$540 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Istanbul

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Istanbul departing on 2/9. 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 Istanbul

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Istanbul.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Istanbul.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$702
Overall average: $1,092
Scandinavian Airlines
Sun 4/19Wed 4/29
SFO - IST • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$959
Typical prices: $830-$1,214
Turkish Airlines
Tue 1/20Tue 2/3
SFO - IST • Non-stop
Top routes
SFO-IST
Cheapest
SFO-IST
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
3 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 18% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

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

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

Sun, Apr 19 - Wed, Apr 29
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 9:05 pm
IST
-
SFO
26h 35m3 stops
$702Scandinavian Airlines
Thu, Feb 19 - Thu, Mar 5
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:40 pm - 7:10 pm
SFO
-
SAW
15h 30m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:05 am - 2:35 pm
SAW
-
SFO
16h 30m1 stop
$707Multiple Airlines
Tue, Mar 31 - Mon, Apr 13
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 2:40 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 10m1 stop
$707Scandinavian Airlines
Sun, May 3 - Wed, May 13
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 8:19 pm
IST
-
SFO
25h 49m2 stops
$708Scandinavian Airlines
Sat, Feb 28 - Thu, Mar 5
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:40 pm - 8:10 pm
SFO
-
SAW
16h 30m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:05 am - 2:35 pm
SAW
-
SFO
16h 30m1 stop
$709Multiple Airlines
Fri, Apr 17 - Sat, Apr 25
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
24h 55m1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:30 am - 9:05 pm
IST
-
SFO
26h 35m3 stops
$711Scandinavian Airlines
Thu, Feb 26 - Tue, Mar 31
KLM Logo
1:55 pm - 9:20 pm
SFO
-
SAW
20h 25m1 stop
KLM Logo
8:50 am - 11:45 am
SAW
-
SFO
36h 55m1 stop
$720KLM
Tue, Jan 20 - Mon, Jan 26
KLM Logo
1:55 pm - 5:25 pm
SFO
-
SAW
16h 30m1 stop
KLM Logo
12:55 pm - 11:50 am
SAW
-
SFO
33h 55m1 stop
$721KLM
Wed, Mar 18 - Tue, Mar 31
KLM Logo
1:25 pm - 5:25 pm
SFO
-
SAW
18h 00m2 stops
KLM Logo
8:50 am - 11:45 am
SAW
-
SFO
36h 55m1 stop
$724KLM
Tue, Jan 20 - Tue, Feb 3
KLM Logo
3:40 pm - 3:50 am
SFO
-
IST
25h 10m1 stop
KLM Logo
4:50 am - 1:25 pm
IST
-
SFO
19h 35m1 stop
$724KLM
Booking Insights

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

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

What is the cheapest San Francisco to Istanbul flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from San Francisco to Istanbul costs $647 on the route between San Francisco (SFO) and Istanbul Airport (IST). It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to Istanbul?

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

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

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Istanbul, 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 San Francisco to Istanbul is March, where tickets cost $920 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,529 and $1,369 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Istanbul, 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 San Francisco to Istanbul, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 18% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 18 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$540
Flight from San Francisco to Istanbul Airport

When to book flights from San Francisco to Istanbul

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

  • What are some of the best transportation options to get from the Istanbul Airport (IST) to the center of Istanbul?

    For those passengers that would like to use public transportation to get from the airport to the city center, the best option is to travel on the IETT buses operated by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Travelers that would prefer to make the trip by taxi should expect a trip time of about 32 minutes.

  • Will I need to obtain a visa before traveling on a flight from San Francisco to Istanbul?

    Travelers making a trip to Istanbul will need to obtain a visa before the trip. If you are traveling on a vacation, you can stay for up to 90 days in the country when you obtain an e-Visa through the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey.

  • Does the Istanbul Airport offer any shower facilities for passengers?

    Passengers will find shower facilities available at the IGA Lounge, that sits on the Airside of the International Terminal right past passport control. There are also shower facilities available at The Ambassador Spa & Beauty Salon, which has a location on the Airside of Terminal One right next to the IGA Lounge.

  • Are there any hotels that are close to the Istanbul Airport?

    There is a hotel that has a location right at the airport property, and it's called the YOTEL Istanbul Hotel Landside. Another option that is close to the airport is the Park Inn by Radisson, Istanbul Airport, Odayeri but be aware that this hotel does not offer a shuttle to and from the airport.

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Istanbul was $540 for a one-way ticket and $707 for a round-trip.

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

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

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Francisco to Istanbul?

    When flying out of San Francisco you will be using San Francisco. You will be landing at one of these airports: Istanbul or Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen.

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

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

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

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

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to Istanbul from San Francisco?

    Frankfurt am Main is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Francisco to Istanbul.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Istanbul from San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco with another airline.

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

  • A terrific way to get from the Downtown San Francisco area to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) before a flight to Istanbul is to take the Bay Area Rapid Transit Yellow or Red line trains that make the trip from the Civic Center station in San Francisco to the airport in around 30 minutes.
  • If you plan on having someone drop you off at the San Francisco International Airport before your flight to Istanbul, one great option is to utilize the Kiss and Fly Lot that passengers will find right adjacent to the rental car center to the southwest of the terminal buildings. Once passengers have had the chance to say their goodbyes, they can easily board the Blue Line AirTrain to take them to a terminal building at the airport.
  • If you plan on driving your own car to the San Francisco International Airport, this airport allows you to book your parking online up to two hours before your flight. Once you book online, you will receive a QR code that will allow you to enter and exit the airport parking lot without ever interacting with anyone at the airport.
  • Passengers that plan on taking a pet or a service animal with them through the San Francisco International Airport should know that this airport offers seven different pet relief areas. For passengers on an international flight to Istanbul, there is a pet relief area past the security checkpoints near the A Gates of the International Terminal.
  • If you are looking for an easier way to travel through the San Francisco International Airport, this airport offers its Airport Butler service that creates a customized experience for passengers looking for help with any part of their travel through this airport.

Prefer to fly direct from San Francisco to Istanbul?

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

Direct departures

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

Direct returns

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

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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.
7.9
DeltaOverall score based on 8012 reviews
8.5Crew
7.9Comfort
7.8Entertainment
7.2Food
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

The flight was delayed for about 2 hrs. Other than it, it was good.

8.0 ExcellentWen, Dec 2025
LAX - MSY
Read more Delta reviews

The flight was delayed for about 2 hrs. Other than it, it was good.

I am extremely disappointed that delta internal pilot manuals now refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “gulf of America”. You can bow down to the Orange turd on your own. I will never fly delta again

No lunch on a x-country flight scheduled for 10:50 am departure, arrived 5+ hrs later. That requires a black box label before you pay for the tickets. Worst, when I checked in online, it's specifically said that lunch was served on his flight for economy Plus passengers.

Our flight from SFO to MSP was right on time on 11/15/2025. No delays. As we approached MSP at about 8 pm, we circled in the air until 8:40 pm so I don't call that efficient for MSP. I think the captain should announce the delay and why. (as if we all don't know that we are just circling around the area, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.) Thank you. Marilyn Fischer

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

The flight used a B767 with a very old interior from before 2014. The entertainment system did not work at all during the flight despite attempts to reset the system. It was like they flew this route just to be competitive.

Delayed flight (1hour) plus a long layover after an overnight flight with no backup plane available.

Flight delayed for two and half hours and then canceled altogether due to mechanical issues. No mechanic onsite to fix so had to send one from LAX.

My husband upgraded our seats and I don't know if it was due to the type of planet was or if they didn't upgrade our seats. We were supposed to be in I believe comfort seats and they were just as tight as any other seat- no leg room and we are very tall people but at least it wasn't extremely cold. My husband did put in a complaint about our seating because he paid extra and if we would have known that the space and the tightness would have been the same, we just would have gotten the emergency row emergency row seats that we normally get. We love Delta but both our flights coming home we're not good. Oh I forgot to mention that on our flight to Hawaii our luggage wheels got broke and we had to purse new luggage on vacation then we never had this problem so we didn't know protocol and reported it after we got home only for them to tell is we only had 24hrs to report the damage. Not sure what was going on with Delta this vacation trip.

Crew was excellent. Comfort seats not as nice as other kinds of planes.

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.

Flight was on time, staff are friendly and helpful onboard.

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

Delay and had to run between flight to get my connection due to this delay but besides that the overall experience was ok. I arrived with just an hour of delay.

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.

Couldn’t get boarding pass in SLC even with help from a redcoat, so had to find a desk in AMS to get boarding pass. Technical problems so not sure why. Very inconvenient. The KLM app is not as user friendly as most apps. Also had to wait almost an hour on the tarmac for a fuel truck, which caused us to miss a connecting bus in LUX.

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.

Over 1 Hr delay. No APU so no AC on ground. Plane was hot during boarding and then they closed the doors over 20 minutes before engine start so interior of plane was steamy hot and stuffy. Could have been helped by opening doors until ready to depart.

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.

Pushed back only to get deplaned due to a tire damaged by ground crew. They did at least go pretty fast. The bathrooms should be banned under the Geneva convention. No room to even sit straight on the toilet. The under-seat entertainment units block what little leg room there is.

United airlines has the best customer experience from booking to arrival. I always fly United airlines. The mileage program is excellent

from SFO-> FRA flight, AVML meal was significantly less compared to regular meal, especially no Desert, no Bread, no sides.

This was an older airplane. The cabin was constantly warm to hot throughout the 10 hour flight and there were no vents to personalize air flow. Also since it was an older plane, the material and comfort of the chairs were very uncomfortable. I left my flight with major soreness on my tailbone.

Older aircraft, no meal, only food was for purchase. Not impressed United.

Not pleasant trip cross country when the entertainment and WiFi system not working. No entertainment for entirety of route. Staff was rather nonchalant in that they dismissed the problem due to age of plane. It would have been nice to know this up front so I could have come prepared to read or download movies before boarding Coincidentally or not, there was a similar issue with the entertainment system on my previous flight I took on my fist leg of the trip. There are no seat TVs, so you must rely on the app when it works. United can do better. Also, what use it it to pay for boarding group 2 when half of the passengers are in the same line as you?

My experience on this United Airlines flight was highly uncomfortable, primarily due to two issues: Cabin Temperature: The temperature on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was unacceptably high, feeling consistently around 80 degrees throughout the flight. This made sleeping impossible and significantly detracted from the experience. Seating Arrangement: Being stuck in a middle seat for a six-and-a-half-hour overnight flight compounded the discomfort. Moving forward, I will always purchase a seat assignment to avoid this situation.

Premium Plus is a really good idea for longer flights

Same as last comment. Food sucks. Quality. Not surprising most people have no clue about nourishment Clearly

We were in business class. the angled seats in that class do not have a real window view & the placement of the controls are bad. But we knew that. But the food options were mediocre. The taste was fine, but the size was for a child. It’s just really feels like United is skimping on everything. Even when we were in the Polaris lounge they did not have diet sodas. They said they were out no Coke zero no Diet Coke, etc. I do not think the portion of nuts they serve on the plane could get any smaller. Really a minimal service and offer for what you’re paying for in business.

Turkish Airline canceled our tickets in the very last minute, with our luggage and everything else, all prepared and good to go. It’s clear that they sold the tickets for better money to someone else. Bad, Bad, Bad business!!!

Awful seating. Bad food. Staff only have one bottle of water and no cans.

it was like a banya -so hot... They did provide a great experience with special food. one toilet broke midflight In general it was a peaceful and relaxing flight - for business class it was good.

Chicago to Istanbul was a much better experience than I expected since I’m more accustomed to Qatar Airways business class. The business lounge in the Istanbul airport was amazing - loved the lockers and phone charging stations, and the bathroom was a spa experience in itself. The onward leg from Istanbul to Karachi was utterly disappointing. Terrible plane, and I felt like I was in economy - the seats don’t come near to lying flat and the food was mediocre. What a sad downgrade - it isn’t as though the ticket on that leg was cheaper. So, on that front, there’s no contest with Qatar airways.

Second leg of Turkish Airline with Indigo is disaster for following reason. 1) You have to carry your cabin bags through ladder to boeing 777 because it was parked somewhere in parking lot and was not given a gate to board passengers and this seems to be people traveling to and fro from those flights and is not issue with flight itself. 2) I choose non vegetarian food on Turkish portal way ahead of checkin to entire trip, However the Indigo flight gave me random veg food saying they code veg food code from Turkish. 3) Indigo did not served any alcoholic beverages stating some weird reason which is non nonsensical. 4)Indigo have TV screens in front of you but it displays nothing except "Welcome Onboard" with annoying white black ground in dark flight. This is the most stupidest and annoying part because you are held hostage for 7 hours and only thing you could do is stare back at white screen which does not have entertainment package or even flight tracker. Such a shame.

Overall it was good. Food was bad. I ordered gluten free vegetarian meal. But I got gluten free chicken for my long flight from Seattle to Istanbul. I don’t eat any kind of meat. Second meal I got eggplant with meat which I couldn’t eat. I don’t understand why we can’t get gluten free vegetarian meal for a 12 hour flight. I eat the bread and that was it.

As a big guy the seats are way too small for me. Would prefer more comfortable seats on these long haul flights.

My flight was canceled 1 minute before boarding. The customer service was owful, no one could tell us what was going happened. I spent 30hrs instead of 15 from Washington DC to Brussels. No apologie or help

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

The staff at IST airport could have been more helpful. Too much wasted time and the plane from IST to KHI was just horrible. The plane was not clean and smelled bad!

Late flight Delays Poor service Poor staff Worst airline ever

Lufthansa still has a good level of quality compared to US airlines, especially with respect to (1) food quality - actually tasty, (2) good French red wine - free, (3) good movie selection. Also my ticket price includes 1 free check-in luggage, while some other budget airlines sneak in an extra $150 for a checkin.

The food could be better, more snacks. And have some plugs to chargue the phone.

Everything was really great just The aircraft was too old and sounded it will break during takeoff

Extremely pleased with the crew. Best flight attendants ever! Very friendly, genuinely caring and attentive.

Best flight attendants ever! Very customer and service oriented, courteous, professional and helpful.

Cheapest airlines I have ever been on. I got downgraded and never got on united. I got rerouted through Vancouver onto jetwesf

Very small and uncomfortable seats, Hard to hear entertainment system sound. Horrible food. Staff doesn't care much about the passengers. 2nd time they didn't give me my vegetarian meal. They asked me regular food with meat. The airline and staff was from United airlines.

Checkin took along timen only.few angents available at.checkin desk. Customer support over phone no existence

At baggage claim, I was given the wrong printed ticket. The ticket belonged to another passenger for a different flight — to Zurich instead of Frankfurt (layover). I was even allowed to pass security, and when I asked the Lufthansa employee if I was on the correct flight, and why it was changed. The employee said everything was correct and I should board. When I got on the plane, there was someone in my seat, and the crew on the plane finally realized that I was on the wrong plane. When I got off the plane, nobody was willing to help, and the security refused to provide my original printed ticket. That was until I showed them that I took a photo of the ticket; once they realized I had photographic evidence, they were suddenly ready to help me. The Lufthansa employee began communicating with other airlines and found a flight that would take me to my destination via Polish Airlines. I was required to once again go through security, re-check my bag, and once again pay for my checked bag and weight overage fees. This experience was incredibly stressful and very frustrating, as you can imagine. A Lufthansa employee told me I would be eligible for a refund. Please tell me what steps I need to take in order to make that happen. Thank you!

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports