My route
Sign in
WorldTurkeyIstanbulKadıköyMy routeRoute

Kadıköy, Istanbul

Kadıköy, Istanbul: a ferry at the pier on the Asian shore
Photo: Starliner, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free — it's a city neighbourhood
Hours
Open-air district, always open; the market runs daily from about 9:00 into the evening
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
2 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Ferry from Eminönü
≈ 20 min, Şehir Hatları, pay with Istanbulkart
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Other ferries
From Karaköy, Beşiktaş and Kabataş, ≈ 20–25 min
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Marmaray
Sirkeci to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then one stop on the M4 metro
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Market
Daily, roughly 9:00 until late evening
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Tuesday market
Big street market on Tuesdays; some sources add Fridays
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
From Sabiha Gökçen Airport
M4 metro to the Kadıköy terminus
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Landmark
Kadıköy ferry pier, İskele Square
Coordinates
40.99291, 29.02287YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

Chalcedonthe Greek city here, founded by settlers from Megara in the 7th century BC — before Byzantium
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipedia (685 BC)Encyclopaedia Britannica (early 7th century BC)
451the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, met here
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
1864the year cast on the bronze bull in Altıyol Square, signed by Isidore Bonheur
2 sourcesDaily Sabahbianet
“City of the Blind”Herodotus’ nickname for Chalcedon — its founders missed the far better site across the water
2 sourcesEncyclopaedia BritannicaEnglish Wikipedia
1908Haydarpaşa station opened — you see its castle-like façade from the ferry
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia (some sources say 1909)
Otto Ritter & Helmuth Cunothe German architects of Haydarpaşa station
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaKültür Envanteri
1927the Süreyya Opera House opened on Bahariye — the first music theatre on the Asian side
2 sourcesistanbul.comCornucopia
M4the Asian side's first metro line, from Kadıköy to Sabiha Gökçen Airport
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaUrban Transport Magazine
T3the nostalgic tram loop between Kadıköy and Moda
2 sourcesistanbul.comThe Better Vacation
Modaan old, quiet quarter on the headland south of central Kadıköy
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipediaistanbul.com

Is Kadıköy worth visiting?

Yes — if you have more than a day in Istanbul. Kadıköy has no blockbuster monument; it's about eating, wandering and watching the city live: a working food market, cheap and good meyhanes, coffee shops and a seafront where locals watch the sunset.

If you only have one day, stay in the old city. On day two or three, the ferry over is one of the best-value trips in Istanbul.

How to get to Kadıköy from Sultanahmet

Step-by-step directions are below; the map shows where you arrive.

Loading the map…

destinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map: on foot, by tram and by taxi. Your location isn’t stored.

More tips

  1. Take the T1 tram to Eminönü (or walk from the Spice Bazaar — the pier is a couple of minutes away).
  2. Board a Şehir Hatları ferry to Kadıköy and tap your Istanbulkart at the gate.
  3. Get off at Kadıköy pier after about 20 minutes — the market starts across the road.
  4. Rainy or windy? Take the T1 to Sirkeci, the Marmaray under the Bosphorus to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then one stop on the M4 to Kadıköy.
  5. Come back a different way — ferries also run to Karaköy and Beşiktaş.

Things to do in Kadıköy

  • Kadıköy Market (Çarşı) — pedestrian lanes behind the pier full of fish, cheese, olives, spices, Turkish delight and snack bars. A food market, not a souvenir bazaar.
  • The fish stalls — the catch of the day, with cafés next door that will cook it for you.
  • The Bull statue in Altıyol Square — an 1864 bronze and everyone's meeting point.
  • Bahariye Caddesi — a pedestrian shopping street running from the bull past the 1927 Süreyya Opera House.
  • Moda — a quiet headland quarter with cafés, ice cream, a park and a seafront facing the old city and the Princes' Islands.
  • Haydarpaşa station — the 1908 waterfront terminus, best seen from the ferry.
  • The T3 nostalgic tram — a short loop from the pier via Bahariye to Moda.

Kadıköy ferry: routes and timetable

Şehir Hatları ferries run from early morning until late evening, usually every 15–20 minutes from Eminönü, with other routes from Karaköy, Beşiktaş and Kabataş, and boats on to the Princes' Islands. Timetables change by season — check the Şehir Hatları app or website on the day.

Kadıköy has several terminals side by side and routes can leave from different buildings, so read the destination board before the gate. Pay with an Istanbulkart — single tickets and bank cards cost more. On the way you pass the Maiden's Tower and Haydarpaşa.

Kadıköy Market and where to eat

The market is a grid of car-free streets right behind the pier, where Istanbul residents do their real shopping. Tasting is normal; hard haggling like at the Grand Bazaar is not.

Eat right there: lokantas with home cooking, fish restaurants, meyhanes for meze and rakı, and third-wave coffee. On Tuesdays the neighbourhood also hosts a big open-air street market.

Before you go: checklist

Ready: 0 of 6

Tick what is ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Kadıköy vs Üsküdar (and Balat)

Kadıköyyou are hereAsianMarket, food, cafés, Moda≈ 20 minFree2–3 hBusy, young, arty
ÜsküdarAsianMosques, Maiden's Tower, sunset≈ 15–20 minFree2–3 hCalm, traditional
BalatEuropeanColourful houses, old streetsNot neededFree1.5–2 hPhotographers and visitors

Üsküdar is for history and the waterside sunset; Kadıköy is for food and street life. They're about 15 minutes apart by bus or Marmaray, so you can do both in one afternoon.

Istanbul's markets compared

Every market in Istanbul rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Grand Bazaar611 h 30 minFree5.0 km
Spice Bazaar5440 minFree5.1 km
Kadıköyyou are here452 hFree—
İstiklal Avenue441 hFree5.9 km
Nişantaşı381 hFree6.6 km

The Asian side in half a day

The Spice Bazaar, a ferry across the Bosphorus, lunch at Kadıköy market, then Üsküdar and sunset at the Maiden's Tower. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Spice Bazaar40 min · Free
  2. 89 min walk from the previous stopKadıköyyou are here2 h · Free
  3. 69 min walk from the previous stopÜsküdar1 h 30 min · Free
  4. 21 min walk from the previous stopMaiden’s Tower1 h 45 min · Boat and entry: verifying

4 places · about 8 h 54 min with walks · 179 min on foot in total

Go · my route

How to do it right

  • Go over from Eminönü and come back to Karaköy or Beşiktaş — two different Bosphorus crossings.
  • Have lunch at the market rather than in Sultanahmet — cheaper and better.
  • Catch sunset in Moda, then take the ferry back for the city lights from the water.
  • Flying into Sabiha Gökçen? The M4 metro goes straight to Kadıköy.
  • Pair it with Üsküdar for two Asian-side neighbourhoods in one afternoon.

Questions

Is Kadıköy worth visiting?

Yes, if you have more than a day: it shows everyday Istanbul and has some of the city's best food. With just one day, stay in the old city.

How do I get to Kadıköy from Sultanahmet?

T1 tram to Eminönü, then a 20-minute ferry. Or T1 to Sirkeci, Marmaray to Ayrılık Çeşmesi and one stop on the M4 metro.

How long is the ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy?

About 20 minutes. Ferries usually leave every 15–20 minutes; check the Şehir Hatları timetable on the day.

What is Kadıköy known for?

Its food market, meyhanes and coffee shops, the bronze bull, Bahariye street and the Moda seafront — and, in history, as ancient Chalcedon.

What to do in Kadıköy?

Graze through the market, see the bull and Bahariye, walk to Moda for the seafront and sunset, and take the ferry back.

How much time do you need in Kadıköy?

2–3 hours for the market and Bahariye; half a day if you add Moda and sunset.

Kadıköy or Üsküdar — which is better?

Üsküdar for mosques, the Maiden's Tower and sunset; Kadıköy for food and street life. They're 15 minutes apart, so do both.

Is Kadıköy safe?

It's a busy, mainstream neighbourhood popular day and night. Use normal city precautions and watch your bag in crowds.

How do I get from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Kadıköy?

The M4 metro runs from the airport to the Kadıköy terminus by the pier in about an hour; Havabüs coaches also go there.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English and Russian Wikipedia: Kadıköy, Chalcedon, Haydarpaşa railway station, M4 (Istanbul Metro); Wikidata Q932886
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica: Chalcedon
  • Daily Sabah, 17.02.2018, and bianet — history of the bull statue
  • Kültür Envanteri: Haydarpaşa Garı
  • Istanbul.com — guides to Kadıköy, Moda and the market
  • Cornucopia — Süreyya Opera House
  • Urban Transport Magazine, 2022 — M4 extension to Sabiha Gökçen
  • Istanbul ferry guides (feribotseferleri.com.tr), 2026 — routes and crossing times
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedKadıköy is a free public neighbourhood, so there are no ticket prices. Ferry times and market hours come from travel guides because the official Şehir Hatları timetable would not load during our check, so they are marked “verifying”, and we leave out fares because they change. Historical facts are checked against at least two sources. Haydarpaşa's opening is given as 1908 or 1909, so we show 1908 with a note. Sources disagree on when the bull reached Kadıköy (1969–1971) and Altıyol (1976, 1987 or 1990), and on the sculptor (Bonheur or Rouillard), so we give only the cast date and Bonheur's signature. The Tuesday market is confirmed everywhere; Fridays are not.

Top YesGo picks: Istanbul

Hagia Sophia

Istanbul, Turkey

1 h 15 min · €25

Blue Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey

45 min · Free

Bosphorus ferry cruise

Istanbul, Turkey

2 h · Price: verifying

Basilica Cistern

Istanbul, Turkey

45 min · ≈ 1,950–2,250 TL

Süleymaniye Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey

45 min · Free

Topkapı Palace

Istanbul, Turkey

3 h · 2,750 TL with the Harem

Grand Bazaar

Istanbul, Turkey

1 h 30 min · Free

All places: Istanbul →