20. August 2026
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The Istanbul Nostalgic Tramways

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Istanbul Historic Tramways

Istanbul Historic Tramways
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Nice and well maintained historic rolling stock
  • Nicely integrated into public transport
  • Two very interesting, short routes through Istanbul

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway can be very crowded

There are numerous attractions of all kind, lovely food and great nightlife you can explore when visiting Istanbul. However, when I visited the key town of Türkiye, I was really curious about some public transport they offer. I already made a general post about it. One of the key attractions in regards of the transport option of the European-Asian city are its two nostalgic tramways. I take you on rides with them in this posting.

 

Istanbul Nostalgic Tramways – Routes and Fares

There are two nostalgic tramways in Istanbul. The more popular is T2, the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway in the historic city center. Less well-known is T3, the Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway. The latter is a circular tramway. I put the key stations in the map below and give you details in the two sections below.

Traveling in Istanbul by public transport is rather cheap. I opted for the Istanbul City Card, which gives you, depending on the option you bought, gives you free transport, depending on the option, between one and fifteen days. The one day card is 855 TRY, roughly 15 Euro, at the time of writing. You can of course also buy individual tickets, also by pre-paid card options.

 

T3 – The Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway

T3 is a circular tramway in Kadiköy. The borough of Istanbul is located on the Asian side, i.e. East of the Bosphorus. The rather hilly route is roughly 2.6 kilometers long, taking the tram some 20 minutes, including stops. The tram majorly used is the Gothawagen T57, which is – you guess it – a German product. The G.D.R. VEG Waggonbau Gotha built it between 1956 and 1961. There are also two Rekowagen TZ70/1 in service. You likely enter the tram at Kadiköy IDO tram stop, as it is close to the terminus of the M4 tram line. Alternatively, there are numerous ferries across the Bosphorus starting from there. The tram is always traveling in clockwise direction. This means that if you want to travel to a stop the tram recently went to, you almost have to take an entire circle.

As said, the route is the less touristic nostalgic tram option in Istanbul. It is used quite intensively by locals. The first stops pass a rather commercial area with many shops and restaurants. It is definitely worth exploring this part of Kadiköy. The more the tram climbs up the hill, the more it also passes more residential areas. There are still scattered shops around and you simply enjoy exploring Istanbul life. When the tram heads back downhill, you do have some really nice views of the Bosphorus. Quite soon before you complete the full circle you also pass the depot of T3 tramway. Trams typically depart every ten minutes, so that it should be rather easy to catch a ride.

 

T2 – The Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway

The Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway is a key tourist attraction. It runs forth and back between Tünel and Taksim. The frequency is roughly any 15 minutes. Ideally, you do that ride early in the morning as it can be very crowded thereafter. Tünel is also the uphill station of the equivalently named funicular, which is named the oldest permanently operating one in Europe. At both terminals, you can transfer to M2 Metro. The route is 1.4 kilometers long and has a loop to change direction at Taksim. Travel time is roughly 15 minutes. There are numerous different kinds of trams operating. I had a trip on the Reko T270/1, which operated in Jena, Germany / G.D.R., before. There are also some trans which originally operated in Istanbul, the oldest ones being built in 1913.

I took the Northbound route from Tünel to Taksim. You ride along the Istiklal Cd., one of the most vibrant shopping streets in Istanbul. Thus, there are stores, restaurants, historic buildings and a lot of people all along your ride. Thus the tram gives you a great overview of that area. The more it is breathtaking when you get closer to the huge Taksim Square and especially pass the iconic Taksim Mosque right before you exit the tram. The ride may be packed, but it is definitely a memorable experience.

 

Istanbul Nostalgic Tramways – My View

Both nostalgic trams, T2 and T3 offer iconic rides. Especially the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway (T2) is a gem, not only for train and tram lovers. However, it is also very packed. Thus, I rather enjoyed T3, which is also coming with very interesting rolling stock and gives you a nice view of Istanbul’s “real” life. However, getting there does take a bit of time, T2 is more straightforward. Thus, I really loved both rides.

 

Türkiye on Flyctory

Here are all my postings related to Türkiye (was Turkey):

 

Rides on Rail (Top Pick!)

Here are all my rail-related reviews leading to a Top Pick! rating:

 

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