R4 807 Find Cheap Flights 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 to Istanbul departing on 24/11. 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 for flights to Istanbul
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Istanbul
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
R8 907
Typical prices: R9 154-R11 343
Etihad Airways
Wed 2/9Sun 6/9
JNB - IST • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
R14 323
Typical prices: R14 833-R21 386
Turkish Airlines
Mon 20/7Sun 9/8
JNB - IST • Direct
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 8 weeks in advance save around 11% compared to booking last minute.
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights to Istanbul

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights 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 return flight deals to Istanbul

Wed, Sep 2 - Sun, Sep 6
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:50 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 30m
1 stop
R8 907Etihad Airways
Sat, Oct 17 - Sat, Oct 24
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R9 318Etihad Airways
Sat, Oct 3 - Tue, Oct 20
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R9 335Etihad Airways
Sun, Nov 29 - Wed, Dec 9
Qatar Airways Logo
12:45 - 12:10
JNB
-
SAW
22h 25m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:40 - 15:35
SAW
-
JNB
26h 55m
1 stop
R9 483Qatar Airways
Sat, Jul 25 - Wed, Aug 5
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R9 615Etihad Airways
Sat, Sep 19 - Wed, Sep 30
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 - 12:35
JNB
-
IST
25h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
13:45 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 35m
1 stop
R9 697Etihad Airways
Mon, Nov 30 - Tue, Dec 8
Qatar Airways Logo
12:45 - 12:10
JNB
-
SAW
22h 25m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:40 - 8:40
SAW
-
JNB
20h 00m
1 stop
R9 944Qatar Airways
Wed, Jul 15 - Mon, Jul 27
Emirates Logo
18:40 - 14:25
DUR
-
IST
18h 45m
1 stop
Emirates Logo
19:35 - 16:35
IST
-
DUR
22h 00m
1 stop
R11 179Emirates
Wed, Jul 15 - Mon, Jul 27
Emirates Logo
18:40 - 14:25
DUR
-
IST
18h 45m
1 stop
Emirates Logo
19:35 - 16:35
IST
-
DUR
22h 00m
1 stop
R11 277Emirates
Tue, Nov 3 - Sat, Nov 14
Multiple Airlines Logo
18:55 - 12:10
CPT
-
SAW
16h 15m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
13:40 - 9:45
SAW
-
CPT
21h 05m
2 stops
R12 035Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Istanbul

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

What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 5 days.

In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul was found on the route from Cape Town, at R8 907 return. The most popular connection is from Johannesburg to Istanbul and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R8 907 in the last 3 days.

How much is a flight to Istanbul?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to Istanbul from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.

A flight to Istanbul costs R12 280 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R6 900 and departed from Cape Town. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Johannesburg to Istanbul which costs R15 024 on average, and Durban to Istanbul, which costs R17 845 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul?

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

Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as R12 284. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are R13 622 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Istanbul?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights 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 to Istanbul is February, where tickets cost R9 285 on average for return flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is R12 874 and R12 183 respectively. For one-way flights, the best month to travel is August with an average price of R2 815.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul?

The average price for all round-trip flights to Istanbul depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost R12 200 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Istanbul is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is R12 530.

What is a good deal for flights to Istanbul?

If you’re looking for cheap airfare to Istanbul, 25% of our users found tickets to Istanbul for the following prices or less: From Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport R13 065 return, from Cape Town R14 881 return, from Durban R15 274 return.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights 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, you should book around 8 weeks before departure, which saves you about 11% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 12 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Istanbul?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Istanbul is Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), with an average flight price of R2 316.

Good to know – Book Cheap Istanbul Plane Tickets

Cheapest flightR4 807
Flight from Cape Town to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport

When to book flights to Istanbul

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

FAQs - booking Istanbul flights

  • What is the cheapest flight to Istanbul?

    In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul was found on the route from Cape Town, at R8 907 return. The most popular connection is from Johannesburg to Istanbul and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R8 907 in the last 3 days.

  • Which Istanbul airport is closest to central Istanbul?

    Out of the 2 airports in Istanbul, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport is the nearest to the city center (32 km). You'll travel 34 km to reach the center of Istanbul if you land in Istanbul Airport

  • How much is a flight to Istanbul?

    On average, a flight to Istanbul costs R12 280. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R6 900 and departed from Cape Town Intl Airport.

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

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

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

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights 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 with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight 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 up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Istanbul

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Istanbul flight deals.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to Istanbul

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Istanbul. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from South Africa to Istanbul. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Istanbul? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8,1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3591 reviews
7,9Food
8,2Entertainment
8,4Crew
8,1Boarding
8,0Comfort
Airline reviews

The quality of food is going down comparing with old history of excellent food. It was cold and a bad quality. The crew is always excellent and caring.

8,0 ExcellentYaqoob, Jun 2026
LHR - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

The quality of food is going down comparing with old history of excellent food. It was cold and a bad quality. The crew is always excellent and caring.

Very bad service and food variety will never come back again

It went well except at delhi airport they told me that my flight is canceled and only after talking to manager they were able to find seats for me and my wife

Very nice experience in business class. Flight attendants were attentive. Foods and beverages were very good.

Offboarding in Dubai was a bit confusing. The bus dropped us off, we passed the security, and then we were again in departure, no clue, no guidance on where to get our luggage

Food was great. More vegetarian options on menu would be great!

Emirates did great! I liked the service, the food, cleanness, and the flight was on time. Much better airline than Qatar Airways I flew with last year.

There is an issue with A380 when it arrives in Munich, because a business class passengers like me have to wait for the first class passengers to disembark, which takes some time while you are also offloading economy passengers this causes an issue at customs where your business class passengers end up behind a large bulk of economy passengers This is a frustration and the early dislocation should be and is supposed to be a benefit of business class

Emirates A380s are always wonderful to fly on. Their crews, food and service are always excellent. They are typically on time and the only thing I would change (maybe newer or upgraded aircraft have this) is bluetooth so I can pair my noise cancelling headphones without a cable.

Love that you can walk directly to your gate from the Emirates Business class lounge, very convenient

I flew Business with my daughter and son. The service, friendliness of the staff and the comfort of the fully flat beds were phenomenal. Would definitely fly Turkish again soon.

I had 2 flights on the same day ( beautiful sunny non windy day)both had a touch and go -around on the runway. My husband said they were training a co pilot. The bathrooms were stinky dirty and the the floor was sticky. On one flight I had the worst food option I have ever had on an overseas flight.

Entertainment system is okay, flight attendants were ok. Leg space very narrow, I couldn’t get what I wanted to eat, dinner nor breakfast.

Staff are friendly and the pilot when we landed very smooth.

Turkish Airlines made a long flight from YVR to IST a great flying experience. From the attendants, to the food, to the entertainment program to all the extras, a twelve hour flight ‘flew by’. Late departure and arrival was not the airline’s fault.

Excellent experience with business class area. Staff was attentive and food was amazing. Only one bathroom for business class which was logistically difficult for the staff while preparing meals. Need to offer fluids with meals. I did not get enough water to drink. But overall I rate it 5 star.

On time. Great service, friendly crew. Great food. Everything went without a hitch. We will not hesitate to fly Turkish Airlines again.

It was great. The service was excellent and the timing was very good.

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

Qatar was pretty OK for their services but Arangrant was awful at theirs and frankly lied to me. Qatar offers four business class fares and only three of them allow lounge access. This is a horrible policy when you pay so much for business class and shame on them for denying the simple use of their lounges for this confusion. When I requested my business class ticket with Arangrant I knew this and specifically told them I would only purchase the lowest class business seat that would still permit me lounge access on all legs of my trip. They lied to me and said I did and then I was refused this service on my return flights. I had no less than 4-8 schedule changes and got screwed by a late departure from DCA on my double connection to JNB. I lost nearly a full day on my outbound and then had little to no use of the lounges on my outbound flights. To then be denied access on my return flights made the 27 hour trip home pretty awful. Kayak should no longer work with Arangrant as they are dishonest and liars. Qatar should price all four of their business class fares to include lounge access and stop the insanity they have forced on people. My return trip home nearly ruined my entire trip to South Africa and I blame Arangrant for telling me lies and for Qatar for offering insane rules and regulations on such expensive business class fares. For the money I paid to Qatar, I did not receive the full services I was promised. I will probably never use Arangrant and their ignorant services ever again. I will question whether I ever fly on Qatar Airways again as well. When you pay so much and get such little in return, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Arangrant gives the whole industry a bad name and Qatar is not far behind them. I can honestly say that the wretched service and way I was treated by both have soured me on travel companies and airlines. It is bad enough that we have an idiot, felon, racist and bigoted president and administration to contend with while he has started an illegal war, I did not expect to get screwed over by Arangrant and Qatar as well. Shame on all of you.

The boarding process was awful-the computers were down and there was no way to check in. Took extremely long, very chaotic and no guarantee our bags were even getting on the plane. I was also delayed and took away from any time i had to catch a connecting flight.

When we checked in at the Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia, we were only given three boarding passes and told that we would have to check in with American when we arrived in Boston. This was a source of stress for us. After we landed in Boston, we had a long passage from Terminal E to Terminal B (American Airline ticketing counter). Because the electronic ticketing kiosks for check-in would not recognize our Confirmation Code, we had to wait for an hour in a long line where only two AA reps were taking care of Special Services passengers. In many years of both business and recreational travel, I have never had this experience. I would expect more from AA being in partnership with other airlines to do a better job with this.

This flight was a very good trip for us. The crew were very friendly and helpful. They made arrangements for my husband to have assistance in boarding. We were not expecting a meal, so it was a pleasant surprise on this short flight to have a meal and beverage from a very courteous crew.

Flight departed punctually on time. Unfortunately it seems because the destination airport is a secondary airport the airline sees it fit to operate a plane with lower comfort and offerings. There was no inflight entertainment, wifi or let alone a screen to at least track flight status for remaining flight time.

I always fly with Qatar air and you are the best. Keep up the good wor, after travelling with Qatar Air More than 80 times, you never offer to upgrade me.but it happened to my friend companion some time. Any how i still enjoying travelling with Qatar air and wait one day to upgrade me too. Best Regards

Very efficient and professional staff. Food was good and so was entertainment selection.

All good. Over four hours flight if provided snacks like Qatar Airways would be better

Good. It would be great if comfort seats were available

The flight was delayed and one member of the crew was a bit rude. But apart from that all good.

They lost the baggage and said it was deleted from the system. I had baggage tag so was able to file the complaint but there was no PIR number and update so far

Very disappointed to not have lounge access The shorter flight seats were uncomfortable

Seats were very comfortable and the staff too was very friendly.

I booked tickets for a family of five and specifically paid extra to select our seats together. We spent nearly $1,000 extra (around $100 per seat) for extra legroom so we could sit near each other. However, despite paying for this, we ended up being separated on the flight. This caused a major issue for our family because my parents do not speak English and rely on me to translate and assist them during the journey. I do not understand why Etihad changed our reserved seats without explanation. I am extremely dissatisfied with this experience. I expect the airline to do better, and I am requesting a full refund for the seat selection fees we paid.

Food quality and varites were very minimum. Surprised to have no desserts. Business class tickets should have lounge access and seats selection. They should be allowed to board while people with wheel chair, secial assistance and family with childrem.

Business class ticket should include lounge access and seat selection. The food quality and varieties should be more. It was surpirise that no dessert was offered.

Early arrival. Good boarding. Deplaning this flight is very slow both coming and going. Baggage arrived quickly for Pearson

Dirty and smelly lavatory and toilets in Wamos Air operated flights

It was great! Kept the time. Provided what was promised

On this flight...fine. The one from India to Abu Dahbi, awful.

The following is a review for a flight from Johannesburg to Washington, DC with a connection at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and refueling landing at Rome, Italy. The flight was provided by Ethiopian Airlines. There were two of us: me and my wife on this flight. Everything was on time. Enough legroom between the seats, I was able to stretch my legs and sleep for at least some time during the 14 hour second flight (19 hours in total for both flights). Very decent meals that included two lunches and one breakfast on the flight from Addis Ababa to Washington and one lunch on the flight from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa. The lunch choices were beef, chicken and fish, I think the vegetarian option was available as well, accompanied with beans. The breakfast was a choice between egg and pancake, accompanied with a fruit salad. The egg breakfast was awesome, it came with a scrambled egg and a sausage. However, my wife mentioned unusual taste of the pancake breakfast meal, by all means those were not pancakes. What wasn't good: Externally initiated commercials on the infosystem screens, you couldn't turn the screen off. These commercials were accompanied by loud and annoying music, transmitted through the entire cabin. Obviously, there was no escape from this music as well. Additional moment: on the flight from Addis Ababa to Washington, DC, we landed at Rome for refueling. This was totally fine and it was in the flight itinerary. But, the flight attendant asked me to straighten the seat while we were at the steady position during the refueling. I can't rationalize this order except that some people just like to be a boss of some kind. Keeping the light lit in the economy cabin while keeping it dimmed in the first class also didn't improve my and my wife's feelings. Overall, the services were very good and the flight, despite its longevity, went on very smoothly.

The flight was very smooth, however, the quality of food was mediocre.

To the Ethiopian Airlines Customer Relations Team, I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding my recent travel experience with Ethiopian Airlines on . Unfortunately, the level of service provided fell significantly short of the standards I expected from your airline. I would like to highlight the following serious issues encountered during the journey: • Cabin Condition and Hygiene: The aircraft cabin was notably poorly maintained. The seating area was dirty, and there was a persistent, unpleasant odor throughout the flight, which made the environment very uncomfortable for passengers. • Inadequate Service: The overall level of service provided by the staff was unsatisfactory and did not reflect a professional passenger experience. • Baggage Loss: Upon arrival, I was informed that my luggage was lost. This is particularly distressing as it has caused significant personal inconvenience and disruption to my schedule. As a frequent traveler, I value reliability and a clean cabin environment. I request that you investigate these matters immediately, provide an update on the status of my missing baggage, and outline how you intend to compensate for these failures in service. I look forward to your prompt response and a resolution to my lost luggage claim. Sincerely, Puguh

We had a good flight experience with this airline despite reading many negative comments

Planes are good. However the entertainement system is slow. The headphones are of low quality and I could hardly hear a movie The movies lack subtitiles

The plane was old and the luggage racks above us were visibly shaking during turbulence. Water was dripping on our heads during landing. Our flight was over 2 hours late departing but we were not updated or told what to expect as the screen at the gate continued to read “on time”

Need to do a lot of improvement on service and cleaness

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

Good. Crew do seem to be less friendly- management are clearly limiting them or not empowering them as they used to.

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

Everything you need to know for your flight to Istanbul

Cabin class types available on flights to Istanbul

Cabin classes available on flights to Istanbul. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.