$570 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 7/4. 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
$1,015
Qatar Airways
Thu 11/5Wed 11/11
SFO - SAW • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$1,029
Typical prices: $1,561-$848
Turkish Airlines
Tue 11/3Tue 12/1
SFO - IST • Non-stop
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $1,015 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with Turkish Airlines. Average duration is 12h 52m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 91% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 5 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

Thu, Nov 5 - Wed, Nov 11
Qatar Airways Logo
3:00 pm - 12:10 pm
SFO
-
SAW
34h 10m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
1:40 pm - 12:40 pm
SAW
-
SFO
34h 00m
1 stop
$1,015Qatar Airways
Sat, Sep 5 - Mon, Sep 14
Delta Logo
2:20 pm - 3:30 am
SFO
-
IST
27h 10m
2 stops
Delta Logo
6:00 am - 7:55 pm
IST
-
SFO
23h 55m
2 stops
$1,015Delta
Wed, Jun 10 - Wed, Jun 17
Qatar Airways Logo
6:05 pm - 7:20 am
SFO
-
IST
27h 15m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
8:05 pm - 1:35 pm
IST
-
SFO
27h 30m
1 stop
$1,016Qatar Airways
Fri, Jul 24 - Sun, Aug 23
Delta Logo
2:30 pm - 3:30 am
SFO
-
IST
27h 00m
2 stops
Delta Logo
6:00 am - 9:17 pm
IST
-
SFO
25h 17m
2 stops
$1,017Delta
Fri, Aug 14 - Mon, Sep 7
Delta Logo
1:45 pm - 1:20 am
SFO
-
IST
25h 35m
2 stops
Delta Logo
5:20 pm - 11:45 am
IST
-
SFO
28h 25m
1 stop
$1,022Delta
Fri, Oct 2 - Fri, Oct 30
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
11:05 am - 3:40 am
SFO
-
IST
30h 35m
2 stops
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
5:30 am - 3:50 pm
IST
-
SFO
20h 20m
1 stop
$1,024Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Nov 3 - Mon, Nov 9
Qatar Airways Logo
3:00 pm - 12:10 pm
SFO
-
SAW
34h 10m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
1:40 pm - 12:40 pm
SAW
-
SFO
34h 00m
1 stop
$1,024Qatar Airways
Tue, Aug 11 - Tue, Aug 18
British Airways Logo
7:30 pm - 1:05 am
SFO
-
IST
19h 35m
1 stop
British Airways Logo
7:55 pm - 1:50 pm
IST
-
SFO
27h 55m
1 stop
$1,031British Airways
Tue, Sep 8 - Tue, Sep 29
KLM Logo
1:45 pm - 9:00 pm
SFO
-
SAW
21h 15m
1 stop
KLM Logo
8:50 am - 11:45 am
SAW
-
SFO
36h 55m
1 stop
$1,046KLM
Tue, Sep 22 - Wed, Oct 21
KLM Logo
1:45 pm - 5:05 pm
SFO
-
SAW
17h 20m
1 stop
KLM Logo
2:40 pm - 11:45 am
SAW
-
SFO
31h 05m
1 stop
$1,049KLM
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.

How much is a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Istanbul?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Istanbul departing in November.

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 $700 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 Saturday 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 November, where tickets cost $36 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and May, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,902 and $1,560 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 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 18% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$570
Flight from San Francisco to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen 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 $570 for a one-way ticket and $1,015 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 8445 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
7.2Food
7.8Entertainment
Airline reviews

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

10.0 ExcellentTeresa, Apr 2026
SMF - LAX
Read more Delta reviews

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

Generally on time departures and arrivals, clean planes, sky miles membership provides great benefits (complimentary upgrades, etc).

N Everything was perfect from boarding to assistance to baggage in Tampa

Loved the crew! Sucks that we went from 1 hour and 8 minute layover to a 3 hour layover. But weather sucks like that.

Fast, lovely scenery, great info on the Delta flight screen about landmarks we were flying over. Great landing!

Long flight but comfortable and not freezing as I have experienced on Hawaiian flights to the islands. They gave us blankets just in case. Nice touch.

I took seat 15A in anticipation of window seat, there is no window.

Flight late, the waited for a long time for “personal” to arrive at gate to dock the plane in Rochester. So annoying. This flight was expected, why aren’t personel available for the jet bridge?

My recent experience was excellent on Delta! I flew with Delta Comfort and I was really comfortable in my seat. I enjoyed the in-flight service. The flight attendants were so friendly and hospitable. I love the snack on the flight as well. This was my first time flying on Delta and I will definitely consider flying with them again.

My flight was canceled on Sunday. Rebooking took three hours. Had to pay for accommodations another night. New flight was delayed for 5 hours, all that was sent was a 12 dollar food voucher, which doesn’t tell you how to use it. Then when we landed we had to sit on the plane for an hour before we could get off.

As always, it’s a pleasure to travel with KLM. It is one of my favorite airlines.

Brand new plane lots of room the snack was very flavourful and enjoyable

The flight was delayed. The aircraft was unclean. Promised seat was not given due to change in Aircraft. Not one crew on ground was in a position to give any response. Amsterdam Airport is AVIODABLE Over crowded. Over Expensive. Poor Services.

It was really nice experience by flying this klm flight.I personally recommend everyone to please try this klm flight

The crew were unprofessional with a racist element. I was physically abused as well from one of the crew members

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.

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.

On time, great food, good drink selection! Only down was alcohol-free lounge. Lufthansa had a much better offering!

Seat assignments for family traveling with 2 children. Loud crowd during sleep time

It was crowded… the bathrooms dirty and smelly. The seats have been made even smaller.

delayed to take off from detroit by 3 hours lost baggage in istanbul and now in venice without baggage

Seats were very tight with poor legroom - and I am average height. During the 12 hour flight, tiny paper cups of drinks we're only offered during the super and breakfast services, with the crew nowhere to be seen in between. One of the bathrooms was out of order, leading to long lines waiting to use the remaining two available to the economy class passengers.

short flight but we still got a very nice lunch and the crew did an excellent job in taking care of us

For that price on Business class, I expected to have the pod seats. These were configured as 2/3/2 and my seat mate talked half the flight with a friend across the isle, loudly. Very uncouth.

The ground crew members at check in counter were courteous. The boarding was seamless. Flight departed as scheduled. Service on board was great

Very comfortable in business class. Excellent service. Good food. Smooth trip.

The seats seems abit small and the reclining is too much, the seat in front of me came back too much and made it uncomfortable for me.

My service dog and I were asked to deplane just before they closed the door - clearly very last minute they couldn’t find the documentation that I have filled out many many times before that is for flying service animals. I purposely purchase 3seats (a whole row) since he is large and not all passengers want to sit next to a dog on a cross country flight. The plane departed with my husband on it!!! They made me fill out a hard copy of the same form and had to reschedule me on a later flight where they could find 3 seats together!! I’ve done this so many times before - clearly the error was on their part in a technology glitch - but really people - do better!! Very traumatic - and my husband had to wait for us when he landed ….so bad. Poor pup was confused and tired.

My flight time was changed without any notification to me which ruined my time sensitive plans so I ended up completely changing my travel plans and no reimbursement.

No screens or meal options. Freezing cold. Dirty seats. Left late.

I liked that my son and I were reseated next to each other (we had different bookings). I liked that it was a directg flight and mostly on time. I liked that you provided pillows and blankets. Flight attendants were generally courteous. The messaging through wifi did not work well. The food was not good. Seats are very narrow and I felt slightly claustraphobic in the window seat.

Some crew were unfriendly or in some cases just straight up rude.

Outstanding service, efficient & friendly crew, flight was safe, comfortable & on time

United Airline crews were very friendly and very attentive. 12 hours flight was gone like in a shorter one.

Flight itself excellent, but delayed so missed connection & got to destination 2 hrs later

Due to cancellation of connecting flight (Lufthansa) I didn’t fly with United

It was a red-eye, but the flight felt surprisingly quick. The seats were very comfortable, and that made resting much easier. I also want to thank the gentleman seated next to me, who graciously moved so my mom could sit beside me. We slept almost the entire way. The cabin crew was respectful in not disturbing us, while also being courteous and professional throughout. Thank you, United.

Food choices limited & not enticing Seats quite uncomfortable & difficult to control

Definitely get premium economy on a flight this long if you can. Your legs and while body will thank you.

Boarding was disorganized. The door to one to the toilets wouldn’t lock. The plane was shockingly cramped, and clearly used for domestic flights due to the menus for items to sell domestic travelers. United should be ashamed of its small seats, tiny unclean toilets, and money grubbing stance toward services, compared to Lufthansa, Emirates, and most international carriers United is awful.

Not great!!! Seats in Business class were horrible; no cushion!!!

Terrible. Lost our luggage for 4 days. Did not advise passengers there was a strike in Barcelona Airport and had zero personnel on hand at airport to advise passengers on where to go to file claims. We had to fend for ourselves. No assistance at all other than an online claims submission process that we had to find out about on our own.

Lufthansa cancelled our flight from Los Angeles to Naples Italy on March 10 for scheduled flight on March 12 Very stressful experience trying to arrange alternatives. Will never fly again with Lufthansa

Service and food were excellent. Incredibly friendly and competent staff. Flight was delayed over and hour and I had to run between terminals to get my connecting flight.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports