New Travel Pass for Tourists: Istanbul

By Justin Mays:

Tourists visiting Istanbul can now buy Istanbul City Card they can use to travel across the city. The new cards will come with a guide kit and popular routes around the city. 

The cards, sold in more than 30 locations at electronic vending machines, will come in two types. There will be a one-day card with unlimited passes and a 15-day card which visitors can use in sightseeing busses called hop-on, hop-off buses. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) highlighted that it would be introducing more options for the card soon. This will include access to ferry lines and museums operated by the municipality.

Visiting popular places such as Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Sultanahmet Square, or the Grand Bazaar is easier when using the metro than taxis, which charge a bit higher while taking more time in traffic jams in the city. The Istanbulkart, introduced in 2015, can be topped up using a contactless payment method through a QR code or a mobile app.

Some shops accept payment of groceries using Istanbulkart, which also works as a pre-paid card, which replaced the primitive electronic device Akbil in 2015, allowing smooth travel through Istanbul's complex mass transit system. The municipality had recently introduced a mobile app that allows users to add credit to their electronic passes and use contactless payment through a QR code while boarding mass transit vehicles. The electronic pass also serves as a pre-paid debit card in specific shopping venues like supermarkets.

The cards, sold in more than 30 locations at electronic vending machines, will come in two types. There will be a one-day card with unlimited passes and a 15-day card which visitors can use in sightseeing busses called hop-on, hop-off buses. 

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) highlighted that it would be introducing more options for the card soon. This will include access to ferry lines and museums operated by the municipality. Visiting popular places such as Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Sultanahmet Square, or the Grand Bazaar is easier when using the metro than taxis, which charge a bit higher while taking more time in traffic jams in the city. 

The Istanbulkart, introduced in 2015, can be topped up using a contactless payment method through a QR code or a mobile app. Some shops accept payment of groceries using Istanbulkart, which also works as a pre-paid card, which replaced the primitive electronic device Akbil in 2015, allowing smooth travel through Istanbul's complex mass transit system.

The municipality had recently introduced a mobile app that allows users to add credit to their electronic passes and use contactless payment through a QR code while boarding mass transit vehicles. The electronic pass also serves as a pre-paid debit card in specific shopping venues like supermarkets.