All about Turkish Airlines’ Free Istanbul Tour for Transit Passengers Flying between USA and India

We do mostly purchase itineraries with a short layover (2-3 hours) for long-haul international flights between USA and India. If our connecting flight happens to be delayed at a transit airport, we feel out of breath. How would it be if you are offered a complimentary tour of the transit city during a long layover? Amazing! Isn’t it? If you get good deals for Turkish Airlines’ USA to India flights with a minimum 6-hour layover at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, just grab it. Turkish Airlines offers Touristanbul, a guided Istanbul City tour for free to its international passengers in transit.

Turkish Airlines’ Free Istanbul Tour for Transit Passengers

If you are flying Turkish Airlines from USA to India, and if your itinerary has a layover of 6 hours or more at Istanbul International Airport, you should not miss the free Istanbul sightseeing tour. Why not make your layover at Istanbul a travel diary full of ‘selfie’ moments at some of the historical landmarks in the city, rather than waiting for the connecting flight?

Visa Requirement for Touristanbul Program

Do I need a Turkish visa to get on a (free) tour of Istanbul while in transit? Getting on a city tour, though during a layover, means exiting Istanbul airport and entering the country; hence, it requires a Turkish visa. Indians having a valid US visa or Green Card (lawful residence permit), a UK or Ireland visa, or a Schengen visa, are eligible for a single-entry e-visa to Turkey. You can obtain an e-visa from Turkey Government’s e-visa portal or Turkish Airlines’ counter or desk at the departure airport.

Turkey is a visa-free destination for US citizens

US citizens are exempt from the visa requirement to visit Turkey as the country granted visa-free travel access to the United States. If you are a US passport holder, you are eligible for visa-free stay in Turkey for up to 90 days in a period of six months. Not just for Americans, Turkey is now a visa-free destination and transit stopover for Canadians as well. So, as a transit passenger with a US/Canadian passport, you can take advantage of the visa-free entry to Turkey and embark on a sightseeing tour during your long layover.

Suitable for family travelers, backpackers and solo trippers; the Touristanbul program covers all expenses for meals, transportation, tourist site entry fees and museum tickets. It is focused on Istanbul’s historical places, heritage sites, natural tourist attractions and beautiful restaurants. No advance registration for the program is required. You can sign up for Touristanbul at the Hotel Desk in Istanbul Airport’s International Arrivals Terminal. If you check in your baggage for the connecting flight, you can keep the bags at the airport’s baggage storage facility for a nominal fee.

Turkish Airlines’ unaccompanied passengers under 18 years of age are not eligible for the free Istanbul City tour, Touristanbul. There is something more exclusive for passengers of Turkish Airlines’ business class flights.

Bosphorus Experience for Turkish Airlines’ Business Class Travelers

It will definitely be a cherry on the cake for Turkish Airlines’ passengers who have got cheap business class flight tickets to India or other destination via Istanbul. Yes, your itinerary must include at least 7-hour wait time at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. As part of the Bosphorus Experience in the city of Istanbul, you can have an exclusive, luxury motorboat ride on the Bosphorus River and drink to breathtaking views of the historical landmarks such as Dolmabahce Palace, the Maiden’s Tower, Galata Tower and Topkapi Palace. Turkish Airlines’ business class travelers in transit can have an unforgettable tryst with the city’s unmatched grandeur and magnificence while dining at any of the waterfront restaurants of Çırağan Palace Kempinski.

Turkish Airlines’ Overnight Stopover Program for Transit Passengers    

What to do if your Turkish Airlines flight to India or USA includes connection time of 20 hours or more in Istanbul? You can sign up for Turkish airlines’ free Stopover Program for international transit passengers, regardless of your travel class. Passengers of Turkish Airlines’ economy flights to India or USA are eligible for complimentary one-night accommodation at a 4-star hotel. Those traveling on Turkish Airlines’ business class flights between USA and India will get complimentary stay for two nights in a 5-star hotel.

How to apply for free hotel accommodation under the Istanbul Stopover Program?

Once you have booked a US-India round-trip itinerary of Turkish Airlines through Indian Eagle, a most trusted travel-booking partner of Indian Diaspora, you are needed to follow a process detailed here. The airline will issue a hotel voucher to you after you provide your PNR/ticket number, valid email ID, phone number and your preferred room type (single or double) at least 72 hours prior to your departure from the country of travel origin. The stopover program can be availed for either onward or return trip.

What are the best tourist places to visit in Istanbul during a stopover?

Unique in geography and rich in history, Istanbul is a vibrant cosmopolitan city with an unmistakable old-world charm to it. The city is a treasure trove of historical, cultural and architectural wonders. Two of the unmissable tourist attractions you must visit during a Istanbul stopover are the iconic Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque – the masterpieces of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture respectively. Also, Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet Square, Galata Tower, Basilica Cistern, and Kariye Museum are havens for history and architecture enthusiasts. The colorful Grand Bazaar is the ultimate hunting ground for shopaholics whereas the Bosphorus Cruise immerses you in the beauty of Istanbul skyline on laidback evenings.

I have a long layover at Istanbul Airport both during my onward travel from US to India and return trip. If I apply for Touristanbul, will I still be eligible for Free Istanbul Stopover while returning?

No. You can only avail one of the two free programs offered by Turkish Airlines. No passenger can apply for both Touristanbul and Free Istanbul Stopover for the same itinerary.

My flight got canceled due to operational reasons and I had to reschedule my travel. Should I rebook Turkish Airlines’ stopover program? 

Yes, you need to rebook the stopover program and free hotel accommodation service. Your current booking of Turkish Airlines’ free stopover program will be automatically cancelled in case your flight is cancelled due to operational reasons.

My US-India itinerary involves Turkish Airlines’ codeshare flights with IndiGo. Can I apply for the Free Istanbul Stopover Accommodation service?

Yes, Turkish Airlines’ US-India itineraries involving flights operated by its codeshare partner, IndiGo, qualify for the Free Istanbul Stopover Accommodation service. You can avail the free stopover program either during your onward trip to India or return journey to the USA.