There are 6 ways to get from Istanbul to Musala by plane, bus, unknown, train, or night train
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly, bus, travel
best- Fly from Istanbul (IST) to Sofia Airport (SOF)IST - SOF
- Take the bus from Sofia Airport Terminal 1 Bus Stop to Borovets Bus Stop
- Walk from Borovets Bus Stop to Musala
4h 6mBus, train, travel
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler to Plovdiv
- Take the train from Plovdiv to KostenetsRe
- Walk from Kostenets to Musala
8h 7mTrain, travel
- Take the train from Halkalı to Plovdiv
- Take the train from Plovdiv to KostenetsRe
- Walk from Kostenets to Musala
14h 26mNight train, train, travel
- Take the night train from Halkali to Dimitrovgrad
- Take the train from Dimitrovgrad to KostenetsRe
- Walk from Kostenets to Musala
10h 41mBus, travel
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler to Plovdiv
- Take the bus from Plovdiv to Samokov
- Walk from Samokov to Musala
9h 31mBus, travel via Yakoruda
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Plovdiv Bus Station South
- Take the bus from Plovdiv to Yakoruda
- Walk from Yakoruda to Musala
11h
Istanbul (IST) to Sofia Airport (SOF) flights
Questions & Answers
The distance between Istanbul and Musala is 588 km.
The best way to get from Istanbul to Musala without a car is to bus and train and travel which takes 8h 7m and costs .
It takes approximately 4h 6m to get from Istanbul to Musala, including transfers.
Musala is 1h behind Istanbul. It is currently 8:03 PM in Istanbul and 7:03 PM in Musala.
There are 414+ hotels available in Musala.
What companies run services between Istanbul, Turkey and Musala, Bulgaria?
There is no direct connection from Istanbul to Musala. However, you can take the taxi to Istanbul (IST) airport, fly to Sofia Airport (SOF), walk to Sofia Airport Terminal 1 Bus Stop, take the bus to Borovets Bus Stop, then travel to Musala. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Istanbul Esenler to Musala via Plovdiv, Plovdiv, and Kostenets in around 8h 7m.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Istanbul to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 18m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–240
- Phone
- +35929311111
- onlineticket@bdz.bg
- Website
- bdz.bg
Train from Plovdiv to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 2 hours
- Estimated price
- $3–5
- Website
- https://www.bdz.bg/en
- 2nd Class
- $3–5
- 1st Class
- $4–5
Night train from Halkali to Dimitrovgrad
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 28m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- $9–17
- Website
- https://www.bdz.bg/en
- 2nd Class
- $9–14
- 1st Class
- $13–17
Train from Dimitrovgrad to Kostenets
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 9m
- Frequency
- Every 4 hours
- Estimated price
- $5–8
- Website
- https://www.bdz.bg/en
- 2nd Class
- $5–8
- 1st Class
- $7–8
- Phone
- +90 444 8 233
- cozum@tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr
- Website
- tcdd.gov.tr
Train from Halkalı to Plovdiv
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 17m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $11–18
- Website
- https://www.tcdd.gov.tr/lang/en
- Phone
- +359 2 493 0191
- info@traventuria.com
- Website
- traventuria.com
Bus from Sofia Airport Terminal 1 Bus Stop to Borovets Bus Stop
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 9m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- $10–15
- Website
- https://traventuria.com/
- Phone
- 0545 792 30 02
- info@luksyonca.com.tr
- Website
- luksyonca.com.tr
Bus from Istanbul Esenler to Plovdiv
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $24
- Schedules at
- polazak.rs
- Phone
- 0722 60019
- samokovtouristcenter@mail.bg
- Website
- samokov-info.com
Bus from Plovdiv to Samokov
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- $4–7
- Website
- https://samokov-info.com/?lang=en
- Phone
- +359 700 20 544
- Website
- ardatur.bg
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Plovdiv Bus Station South
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- $26–35
- Website
- https://ardatur.bg/en/
- Phone
- +359 0885700870
- support@citylines.eu
- Website
- citylines.eu
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Plovdiv Bus Station South
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $30–40
- Website
- https://citylines.eu/
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Plovdiv Bus Station South
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 45m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $32–33
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +90 212 658 00 61
- info@huntur.com.tr
- Website
- huntur.com.tr
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Plovdiv Bus Station South
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 25m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $28–32
- Website
- https://www.huntur.com.tr/
- info@bgrazpisanie.com
- Website
- bgrazpisanie.com
Bus from Plovdiv to Yakoruda
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 58m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $7
- Website
- https://bgrazpisanie.com/en
Want to know more about travelling around Bulgaria
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide































