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Cheap Flights from San Francisco International to Istanbul

Compare San Francisco International to Istanbul flight deals

Find the cheapest month or even day of the year to fly to Istanbul

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Flight deals from San Francisco International to Istanbul

Looking for a cheap last-minute deal or the best return flight from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport? If you want to travel next month, return fares start from Rs220,997. Find the lowest prices on one-way and return tickets right here.
Istanbul.Rs100,338 per passenger.Departing Mon, 12 Oct.One-way flight with WestJet.Outbound indirect flight with WestJet, departs from San Francisco International on Mon, 12 Oct, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs100,338, select.
Istanbul.Rs103,726 per passenger.Departing Wed, 18 Nov.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Wed, 18 Nov, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs103,726, select.
Istanbul.Rs104,822 per passenger.Departing Mon, 15 Mar.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Mon, 15 Mar, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs104,822, select.
Istanbul.Rs104,886 per passenger.Departing Sun, 3 Jan.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Sun, 3 Jan, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs104,886, select.
Istanbul.Rs104,902 per passenger.Departing Tue, 9 Feb.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Tue, 9 Feb, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs104,902, select.
Istanbul.Rs104,940 per passenger.Departing Tue, 1 Dec.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Tue, 1 Dec, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs104,940, select.
Istanbul.Rs105,049 per passenger.Departing Mon, 5 Apr.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Mon, 5 Apr, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs105,049, select.
Istanbul.Rs117,236 per passenger.Departing Tue, 18 May.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Tue, 18 May, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs117,236, select.
Istanbul.Rs118,077 per passenger.Departing Thu, 20 Aug.One-way flight with jetBlue.Outbound indirect flight with jetBlue, departs from San Francisco International on Thu, 20 Aug, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs118,077, select.
Istanbul.Rs118,355 per passenger.Departing Mon, 21 Sep.One-way flight with jetBlue.Outbound indirect flight with jetBlue, departs from San Francisco International on Mon, 21 Sep, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs118,355, select.
Istanbul.Rs134,234 per passenger.Departing Thu, 15 Jul.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Thu, 15 Jul, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs134,234, select.
Istanbul.Rs140,323 per passenger.Departing Tue, 1 Jun.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Tue, 1 Jun, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs140,323, select.
Istanbul.Rs189,118 per passenger.Departing Fri, 31 Jul.One-way flight with Lufthansa.Outbound indirect flight with Lufthansa, departs from San Francisco International on Fri, 31 Jul, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs189,118, select.
Istanbul.Rs198,320 per passenger.Departing Tue, 18 Aug.One-way flight with Turkish Airlines.Outbound direct flight with Turkish Airlines departs from San Francisco International on Tue, 18 Aug, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs198,320, select.
Istanbul.Rs198,390 per passenger.Departing Wed, 18 Nov.One-way flight with Turkish Airlines.Outbound direct flight with Turkish Airlines departs from San Francisco International on Wed, 18 Nov, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs198,390, select.
Istanbul.Rs198,508 per passenger.Departing Thu, 10 Sep.One-way flight with Turkish Airlines.Outbound direct flight with Turkish Airlines departs from San Francisco International on Thu, 10 Sep, arriving in Istanbul.Price includes taxes and charges.From Rs198,508, select.

Find the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco International to Istanbul

We’re always keeping an eye on fares, so you can find the best one in seconds. It looks like San Francisco International to Istanbul flights are currently cheapest in October.
Jul
from Rs189,118
Aug
from Rs118,077
Sep
from Rs118,355
Oct
from Rs100,338
Nov
from Rs103,726
Dec
from Rs104,940
Jan
from Rs104,886
Feb
from Rs104,902
Mar
from Rs104,822
Apr
from Rs105,049
May
from Rs117,236
Jun
from Rs140,323

Direct flights from San Francisco International to Istanbul

San Francisco International to Istanbul: Alternative routes

Compare routes from San Francisco International to Istanbul below. You may find an airport to fly into that's cheaper, faster, or easier than Istanbul.

Istanbul Sabiha

30km from central Istanbul
Closest
from Rs101,501
Search flights

Istanbul

34km from central Istanbul
Cheapest
from Rs100,338
Search flights

San Francisco to Istanbul: Flight information

The things to know before you go.
Cheapest flight foundRs100,338
Cheapest month to flyOctober
Average flight time12 hrs, 55 mins
Most popular airlineTurkish Airlines
Average flights per week19

Finding cheap flights from San Francisco International to Istanbul: Frequently asked questions

The best price we found for a return flight from San Francisco International to Istanbul is Rs195,852. This is an estimate based on information collected from different airlines and travel providers over the last 4 days and is subject to change and availability.
12 hours and 55 minutes is the average flight time from San Francisco International to Istanbul.
Turkish Airlines, IndiGo and PIA fly direct from San Francisco International to Istanbul.
As of July 2026, there are 19 flights per week flying from San Francisco International to Istanbul.
The cheapest month to fly from San Francisco International to Istanbul is usually August.
After crunching the numbers on our flight calendar, we found that it's currently cheapest to fly from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport on Thursday, 20 August 2026.
Yes – the average flight time is 12 hours and 55 minutes.
We show every price from over 1,200 airlines and travel agents, comparing them all so you don’t have to. If you know you want to fly to Istanbul but you’re not ready to book, set up a Price Alert. We’ll track prices for you, and let you know when they rise or fall.

We crunched all the numbers in our flight calendar and it looks like the cheapest time to book a flight to Istanbul is around 40 days in advance, so don’t leave your flight to the last minute.

Currently, French Bee and Turkish Airlines offer the cheapest flight tickets to Istanbul.

Flying from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST): what you need to know

  • Jump on a direct flight from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport and you'll be travelling for an average of 13 hours.

  • The timezone in Istanbul is UTC+3, which is 11 hours ahead of San Francisco.

  • Flights from SFO to IST start at 12:40 — the earliest with Turkish Airlines. The latest departure is at 19:50 with Turkish Airlines. In total, there are ten weekly San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport flights.

  • Arriving two hours before an international flight and one hour ahead of a domestic departure are tried-and-true travel tips. Get to the airport on time to board your SFO to IST flight.

  • During popular months such as July, it's best to get to the airport well in advance. Plan to arrive two hours before a domestic departure and four hours ahead of an international flight whenever you're flying during a high season in general.

  • Turkish Airlines is your ticket to exploring Istanbul (and maybe even some other exciting parts of Türkiye (Turkey)!). Browse the direct flights from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport offered by this popular carrier.

  • The airline that tops the list for bookings on this route is Turkish Airlines.

  • If you want to explore another city along the way, just deselect 'Direct flights only' when searching for your ticket from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport. Here are the most popular stopovers between SFO and IST:

    • Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

    • Frankfurt am Main Airport

    • Mumbai Airport

How to find the cheapest flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Istanbul Airport (IST)

  • Rs100,338 is the lowest price for a one-way San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport flight. A return flight starts from Rs195,852. These prices may change based on availability and demand.

  • Don't leave things to the last minute. You're more likely to get cheap tickets from SFO to IST if you book in advance. Airlines often have some amazing early bird deals.

  • Organise your trip for May. That's the cheapest month for flights from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport. If you're flexible on when you fly, try out the 'Whole month' tool to see the cheapest airfare across every month.

  • Snapping up cheap flights from SFO to IST couldn't be easier with Price Alerts. Simply set up one of these automatic alerts and we'll get in touch as soon as a new deal comes up.

  • Tailor your trip with filters. Pick your preferred departure and arrival times, airlines and total journey duration. You can also sort your results by 'Cheapest,' 'Best' or 'Fastest' flights from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport.

Handy information about San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

  • Of the departures from San Francisco International Airport, 78% land on time at their destination.

  • San Francisco International Airport is about 21 kilometres from central San Francisco. If you're driving, ride-sharing or catching a taxi from the centre, it'll take you 25 minutes or so to arrive, depending on the traffic.

  • Planning to catch public transport? Expect a trip time of around 35 minutes.

  • Catching an early flight from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport? Avoid the hassle of rushing to the terminal (and get some extra shut-eye) by choosing one of these stays near SFO:

Arriving at Istanbul Airport (IST)

Getting from Istanbul Airport (IST) to central Istanbul

  • Istanbul Airport is approximately 40 kilometres from the centre of Istanbul. The drive time takes about 45 minutes.

  • It takes roughly 1 hour 10 minutes if you're using public transport.

When to fly to Istanbul Airport (IST)

  • August is the busiest month for flights from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport. For smaller crowds, visit Istanbul in March.

  • When booking your flight from San Francisco International Airport to Istanbul Airport, think about the kind of weather you enjoy. July is the warmest month in Istanbul, with the temperature ranging from 21ºC to 30ºC.

  • For cooler conditions, search for a cheap ticket from SFO to IST in January. Temperatures average between 2ºC and 11ºC then.

Explore more of Türkiye (Turkey)

  • Ankara is just one of the many cities in Türkiye (Turkey) waiting to be discovered after you've experienced Istanbul. Around 354 kilometres away to the east, popular attractions include The Roman Theatre, Kocatepe Mosque (Kocatepe Camii) and Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

  • Around 322 kilometres south-west of Istanbul, Izmir is another essential stop in Türkiye (Turkey). Experience this destination's highlights firsthand at Aegean Coast, Smyrna Basilika and Ataturk Konak Square.

More travel options

Plan the rest of your trip from San Francisco to Istanbul

Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest prices only. Found in the last 12 days.