These Airports Offer Free City Tours During Long Layovers

17.12.2024 - 15:49 / afar.com / Marina Bay

When weighing the merits of a long layover at a seemingly out-of-the-way airport (say, 18 hours at Istanbul’s Atatürk when you’re flying from Washington, D.C. to Bordeaux), consider whether it offers a free layover tour for in-transit passengers. Major hubs in Asia and the Middle East now provide connecting travelers with a glimpse of the city beyond the airport, on free tours that are easily booked on arrival or reserved in advance. The well-run programs are so robust, it’s like getting a mini-vacation tacked onto your real vacation.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is often ranked the best in the world. While there’s plenty to see right within its walls, it’s also conveniently located for exploration. If you have a 5.5-hour layover (or longer) at Changi, you have a choice of three city bus tours, each of them lasting 2.5 hours. The Heritage Tour runs twice a day (1 p.m. and 6 p.m.) and includes ultra-modern Marina Bay, the Central Business District, and the Singapore River, with 30-minute stopovers in Chinatown and the Malay Arab–influenced Kampong Gelam district, dense with fabric shops, old-world perfumeries, and restaurants specializing in murtabak (a folded, stuffed flatbread). The City Sights Tour, meanwhile, is offered three times a day (12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m.) and includes 30-minute stopovers at Merlion Park (home of the Lion City’s famed fish-lion fountain) and Gardens by the Bay, with its Avatar-esque Supertrees. And, finally, the once-daily Changi Precinct Tour (10 a.m.) focuses on the hidden gems of the residential town just outside the airport, with 30-minute stopovers in Tampines Central Park and Changi Beach Park, a sandy spot for picnics and plane-spotting. To participate, visitors must drop their bulky bags at a storage location and be prepared to show their passport, boarding passes, entry visa (if required), and booking confirmation.

You can book a tour up to 50 days in advance on the Changi Airport website. But if you’re more of a last-minute planner, you can still make a tour happen. Upon arrival, stay in the transit area, don’t go through Arrival immigration, and stop by one of the Free Singapore Tour booths in Terminal 2, Level 2 (near Gate F50) or Terminal 3, Level 2 (near Gates A1-A8).

Among the free itineraries offered by Touristanbul is a seasonal Bosphorus cruise.

Photo by Kateryna Kovtun/Unsplash

Turkish Airlines passengers with international transfer flights and at least six hours to kill have access to a series of seven different complimentary Touristanbul tours. The shortest lasts for 3.5 hours and is densely packed with sights of historical and cultural significance, including Taksim Square and the Aqueduct of Valens, with a stop for photos on the Galata Bridge. The