⚡ Fare recorded April 25, 2026 · Prices change daily

Sofia to Istanbul flights

Sofia (SOF) to Istanbul (IST): 290 miles (467 km) great-circle, about 1h 05m nonstop by our estimate. Cheapest fare observed: $131 round-trip on Pegasus Airlines, nonstop, departing May 6, 2026.

PCPegasus AirlinesPC272
Depart
SOF
Sofia, Bulgaria
13:45
2026-05-06
✈
Arrive
IST
Istanbul, Türkiye
Returns 11:10
2026-05-09
Stops
non-stop
Distance
290 mi
Est. nonstop time
1h 05m
Trip type
Round-trip
$131
Round-trip · per person
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About this flight

When did the cheapest Sofia to Istanbul fare fly?

$131 round-trip, Pegasus Airlines PC272, departing 2026-05-06 at 13:45, returning 2026-05-09. The recorded itinerary left on a Wednesday, returning on a Saturday 3 nights later; the fare was observed 11 days before departure. "Book this flight" opens Kiwi.com with the same airline and dates.

Route facts

How far is Sofia from Istanbul?

  • Distance: 290 miles (467 km) great-circle, heading east.
  • Estimated nonstop flight time: about 1h 05m.
  • Departure airport: Sofia Airport (SOF), Sofia, Bulgaria, UTC+3 on May 6, 2026.
  • Arrival: Istanbul Airport (IST), Türkiye, UTC+3 on May 6, 2026.
  • Time difference: none on the recorded date.
  • Route type: international, Bulgaria to Türkiye.
  • Arrival airport elevation: 325 ft.
  • Recorded itinerary: Pegasus Airlines PC272, non-stop, round-trip, 3 days between departure and return.
Fare comparison

How does the Sofia to Istanbul fare compare with other routes from SOF?

At $131, it ranked 13th of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from SOF (median $161). That is 45.2 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), above the SOF median of 21.2 cents across 30 round-trip routes.

Routes from SOF of similar length: Athens (330 mi) at $205 and Varna (226 mi) at $179.

Pegasus Airlines had the cheapest fare on 6 of 30 SOF routes. It is the 28th longest of the 30 routes we track from SOF.

Other ways in

What did other cities pay to fly to Istanbul?

Of 117 departure airports with a fare to Istanbul, Sofia (SOF) ranked 8th at $131. Lowest: $60 from Antalya (AYT); highest: $1639 from Wellington (WLG); 29 nonstop. Cheapest-fare airlines (routes): Pegasus Airlines (13), Qatar (7), WestJet (6), Wizz Air (6), Gulf Air (5) and Turkish (5), plus 51 more.

Sources

Where do these numbers come from?

Travelpayouts fares (cheapest per route, observed April 25, 2026); OurAirports coordinates and elevations; IANA zones Europe/Sofia, Europe/Istanbul; flight time is our estimate.

FAQ

Sofia to Istanbul flight questions

How far is Sofia from Istanbul by plane?

+
Sofia is about 290 miles (467 km) from Istanbul on a great-circle line from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Istanbul Airport (IST), heading east. It is the 28th longest of the 30 routes we track from SOF. The recorded itinerary was nonstop.

How long is the flight from Sofia to Istanbul?

+
About 1h 05m nonstop by our estimate for 290 miles (500 mph cruise plus 30 minutes, not a timetable). The recorded Pegasus Airlines fare was nonstop. 117 airports in our feed had a fare to Istanbul; this one ranked 8th, and 29 of the 117 were nonstop.

What is the time difference between Sofia and Istanbul?

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On May 6, 2026, Sofia was on UTC+3 (Europe/Sofia) and Istanbul on UTC+3 (Europe/Istanbul), so the two cities shared the same clock time: noon in Sofia was 12:00 in Istanbul. Daylight saving changes it: in mid-January 2026 the gap is Istanbul 1 hour ahead, in mid-July no difference.

How much is a flight from Sofia to Istanbul?

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As observed on April 25, 2026: $131 per person round-trip on Pegasus Airlines flight PC272, departing May 6, 2026, returning May 9, 2026, nonstop. At $131, it ranked 13th of the 30 round-trip fares we recorded from SOF (median $161). That is 45.2 cents per great-circle mile (round-trip price over one-way distance), above the SOF median of 21.2 cents across 30 round-trip routes. Prices change daily, so check the live fare.

Is there a nonstop flight from Sofia to Istanbul?

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Yes, the cheapest recorded fare was a nonstop Pegasus Airlines flight, PC272, on May 6, 2026. Into Istanbul, 29 of the 117 recorded fares were nonstop. From SOF, 14 of 30 were. Routes from SOF of similar length: Athens (330 mi) at $205 and Varna (226 mi) at $179.

Which airports serve flights from Sofia to Istanbul?

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It departs Sofia Airport (SOF) in Sofia, Bulgaria, and arrives at Istanbul Airport (IST) in Istanbul, Türkiye. An international flight, Bulgaria to Türkiye. Pegasus Airlines had the cheapest fare on 6 of 30 SOF routes. Istanbul Airport (IST) sits at 325 ft above sea level.

Where else near Istanbul can you fly from Sofia?

Varna (VAR) $179Antalya (AYT) $238Athens (ATH) $205Chisinau (RMO) $29Belgrade (BEG) $124Larnaca (LCA) $147All flights from Sofia →

Other cities with flights to Istanbul

From Antalya (AYT) $60From London (LGW) $97From Budapest (BUD) $106From Amsterdam (AMS) $108From Vienna (VIE) $124From Zurich (ZRH) $124

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