5 Airports with Free City Tours

Have a long layover at the airport? Don't rush to get upset!  If you are flying through one of the cities we'll tell you about in this article, you can count on a free tour.  

ISTANBUL. ATATÜRK AIRPORT

  If you are flying Turkish Airlines and have a layover of 6 hours or more, you are entitled to a free tour of Istanbul and its main attractions. All tours are available in English, but if a large Russian group gathers, a Russian-speaking guide is provided.  During the tours, you will visit Istanbul's main attractions: various mosques, bazaars, and palaces. You can read more about the tour here Visa: Russians do not need a visa. Tour registration: takes place at the Hotel desk (located next to Starbucks) in the arrivals hall – immediately after passing passport control at the airport. You need to arrive at least half an hour before the start of the tour.  

DOHA. HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

If you are flying with Qatar Airways and your layover in Doha lasts more than 5 hours, you can take a tour organized by the airline. You will visit four main attractions of Qatar's capital: the artificial island The Pearl-Qatar, where the eponymous district of Doha with luxury shops and restaurants is located, Katara Cultural Village - a center of national culture and art, the authentic Souq Waqif oriental market, and the Museum of Islamic Art (closed on Tuesdays), located in a park on a beautiful promenade. For information on organizing the tour, please contact the "Doha City Tour" desk in the transit area of Hamad Airport. Tours start at 8 AM, 11 AM, 4 PM, and 8 PM. You need to arrive for registration at least one hour before the start of the tour. Visa: Russians do not need a visa. Tour registration: departure hall, Section B, between Mont Blanc and WH Smith stores.  

SEOUL. INCHEON AIRPORT

Seoul Airport offers as many as 7 tours to choose from, depending on your layover time. The first tour starts at 8 AM, and the last one at 3 PM. You can choose several places to visit, ranging from Korea's historical treasures to shopping in trendy districts. The tour itself is absolutely free, but if you want to explore attractions not only from the outside but also from the inside, be prepared to pay for entrance tickets.  If the layover duration does not allow you to leave the airport, don't worry - there's plenty to do in Incheon. For example, you can stroll through seven gardens or visit the Korean Cultural Museum – with an interesting collection of folk art and free admission. Visa: Russians do not need a visa. Tour registration: you can register online or at the Transit tour desk in Section B (near the KoreanAir office).  

TOKYO. NARITA AIRPORT

If you find yourself at Tokyo Airport, and your next flight is in about 5 hours or more, go on one of the eight free tours. The program includes a visit to Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple, the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences, famous shopping centers, and the nature of Japan. Here, as in Seoul, you will have to pay for museum entrance fees. Tours run from 9 AM to 12 AM and last 3 hours. Visa: Russians need a transit visa.  Shore Pass is no longer issued to passengers who have a pre-planned stopover in Japan (as it was previously) en route to a third country. In this case, a transit visa must be obtained in advance at Japanese consulates in the Russian Federation. Tour registration: online or at the airport's tourist information center.  

SINGAPORE. CHANGI AIRPORT

To visit the attractions, you need to have a minimum of 5.5 hours of layover time. During this time, you can take one of the free tours, which run 4 times a day and last 2.5 hours. You will see the Gardens by the Bay, the famous Marina Bay hotel, Chinatown, and Little India. The main thing is not to lose track of time and return to Changi! If you don't want to leave the airport, there are plenty of activities here too: you can watch a new movie premiere at the cinema, wander through the orchid garden, or try a relaxing massage. Visa: Russians do not need a visa. Tour registration: in Terminal 2 — near North Arrival Immigration and the Skytrain station, in Terminal 3 — at the transfer lounge A. Tour registration closes one hour before its start. Travelers can only take one tour.   IMPORTANT *   Entrance to attractions is usually paid *   You may be asked to hand over your passport for the duration of the tour *   You will definitely need two boarding passes – from the previous flight and for the next one *   Check your luggage to your final destination so you don't have to carry your suitcase around