Touristanbul: Turkish Airlines' Free Istanbul Tour on a 6-24 Hour Layover

You have a long connection at Istanbul Airport and a Turkish Airlines ticket. That combination can unlock Touristanbul: a free guided tour into the city, with transport, an English-speaking guide and a meal (depending on the tour) covered by the airline. It is easy to miss, because the registration desk sits in the Arrivals hall, after passport control. The real question is whether your flight times fit one of the four tours, and that comes down to arithmetic.

On this page

1. The short version
2. The four tours
3. Will your layover fit? The timing math
4. How to sign up
5. Who qualifies, and the fine print
6. What to do with your bags
7. Visa for US travelers
8. Where people screw this up
9. FAQ
10. Next time, plan the layover on purpose

The short version

What it is

Free guided city tour run by Turkish Airlines, departing from and returning to Istanbul Airport (IST)

Layover window

6 to 24 hours between two international flights

Ticket requirement

Turkish Airlines ticket number starting with 235, arriving and departing flights on the same reservation (PNR)

What's covered

Transport, English-speaking guide, a meal on the tours that include one, and museum entrance fees where a tour enters one

Tours on the current schedule

Four, updated as of May 1, 2026 (see the table below)

Check-in

At the Touristanbul registration desk in the Arrivals hall, at least 30 minutes before the tour starts

Return buffer

At least 1 hour 25 minutes between the end of the tour and your next flight

The four tours

Times are as published on Turkish Airlines' tour page. Turkish Airlines lists museum entrance fees among the covered services, but the current routes stop mainly at mosques, squares and markets, and Hagia Sophia is seen from the outside. The airline reserves the right to change or cancel the program, so check the page again the week you fly.

Will your layover fit? The timing math

Turkish Airlines publishes three numbers that decide everything. Getting from your arrival gate to the registration desk usually takes about 45 minutes, passport control included. You must be at the desk 30 minutes before the tour leaves. And your next flight must depart at least 1 hour 25 minutes after the tour ends.

Put those together and each tour has a latest time to reach your arrival gate and an earliest onward departure:

This is our arithmetic from Turkish Airlines' published rules, not an official table. The times are for reaching the gate, not for touchdown, so leave extra room for taxiing and for a long passport queue, since the 45 minutes is Turkish Airlines' usual figure, not a promise. Your whole connection still has to fall inside the 6-24 hour window.

How to sign up

1. Optional but useful: on the Touristanbul page on turkishairlines.com, enter your reservation code (PNR) or ticket number and your last name. The site shows the tours you are eligible for and lets you reserve one. You can also sign up at the desk after passport control.
2. After landing, clear passport control and head to the Tour Registration Desk in the Arrivals hall, opposite meeting point 4, next to the Hotel Desk.
3. Be there at least 30 minutes before departure, whether or not you reserved online.

There is also a Touristanbul Information Desk in the transfer area, opposite passport control. It can tell you whether you qualify, but it cannot register you. If the online booking fails because of a system update and you believe you qualify, Turkish Airlines says you can still show up at the registration desk 30 minutes before the tour.

Who qualifies, and the fine print

• International to international. Both flights must be international, connecting through Istanbul Airport.
• Ticket number 235, one PNR. Tickets bought through any sales channel count, including travel agencies and booking sites, as long as the ticket number on your e-ticket starts with 235. Codeshares marketed by Turkish Airlines but operated by another airline are valid; codeshares sold by another airline and operated by Turkish Airlines are not.
• N and R fare classes. Turkish Airlines' FAQ calls N and R its free-ticket classes and says passengers holding them can join the tours, except N and R tickets issued to Turkish Airlines or other airline staff. Those classes are excluded from the free stopover hotel. If you are flying on miles, check your fare class.
• Round trips. If you qualify on both layovers, you can take a tour on each one. One tour per layover.
• Tour or hotel, not both. Turkish Airlines' Touristanbul page and FAQ both say you cannot combine the tour and the free stopover hotel on the same layover, while the stopover terms say "on the same route." If you want both on one round trip, confirm with Turkish Airlines before you plan around it.
• Istanbul Airport only. No tours leave from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW).
• Minors and accessibility. Passengers under 18 must be with an adult. Turkish Airlines' FAQ names the 08:00 Sightseeing Tour for wheelchair users, and only with a companion who handles boarding and any assistance: few vehicles have ramps, the tour bus may not have one, and Turkish Airlines provides no assistance service. The companion signs a form accepting these terms.

What to do with your bags

Turkish Airlines lets participants leave luggage on the tour vehicle, except electronics and valuables, at their own risk. There is also a paid baggage storage office run by Istanbul Airport next to the registration desk; current terms are on the airport's site.

Visa for US travelers

Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists ordinary US passport holders as exempt from a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; check current rules on the ministry's list before you fly. The tour takes you through passport control, so holders of other passports should check the same list. Visa rules are the passenger's responsibility, not the airline's.

Where people screw this up

• Counting from landing time instead of desk time. You must be at the desk at least 30 minutes before the tour leaves, and you need about 45 minutes just to reach it. A flight that lands at 07:30 misses the Half Day Tour.
• Expecting to get off on the morning drive. The 08:00 Sightseeing Tour is panoramic, from the vehicle. If you want to walk the Hippodrome and see the Blue Mosque, pick the Half Day Tour or the Evening Tour.
• Holding a partner airline's ticket. A flight operated by Turkish Airlines but sold by another airline does not qualify. Check that your ticket number starts with 235.
• Leaving the tour early without telling anyone. You can, but you sign a departure form with the guide and you are on your own to get back to the airport.

FAQ

Is Touristanbul really free?

Yes. Turkish Airlines covers transport, the English-speaking guide, the meal included in your tour and any museum entrance fees. Passengers who do not meet the conditions cannot join even if they offer to pay.

What happens if the tour bus is late and I miss my flight?

Turkish Airlines says it will rebook you on the next available flight at no charge if the bus reaches the airport late because of unforeseen circumstances.

Can I join from Sabiha Gökçen Airport?

No. Every tour departs from and returns to Istanbul Airport (IST), and you need a Turkish Airlines ticket starting with 235.

How many people can join?

Turkish Airlines says there is no capacity limit. Everyone who meets the conditions can go.

Next time, plan the layover on purpose

A 6-24 hour connection that lines up with a tour gets you a tour. With 20 or more hours on an eligible Turkish Airlines round trip, you can apply for a free hotel instead: 2 nights in Economy and 3 in Business when your trip starts in the US. The rules, the 72-hour application deadline and the traps are in our Turkish Airlines stopover program guide. If you are going into the city on your own instead, our Istanbul layover guide covers transit times and what fits in 6, 12 and 24 hours.

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