# Istanbul visitor guide > Istanbul visitor guide: airport Wi-Fi sign-in, metro fares, official museum e-tickets, monthly climate figures and emergency contacts. Page: https://esimnest.com/turkey/istanbul/guide/ This guide covers Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Some of the official transit and ticketing pages it relies on are published in Turkish. This guide sets out what we could confirm on 4 October 2026 from official pages: airport internet access, metro fares, state museum tickets, climate statistics and emergency contacts. Turkey-wide SIM, phone registration and visa material is in our Turkey country guide, so it is not repeated here. By eSimNest Team. Facts last checked 2026-10-04 against the official pages listed at the end. ## Getting online at Istanbul Airport Istanbul Airport's arriving passenger guide says unlimited free internet is available throughout the airport. There are two ways to sign in once you select the iGA WiFi network. With 'Login with mobile', you enter a phone number on the portal and type in the password sent to it by SMS. With 'Login with access code', you scan your passport or identity card at a kiosk in the terminal to receive an access code, then enter that code on the portal. The same guide lists information desks that offer communication through translation devices in 40 languages and 88 dialects. Its digital options include a live call with a representative, available around the clock in Turkish, English and Sign Language, and an airport mobile app. The call centre is +90 444 1 442, available 24/7 by telephone and WhatsApp. For leaving the airport, the guide says to exit through gate 9 or 13 and follow the red signs to the metro station. For Sabiha Gökçen, the airport has a Turkish-language page on wireless internet access. The text we could read says to connect to the Free Wi-Fi network for free internet service, and gives no sign-in rules or limits. The Istanbul Airport pages we read did not describe SIM counters or eSIM sales, so we are not listing any. ## Metro fares and the Istanbulkart Metro Istanbul operates the city's metro, tram, funicular and cable-car lines, and its fare page is in Turkish. The page has three tabs: Anonim Kart İstanbulkart (anonymous card), Mavi İstanbulkart and Elektronik İstanbulkart. At the time of checking, the anonymous-card tab listed 46,20 ₺ (46.20 Turkish lira) for a full fare ('Tam'), 22,55 ₺ for a student card, 41,58 ₺ for a student who has passed age 30 and 33,08 ₺ for 'Sosyal'. The page does not say what these figures cover, such as one ride, one distance band or one boarding, so confirm at the station gate or ticket machine. The Elektronik tab lists single-use electronic ticket cards by number of trips: 65 ₺ for a card good for one trip, 120 ₺ for two and 530 ₺ for ten. The Mavi tab lists prices by trip count and does not explain what the card is. Metro Istanbul's travel-cards page says free and discounted cards are issued by IETT under rules set by the national Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. People entitled to discounted or free travel tap their own named card at the gate, and holders must show valid identification if station or security staff ask. The page does not say whether visitors can qualify. We did not read an official page on where visitors buy or top up a card, so we do not describe it. ## Museum tickets from the state platform The Ministry of Culture and Tourism runs muze.gov.tr, which sells online tickets for state museums and sites across Turkey. Its e-ticket list includes Istanbul entries such as Galata Tower, Rumeli Fortress Museum, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts and the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum. The site also has a Museum Pass section and a night-museum programme. The Istanbul Archaeological Museums page gives opening hours of 09:00 to 18:30, with the box office closing at 17:30, lists the museum as open every day and says an audio guide is available. The Museum Pass page lists a mobile Müzekart, MuseumPass Türkiye, İstanbul, Cappadocia, Mediterranean and Aegean e-cards and several Müzekart variants, each with buy or points-of-sale links. It does not state prices or which sites each card includes. The e-ticket list does not cover every Istanbul site, and we did not read ticket rules for Hagia Sophia or Topkapı Palace, so check those sites directly before travelling. We did not find queue or capacity statements on the pages we read. ## Climate by month The Turkish State Meteorological Service publishes official statistics for Istanbul covering 1950 to 2025, using stations at Kadıköy, Florya and Sarıyer. Average temperature is 6.8°C in January and 24.7°C in July and August. The average daily high reaches 29.7°C in July and August, and the average low is 4.2°C in January and February. Rain is heaviest in winter. The service lists 99.2 mm in December, 88.8 mm in January and 22.1 mm in July, the driest month. January averages about 16 rainy days and July about 3. The annual average is 659.4 mm over 114.6 rainy days. The record high is 40.6°C and the record low is -9.0°C. The UK Foreign Office says the next Ramadan will likely begin between early February and early March 2027 and last 29 or 30 days. During that time it says eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public in the daytime may cause offence, and it advises following local dress codes and checking the opening hours of shops and restaurants. We did not find an official Turkish page listing other crowd-affecting events. ## Emergency numbers and where to ask for help The Interior Ministry's 112 emergency call centre site presents 112 as the single number for police, gendarmerie, coast guard, fire and forest-fire reports, and the UK Foreign Office says to dial 112 and ask for an ambulance. At Istanbul Airport, the information desks and the round-the-clock call centre on +90 444 1 442 are the places to ask for help. The Foreign Office says street robbery and pickpocketing are common in the major tourist areas of Istanbul. It warns against strangers who approach you to change money or take you to a restaurant or nightclub, since food and drink offered by strangers could be spiked. It adds that banks and money exchanges may not accept 50 or 100 US dollar bills because of counterfeits, that illegally produced spirits containing methanol have caused deaths in Turkey, and that you should find a registered taxi, note its registration number and ensure the fare is metered. It also says regular demonstrations take place in Istanbul, may become violent, and should be avoided, leaving the area if one develops. ## Official sites you will use in Istanbul ### Airports - [Istanbul Airport: arriving passenger guide](https://www.istairport.com/en/flights/airport-guides/arrival-passenger-guide): Explains free Wi-Fi sign-in, information desks and the metro route from the terminal. - [Istanbul Airport: passenger guide](https://www.istairport.com/en/flights/airport-guides/passenger-guide): Entry page linking to the departure, arrival and transfer passenger guides. - [Sabiha Gökçen Airport: wireless internet (Turkish)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/yolcu-ve-ziyaretciler/hizmetlerimiz/kablosuz-internet): Turkish-language page about Wi-Fi at Sabiha Gökçen, with limited text. ### Getting around - [Metro Istanbul: fares (Turkish)](https://www.metro.istanbul/SeferDurumlari/BiletUcretleri): Lists fares by card type, including the anonymous Istanbulkart and electronic ticket cards. - [Metro Istanbul: travel cards (Turkish)](https://www.metro.istanbul/icerik/seyahatkartlari): Explains how free and discounted travel cards are issued and used at the gates. - [Metro Istanbul: network maps](https://www.metro.istanbul/YolcuHizmetleri/AgHaritalari): Offers downloadable maps of Istanbul's rail systems, metro lines and tram lines. ### Official tickets - [Ministry of Culture and Tourism: e-ticket list](https://muze.gov.tr/ETicket): Lists state museums and sites that sell online tickets. - [Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Istanbul Archaeological Museums](https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=IAR01&DistId=IAR): Gives opening hours, ticket-office closing time and audio guide details. ### Safety and emergencies - [Interior Ministry: 112 Emergency Call Centre (Turkish)](https://www.112.gov.tr): Official site of the national 112 emergency call centre, in Turkish. - [UK Foreign Office: Turkey safety and security](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey/safety-and-security): Sets out UK government safety advice for travellers in Turkey. ### Weather and seasons - [Turkish State Meteorological Service: Istanbul climate statistics](https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?m=ISTANBUL): Shows monthly temperature and rainfall averages for Istanbul from 1950 to 2025. Emergency calls: Many travel eSIMs carry data only, and a data-only profile may not place a normal phone call. Keep a voice-capable SIM for emergencies, such as your home SIM or a local plan, and save the local emergency number from this guide. More: [Türkiye travel eSIM guide](https://esimnest.com/turkey/guide/), [eSIM plans for Türkiye](https://esimnest.com/turkey/). ## Questions ### Is there free Wi-Fi at Istanbul Airport? Yes. The airport says unlimited free internet is available on the iGA WiFi network. You sign in with a mobile number and an SMS password, or with an access code collected from a terminal kiosk after scanning a passport or identity card. ### How do I reach the metro from Istanbul Airport? The arrival guide says to leave through gate 9 or 13 and follow the red signs to the metro station. Moving walkways opposite gate 11 lead to the station. ### How much is a Metro Istanbul fare? At the time of checking, Metro Istanbul's Turkish-language page showed 46,20 lira next to 'Tam' (full) under the anonymous Istanbulkart tab. The page does not say what the figure covers, so check at the gate or machine before you travel. ### Can I buy museum tickets online from an official site? Yes for several sites. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism's muze.gov.tr lists e-tickets for places including Galata Tower, Rumeli Fortress Museum and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. The list does not cover every Istanbul site, so check Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace on their own official pages. ### What are the Istanbul Archaeological Museums' opening hours? The ministry's page lists 09:00 to 18:30, with the box office closing at 17:30, and says the museums are open every day and have an audio guide. Check the page for changes before you go. ### Which number do I call in an emergency in Istanbul? Dial 112. The Interior Ministry's call-centre site presents it as the single number for police, gendarmerie, coast guard and fire reports, and the UK Foreign Office says to dial 112 and ask for an ambulance. ### How hot and wet is Istanbul? Official 1950 to 2025 averages show 24.7°C in July and 6.8°C in January. July is the driest month at 22.1 mm of rain, and December the wettest listed at 99.2 mm. ## Sources - [Istanbul Airport: arriving passenger guide](https://www.istairport.com/en/flights/airport-guides/arrival-passenger-guide) - [Sabiha Gökçen Airport: wireless internet (Turkish)](https://www.sabihagokcen.aero/yolcu-ve-ziyaretciler/hizmetlerimiz/kablosuz-internet) - [Metro Istanbul: fares (Turkish)](https://www.metro.istanbul/SeferDurumlari/BiletUcretleri) - [Metro Istanbul: travel cards (Turkish)](https://www.metro.istanbul/icerik/seyahatkartlari) - [Ministry of Culture and Tourism: e-ticket list](https://muze.gov.tr/ETicket) - [Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Istanbul Archaeological Museums](https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=IAR01&DistId=IAR) - [Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Museum Pass](https://muze.gov.tr/MuseumPass) - [Turkish State Meteorological Service: Istanbul climate statistics](https://www.mgm.gov.tr/veridegerlendirme/il-ve-ilceler-istatistik.aspx?m=ISTANBUL) - [UK Foreign Office: Turkey safety and security](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey/safety-and-security) - [Interior Ministry: 112 Emergency Call Centre (Turkish)](https://www.112.gov.tr) - [UK Foreign Office: Turkey health](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey/health)