IST - SFO

$371 Find Cheap Flights from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Istanbul to San Francisco departing on 3/29. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Francisco

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Istanbul to San Francisco.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Istanbul to San Francisco.
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41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$542
Overall average: $686
KLM
Sun 3/8Tue 4/7
IST - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$671
Typical prices: $656-$889
Turkish Airlines
Thu 2/12Mon 2/23
IST - SFO • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
Arrive early at IST for a smooth departure process.
Use BART for a quick ride from SFO to downtown.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
KLM
Cheapest • from $542 (round-trip)
KLM
Best reviews • 7.7 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
2 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 10% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
March
Cheapest • 13% price drop
June
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to San Francisco!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Istanbul to San Francisco (IST-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Istanbul to San Francisco 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 Istanbul to San Francisco

Sun, Mar 8 - Tue, Apr 7
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 12:50 pm
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
1:45 pm - 4:20 pm
SFO
-
IST
16h 35m
1 stop
$542KLM
Tue, Feb 10 - Tue, Feb 24
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
1:55 pm - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
16h 00m
1 stop
$543KLM
Tue, Feb 17 - Tue, Mar 24
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
2:55 pm - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
16h 00m
1 stop
$546KLM
Tue, Feb 10 - Tue, Feb 24
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
12:14 pm - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
17h 41m
2 stops
$547KLM
Thu, Feb 5 - Thu, Feb 19
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
3:40 pm - 3:50 am
SFO
-
IST
25h 10m
1 stop
$549KLM
Wed, Feb 11 - Mon, Feb 23
KLM Logo
4:50 am - 1:25 pm
IST
-
SFO
19h 35m
1 stop
KLM Logo
1:55 pm - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
16h 00m
1 stop
$550KLM
Wed, Feb 18 - Wed, Feb 25
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
9:55 am - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
20h 00m
2 stops
$551KLM
Wed, Feb 18 - Wed, Feb 25
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
3:40 pm - 3:50 am
SFO
-
IST
25h 10m
1 stop
$552KLM
Wed, Feb 11 - Mon, Feb 23
KLM Logo
4:50 am - 1:25 pm
IST
-
SFO
19h 35m
1 stop
KLM Logo
10:20 am - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
19h 35m
2 stops
$554KLM
Wed, Feb 25 - Tue, Mar 24
KLM Logo
5:55 pm - 11:50 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 55m
1 stop
KLM Logo
2:55 pm - 4:55 pm
SFO
-
IST
16h 00m
1 stop
$555KLM
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Istanbul to San Francisco flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Istanbul to San Francisco 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

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

If you are looking for a flight deal from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco, look for departures on Thursdays and avoid leaving on a Saturday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from San Francisco, Monday is the cheapest day to fly and Friday is the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco, 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco is March, where tickets cost $686 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $995 and $912 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

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 $762, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco, 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 10% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Istanbul to San Francisco

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Jenna Scatena

Jenna Scatena

Expert on IST

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.

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specializing in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favorite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history. She will always choose the window seat.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$371
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 5% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 2% lower on average.
Flight from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco

When to book flights from Istanbul to San Francisco

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Istanbul to San Francisco 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco flights

  • What is the cheapest flight from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco was $371 for a one-way ticket and $542 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Istanbul Airport and San Francisco?

    A passport is required to fly from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    The Airbus A350-900 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Istanbul Airport to San Francisco flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    SkyTeam, oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Istanbul Airport and San Francisco, with SkyTeam being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    There are nonstop flights from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Istanbul to San Francisco, Delta or KLM?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Istanbul to San Francisco are Delta and KLM. With an average price for the route of $700 and an overall rating of 7.9, Delta is the most popular choice. KLM is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $560 and an overall rating of 7.7.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Francisco from Istanbul Airport 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    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 San Francisco with an airline and back to Istanbul Airport with another airline. Booking your flights between Istanbul Airport and SFO 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

    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 San Francisco from Istanbul Airport 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 Istanbul Airport to San Francisco

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $696 or less one-way and $791 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Istanbul Airport to San Francisco?

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

Direct departures

Istanbul to San Francisco

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

San Francisco 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

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Istanbul to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Istanbul to San Francisco. 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 Istanbul to San Francisco? 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.
7.7
KLMOverall score based on 1442 reviews
7.6Comfort
8.4Crew
7.1Entertainment
7.3Food
7.8Boarding
Airline reviews

I’m grateful for the KLM Air France shuttle bus service to Ottawa. However due to construction and other issues related to the chaotic Uber pickup system at YUL, it’s a challenge to find the Kelios bus service to Ottawa. The signs are not clear or even available. No staff to guide passengers. It’s a stressful experience.

4.0 OkayShereen, Dec 2025
Read more KLM reviews

I’m grateful for the KLM Air France shuttle bus service to Ottawa. However due to construction and other issues related to the chaotic Uber pickup system at YUL, it’s a challenge to find the Kelios bus service to Ottawa. The signs are not clear or even available. No staff to guide passengers. It’s a stressful experience.

Delay on my previous leg, had to run to catch my flight. But that happens. Overall ok.

At the airport, terrible, I do not want to even remember it. It was too humiliating for a business class passenger.

Flight was ok but lack of communication cost me to literally beg to be put on another flight as connecting flight had departed

They forgot to serve food and the crew was very unfriendly. Never experienced such a bad KLM flight. Usually fly from Toronto. New York was different.

The immigration hall in Amsterdam was understaffed, so passport checking was slower than it should be for a major airport. They need to get the automatic readers up and running for non EU passport holders. Waiting in line after a long flight feels a bit abusive.

Ad experience - been flying many years with them but they are losing out to other carriers with their service and bagage / seating policy. My 2 12-yo kids were not placed with the parent. Absurdity.

Short flight so it was okay. Nice crew, all very pleasant and professional. We were near the back in row 27 so just as we got our drinks, we started our descent so had to drink very quickly!

KLM remains a quality flag carrier airline which maintains its standards whilst all their competitors are lowering theirs.

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

Mean flight attendant. I wanted to reuse my plastic cup, but he (Matthew) said he can't for safety. I then said "I don't want water then" and he poured me a glass. I hope Matthew gets herpes and spends the rest of his life poor, lonely, and homeless.

Yet another flight in which beverage and snack service was skipped. Other that that, firmly mediocre. Landed early, to gate late due to congestion at the gates. Airline's fault or airports fault: unknown.

Both flights delayed. 2nd flight over 3 hours late mechanical issues

It was good but only meal served is very less. Meantime good to add rice and chicken in one of meal

Teeny tiny bathrooms, crew was not realistic about when we'd arrive.

On the way my flight entertainment wouldn’t work the screen went black and no matter how many times I tried to turn it on it wouldn’t. Food was surprisingly good but the tray tables were tiny so you couldn’t get anything else on the table. The seats hardly go back and are not overly comfortable. Wouldn’t fly United again.

Flight was late - I was downgraded from first class to coach

Movie selection is good. Crew did not understand mileage program and were no help. Sick later. Food?

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

The flight attendants were very rude, beyond comprehension. I took a business class from London to SFO for the first time on United. When I asked for a second piece of bread during dinner, the serving attendant threw a 3rd bread on my plate and said, “here. You can have this one too”! I couldn’t believe the rudeness of the attendant. Most all attendants were very rude, unhelpful, sing the food was absolutely disgusting. Never fly United internationally in business class. My flight back to SFO was a nightmare!!

Requested food options were always finished. Supplied food items were good but of course not the desired choices.

The airport staff never announced that boarding has started. Both at iad or Islamabad or Istanbul.

Very bad experience with turkish airline tk 0001. Very uncomfortable seats and food ran out and crew was not helpful

The airline could improve its business class seats and privacy in line with its competitors.

To be prepared for being treated with disrespect by the ground crew.

Seats too much and for the price we paid eve thought economy we still had to pay $169 to check a ba that’s ridiculous and also my daughter needed water so she can take her medicine we push the boton for the attendant to get us water they never came we push it 3 times no one came and ask what we needed . Am not happy with the service at all I will not fly with TK anymore

Boarding experience was a mess- both to and from Istanbul airport. No one knew anything. They asked everyone to line up according to their sit numbers- it was unbelievable. Business class had a separate line, but it was hard to find- I had to go through all that mess before finding it. Would not recommend

They can my date of travel and let me standard in Istanbul for three days stop over and only pay for one day in a hotel with only one breakfast for three days.

the flight was cancelled and I was rebooked twice, once 26 hours later, then another 24 hours later. In total the flight was delayed for 40 hours. Never again will I use kayak or Turkish Airlines for my travel.

Worst experience with boarding once we left the wheel chair even traveling business we had to wait with all the crowd for the bus to take us to the plane then climb the stairs with our bags When you pay extra for comfort and convenience and you don’t get any is disappointing

Not great - seats were very narrow and food was terrible.

Some of the crew was sassy and not super helpful. The food was okay, but it seems like they were all unprepared compared to my flight I did from JFK to Frankfurt

We missed our flight. There was not enough time built into the layover to get through immigration, customs, bagclaim, bag rechecking, and the long trip to another terminal and gate. Kayak really screwed up. We took the bus up to Wisconsin and then were picked up in Brookfield by private car. It was lucky we didnt miss the last bus out.

We were in premium economy seats that appeared to be locked in plae, No reclining. My aching back.

I don’t understand how they charge as much as they do for such a poor experience

Lufthansa flight LH04414 from Munich to Washington DC, was fine. Efficient and safe!

I wish the plane had pod seating for business class. I had a window seat (8K) and I had to climb over the person sitting on the aisle when I needed to get up. Also there is no partition between the seats for privacy when sleeping. The Asian airlines have much nicer business class seating. Their seats are wider for better comfort when sleeping.

Bumpy ride, not Lufthansa‘s fault. Crew managed a situation over a back rest to far down well. It was two iles behind me. The person putting the seat down, against the other person’s knees, was quite rude and belligerent and needed to be told in a no nonsense matter to stopp. Male flight attendant did good job.

Patrick and the whole crew were amazing! Hope to have this team for all my European trips.

This review is based on 2 things: 1. The lack of hygiene on the plane. 2. William - the head flight attendant. The lack of cleanliness on the plane upon arrival was appalling. Being given a sanitizing wipe upon boarding of the plane is shocking when you consider the cost of a business class flight. UA expects me to do their job and clean all the bread, food and debris left from previous guests. Does this sound normal to you. The seat, the food table and the sides were full of crumbs, chocolate and dirt. When I told the flight attendant they just gave me more wipes so I could clean it myself. Secondly, William the business cabin head flight attendant was so busy flirting with a couple in the front that his attention to the other guests was minimal. He continuously asked them if they were ok or if they needed anything and it didn’t matter if the rest of us needed anything. And if you are the lead attendant shouldn’t you be checking if the bathrooms in business class are clean and needing toilet paper. There were 2 bathrooms in business. Halfway through the flight the first bathroom was closed and the second bathroom was dirty and had no toilet paper one hour and a half before the flight landed. He needs additional training on prioritizing things. He should care less about flirting and more about his work

My touch screen at my seat wasn't working, the films BA advertised on the website for this flight were not available, and the plane was a little dated, food was good and the staff were good, just let down by the aircraft facilities.

Did not like the seating configuration at all with 2+3+2 in business class. Lacking total privacy and comfort

The flight crew was kind, flexible, and accommodating. The seats on the plane were extremely uncomfortable.

Check-in experience, for business call please provide a premium experience

Lost my luggage, ran out of food choices in business class, ground crew was completely unapologetic.

Excellent. The crew and flight were great. Checking in was easy and everyone was very helpful.

Entertainment devices on A380 need to be fixed, the seats might do with updates.

Everything. Employees offered to help me because I had to use a cane.

Check-in and boarding were great. On flight staff were rude and disrespectful. Paid for extra room and found it incredibly cramped. Bathrooms kept in poor condition. Overall negative experience.

Great seat in premium economy, great food and drinks throughout lots of in flight entertainment. 1 hour 40 min delayed flying out , 2 1/2 hour wait at passport control in tampa

Everything you need to know for your flight from Istanbul to San Francisco

Information on your arrival and departure airports