Amsterdam at dusk.

Cities with Free City Tours During Layovers.

Destinations, Holland, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, USA

Long layovers can be dreadful and horrifying experiences or just absolutely wonderful. There are no free lunches but there are indeed free city tours. There are several cities who offer free city tours during longer layovers! Continue reading to learn everything about those cities.

Singapore

Even though Changi Airport has been awarded “Best Airport in the World” on several occasions, Singapore is well worth a visit because the little island has something to offer most visitors. If you have a layover longer than 6 hours you are eligible for 1 of 2 free tours.

Do not clear immigration upon arrival. Simply head to Transfer Lounge F in Terminal 2 or Transfer Lounge A in Terminal 3 and claim your seat. Tickets are first-come-first-serve. For more information about the tours in Singapore, please see Changi Airport´s homepage.

Singapore is a great stop over on your way to Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand.

Singapore skyline
Singapore.

Tokyo

In Tokyo you can choose between a shopping experience and a cultural experience. Just head over to the Narita Transit Program Counter in Terminal 1F or in the Central Building at Narita and you are on your way.

Street in Tokyo.
Street in Tokyo.

Salt Lake City

A skiers paradise but also an interesting and beautiful city to explore. Simply head over to any of the two information desks and claim your seat on the shuttle, if you have more than 2 hours’ layover.

Salt Lake City townhall. Image from Wikipedia.
Salt Lake City townhall. Image from Wikipedia.

Istanbul

Istanbul is a very interesting city and you should definitely take the opportunity for a free city tour if you have a layover longer than 6 hours. You will see Hippodrome Square, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace during the tour, to mention a couple of landmarks.

For more information, please visit: http://www.istanbulinhours.com/what-is-touristanbul

Blue Mosque in Istanbul at dusk.
Blue Mosque in Istanbul at dusk.

Taipei

With at least 8 hours’ layover in Taipei you can join one of two available city tours for free.  Both tours are organized by the airport. Just register at the Tourist Service Centre in the main arrivals hall. Please note that the tours are on first-come-first-serve basis and leaves twice a day.

For more information, please visit taiwanholidays.com.au.

Taipei skyline.
Taipei skyline.

Seoul

Seoul is probably the quickest city where you can do a free city tour. In Seoul you can do a quickie for an hour and up to 5 hours. Book your seat at the desk between gates 25 and 29 or the “Hana Tour” desk by gate 8. For more information, please visit the Visit Korea homepage.

Park in Seoul.
Park in Seoul.

Amsterdam

Nice to see the city of Amsterdam on the list. The dutch capital is one of the coziest cities in Europe and well worth a visit. If you fly KLM (who also offers draught beer in the air) and have a layover for 6 hours or more, you can participate in the “Layover With a Local” program. Answer a couple of questions about you and your interests and off you go.

Please visit https://layoverwithalocal.klm.com/ for more information.

Amsterdam at dusk.
Amsterdam at dusk.

Doha

If you are flying Qatar Airways (which is a great airline BTW) with a layover of 6 hours or longer, just visit Doha City Tour desk in Concourse B next to the Montblanc shop to claim your seat. Doha is an exciting city that should not be missed!

Please visit Qatar Airways homepage for information about free city tours.

Doha skyline seen from Museum of Islamic Art.
Doha skyline seen from Museum of Islamic Art.

Do you know more cities offering a free city tour during layover? I would love to hear from you via email, in the comments below, on TwitterFacebook or Google+ with your tips!

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