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Maddie Around the World

Maddie Around the World is a blog dedicated to solo female travelers and budget travelers. Check it out for destination guides and travel tips and stories!

The Complete Guide to TourIstanbul with Turkish Airlines

Did you know that Turkish Airlines offers a free tour of Istanbul if your layover is longer than six hours? It’s called TourIstanbul, and you can book it directly at the airport! It is a great way to get out and see the city! I recently took a TourIstanbul tour when I had a 14-hour layover at the Istanbul airport. Keep reading for the complete guide to TourIstanbul!

What is TourIstanbul?

What does the tour include, is touristanbul really free, how to signup.

• Is There Luggage Storage Available?

Is TourIstanbul Worth it?

• Get a Free Hotel Room from Turkish Airlines

TourIstanbul is a free tour of Istanbul offered by Turkish Airlines. If your layover at the Istanbul Airport is longer than six hours and the times align, they will take you on a fully guided tour! Additionally, you must be flying on Turkish Airlines to be eligible for these tours.

They pick your tour based on your flight times, so some offer more than others. Either way, it’s a great way to fight that layover boredom!

If you are worried about returning to the airport on time, don’t stress! The TourIstanbul team has planned their schedules carefully to work with your flights. If something goes wrong with the timing, Turkish Airlines will book you on the next flight to your destination!

TourIstanbul provides a bus to the city, a meal, and entry fees into all museums/attractions. Tours range from a few hours to a full-day tour and have a variety of activities.

Unfortunately, my tour didn’t go into specific attractions due to timing. However, we saw iconic landmarks such as the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, and many more. After sightseeing, we sat down and had a delicious multi-course meal where I got to try traditional Turkish food. They were even able to accommodate my dietary restrictions as a vegetarian.

Click here to check out the different tours that they offer!

It sounds too good to be true, but TourIstanbul is actually free! However, if you don’t have a visa to enter Turkey, you’ll need to pay for it. You can purchase it on-site at the airport or online in advance. I purchased my visa at the airport because I wanted to make sure that my flight to Turkey wasn’t delayed, and that I would have time to go on the tour.

I have a United States passport and paid around 50 USD for my visa. Click here to review visa information based on which passport you have.

Click here to learn about getting an e-visa in advance.

You can’t signup for TourIstanbul in advance. You have to visit the desk at the airport to register for a tour. Before heading to the tour desk, you must purchase your visa if you don’t have an e-visa. There are visa desks before passport control where you can buy one. Once you purchase it, follow the signs to exit the airport and proceed through passport control. The TourIstanbul desk is opposite of meeting point 4 by arrivals. Click here to view an interactive map to locate the TourIstanbul desk.

Once you locate the desk, you can speak with the agent to schedule your free tour! You will provide them with your ticket number so they can assign you to the tour that best fits your travel day. From there, you can hang out in that area until 30 minutes before your tour time. At that point, return to the desk to prepare for your tour! A guide will meet you and take it from there.

Is There Luggage Storage Avaliable?

If you are traveling with carry-on luggage, you can locate lockers next to the TourIstanbul desk. You can leave your luggage here for a small fee. As you will be walking around the city, I recommend storing your bags in the lockers where they will be safe. I left my backpack and suitcase here, and it was safely stored until I returned from my tour.

It is totally worth it! I love exploring new places, and there’s no better time to do that than when the only other option is sitting in the airport. I loved getting a taste of Istanbul and exploring some of its most iconic destinations. As a solo traveler, it was also a great way to meet others, as we sat together at large tables, and I met travelers from all over the world!

Get a Free Hotel Room From TurkishAir

Some passengers may also be eligible for a free hotel room from Turkish Airlines based on their layover time! You can not take advantage of the free TourIstanbul tour and the hotel room. Additionally, there are many more conditions to receive free accommodation. Check out the list below to see if you qualify!

• If you are economy class, your layover must be longer than 12 hours. For business class, it must be longer than 9 hours.
• If there was a shorter layover time offered, you are not eligible, even if that option is full! This means that you are only eligible if this was the best flight option offered by Turkish Airlines. For example, if you booked a flight that had a 12-hour layover, but there was also a flight with a 4-hour layover to your destination, you are not eligible.
• If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by an adult.

Click here for more information on the Turkish Airlines website! To claim this offer, you must visit the Hotel Desk at the Istanbul airport.

Next time you pass through Istanbul Airport, take advantage of these great opportunities offered by Turkish Airlines! I love finding ways to maximize my flights! Have you been on a TourIstanbul tour before? Leave a comment below about your experience!

If you are booking flights soon, check out my article: “How to Find Cheap Plane Tickets in 2o23!”

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Istanbul: A Bridge Between Two Continents

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A Complete Guide To Istanbul With TourIstanbul

Several years ago I visited Istanbul – twice in the span of two weeks. I took advantage of a program that Turkish Airlines still has in operation called TourIstanbul. If you are flying with Turkish Airlines and have a layover between 6-24 hours, you can use two options: book a free hotel for the night or day, or book a free tour of the city.

Please note that this post is not sponsored by TourIstanbul or Turkish Airlines. I enjoyed my tour enough that I thought I would share this valuable piece of information on my own.

I was flying to Japan and had a 12 hour layover in Istanbul on both ends of my trip. The first layover involved a bit of an interesting story, which you can read about here .

I was traveling solo and was arriving in Istanbul late in the evening. The tours only operate from 8:30am – 9pm, so I decided to opt out of the tour and rest in a hotel. Everything was provided for free, from the shuttle bus, to the hotel stay. In the morning, the hotel provided my transportation back to the airport, and I flew to Japan.

On my way back, I had a layover during the day in Istanbul. There are several different options for the length of the tour, and I was able to choose one that started shortly after my flight arrived, included lunch, and transportation to and from the airport.

Visas To Istanbul

Before signing up for the tour, make sure you can get a multiple entry visa to enter Turkey if you need one. As an American I had to buy a visa to leave the airport. At the time, they only accepted exact change in dollars or euros. I saw a few people turned away because they did not have exact change. Currently, visitors from some countries are allowed to obtain their visa on arrival, but there is also a multiple entry visa available as an e-visa where you can purchase it ahead of time online. Multiple entry e-visas currently cost anywhere from $78.95 to $61.50 depending on your nationality, a considerable amount higher than in 2019 when they were $20.

If you have a large suitcase or backpack and don’t want to carry it with you on the tour, there is a luggage storage space in the airport where you can leave your bags. You can find the luggage storage on the Arrivals Floor of the International and Domestic Terminals. It is available 24 hours a day. You might pay anywhere from €2-5 for each bag per day, depending on their size and how many you have that you want to leave in the storage.

Touristanbul

After your arrival at the airport, you can sign up for Touristanbul at the Hotel Desk in the International Arrivals Terminal. You cannot sign up for the tour beforehand and your connecting international flights must be with Turkish Airlines. There are plenty of signs to help you out. I found the Touristanbul helpline very useful when I had questions beforehand. You can also look online to see the various options you have for tours. There are short and long tours, and you can pick and choose according to what you want to see or which times work best for you. My experience five years ago was slightly different from what is published on Turkish Airlines’ website now, but generally, the tour has stayed the same. They always offer transport to and from the airport, and if you choose a long tour then a meal is included.

Istanbul City Recommendations

The blue mosque.

The Blue Mosque was built in 1609 and is known by this name because of the beautiful blue tiles adorning the walls and ceilings inside. The mosque is still used as a place of worship, but tourists are also allowed inside during the day. Note that you are not allowed to wear shoes inside, so if that bothers you make sure to wear socks!

Hagia Sofia

The Hagia Sofia is very close to the Blue Mosque. Also known as the Aya Sofya, its name means “Holy Wisdom.” It used to be a Christian basilica (from 360-1453), then was turned into a mosque (1453-1931) and is now a museum (from 1935). There is an eclectic mix of Islam and Christianity inside. The beauty of the Byzantine interior definitely rivals that of the Blue Mosque.

You might find a line of tourists somewhere within the building. There is a special column called the “sweating column” or “crying column”, made of white marble brought from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. A bronze belt encircles the lower part of this column and there is a hole big enough to insert a finger. There are many legends and stories about the column. Because of some drops of water coming out from the hole, people believed that this column was “crying” or “sweating.” Many people believe if you stick your thumb in this hole and rotate it clockwise it will bring you luck – hence the line of tourists hoping for some good luck!

In another area you might find some Viking graffiti. Long ago, a Viking scratched his name (Halvdan) in runes on a banister in the Hagia Sophia.

If you are able to get high enough, you will have some very nice views from the top of the Hagia Sofia. The architecture of the roof is beautiful. On a nice day you will be able to see some parts of the city as well.

The Basilica Cistern (the “Sunken Palace”)

These gigantic, underground cisterns were originally built in the 3rd century and reconstructed after a fire in 476. It is said that 7,000 slaves were used to build these cisterns! One of the columns underground was engraved with raised pictures of a hen’s eye, slanted branches, and tears, from the 4th century. Ancient texts suggest that the tears on the column pay tribute to the hundreds of slaves who died during the construction of the Basilica Cistern. The Romans also recycled old columns from buildings in the city to help build the cisterns.

If you can find Medusa’s head, note that it is not right-side up. Tradition says that this head was placed upside down to negate the power of her gaze, which used to turn men into stone. There is another head that was placed sideways, but this was probably to accommodate the height of the column it is supporting!

The German Fountain

The German Fountain is outside in the northern end of the Hippodrome. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898. It was built in Germany, then transported piece by piece and assembled in Istanbul in 1900. When I went, it did not seem to be attracting that much attention from tourists!

Obelisk of Thutmose III

This obelisk was built in 1490 BC and moved to Constantinople by Theodosius the Great in 390 AD. It survived 3,500 years in pretty good condition! Again, it did not seem to be attracting much attention from tourists.

Istanbul Spice Bazaar

Of course, no trip to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the famous Spice Bazaar. It is here that your tour guide hopes you will spend some money! You might be offered apple or pomegranate tea while you walk through. It is free, but be prepared for the shop owner to want you to look at his wares! I really can’t say enough about the wonderful smells, sights, and sounds of the bazaar. It truly was incredible, and I definitely walked away with some apple tea and Turkish coffee!

Leather Factory

Interestingly, my tour included a trip to the leather factory. Apparently, leather and fashion are quite a thing in Istanbul. we were treated to a surprise fashion show and a browse through the leather shop. We were told since we were using Turkish Airlines we could have a 50% discount off of anything in the store. What they didn’t tell you was the average price of the purses in the room was $800 …

If you choose a longer tour, lunch or some other meal is usually included. We finished off our tour with a traditional Turkish lunch which included cauliflower soup, a cheesy quiche, mashed potatoes, rice, beef, and of course, Turkish coffee. It wasn’t the tastiest meal, and there is a lot better Turkish food out there, but hey – it was free!

On your way out, make sure to check out the duty free shops in the airport. They have great prices for some of the things you might have missed in the bazaar. I managed to score more Turkish coffee and Turkish delight for a great price as gifts for family. There are also Turkish delight samples everywhere if you are hungry!

Final Thoughts On Istanbul

Overall, I would highly recommend taking advantage of Touristanbul’s offer, especially if you have a layover with Turkish Airlines. Being able to visit another amazing city while on a long layover for free was a no-brainer.

Istanbul itself is a remarkable city, bridging the continents of Europe and Asia, with a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor. Although many say that Istanbul is a European city, I would argue otherwise. Its eclectic flavor, style, and people make it unique in the world. Many say it is one of the most romantic, comparable with Paris . Regardless of how romantic one thinks it is, be prepared for an entirely different culture and way of living here.

Have you been to Istanbul or taken advantage of Turkish Airlines’ free tour of the city offer? What was your experience and would you go back? Tell me about it in the comments below!

17 Comments

I haven’t been to Istanbul yet, but I’m keen to visit. It seems like such an interesting city 🙂

It’s a really beautiful city, but I’d suggest not going in the spring when I did (although there are less tourists). The weather is so much better later in the year!

is this service still available in December 2021?

Due to pandemic restrictions it’s a good idea to always check the official website. Good luck!

I have been going at least 5 or 6 times a year since early 2000’s for the business. My last trip was 2020 February. I’m going next month and planning to take friends in July for the lifetime experience. I love everything about Istanbul. I know most parts of it and have visited Asian side, Bursa and many Turkey villages.

I heard this program is suspended due to Covid restrictions? Also do US citizens need Visa for this trip?

I’m sure it was suspended but look into it again as things are opening back up and slowly returning to normal again. US citizens do not currently need a visa to visit Türkiye.

Thanks for the information provided in this. Well informed for my layover coming up next month, and even more excited for this service.

Happy to be of help!

It’s interesting article, and I have plan to visit Istanbul.

Great! I hope you enjoy your visit and happy to help!

It sounds so amazing! However, my layover is 20hrs, if I check in for the hotel for the night, what about the daytime? can I just leave my bags at the airport and have a tour by myself?

Yes! I did this on one return trip as well. You can take the day tour with TourIstanbul if it fits with your timing or just do your own thing.

What was the name of the hotel you stayed in and how much was it? Did you say the hotel was free?

I’m sorry, I don’t remember the name of the hotel! It was provided by the airline so it was free.

Thank you for sharing your experience!

You are very welcome! I hope that you are able to visit!

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How I Planned a Free Mini-Vacation to Istanbul Using Turkish Airlines' Stopover Program

By Iona Brannon

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Stopover programs are offerings made by airlines to make a layover more compelling. Sometimes, when travelers are booking a flight that stops in an airline's hub, they are given the option to stay for anywhere from a few hours to a few nights in that city, at no added cost; others offer discounts on hotel stays and excursions when flight routes require a stop one way or another. And who doesn't want to explore an additional destination on a trip—especially if you'll be passing through anyway?

With rising ticket prices this summer, the programs are seeing renewed interest from travelers as a way to make the most of their airfare . On a recent trip from Chicago to Singapore , my layover qualified for the Turkish Airlines' stopover program in  Istanbul , which recently started up again post-pandemic. 

The airline offers two options for travelers. The first, Stopover Istanbul, is designed for those who have a layover exceeding 20 hours, and the second, TourIstanbul, caters to passengers with a stopover of 6 to 24 hours. When booking, look for the “Stopover Istanbul” logo on the Turkish Airlines website which marks flights that are eligible for the program. Flights that are eligible for the free tour will have the logo “TourIstanbul.”

Because my layover was just over 20 hours, I could choose between a tour of the city or a hotel room (economy passengers get one free night at a four-star hotel, while business class passengers get two nights at a five-star hotel). I opted for the room because I already had scouted out my tours of choice through Airbnb Experiences. 

To actually get my hotel reservation, I reached out to the dedicated email address associated with my departure country to secure the offer. ( The airline's stopover page lists the email address for each country of departure.) Although Turkish Airlines suggests reaching out with at least a 72-hour notice, hotels are sometimes available even later. Luckily, within days of my email, my hotel reservation was confirmed in the form of a voucher.

There was a bit of work I had to do on my own: To visit Istanbul as an American citizen, I needed a visa. It's a  straightforward online process that allows for multiple entries (especially handy if you have layovers on both ends of your trip), though, and the cost was just $50 at the time of my visit.

Upon clearing customs at the Istanbul airport, I could have taken the hotel shuttle, but thanks to the availability of Uber in the city, I was in my hotel room under 30 minutes. I chose to stay at the  Pullman İstanbul Hotel and Convention Center , one of the partner hotels for the stopover program, and I was impressed at how nice the view of the city was from my room. As much as I wanted to enjoy the queen-sized bed, the pool, and the free breakfast, I was already running late for my tours. I had booked some Airbnb Experiences, which is my favorite way to experience cities on a short timeline—I’ve always found these tours to offer a quick dive into the culture, with local experts who are both laidback and knowledgeable. 

With only 20 hours, I chose to skip the classic attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar, choosing instead to dive into the stomach of the city. I booked a highly rated street  food tour that spanned both the Asian and European sides of the city divided by the Bosphorus. 

Our group was intimate. At our first stop, crowding around breakfast, we eagerly passed fresh mounds of simit. The hot bread would then be smothered in clotted cream and honey, or menemen, the eggy Turkish breakfast staple. Later, we toasted with pickle juice from a shop at an outdoor produce market. 

The tastes of Turkish street foods —the steaming midye dolma and crisped-up kokoreç—were enhanced by the guide's colorful anecdotes from his childhood and the historical context he provided. Along the way, I heard about how cig kofte changed from a raw meat-based snack to a vegan dish catered to a more health-conscious crowd; and how midye dolma was best eaten in the early hours of the morning after a few rounds of drinks. 

Before the tour ended, we had inside jokes and shared stories. My new friends shook their heads incredulously as I told them I was only in town for 20 hours, pointing at coffee shops along the road for me to fuel up at. 

Just in time, too. I was starting to feel the slog of jetlag. My next experience was a  coffee history tour in the artistic neighborhood of Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. We stopped at trendy third-wave coffee shops such as the Breaking Bad-themed Walter’s Coffee Roastery, and visited an old-school kahvehane where I learned how to play the tile-based Turkish game Okey. I crisscrossed the neighborhoods with my guide as he retold stories of the Ottoman Empire and shared general sentiments about the upcoming election. As the sun began to dip, we shared a ferry across the Bosphorus. It felt surreal that I had only stepped off an airplane earlier that day, and within a few hours, I’d be whisked off by another. 

Back at the hotel, with only four hours to spare until my flight, I wondered if the hotel room was really worth it—a hot shower quickly convinced me that it was. So did the power nap I (unexpectedly) had time for before heading back to the airport for my next flight. 

I'd previously viewed stopover programs as a pause in a journey—but clearly, even a short one, can become a meaningful opportunity to explore. It transformed what could have been a tiresome interlude into an opportunity to engage with the culture, history, and tastes of Istanbul. 

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Review of Touristanbul - Free Istanbul Tour with Turkish Airlines

Our plane from Bangkok landed at Istanbul New Airport (IST) around 4:00, as scheduled. We had an international fight with a layover of over 6 hours in Istanbul so we have decided to try Touristanbul - free Istanbul tour with Turkish Airlines .

The first thing you need to know is that you need to register for taking Touristanbul at Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk which is located at the arrival terminal of Istanbul Airport. It means that once you arrive at the airport, you need to pass through Passport Control / Immigration checkpoint to enter Turkey (depending on your nationality, you may need a visa for that).

Istanbul New Airport is huge and it’s quite a long walk from the gate to the immigration checkpoint. It took us almost 20 minutes to reach Passport Control. As it was an early morning and there was no queue, we have spent only 1-2 minutes to pass the immigration.

After passing the Immigration area, walk through the baggage claim area and exit to the arrival hall. Here you will just need to turn right and walk straight (many tour operators will offer paid tours on your way, just avoid them). You just need to walk all the way to the end and you will easily notice Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk there.

As it was very early morning, the staff of Turkish Airlines told us to come back about 7:00 as the Touristanbul counter was still closed.  We went to find some breakfast and came back to the Touristanbul counter a bit after 7:00. The process of registration for the tour is simple and easy, just showing our boarding passes to the staff was enough.

Our connecting flight from Istanbul was around 16:00 so we have decided to join the sightseeing tour which lasts from 08:00 to 11:30. The staff suggested that we could take another tour (T02) which lasts from 08:30 to 15:00. However, we didn’t want to rush when coming back to the airport so we took the first option.

There is a luggage storage office nearby the hotel desk so we have stored our backpack there first. If you have a hand luggage and don’t want to carry it all around the city, you can leave it at the airport or keep it on the bus. Detailed information about luggage storage at the airport can be found here: Left Luggage at Istanbul New Airport (IST) .

There is a waiting area on the opposite side from the Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk. The tour guide will come there to greet you and start the trip.

Free Tour Itinerary

• Departure from Istanbul Airport
• Following the Coastal Road
• Yedikule Fortress
• Old Samatya Armanian District
• Yeni Kapı Harbour
• Walls of Constantine
• Eminonu District
• Photo break on Galata Bridge
• Photo break at Dolmabahçe Palace
• Taksim Square
• Galata Tower
• Golden Horn
• Aqueduct of Valens
• Returns to Istanbul Airport

7:55 Tour Start

The guide came to the waiting area, called our names and leaded us to the bus. We departed from Istanbul Airport exactly on time at 8:00 by minibus of Touristanbul , following the Coastal Road. It took about 1 hour to reach the city and we passed many important and spectacular sites of Istanbul on the way, including Yedikule Fortress, Old Samatya Armanian District, Yeni Kapı Harbour, Walls of Constantine, Eminonu District.

9:00 Photo break on Galata Bridge

Our first stop was Galata Bridge where we have spent about 15 minutes. The Galata Bridge is the most famous pedestrian bridge over the Golden Horn that connects the old historic town and Taksim area. You can see locals casting their rods, and fishing from both sides of the bridge.

9:25 Photo break at Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace is a beautiful European style residence of the Ottoman Sultans on the Bosphorus. Its decoration is very luxurious and it witnesses the last days of the Ottoman Empire.

The entrance fee that is not included in the free tour is as follows:

• Whole Palace: 90 TL
• Official Part: 60 TL
• Harem/Sultan’s Family House: 40 TL
• Student: 20 TL
• Child 0-6 years old: Free

You can skip the long ticket lines and enter the Dolmabahçe Palace by booking tickets here: Dolmabahce Palace Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket .

As this free Istanbul tour is hardly enough for decent exploration of the side of Istanbul that most tourists don't get to see, you can choose this 4-hour sightseeing tour of the city instead:  Bosphorus Bridge, Camlica Hill, and Dolmabahce Palace Tour .

10:00 Leave from Dolmabahçe Palace

The bus left Dolmabahçe Palace and took a different route for getting back to the airport. This time the bus passed Taksim Square, Galata Tower, Golden Horn, Aqueduct of Valens, Yeni Kapı Harbour and it took about 50 minutes to reach Istanbul Airport.

10:50 Istanbul Airport

The bus arrived at Istanbul Airport and dropped passengers off at the departure floor. We had to pass through the passport control and security check again to fly out.

Our experience

Overall it was a good experience and even beyond our expectation considering that joining this tour is completely free. The tour was well organized and really on time. We only took the half morning sightseeing tour which includes only short stops at each place but it is still better than just hanging around at the airport. If we will have a chance, we will try one of the free day-long tours offered by Turkish Airlines . The list of available free tours can be found here:  Touristanbul - Free Istanbul Tour with Turkish Airlines .

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Your Resource for Better Travel

Here’s How to Get a Free Day Tour in Istanbul

For business class passengers, if your layover is:

• Between 1 and 24 hours, you will qualify for lounge access.
• Between 4 and 7 hours, you will qualify for a free day room in the business class lounge.
• Longer than 7 hours, you will qualify for a free hotel room at a local hotel.
• Between 6 and 24 hours, you will qualify for a free day tour of Istanbul.

For economy class passengers, if your layover is:

• Longer than 10 hours, you will qualify for a free hotel room at a local hotel.

NOTE* For free hotel rooms, both your arriving and departing flights must be on Turkish Airlines metal. Codeshare flights do not qualify. But for free day tours, you can have a combination of both Turkish Airlines-operated and codeshare flights. Additionally, you are only permitted to receive a day tour or a free hotel room per layover, not both. In other words, you can get a free hotel room on your outbound and a free day tour on your return. Or vice versa.

Last week, I showed you how to get your free transit hotel through Turkish Airlines. Today, I’m gonna show you how to get a free day tour of Istanbul during your layover.

As I stated earlier, the rules are quite simple. All you need is (1) your transit time must be between 6 and 24 hours long and (2) both your arriving and departing flights must be with Turkish Airlines (or codeshare-operated flights). That’s it. No reservations or pre-booking is required. However, the most important thing is that you obtain a Turkey travel visa. You must get a visa prior to your arrival in Istanbul. Here’s how. 

Upon your arrival in Istanbul, proceed to the passport control desk with your travel visa in hand. Get your visa verified and passport stamped, and then make your way to baggage claim. Clear customs and walk out to the arrivals hall. Make a right-hand turn outside the door and walk all the way down to the Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk. It’s located adjacent to the Starbucks, across from the Turkish Airlines Arrivals Lounge.

Here, you can sign up for any of the tours departing the same day. Just sign up for the tour hat you want at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the tour. For example, if you wish to sign up for a 9:00 AM tour, you must sign up by 8:30 AM. The agent will then take your boarding pass and hand it back to you prior to the start of your tour. Signups open at 7:30 AM.

There are different tours scheduled for different times and different days of the week, so depending on the day of your arrival, you may get a different tour than another person. But typically, your tour will explore the old quarters of Istanbul. On this trip, I did the Tuesday tour from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

I don’t know what the capacity limit is on each tour but it looks like they are pretty flexible. On the tour I did this morning, there were enough guests to fill up a standard tour bus, which is a lot of people. As for your luggage, you have two options. (1) you can leave it at the checked luggage counter located right next to the Hotel Desk, or (2) if you only have hand luggage, you can take it with you and store it at the tour operator’s office. I opted to check my luggage as it seemed like a more secure option than #2.

At the tour departure time, your tour guide will meet you in front of the hotel desk and escort you to the tour bus. You will then drive to the old quarters of Istanbul. All the tours are walking tours so you will not want to carry any bags; a small backpack at most with your valuables but I wouldn’t lug around electronics or anything like that. Your first stop is the Istanbul Walks tour office. You can store your bags here if you want.

You will then walk from the office to a local restaurant for a very modest breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a hard-boiled egg, bread, side condiments, coffee and tea. As I said, it was very modest.

Your tour will begin at the Hagia Sophia. The admission fee for the Hagia Sophia is included and you will be allowed 30 minutes to explore on your own after a brief history lesson.

From the Hagia Sophia, you will then walk to the Blue Mosque, where you will be allowed an opportunity to explore on your own. There is no fee to enter the Blue Mosque.

You will then exit the Blue Mosque and explore the outside Hippodrome area.

You will then have lunch at a local restaurant. Unlike breakfast, this 3-course traditional Turkish meal was really tasty. Lunch started with a bean salad, bread and an Ayran drink. This was followed by the main dish, which was meatballs and rice, and dessert.

From here, you will walk back to the office, collect your bags and then drive back to the airport.

Turkish Airlines Free Day Tour Bottom Line

Overall, this was an enjoyable day and I was really happy I got to experience this free tour. It allowed me to leave the airport, kill some time in between flights, learn about Turkish history and explore a tiny piece of this amazing city. This was such a great experience and I loved how easy and convenient it was. If you qualify for a tour, I would highly recommend it over hanging out at the airport.

UPDATE* The information provided above was for the Istanbul Ataturk Airport. The main airport has transitioned to the new Istanbul Airport so the process for obtaining a free day tour stated above no longer applies. However, I imagine the process to be fairly similar at the new airport. More information on the free Turkish Airlines Istanbul day tour can be found here .

Have you guys taken advantage of Turkish Airlines’ free city tour? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other related trip reports in this series:

• United Polaris Lounge, San Francisco
• Turkish Airlines Business Class, San Francisco to Istanbul
• Here’s How to Get a Free Day Tour in Istanbul
• Here’s How to Get a Free Transit Hotel in Istanbul
• Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 Business Class, Istanbul to Seychelles
• DoubleTree Allamanda Resort and Spa, Seychelles
• Hilton Seychelles Northlome
• Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 Business Class, Seychelles to Istanbul
• LOT Business Class Lounges, Warsaw
• LOT Polish Airlines Business Class, Warsaw to Los Angeles

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My experience with Turkish Airlines Free Hotel or tour - Istanbul Forum

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I recently purchased a Turkish Airlines round trip ticket from Texas to Paris with a 23-hour stopover in Istanbul for my May 2023 trip

Before i purchased the ticket, I specifically picked the flight with the ‘touristanbul’ AND ‘stopover Istanbul’ icons, thinking that I would get BOTH the hotel and tour. Then after more research, i learn that you don’t get BOTH offers. It’s either the free hotel or tour. Ok. This one is not a big deal and I’m fine with that.

However, Im not aware that Turkish Airlines only gives ONE free hotel/tour for the ENTIRE trip. I literally thought i would get the free hotel on both legs (outbound n inbound)

So for example, if i pick the free hotel on my outbound flight , then Im NO longer qualified for a free hotel OR tour on my trip back to Texas. This means I have to find my own accommodation on my way back. I was very disappointed to learn about this. :(

Almost every posts i read said you won’t know your hotel name until you arrive at the airport and shuttle will be provided from airport to hotel and dinner is provided.

Fortunately, I was able to make the hotel reservation online and they provided the hotel name and location prior to booking. I feel more at peace knowing that I will have a place to stay for that day.

Sadly, after receiving the voucher, I learn that there is no shuttle provided from/to airport/hotel. I will have to get to the airport/hotel at my own expense and it is quite pricey since the airport is about 35 miles from the hotel. Also no dinner is provided. :(

Im still very grateful that i at least get one free hotel for my trip and Im excited that i get to explore Istanbul on my stopover. I just wish Turkish Airlines could be more clear on the advertising and set the expectations right from the very beginning.

I just hope this post is helpful to those who’s on the same journey as me.

100 replies to this topic

İn any case, I hope you had a good time during your brief visit to Istanbul.

Happy travels,

Poor communications while booking maybe, but on their website they do say:

They also say:

"Stopover in Istanbul provides free accommodation for our passengers. The service may only be used once during the journey.

Stopover in Istanbul is available for round-trip tickets. It can be used on the outbound or return journey and one time only."

Or a free shuttle or evening meals!

Probably more trouble than it's worth to Turkish Airlines

Tripadvisor staff removed this post at the original author's request.

Hi All, here's my experience, for what it's worth. My husband and I flew on TA last month and were able to take one of the free tours. Unfortunately, it didn't include a meal because it was one of the shorter tours. Still, for the time we had, we enjoyed it and it was nice to get out of the airport and see a bit of the city. I recommend it if it is offered to you.

So I am going to tag along this thread and ask a question. So let’s say if I want use touristanbul going there since I have 21 hour layover and hotel redemption on my way back as I have 3 day layover, I can’t do that?

That is a great question. I’m not sure what they consider the same journey. Is it both directions or just one? I’d like to think they mean you can’t use the free hotel and free tour on the same leg of your trip (one direction) but I’m not sure. You might write to the email address provided and ask.

I had the idea maybe we should just take the free tour and then stay in a lounge going one direction but I’m afraid with 24 hours to spend we’d still have lots of airport hours with no where to be since lounges only let you stay for a certain number of hours.

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Free Istanbul Layover Perks by Turkish Airlines

In addition to shuttling passengers from place to place, many airlines around the world also assume the role (officially or unofficially) of a travel ambassador that promotes tourism within their home countries.

One of the most common ways for airlines to achieve this objective is to offer special perks and services to customers that are merely transiting through their hub airports, as a means to entice these customers to get out into the city, spend some of their tourist dollars, and hopefully continue flying with the airline in the future and perhaps even plan a return visit to their home country.

Turkish Airlines Layover Perks

You might be surprised to find out that Turkish Airlines operates flights to more destinations around the world than any other airline, but that’s indeed the case. Cities as far-flung as Buenos Aires, Mogadishu, Ulaanbaatar, Jakarta, and Yekaterinburg are all connected via the airline’s mega-hub in Istanbul, and the airline is constantly adding more destinations to its network.

With so many flights coming in and out, Turkish Airlines has much to gain by offering a comprehensive suite of services for transiting passengers during their Istanbul layover, and that’s exactly what they do.

The airline offers Istanbul city tours for all transiting passengers with a connection time of between six and 24 hours, as well as hotel accommodation services for economy class passengers with layovers of over 10 hours or business class passengers with layovers of over seven hours. Both services are complimentary.

I’ve flown with Turkish Airlines quite a few times recently, so I thought I’d share a detailed guide on how these services work and how you can take full advantage of them to make the most of your layover in Istanbul.

Free Istanbul City Tour by Turkish Airlines

Let’s begin with the complimentary Istanbul city tour, whose eligibility criteria are relatively straightforward. If you have a layover in Istanbul of between six and 24 hours, and if you’re flying with Turkish Airlines on both their inbound and outbound flights, then you’re eligible for the free city tour. 

The program is also known as Touristanbul, and you can read all about it on the Turkish Airlines website . Six different tours are offered per day, and the exact sightseeing itinerary for each tour varies by the day of the week. 

First, there’s a two-and-a-half-hour sightseeing tour that lasts from 8:30am to 11am in the mornings. This is the shortest tour by duration, and it’s my understanding that this tour doesn’t bring you inside any of the mosques, museums, or attractions, but rather mostly involves taking the tour bus from place to place and taking in the sights from the outside.

Then there’s three different six-hour guided tours, which are available from 9am to 3pm, 12pm to 6pm, or 2pm to 8pm. These tours will grant you access to a few of the attractions, and will also stop at certain sites for a little longer, allowing the tour guide to give you the backstory of many of Istanbul’s most important locales. These tours also come with a free meal, with the 9am–3pm tour providing both breakfast and lunch. 

By far the most comprehensive option is the full-day tour, which lasts from 9am to 6pm. You get breakfast and lunch, entry to multiple important sites (like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, or Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), and plenty of downtime to explore areas like the Grand Bazaar or the Spice Market.

Again, the exact tour schedule varies by day – for example, on Fridays, the full-day tour brings you on a Bosphorus Cruise, which is quite a unique and exciting thing to do when you’re in town.

Lastly, there’s the walking tour, which takes place from 4pm to 9pm. This tour involves taking the bus into the heart of Istanbul and walking around to all the major attractions in the area, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar, followed by a complimentary dinner. 

This was the tour I embarked on during my recent long layover in Istanbul, and I enjoyed it very much – since the Blue Mosque closes at 5pm, you still get to go inside if the tour is on schedule, and the time spent walking around central Istanbul from place to place was a lovely way to get a taste of urban life in the city outside of the main tourist hotspots as well.

I’ll be sure to publish a detailed post about my free Istanbul city tour when the time comes to write the full series for my round-the-world trip.

Complimentary Turkish dinner on the free city tour

There’s a few things to note about the free city tours. First off, Canadians require an e-visa to enter Turkey, so make sure to get that sorted out before your trip.

It’s a relatively simple application process on the Turkey e-visa website , and in my experience you don’t even need to show a printout of the visa or anything – it’s all registered in the system, so the immigration official can pull up your documents on their end.

Next, you can only choose one of the six tours to go on, so pick wisely if you have the choice. My layover in Istanbul began at 7am and lasted until midnight, so I could’ve chosen the full-day tour if I had the energy – but nope, I dozed off in the Turkish CIP Lounge until the early afternoon, so by that point I only had the 4pm walking tour left! 

Blue Mosque, Istanbul

To sign up for a tour, you need to visit the Hotel Desk at the far right end of the terminal at Istanbul Atatürk Airport.

As you exit through Arrivals and make your way there, you might be confronted by private tour operators offering you paid tours instead (some of these guys will even use the Turkish Airlines logo, masquerading as the official tour guides to lure you in). Pay them no mind and head straight for the Hotel Desk – you’ll want to arrive at least 20 minutes in advance of the start time, so that you can get fully registered before the tour begins. 

Hotel Desk at Istanbul Atatürk Airport

Everything on the tour is entirely complimentary, from the sightseeing entry fees, to your meals, to the services of the tour guide (feel free to tip, though there was no real expectation of doing so).

You can of course bring some cash with you to spend at the Grand Bazaar or the markets, but as a valued guest of Turkish Airlines, you’re very much allowed – and encouraged – to see many of Istanbul’s amazing sights without spending a dime!

And lastly, given the vast international network that Turkish Airlines operates, these city tours can be a fantastic way to meet other travellers from all over the globe. You might be transiting Istanbul on your way from, say, Canada to the Middle East, while another traveller might be on their way from Africa to Southeast Asia, and yet another tour member might be headed from India to South America! 

In a way that’s befitting of Istanbul’s historic stature as a cultural crossroads, the possibilities for serendipitous encounters with your fellow travellers – often the magic ingredient to a highly memorable trip – are very much boundless here on Turkish Airlines’s free city tours.

Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Free Transit Hotel by Turkish Airlines

The other option available to a certain subset of transiting passengers is the free transit hotel program, which you can also read about on its dedicated page on the Turkish Airlines website .

If you’re eligible for both, you can only choose one of the free city tour or the free transit hotel, so if you’d rather take your time to shower, nap, get refreshed, and then perhaps explore the city at your own pace, then the latter option might well be a better fit.

Given the cost of providing accommodation, the rules on who gets to receive a complimentary hotel stay are rather strict. Your inbound and outbound flights must both be on Turkish Airlines. Moreover, economy class passengers must have a layover time of 10 hours or longer to be eligible, while business class passengers must have a layover time of seven hours or longer.

Note that these layover times are calculated based on Turkish Airlines’s flight schedules, not based on the flights you’ve specifically chosen. Therefore, you’re only eligible for a free hotel Turkish Airlines’s scheduling has forced you into a layover time that meets the above criteria.

Any attempt, deliberate or not, to choose flights with a longer layover time, when you could’ve chosen different flights to get a shorter layover time, will not work.

An example should help illustrate. I was recently travelling from Paris to Hanoi via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Looking at the airline’s schedules, there’s five daily inbound flights from Paris CDG, and one outbound flight to Hanoi.

Paris (CDG) – ISTANBUL (IST)

Istanbul (ist) – hanoi (han).

On my trip, I had booked Turkish Airlines Flight 1822 coming into Istanbul, since that was the only flight with award availability on my chosen date. Flight 1822 arrives at 4:40pm, and the departing Flight 166 doesn’t leave until 2:55am, so I had a layover time of about ten hours. That’s above the business class threshold of seven hours, and so I thought I would be eligible for a free transit hotel.

But I was not eligible. See, in this scenario, Turkish Airlines will say that I could’ve taken any of the later flights from Paris CDG to Istanbul, and I would’ve had a layover time of under seven hours. For that reason, my nine-hour layover time was not dictated by the airline’s schedule, so I was not eligible for a free hotel. 

The fact that there was no award availability on any of the other flights was entirely irrelevant. For all that Turkish Airlines cared, I could’ve paid for those flights if I really wanted to.

Now, contrast this scenario to my other recent trek through Istanbul, this time from Accra to Singapore. There’s only one flight to each of these destinations per day, and the scheduling meant that I’d arrive at 7:30am and leave at 1:55am.

Accra (ACC) – Istanbul (IST)

Istanbul (ist) – singapore (sin).

There were no alternative Turkish flights I could’ve taken to achieve a transit time of less than seven hours, and so I was indeed eligible for the free hotel (although I eventually opted to do the city tour instead). 

Well, how can you verify if you’re eligible for a free hotel without going through all this trouble? The easiest way is to email the Turkish Airlines Hotel Desk team directly at [email protected] . Give them your booking reference and they’ll be able to inform you immediately whether you’re eligible.

Turkish Airlines doesn’t let its passengers know in advance which hotel they’ll be staying at; instead, they simply say that business class customers will get a higher standard of hotels than economy class customers.

Reading about other travellers’ experiences on the FlyerTalk thread , it seems that business class passengers are often put in the Renaissance Polat Istanbul or the Radisson Blu , while economy class passengers tend to get put up in the Courtyard , the DoubleTree , the Holiday Inn , etc.

Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul

To attain your free hotel stay, again you’ll have to exit through immigration (meaning an e-visa might be required, of course), and then turn right to find the Hotel Desk. The agents there will verify your eligibility and assign you to a hotel, and then you’ll be picked up by a complimentary shuttle and brought to your complimentary quarters for the duration of your layover. 

Lastly, keep in mind that if you aren’t eligible for the free hotel stay service, you can still book a room at the TAV Istanbul Airport Hotel , which has rooms both airside and landside. And if you have lounge access, you can of course simply choose to pass the time in the enormous Turkish CIP Lounge as well.

No one will begrudge you for napping in the lounge’s public seating areas (as I did), but if you want to doze off in the sleeping rooms, you’ll need to be travelling in business class with a layover time of between four and seven hours – and again, this is strictly enforced according to Turkish Airlines’s flight schedules.

Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul

Capitalizing on their massive hub in Istanbul, an eminent tourist hotspot and a city of historic global significance, Turkish Airlines boasts some of the most valuable complimentary layover perks that you’ll find among any airline in the world.

Long layovers are often viewed as an unproductive and exhausting time-sink along the journey from origin to destination, but the airline addresses both of those concerns with their free city tour and layover hotel services. Make sure to take advantage on your next trip with Turkish Airlines! 

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Extremely useful insight! Thank you for sharing! One note though – the time of layover has been changed from 10h to 12h for economy class and from 7h to 9h for business class. https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-ee/flights/hotel-service/

Sounds like not a very Canadian friendly option – $60 USD e-visa + not eligible for free accoms or tour if departure is from Canuckistan. Can someone confirm this?

Thanks. Very interesting. However, reading the "small font" info on hotel stay eligibility while in transit, it looks like passagers from Canada, including travelling business are not eligible to a free night. However, it is available if you are travelling from the US; sounds like the option then would be to start your TK journey out of an American city. Also, all legs on a ticket must be eligible otherwise, your plans for free hotel are void. https://www.turkishairlines.com/fr-ca/flights/stopover/

Well explained, thank you!

Are flights from Canada eligible for the stopover? Based on their cities and countries scope, I don’t see Canada listed as a departure country.

It is expensive for a short visit. Even China allows either 72 or 144 visa free stop-overs depending on the city. The thing that annoys me the most is it is only Canada that has to pay $60. Almost every other country on the planet pays $20. It is really a shame. I did a 3 week trip around Turkey a few years back and it would be wonderful to visit again. I have transited through IST over a dozen times in the past several years and would have planned an overnight stay every time and certainly several few days or week or two stops. Instead I picked the shortest connection time and waited in the HSBC lounge. I take some comfort in thousands of dollars of lost revenue for Turkey that got spent elsewhere.

I’ve looked into this a few times for my layover in IST this summer. How do you think the new airport will affect this free service? I’m really looking forward to seeing the city. It’s $60 US for the e-Visa, pretty hefty to enter for a few hours.

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My experience with Turkish Airlines Free Hotel or tour - Istanbul Forum

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I recently purchased a Turkish Airlines round trip ticket from Texas to Paris with a 23-hour stopover in Istanbul for my May 2023 trip

Before i purchased the ticket, I specifically picked the flight with the ‘touristanbul’ AND ‘stopover Istanbul’ icons, thinking that I would get BOTH the hotel and tour. Then after more research, i learn that you don’t get BOTH offers. It’s either the free hotel or tour. Ok. This one is not a big deal and I’m fine with that.

However, Im not aware that Turkish Airlines only gives ONE free hotel/tour for the ENTIRE trip. I literally thought i would get the free hotel on both legs (outbound n inbound)

So for example, if i pick the free hotel on my outbound flight , then Im NO longer qualified for a free hotel OR tour on my trip back to Texas. This means I have to find my own accommodation on my way back. I was very disappointed to learn about this. :(

Almost every posts i read said you won’t know your hotel name until you arrive at the airport and shuttle will be provided from airport to hotel and dinner is provided.

Fortunately, I was able to make the hotel reservation online and they provided the hotel name and location prior to booking. I feel more at peace knowing that I will have a place to stay for that day.

Sadly, after receiving the voucher, I learn that there is no shuttle provided from/to airport/hotel. I will have to get to the airport/hotel at my own expense and it is quite pricey since the airport is about 35 miles from the hotel. Also no dinner is provided. :(

Im still very grateful that i at least get one free hotel for my trip and Im excited that i get to explore Istanbul on my stopover. I just wish Turkish Airlines could be more clear on the advertising and set the expectations right from the very beginning.

I just hope this post is helpful to those who’s on the same journey as me.

100 replies to this topic

True, except my husband’s first passport doesn’t have enough pages for the second time so he’s using his second one. Thankfully he was allowed to have two passports for work reasons. So, I’m reusing my visa but we had to buy him another one. If I had remembered his first passport was almost full I would have just gotten the visa for the second passport so he could use it twice.

This is good news for us. It will save us some money as we were considering paying for a tour on the way home since we will be using the free hotel on the way over. Thanks for the update, HSquare12.

agree. While the process is a bit confusing, it does clearly state either hotel or tour and not both ways. I did this in 2019 and it was amazing, yes, we took a taxi to our hotel but it had turkish baths, and a fabulous included breakfast buffet I still talk about 4 years later. Highly recommend this and getting ready to do it again this November!

Our free hotel worked out great for us. We stayed at the Grand Yavuz and it was well located to the Hagia Sophia, which is where we wanted to go. We had two rooms for our group each having two single beds. The breakfast was great, lots of fruit, cheeses, and meats.

We really liked the Grand Yavuz. Clean and fancier than I expected for a free night. I would have liked to stay longer. The rooms were a decent size and had all the usual amenities. They even helped us arrange to get to a restaurant.

The next morning we walked to the Hagia Sophia. It’s only about 10 mins away. A man named Matin was outside drumming up business for a tour. If you find him I recommend him. You can go in for free but for $20 each he showed and told us so much interesting info. that you wouldn’t know otherwise. I think he’s know about on TA. Also, women have to cover their heads to enter so take a scarf (if needed), otherwise you can buy a paper one for $2 USD.

We took the free Bosporus “dinner” tour on our way home to the US and it wasn’t that great. The evening views were nice but they herded is on the boat like cattle. We sat in small plastic chairs and the meal was a dry, tasteless meatball sandwich, sour yogurt drink, and water eaten in our laps because there were no tables. Pitiful! Last spring we took a different tour and it was better.

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Save time with online check-in!

If you have no baggage or only cabin baggage... 

You can proceed directly to the boarding gate with the mobile boarding pass you will receive after completing the online check-in process or with your printed boarding pass.

Online check-in and booking frequently asked questions

What is online check-in and how do i do it learn more.

Online check-in is something that can be completed between 24 hours to 90 minutes before your flight using the Turkish Airlines website or mobile application. You can easily check-in online by entering your reservation code (PNR) and surname in the relevant field.

What is the advantage of checking in online? Learn more

By checking in online, you do not need to wait in line at the counter to check-in at the airport and you can easily choose the seats you prefer as long as they are included in your flight class. If you have no suitcases or only hand luggage, you can go directly to the boarding gate.

Is online check-in available for passengers requiring special services? Learn more

Passengers requiring special services (unattended children, infirm passengers, and passengers with mobility issues) may benefit from in person check-in methods rather than online check-in. You can review our check-in procedures page for check-in alternatives that may be preferential for passengers with specific needs.

Can I check in online for more than one flight? Learn more

For trips that include multiple flights, you can “check-in from start to finish” to flights that are open for check-in. For trips with departures and returns on the same day, you can “round-trip check-in” for both flights.

Can I choose a seat during the online check-in process? Learn more

During the online check-in process, you can view the seats on the seat plan, determine if which ones are available, and make your choice.

If I checked in online, how much time prior to my flight should I arrive at the airport and what should I do when I arrive? Learn more

If you’ve checked in online, when you arrive at the airport, you can check your baggage and obtain your boarding pass at one of the Turkish Airlines counters. All check-in procedures must be completed no later than 60 minutes prior to departure for international flights and 45 minutes for domestic flights. We encourage you to plan your airport arrival in accordance with these regulations as well as the security screenings.

Passengers who pre-print their boarding pass or create a mobile boarding pass can go directly to the boarding gate by passing through the security check if they have no baggage or only hand luggage.

How do I cancel my flight if I do not arrive at the airport on time after online check-in or if I cancel my trip prior to departure? Learn more

Contact our call center or sales offices to make a new reservation and/or cancel your flight.

Dear passenger, please review our check-in questions page if you have questions about check-in procedures that are not addressed here.

Discover our various check-in options!

By getting informed in advance about the different check-in options we offer, you can choose one of them and plan your trip more comfortably and quickly.

Make your travel easier with the mobile boarding pass!

With a mobile boarding pass, you can not only contribute to the environment but also proceed directly to the boarding gate depending on your baggage status.