfy. I got the correct seat in the correct section of the plane that I have booked, that's this. Flight was comfortable. Staff were average on the flight, appearing to be rushed and short in engagement with travellers, perhaps this to maximise there rest time on the flight.

Overall the experience was neat with crew being nice and caring especially to parent with kids. The free snacks option was okay. The kiosk at Philly airport didn’t work.

Reason for travelling Tampa to Orlando is to fly Qatar Airline. we end up with American Airline. This was the miserable experience I ever had in my entire travel history. Flight attendants were rude. They hit my knee with the food cart and I was holding ice pack for 2 hours. I still have the pain after a week. WE boarded the flight twice because of the temperature inside the plan.

Not sure how we end up with American Airlines instead of Qatar Airways. From Philadelphia to Qatar they boarded us then they asked us to unload. After 30 minutes later they board us again. The inside the plane it was burning hot and we were sweating like crazy. Crew members are absolute rude. The way they served the passengers were horrible. One of the crew members hit my knee with food cart and kept going. I was holding an ice pack for almost 2 hours. I am still with the pain.

It was ok, not much more can be said, as long as airlines/aircraft manufacturers insist on cramming in as many seats as possible....best of a bad situations, seats are simply too uncomfortable to sit in for more than a few hours. Lack of flexible headrests not a help on long overnight flights either.

I had to stay in the airport 15 even with a hotel reservation..i was refused to inter to qatar cuz the hotel was outside the airport. They could have offered a solution. It was really exhausting for me and my family.

Seats very small and unable to pre purchase internet or seat upgrades

I recently travelled in Business Class with Qatar Airways, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. The cabin crew stood out for their kindness and professionalism, making the journey truly comfortable. The food exceeded expectations and was exceptional in both quality and presentation. The boarding staff was courteous, though I would like to mention that the staff member responsible for checking tickets during boarding could benefit from additional training to be more welcoming. A warm and hospitable approach would enhance the passenger experience significantly. However, one aspect of the journey was particularly frustrating. The in-flight entertainment system was disappointing, as the headphones provided did not work at all due to a loose connection. This significantly impacted the experience, especially since the flight also lacked Wi-Fi service. Addressing these issues would greatly enhance the overall travel experience. Lastly, I would suggest implementing a section-wise boarding process to streamline the boarding experience and minimise potential challenges. I appreciate the efforts Qatar Airways puts into delivering high-quality service and hope to see these improvements implemented in the future.

The food is not good and also if you ask crew to bring something they say ok I will bring but you will never get it. Please they should listen good to passengers

Was downgraded from business to economy due to a faulty seat in business class. However when I boarded the plane there were no less than 5 free business class seats. Will never fly Qatar Airways again

Boeing 777 is a bad choice for a such a long flight.

It was great! Great value for the price I paid. Great crew and great food in business class

Everything was so smooth. It could be just a better temperature in the plane; it was a little cold.

Turkish Airlines will be my first choice to fly in the future.

On the Boeing 777-300 aircraft there is no personalized climate control for passengers. Every time I've ever flown on this type of airplane I've been uncomfortably warm. For shorter flights (less than 5 hours) this isn't a big deal, but on longer flights where a nap is required to stay comfortable it turns into a nightmare. I love turkish airlines, but I really fo hope they upgrade their fleet. I've flown turkish air once on a newer model and had a fantastic time, so I think its the plane more than the airline.

This is my 2nd time with the Turkish airline. Would definitely recommend. In stability we connected to Indiago would not recommend, very cramped seating. No inflight entertainment..service was inferior.

Staff friendly. Business class but issue with flat bed. Incoming Turkish flight delayed. Made connection due to fast buggy but luggage did not make it. Confusion at Delhi airport

I wouldn't know what the flight was like. AI canceled my flight reservation!! There's no way to speak to an actual human to fix the issue! NEVER AGAIN! ALWAYS BOOK YOUR FLIGHT DIRECTLY WITH THE AIRLINE NEVER GO THROUGH KAYAK OR JUSTFLY.COM!!

I really enjoyed the food, only bad part on one of my flights my screen was a bit buggy but it wasn't a big deal it was one of their older planes so I understand that happens

Paying extra for premium seats was wasted. Turkish Airlines takes 2 seats for bassinet. The lady next to me had a baby with bassinet Bassinet was in front of my seat

Need to do a lot of improvement on service and cleaness

Our first flight was delayed and when we got off that plane, nobody was really helping to direct us to the next gate. It was very frustrating. One staff simply said hurry, which wasn’t helpful. We had to go a long way to get to the next gate. Another issue on the plane itself was the bathrooms were disgusting and filthy and it didn’t seem like anybody was checking on them were cleaning them and it was a long flight. There was urine on the floor and they stunk. Also, the screen in front of my seat did not work, and I tried different headphones and still had no sound. You would think somehow those things are reviewed occasionally for working order.

They only gave us 30 minutes to make an international connecting flight. We didn’t make the connection but they did do a good job rebooking us despite the chaos. Our bags didn’t make it back and their process for customer support is pretty bad when it comes to luggage.

POSITIVES The hostesses were mostly pleasant, NEGATIVES The full flight wifi was horrible, hardly able to use it. My charger port was not working which made me use my neighbour's port which resulted in an accident which ruined her flight. During dinner, meat ran out when the cart got to us forcing us to eat vegetarian which was not great. We watched everyone around us eating meat. My wifi did not transfer to the second leg of my trip as they promised as they changed the plane. I was thrown off the window seat I booked for the 2nd leg of my journey as they changed planes, all done at my expense. This was not a cheap flight ($2600) which i hurriedly had to book to attend my mother's funeral who passed away suddenly. I was honestly disappointed with the whole saga as I heard Ethiopian Airlines was one of Africa's best.

The food was terrible and the seating was uncomfortable, but the airline did a great thing letting us board in Abbis Ababa on our connecting flight after our original flight was very delayed.

Delays delays making us miss or next connection to IAD hence having to stay additional 24 hrs in Addis Ababa

Checking in wasn't organized, too many so-called diplomats were jumping line while everyone was waiting in line. They should have their own line not to impede on other passengers that was also waiting to be served. We all paid money and there should be no discrimination because everyone's money should have the same value diplomat or not! If they want to give diplomats some special treatment then let them create their own check in desk and not treat other passengers some that are (elderly, some with children, pregnant women) making them stand longer in line than necessary just because people are jumping line 😡

Food hardly ever changes Videos not often updated for often travel.

Traveling with Ethiopian is always a good experience. I also enjoy the stay at skylight hotel in Addis

Lost suite case and pillow that’s used by senior and they didn’t leave it at the airport

Everything you need to know for your flight from Cape Town to Istanbul

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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