Security lines
LYVR shows the live, airport-wide security queue in minutes, refreshed every couple of minutes.
IST Istanbul layover guide
A layover at IST.
Istanbul Airport
Lounges, security and customs waits, and what a connection at IST actually involves. LYVR plans the whole layover, with real walk times on the indoor map.
Updated October 2026 · Sources
9lounges at IST, with what gets you in
4open to Priority Pass or DragonPass members
Livesecurity wait times in the app
—border queue data isn't available here yet
Wait times
The lines at IST, before you're in them.
Open the Airports tab in LYVR and pick IST.
Counted in your time to spare
Every checkpoint on your connection becomes a step in the layover plan, so the time to spare already allows for the lines.
Lounges
9 lounges at IST.
0 open with a credit card, 4 with Priority Pass or DragonPass, 5 with airline elite status. Rules and hours change, so check with the lounge before you go.
IGA Lounge
Memberships
Priority Pass
IGA Sleepod
Memberships
Priority Pass
IGA Lounge
Memberships
Priority Pass
Pop up Lounge
Memberships
Priority Pass
Emirates Lounge
Airline status
Emirates Gold and up
Skyteam Lounge
Airline status
SkyTeam Elite Plus
Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge
Airline status
Turkish Airlines Elite and upStar Alliance Gold
Turkish Airlines Exclusive Lounge
Airline status
Turkish Airlines Elite and upStar Alliance Gold
Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles Lounge
Airline status
Turkish Airlines Elite and upStar Alliance Gold
Food, spas and rest
Restaurants, spas and sleep at IST.
Priority Pass venues that aren't lounges. LYVR's Explore tab adds every restaurant, bar and shop near your gate, with walk times.
| Venue | Type | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| IGA Sleepod | Sleep suites | International terminal, airside, near D gates | 24 hrs daily |
| XpresSpa (Bosphorus Zone) | Spa | International terminal, airside, Bosphorus Zone before F-gate escalators | 24 hrs daily |
| XpresSpa (Gate A3) | Spa | International terminal, airside, near gate A3 | 24 hrs daily |
| XpresSpa (Gate B1) | Spa | International terminal, airside, near gate B1 | 24 hrs daily |
| XpresSpa (Gate F7) | Spa | International terminal, airside, near gate F7 | 24 hrs daily |
Plan it in LYVR
Your IST layover, planned to the minute.
Save your flights and LYVR finds the connection at IST on its own, then times every part of it.
Every minute, accounted for.
Deplaning, every walk on the indoor map, the checkpoints your connection passes and when the doors close. What's left is yours to plan.
Lounges you can actually get into.
Add your cards and memberships once. Every lounge at IST shows whether you're in.
Directions that know which floor you're on.
Around walls, up escalators, onto the train between terminals and through security on the way.
Time to see Istanbul?
Getting out, the ride each way, security on the way back and a cushion, checked against your passport. Then a day, planned.
Layover questions
IST, answered.
Can I check the security wait time at IST?
LYVR shows the live, airport-wide security queue in minutes, refreshed every couple of minutes.
Which lounges at IST can I use on a layover?
LYVR lists 9 lounges at IST, 4 of them on Priority Pass. Which ones you can get into depends on your ticket, airline status, credit card or a lounge membership. Each lounge on this page lists what gets you in, and LYVR checks it against your own profile.
Does airline status get me into a lounge at IST?
Yes, at 5 lounges: Emirates Lounge (Emirates Gold and up); Skyteam Lounge (SkyTeam Elite Plus); Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge (Turkish Airlines Elite and up, Star Alliance Gold); Turkish Airlines Exclusive Lounge (Turkish Airlines Elite and up, Star Alliance Gold); Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles Lounge (Turkish Airlines Elite and up, Star Alliance Gold). Status entry needs a same-day departing flight on that airline or its alliance, and some tiers only count on international flights.
How much time do I need for a layover at IST?
It depends on your terminals, whether you re-clear security or customs, and how far the gates are apart. LYVR adds up deplaning, every walk on the indoor map, any checkpoints your connection passes and the boarding door time, then shows exactly how much time you have to spare.
Is a 1 hour layover enough at IST?
For a connection on one ticket, airlines won't sell you less than IST's minimum connection time, and they rebook you if a delay makes you miss it. An international transfer with security screening is still more comfortable with 1.5 to 2 hours, and separate tickets need 3 or more. LYVR works out your exact time to spare for your own two gates.
What is there to do on a layover at IST?
With an hour or two, eat near your gate and walk the terminal. With more, IST's 9 lounges (4 on Priority Pass) have quiet seats, food and often showers, and there are sleep suites and spas you can use with Priority Pass. LYVR's Explore tab lists every restaurant, bar and shop near your gate with the walk time, so you only see what fits in your layover.
Can I leave the airport on a layover at IST?
On a domestic connection, yes, with enough time. On an international one, only if you're allowed to enter Türkiye, since leaving IST means going through immigration, and you'd want about 6 hours: the passport line both ways, the trip into Istanbul and back, and security on the way in. LYVR checks the ride each way, the time you'd have in the city and your passport's entry rule.
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Plan my layover →Sources
Lounges from Priority Pass's and DragonPass's directories, the card networks' lounge lists (American Express, Capital One, Chase, Mastercard), each operator's own booking or waitlist page, and the Wikivoyage article on Istanbul Airport (CC BY-SA). Who gets in is worked out with the same rules the LYVR app uses for your saved cards, memberships and airline status. Wait times come from the airport's or TSA's own data. Terminal times are LYVR's curated estimates. Compiled October 2026; details change, so confirm with the airport, airline or lounge before you travel. LYVR isn't affiliated with Istanbul Airport.