Passengers who are traveling from one international destination to another and who have a layover of 6-24 hours at Istanbul Airport can participate in the tour. The layover time must be compatible with the tour hours

Participants must have a Turkish Airlines ticket with a ticket number starting with 235. Tickets purchased through all sales channels are valid. Departure and arrival flights must be under the same reservation code (PNR).

All passengers (even those who have made an online reservation) must report to the Touristanbul registration desk at the Arrivals terminal at least 30 minutes before the tour’s start time. It usually takes around 45 minutes to get from the arrival gate at Istanbul Airport to the Touristanbul registration desk in the arrivals floor. This time includes the passport control process.

Passengers must be back at the Departures Terminal at least 1 hour and 25 minutes before their scheduled flight to complete their post-tour flight procedures.

There are two Touristanbul Desks at Istanbul Airport: one in the Arrivals Hall and one in the transfer area.

The Tour Registration Desk is located opposite meeting point number 4 in the Arrivals Hall, next to the Hotel Desk. The Information Desk is in the Transfer Desk area, opposite passport control.

At the Touristanbul Information Desk in the transfer area, you can obtain detailed information about the tours and find out if you are eligible for a tour, but you cannot make a tour reservation.

To reach the Tour Registration Desk, you can use the interactive map provided in the link or map document.

There are six different tours every day:

08:00-11:30 Sightseeing Tour

08:30-15:00 Half Day Tour

08:30-18:00 Full Day Tour

12:00-18:00 Turkish History Series Tour

16:00 – 21:30 Evening Tour

18:30 - 23:00 Bosphorus Tour (held between April 1 and November 30)

18:30 - 23:00 Historical Peninsula Tour (held between December 1 and March 31)

All participants must check in at the Touristanbul Registration Desk at least 30 minutes before the tour’s start time.

Passengers can view available tours and make online reservations by entering their reservation code (PNR) or ticket number and last name in the relevant fields on the Turkish Airlines homepage. 

If you believe you are eligible for a tour but cannot make an online reservation due to occasional system updates, you can participate in the tour by contacting the Touristanbul Registration Desk 30 minutes before the tour time.

All passengers (even those who have an online reservation) must report to the Touristanbul Registration Desk located at the tour departure point at least 30 minutes before the tour’s start time. 

Visa procedures are the passenger’s responsibility. You can check visa arrangements on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye (http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa) or on the e-visa services page (https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en).

The Touristanbul service is free of charge*. The tour includes the following services:

• Transportation service
• English-speaking guide service
• Meal** (May vary depending on the tour schedule.)
• Museum entrance fees

*Passengers who do not meet the tour conditions cannot participate in the tour even if they make any payment.

**Menus include vegetarian and vegan options.

You must have a Turkish Airlines ticket number that starts with 235.

Codeshare flight tickets belonging to Turkish Airlines but operated by another airline are valid for Touristanbul.

Codeshare flight tickets belonging to another airline but operated by Turkish Airlines are not valid for Touristanbul.

Guided tours are available in English.

You can participate in only one tour during a single waiting period.

There is no capacity limit. All passengers who meet the terms and conditions can participate in the tours.

Wheelchair users can participate in the tour accompanied by a non-wheelchair-using companion.

We do not offer any special services or assistance. Passengers with disabilities can participate in the tour accompanied by a companion.

Passengers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult passenger. Unaccompanied passengers under the age of 18 are not accepted on the tours.

Pets accepted on the 08:00-11:30 Sightseeing Tour can be brought if contained in cages of certain sizes. More information can be found on the Turkish Airlines website.

Due to the rules of museums and places of worship, we cannot accept pets on the other tours.

If you meet the requirements for participating in Touristanbul, you can join the tours on both your departure and return layovers. Passengers can participate in one tour during a single layover.

There are no tours departing from Sabiha Gökçen Airport. All tours depart from and return to Istanbul Airport.

Touristanbul participants can leave their luggage (except for electronic or valuable items) in the tour service vehicles at their own discretion. Turkish Airlines is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

There is an office operated by Istanbul Airport next to the Touristanbul Registration Desk where you can leave your luggage for a service fee. You can review the terms and prices on this page.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to join the tour from any point outside the airport after the tour has started. All participants must be present at the Touristanbul Registration Desk at least 30 minutes before the tour begins.

Passengers cannot use both Touristanbul and accommodation services during the same layover period. However, passengers with round-trip flights can use Touristanbul again during other waiting periods or choose free hotel accommodation if they meet the participation conditions.

The accommodation service is a separate service from Touristanbul. If you choose the accommodation service, you can contact our Hotel Desk office for terms and conditions. For the stopover service, you can click on this link.

We do not offer any other tour services besides Touristanbul.

Tour participants must be mentally and physically prepared to walk. The tours include different levels of physical activity depending on the program, but all involve walking, standing, and ascending and/or descending stairs.

The tours mostly take place outdoors, and you will need to walk certain distances, especially on longer tours. It is helpful to check the weather conditions before your flight and wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

We do not offer shopping tours, but you can purchase souvenirs at the break times during the tours. The time allocated for shopping may vary depending on the program.

Please visit the relevant web page for baggage rules.

Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that you are on the tour bus. You can find information on how to reach the airport on the relevant website.

Turkish Airlines reserves the right to make changes and cancellations to the tour program.

Passengers with N and R class tickets provided by Turkish Airlines can participate in tours. However, N and R class tickets provided to Turkish Airlines personnel and other airline personnel do not include the right to participate in tours.