$377 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 10/14. 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.
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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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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Istanbul

 
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.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to Istanbul

KAYAK's recommended round-trip deals from the most popular airlines that fly from San Francisco to Istanbul.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Delta Logo
3:05 pm - 3:25 amSFO-IST
26h 20m1 stop
Delta Logo
4:20 am - 10:29 pmIST-SFO
28h 09m2 stops
$808Delta
Find Deal
Sun, Jul 13 - Fri, Aug 15
Delta Logo
12:30 pm - 3:25 amSFO-IST
28h 55m2 stops
Delta Logo
4:20 am - 6:52 pmIST-SFO
24h 32m2 stops
$812Delta
Find Deal
Sun, Jul 13 - Thu, Aug 14
Lufthansa Logo
2:40 pm - 9:20 pmSFO-IST
20h 40m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
5:55 pm - 12:40 pmIST-SFO
28h 45m1 stop
$877Lufthansa
Find Deal
Sun, Jul 13 - Tue, Aug 12
United Airlines Logo
8:50 am - 5:00 pmSFO-IST
22h 10m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
2:00 pm - 12:40 pmIST-SFO
32h 40m1 stop
$882United Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Jul 14 - Tue, Aug 12
Lufthansa Logo
7:25 pm - 9:20 pmSFO-IST
15h 55m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
6:30 am - 12:35 pmIST-SFO
17h 05m1 stop
$909Lufthansa
Find Deal
Mon, Oct 20 - Fri, Dec 5
United Airlines Logo
7:25 pm - 9:20 pmSFO-IST
15h 55m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 9:37 pmIST-SFO
26h 07m2 stops
$910United Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Oct 19 - Thu, Dec 4
British Airways Logo
7:58 am - 3:05 pmSFO-SAW
21h 07m2 stops
British Airways Logo
4:15 pm - 1:50 pmSAW-SFO
31h 35m1 stop
$976British Airways
Find Deal
Wed, Aug 6 - Wed, Aug 20
British Airways Logo
7:20 pm - 3:20 pmSFO-SAW
34h 00m1 stop
British Airways Logo
3:55 pm - 3:00 pmSAW-SFO
34h 05m1 stop
$977British Airways
Find Deal
Mon, Oct 20 - Mon, Dec 8
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 5:45 pmSFO-IST
13h 00mnonstop
Turkish Airlines Logo
8:05 am - 12:05 pmIST-SFO
14h 00mnonstop
$1,001Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 16 - Wed, Oct 29
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:40 pm - 11:45 amSFO-IST
13h 05mnonstop
Turkish Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 4:40 pmIST-SFO
13h 20mnonstop
$1,007Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 1 - Thu, Oct 16
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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?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Istanbul.

Our data shows that the cheapest route for a return flight from San Francisco to Istanbul cost $762 and was between San Francisco (SFO) and Istanbul Airport (IST). On average, the best prices are found if you fly this route. The average price for a return flight for this route is $762.

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 Saturday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from Istanbul, Friday 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 March, where tickets cost $979 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,689 and $1,411 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. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$377
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.

Flights from San Francisco to Istanbul: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from San Francisco to Istanbul 
RaymondFlew with Turkish AirlinesSFO-ISTOct 2024
Amazing . It’s a long flight . I really enjoy it . But my old Body said otherwise 🤣
benedictFlew with Turkish AirlinesSFO-ISTMar 2024
Polaris lounge is located in the G gate and Turkish flies from A gate. Go to G gate first if you want to hang out at the lounge

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 $377 for a one-way ticket and $808 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, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and Istanbul, with Star Alliance 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?

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
See more direct flights

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.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 7941 reviews
7.9Comfort
7.9Entertainment
8.2Boarding
8.5Crew
7.3Food
Airline reviews

737-800 in first class was pretty dumpy. Seat had an uncomfortable angle, storage under the seat was blocked so even my very modest backpack didn't fit, power outlet was flaky. Weird tiny seat pockets that couldn't hold a gallon ziploc bag, emesis bag missing, etc. etc. No in-flight service due to turbulence. Crew was excellent, boarding was smooth despite a full flight.

6.0 GoodWalter, May 2025ONT - SLC
Read more Delta reviews

737-800 in first class was pretty dumpy. Seat had an uncomfortable angle, storage under the seat was blocked so even my very modest backpack didn't fit, power outlet was flaky. Weird tiny seat pockets that couldn't hold a gallon ziploc bag, emesis bag missing, etc. etc. No in-flight service due to turbulence. Crew was excellent, boarding was smooth despite a full flight.

Delta flight was on time, seats were comfortable, and crew was nice.

Bathrooms dirty sinks clogged. No one seemed to clean them. Plane very old

Thank you for not flipping the plane on the run way. You guys get a 5 star rating for the flight!!!

Boarding is, as it always is… horrible. Gate lice. Slow moving zones. Too many people with carry ons

It was terrible, if they ran flights on time it would make a big difference.

Delta seems to be improving in many areas, except they are super bad with the food available. Bring back normal food service on long flights.

I actually received a notification from kayak on email but not one by text from Delta when my departure gait changed and I almost missed my flight

New boarding doesn't make sense. Filling front first is slow.

Delta flight was great from the check in all the way to arrival. However, I had a very bad experience. I requested a wheelchair and the wheelchair employee that went to pick me up from the plane in Boston to bring me to the baggage claims told me I have to pay him. I was under the impression that it was a free service and I usually give tips but the person forced me to pay and since I said no because I was upset with his demand when my daughter walked in to pick me up he demanded payment from my daughter who paid him thinking maybe now it is a charged service.

Liked fold flat bed. Didn’t like having no window. Didn’t like poor choice of food and being served dinner very late, hours after take off of a 7:40pm flight. Servers not friendly. Food horrible in business class.

Everything is good except the dinner and breakfast. The sandwich is very delicious. Toilet is clean, I only use one of them. Flight attendants are very nice. 👍👍

Compared with other carriers business class for an overnight was not worth the extra expense.

Easy to board. Flight was super crowded though so I didn't sleep well on that cross country red-eye flight. The aisles seem ot have gotten narrower and the seat smaller whn luggage and people are getting bigger so it would be AWESOME to have more space and breathing room in general ;)

Pilot Erika DeLong made us feel safe and at ease in a frankly scary time to be flying. Her warm smile and greeting and excellent command of the aircraft in foggy bumpy weather helped us all to calm our nerves and get us home safely.

AWFUL. I have had the experience of traveling with many airlines across the world, and hands down United Airlines is the worst. Not one flight was on time, and I don’t think I met one crew member or staff member who wasn’t rude.

For an 8.5 hour flight the service on board lacked a bit. Service start was slow, the food was worse than usual and they skipped the snack they were supposed to deliver before landing.

Wish movie and music choices changed more often. Mostly same from a month or two ago when I last flew.

It was good. Just that the seats could not be reclined. The people behind were not ready to let the chairs be reclined

Checkin was painful and slow! Lady didn’t seem to know what was going on and couldn’t explain the delay. Seemed ahe couldnt see the computer scree and we couldn’t hear her talk through her mask.

Very punctual, the onboard staff was friendly and correct, the flight was fortunately very calm, the toilets were clean, in short, an excellent experience Thanks

Ordered Vegan meal - it was ok, but not exceptional. Seat ok row 39 middle section aisle. Nearly full flight - crew was busy but they did the best they could. There was a USB A port at the seat. I listened to my own music and only looked at flight information. One nice thing was the connection information was made available in the screen.

Very nice and friendly crew. Boarding system can be improved.

The Etickets had been changed (Why?) without notice ; Hence, that caused troubles when checking in. Not until I contacted my ticket agent and was given correct Etickets could I then check in.

Cleanliness of seats, trays, storage pockets need more attention, but everything else was good.

A great airline, no complaints at all. My experience with Cheap Tickets was very disappointing however. Two hours after purchasing the flight they called to tell me that the ticket price had gone up. I’ve never heard of such a thing. That is called false advertising; I will never use this ticketing service again and will warn all friends to never use it.

One of the worst check in process at the DIA as well as the boarding counter Changed seat at the last minute and assigned middle seat while I paid for window seat. Requested many times but to no avail . horrible customer service and very poor process Requesting refund for seat that was changed last minute

Good overall flight. Excellent crew. Food options could be improved.

Vegan food tasted good. Restroom could be kept cleaner. Seat tray table was a bit tilted so food tray kept sliding down a bit. Flight crew can be a little more friendly, caring and approachable. Their faces lacked smiles and tone was stern.

Flight was delayed then we had to redirect for medical emergency during which time we had no information on what is the plan. The connecting flight was also delayed.

Good service … bus transfer upon arrival from plane to terminal: atrocious!!!

helpful and friendly. The Lufthanza people I dealt with before my holiday were so unhelpful by comparison.

My flight was late from US to Frankfurt so I missed my connecting flight flight and I had to wait for long to catch the next flight which was very tiring. Otherwise everyone was very nice.

No entertainment since it was a 3 hr flight. Good leg room for economy.

Everything went really well. Snacks could be better and there was no tea/coffee service after dinner. Crew was helpful and friendly.

Lufthansa charged me $280 to take skiiis when in the US the boot bag and skiis are one check-in bag. This was not advertised and a real shock at the airport. They only took the boot bag as a check-in item. The seats have been squeezed together like any economy airline and legroom is not as good as it used to be. Otherwise, the flight was fine and staff was helpful for making my connection.

Professional crew and staff, very organized boarding and on time flights, baggage handling. Indian vegetarian meals were good, though could improve by offering Indian bread (naan/paratha/roti) as well. Very helpful pre flight emails with details of onboard experience 👍 Above average selection of movies. Consider offering more movies with subtitles and ratings indicators (e.g., IMDB scores).

Terrible experience. Should be a short simple flight from San Francisco to Palm Springs. Disgusting insult that United Air doesn’t have a cabin crew ready to receive a plane that’s already an hour plus late in departure. Lots of misinformation along the way from cockpit and crew. Definitely unimpressed with both union and management.

My flight was delayed d the gate was never updated inside the terminal. If I hadn’t checked my email I would have missed my flight. Also, I paid a total of $5100 for my flight to be. Business or first class. My final leg of my flight from Heathrow to Frankfurt was not to standard of what I expected or experienced in the previous legs of my trip.

I requested a wheelchair for they haven’t got it, they are old and don’t speech english

Nice flight, attentive crew, soft landing by the Pilot,, comfortable seat.

I paid for business class…. And was counting on the usual packet of toilettes to be provided. They were not because not enough were brought on the plane so they could t give to some and not all. So no tooth brush nor eye cover. Then NO coffee since there was no hot water. The lay I er too short because of delays and my luggage didn’t make the next flight!! It is now a day later and I am awaiting to hear if my bag has arrived. Very inconvenient!. I suppose I need to be glad that I spend over $4000 since I doubt those in coach or premium economy even made that next flight..Heathrow is the worst.

Too much long line at the TSA and Security. Prepare for long walk for baggage claim.

The flight from Seattle was delayed, which made me miss my connection to Florence. I was re-booked NINE HOURS LATER!!! That’s basically a vacation day lost. British Airways needs to partner with other airlines when possible to get a more realistic travel time, if delays occur. I realize there aren’t many flights to Florence from London, so I would book differently were I to return. The actual flight from Seattle was very comfortable and the crew was great, no faults there. I enjoy British Airways, this was an anomaly.

The crew could not have been more helpful, my meal was excellent, I slept peacefully until right before landing, and the BA lounge was a godsend. The only negative I encountered was the coffee both on the plane and in the lounge. Not to my taste but that’s a personal preference.

I don’t understand why a reputable airline like BA would delegate their London flights to AA. Makes no sense to me, as most domestic carriers do such a poor job these days. Terminal 3 at LHR is a total dump

The boarding process was quite loud and chaotic. The flight attendants kept barking over the PA system about people needing to only stow large items in the overhead bins. During the one and only service, I was hit by the service cart. At the same time, a passenger was returning from the bathroom and the crew definitely saw him but stopped a few seats short of allowing him to sit down before starting service and made him wait a good 10 minutes before passing his seat and allowing him to sit down, after which he had to ask for his snack and beverage or he would have been passed over. Neither flight attendant thanked passengers as they left; in fact, I did not see them again once the plane door was opened.

Cancelled flight minutes before boarding. Rescheduled flight was two days later

The flight attendants were EXTREMELY personable and appreciated the service, lights going off after dinner (probably the norm, but I haven’t flown evening overnight flights in a while). Thank you!

Business class seats were very dated on my plane. Very little storage, charging ports were not easily accessible, tv screen kept flopping away. Vegetarian food was disappointing: hardly any protein and severely under-seasoned. Crew was lovely.

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