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Istanbul Otogar
Main Bus Terminal

Istanbul Otogar is the main bus terminal in Istanbul which takes passengers both inside and outside of Turkey.  Hop on a bus at one of 324 platforms to go to any city in Turkey as well as major cities in Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Romania and other countries.   

Istanbul's main bus stationBusses at main bus station in Istanbul. Photo by calflier001

Location: Altintepsi neighborhood, Yavuz Selim Avenue No:3, Bayrampasa, Istanbul

Take M1a or M1b red metro line to "Otogar" stop (metro map). 

Largest in Turkey and Europe

  • Esenler Otogar is another name that the main bus terminal is known by.
  • The main bus terminal covers the area of 11 000 square meters (118 403 square feet) with shops, hair-dressers and even butcher.  
  • The area is used as multi-layer platform.  
  • Over 200 bus companies serve passengers going in and out of Turkey.
  • Up to 15 000 buses depart from the Istanbul Otogar in various directions.  
  • The terminals have a capacity to accommodate up to 600 000 passengers every day.
  • Over 50 000 tickets are sold every day.  1 000 of which go outside of Turkey.
  • Personnel accounts to 6 000 people - from head of office to cleaners. 

Istanbul Otogar tips

  • In and out vehicle traffic around the bus terminal is usually very heavy. Plan arriving well in advance if you chose to take a taxi to the bus terminal.
  • Metro is the most convenient way of reaching the terminal.
  • Tickets can easily be purchased on the day of travel at the terminal itself.
  • If you hotel makes your bus ticket reservations, you will need to pick up the actual tickets at the main bus terminal.
  • If you pre-purchased your ticket before the day of travel, check if your bus company has shuttle service to the main bus terminal available. 

Istanbul metro map

Main Istanbul tourist attractions

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Day tours in Istanbul