R4 424 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 13/2. 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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41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
R8 782
Typical prices: R8 717-R9 995
Qatar Airways
Sun 15/3Sun 22/3
JNB - SAW • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
R12 715
Typical prices: R10 806-R15 238
Turkish Airlines
Wed 25/3Tue 7/4
JNB - IST • Direct
Top routes
JNB
-
TR5
Cheapest
CPT
-
TR5
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Start a new search
KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Istanbul!
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

Sun, Mar 15 - Sun, Mar 22
Qatar Airways Logo
20:30 - 12:10
JNB
-
SAW
14h 40m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:40 - 3:55
SAW
-
JNB
15h 15m
1 stop
R8 782Qatar Airways
Wed, Apr 8 - Thu, Apr 30
Qatar Airways Logo
12:40 - 12:10
JNB
-
SAW
22h 30m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:35 - 8:50
SAW
-
JNB
20h 15m
1 stop
R8 881Qatar Airways
Fri, Feb 27 - Fri, Mar 6
Qatar Airways Logo
12:45 - 12:20
JNB
-
IST
22h 35m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
13:50 - 3:55
IST
-
JNB
15h 05m
1 stop
R9 012Qatar Airways
Sun, Mar 15 - Sun, Mar 22
Etihad Airways Logo
9:50 - 12:55
JNB
-
IST
26h 05m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
14:00 - 8:20
IST
-
JNB
19h 20m
1 stop
R9 175Etihad Airways
Sun, Jan 18 - Sun, Jan 25
KLM Logo
23:59 - 21:20
JNB
-
SAW
20h 21m
1 stop
KLM Logo
9:00 - 22:05
SAW
-
JNB
38h 05m
1 stop
R9 733KLM
Sun, Jan 18 - Sun, Jan 25
KLM Logo
23:59 - 17:25
JNB
-
SAW
16h 26m
1 stop
KLM Logo
9:00 - 22:05
SAW
-
JNB
38h 05m
1 stop
R9 749KLM
Fri, Feb 20 - Fri, Feb 27
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:30 - 12:30
JNB
-
SAW
21h 00m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
21:25 - 13:05
SAW
-
JNB
16h 40m
2 stops
R10 126Multiple Airlines
Sun, Feb 1 - Sat, Feb 14
Emirates Logo
19:10 - 14:25
DUR
-
IST
18h 15m
1 stop
Emirates Logo
23:40 - 17:10
IST
-
DUR
18h 30m
1 stop
R10 470Emirates
Wed, Feb 4 - Sun, Feb 8
Emirates Logo
19:10 - 14:25
DUR
-
IST
18h 15m
1 stop
Emirates Logo
16:25 - 17:10
IST
-
DUR
25h 45m
1 stop
R10 503Emirates
Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Jan 29
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:40 - 12:10
DUR
-
SAW
26h 30m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
13:40 - 19:50
SAW
-
DUR
31h 10m
2 stops
R11 387Multiple 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 72 hours.

In the last 3 days, the cheapest flight deal to Istanbul was found on the route from Johannesburg, at R4 424 one-way and R8 782 return. The most popular connection is from Cape Town to Istanbul and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R9 520 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.

On average, a flight to Istanbul costs R9 941. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R5 885 and departed from Cape Town. The most popular routes on KAYAK are Johannesburg to Istanbul which costs R11 540 on average, and Cape Town to Istanbul, which costs R12 534 on average.

See prices from:

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 Cape Town R6 849 one-way - R11 447 return, from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport R6 912 one-way - R10 697 return, from Durban R9 643 one-way - R11 771 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 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 81 days 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, with an average flight price of R3 011.

Good to know – Book Cheap Istanbul Plane Tickets

Cheapest flightR4 424
Flight from Johannesburg 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 Johannesburg, at R4 424 one-way and R8 782 return. The most popular connection is from Cape Town to Istanbul and KAYAK users have found return deals for as low as R9 520 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 R9 941. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks cost R5 885 and departed from Cape Town Intl Airport.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Istanbul is Tuesday where tickets can be as cheap as R12 376. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where prices are R13 919 on average.

  • 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.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul is generally at night, when flights cost R12 232 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 697.

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 3467 reviews
8,0Comfort
7,9Food
8,1Boarding
8,2Entertainment
8,3Crew
Airline reviews

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

8,0 ExcellentShruti, Jan 2026
DEL - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

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

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

Crew were very good. Food service was a little slow and disappointing not having on demand dining and only 3 options. Amenity kits and pyjamas were excellent.

Sadly I couldn't get the food I requested as it was out. Also, if you don't want to be woken up make sure the crew knows it. My wife was woken on every service.

This was my first time flying with Emirates. Overall, the experience was very good. I thought the seats in economy would have been a bit more comfortable, but, they seem to be on par with other airlines. The food was excellent and very satisfying. If you can afford it, I would definitely suggest upgrading to at lest premium economy seats for long haul flights.

Hospitality is good. Should improve on buggage handling because l lost a suitcase. Layover in Dubai was too long , 6 hours

Can’t complain Only downside was the Kiosk passport check and customs clearance at Melbourne. When will they improve that service🤔

Food was excellent. Leg room in economy, not so good; I’m 6’-1”.

It was very good. It was a long flight and being a tight with little leg room.

All great, because I was given a seat with extra legroom on this part of my trip.

Plane was good Crew was good Food was just ok Could have had more entertainment options But overall good

no qatar did noting wrong Kayak messed up my whole vacation . Went early to check in at The Cairo, Egypt airport to find our I had not tickets to board , Kayak and/or Affirm never sent the money for my flight that I paid for and booked. So I had no flight at 12am in a foreign country and I had to scramble and find anther very costly other option just so that could fly home. Fucken horrible experience.

Awesome hospitality, awesome staff, awesome food & awesome travel time. Thanks

Economy travel is really hard with no room to move especially when the person sitting beside you is an XL or XXL size person who if moving could hit your face

I was travelling 3.5 years after. Agree Economy is no business class but the food was mediocre. Ordered a Hindu meal, the salads were bitter . The food was really below quality and had no tast from what I had in the past. Indian Railways probably have a better quality food when compared. However the kids meal was really nice and really appreciate how they were taken care of. The restrooms were dirty .

I had to stay in the airport 15 even with a hotel reservation..i was refused to inter to qatar cuz the hotel was outside the airport. They could have offered a solution. It was really exhausting for me and my family.

The only thing that could have been better, is that the food trays get left way to long after a meal. We had a snack 8 hrs into the trip, and they left us with the boxes and cups for way too long. It is not fun being trapped in your seat unnecessarily

Aircraft was spacious compared to American Airlines, food was great, entertainment was much better with a wide variety of options, and the crew was very polite.

The flight from Abu Dabhi to Bangalore was terrible. The plane was an order model with no onboard entertainment. The beverage selection were very limited.

excellent, the staff was kind and the boarding process was with no issues or hassle

Poor boarding with incorrect gate numbers. Poor service they told me to throw away brand new water bottles. Poor immigration officers most likely American who hates Muslims. Poor service in the plane with no Urdu language sign posted anywhere. Horrible seats with no comfort at all they think people traveling in economy are animals. Slow food and water services. Slow baggage arrival.

Very delayed and uncomfortable seats. Nothing written in Urdu for Pakistanis. Tons of Pakistanis use the airline they should ensure the airline is accommodating them properly.

We booked a business class ticket via Underpricer. Somehow they screwed up our ticket from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad. We will be hesitant to book again with them.

I was charged $604 for a bag that weighed 17 kg. I was given three different prices until they landed on the most expensive one and didn't budge a penny. It's ironic and a bit enraging because the total cost of my ticket was $468. I've traveled the world and never experienced these kind of prices for only one piece of checked luggage.

Will never book any flight from Kayak and will never travel ithad airline

In Colombo when I-drop my baggage Sri Lanka air line crew not polite way talk very rude

Did not provided with option for class upgrade. Staff at gate was not able and willing to accommodate with class upgrade, eather with plenty empty spots in business and first class.

I am a larger than average person and in my opinion i don't think it's fair to allocate a window seat to anyone who is my size or larger, i was seated between 2 large passengers on a full aircraft. The guy in the window seat also occupied a portion of the middle seat (my seat) which made my experience of flying with etihad very cramped and uncomfortable, i was flying from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok. Had this been a airbus 380 it would have been better as the seats are larger but unfortunately it wasn't so i had to endure the 6+hrs unable to get any rest

Nothing luxury about Turkish airline compared to many other airlines

Entertainment was good. Flight was delayed, nearly missed my connecting flight. The gate was changed on several occasions. My luggage did not arrive on time and had to leave without it.

Service was slow and checked bag was off last evening when flying business

Everything was good except that they didn’t give us seat for our connecting flight in Istanbul from Cairo. This created a panic situation. Hopefully they give all customers connecting flights seats right from the start.

Requested food items were always finished but the available food was warm and tasted good Good entertainment options.

Bad chairs in business class like economy ( not turning into bed )

The entertainment selection itself was ok but the screen couldn't be turned off which was annoying because I wanted to read and not be distubed by flashing lights in front of me. I could see other people having the same problem with their screens. The crew seemed to be too busy to be bothered by our questions/requests. I found the seat quite uncomfortable, especially for a long flight. As a short person, I've accepted the inconvenience of always having seats higher than comfortable, but my neck hurt after a while because the headrest was too high and couldn't be adjusted further. The seat pockets in this plane seemed to be faulty. I could see people near me having the same problem of everything falling on the floor because it kept detaching from the back of the seat. It was pretty useless to keep anything in it, even the menu and sick bag wouldn't stay in. The food was meh. The omellete was just a hunk of egg - my next flight leg also offered omellete but was so much better than this one.

Space between seats is challenging but otherwise excellent service in every way.

Customer service was poor everywhere. In particular in business class lounge. Stewardess were however excellent. No ability to order more than one dietary restriction in food that created awkward situations when I was offered bulgur due to being diabetic as I was also gluten free

PLEASE GIVRE US PERMISSION TO BOOK SEAT NUMBER EVEN WITH FEES

The plane was ok, I was in business class and was surprised there were no pods and each seat was right next to another one. That said it was comfortable and the food and coffee were good. Entertainment wise again I was surprised to see only movies and no TV shows. Check-in at Toronto Pearson was an absolute disaster, which was especially disappointing as I was a business class passenger. There was no dedicated staffing for the business counter and four (4) airlines employees assisted one economy class passenger for about 15 minutes when one could have easily assisted me. Overall room for improvement, particularly in the on-ground experience and airplane infrastructure.

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”

It is nice and great but the houstees crew are all the way back arguing with customers and behavior issues same of the crew i saw that also all the trips were very much butter!

The crew was not helping us in the airports ..Very bad experience..the washrooms are not meeting the expectations..need more good service... The hotel service was good but there is a very long wait time which wasted time to go through..

Need to do a lot of improvement on service and cleaness

My recent experience with ASKY Airlines was disappointing. The check-in process was disorganized, and I was provided with inaccurate information regarding baggage requirements, resulting in unforeseen expenses. Additionally, the ground staff demonstrated a lack of professionalism and appeared insufficiently trained to handle passenger needs effectively. Regrettably, this initial encounter has left me reluctant to consider future travel with the airline.

Checking in wasn't organized, too many so-called diplomats were jumping line while everyone was waiting in line. They should have their own line not to impede on other passengers that was also waiting to be served. We all paid money and there should be no discrimination because everyone's money should have the same value diplomat or not! If they want to give diplomats some special treatment then let them create their own check in desk and not treat other passengers some that are (elderly, some with children, pregnant women) making them stand longer in line than necessary just because people are jumping line 😡

Traveling with Ethiopian is always a good experience. I also enjoy the stay at skylight hotel in Addis

The flight is packed and it feels like the space per individual has gotten smaller. Excruciating for a 14hr flight.

Lost suite case and pillow that’s used by senior and they didn’t leave it at the airport

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.