Istanbul layover

Haven't done it myself.

The Turkish Airlines free city tour (or free hotel night) is legendary, and an absolutely awesome benefit though - what other airline would ever offer such a thing? (In fact, there are a couple others that do - notably, if you ever have a long layover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines offers something like the free hotel night). Just be sure you read the fine print about whether or not your itinerary qualifies before you start counting on it.

Istanbul is a gobsmackingly amazing place. You'll only get a very brief taste on this tour, but it's better than a sharp poke in the eye with a kebab stick, no? And the Turkish Airlines business class experience is outta this world - highly recommended.

I can't imagine there would be a ton of folks doing this so possibly a
passenger van & not a 50 person bus?

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Turkish Airlines is huge and carries a gazillion passengers through Istanbul every day (largest airline in the world by some measures). You might be surprised at how popular that tour is, so don't be shocked if it's on some vehicle bigger than a passenger van. Istanbul gets quite crowded.

I haven't done this, but agree you should look closely at the terms and conditions at the bottom of the page you linked. One item of note: "To benefit from Stopover in Istanbul, there must be at least 20 hours of transit time between the two flights."

It's a solid 45 minutes to an hour drive from the airport to the city center, if that is where your hotel is located. The article linked below cites a hotel not close to either the historic center or the airport. If your hotel is not in the city center, plan on more time getting to/from sites. Istanbul traffic is horrendous - if you are in a vehicle that isn't mass transit, it's not going to be swift moving around. You'll also need to factor a return to airport at least 3 hours early to check in, go through security, and to your onward flight (the airport is ENORMOUS, biggest in Europe). I'd note some of the more spectacular sites in Istanbul (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque) are not ticketed venues so you have to stand in line with everyone else. You'll also need to arrange ahead to get an e-visa (current cost is approx. $50 per person). This article cites a recent layover experience noting some of these things: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/turkish-airlines-stopover-istanbul

Sorry to be a total downer, as I agree a long stopover with sleeping is fantastic (I did so on my last trip). A 17 hour layover just doesn't feel like enough time to sleep (stated goal) and see much of Istanbul (which I loved, BTW). If you can make it a longer layover that would be better.

I am doing it next July. I was in Istanbul last year, but the Blue Mosque was still closed, so I'm looking forward to seeing it this time. My travel partner hasn't ever been to Istanbul.

There are different options depending on your arrival and departure times. Check the schedule to see what will work for you: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/flights/fly-different/touristanbul/tour-schedule/

One thing to be aware of: you'll need to get a visa. You can apply for an eVisa. The fee is $50 USD.

I can't tell you how many people will be doing this. But they say there is no minimum group size; they'll take you even if you're the only one. Wouldn't that be nice?

To benefit from Stopover in Istanbul, there must be at least 20 hours of transit time between the two flights.

That's only true for the hotel option. For the TourIstanbul option, your layover has to be between 6 and 24 hours. See here: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/flights/fly-different/touristanbul/what-is-touristanbul/

Oh, and you can't do both. Either TourIstanbul or the hotel room.

We visited Turkey once--coming off a cruise ship. It was a completely modern country.

Turkish Airlines is superior to most all American carriers. I'd love to visit Istanbul, a city of 14 million people. But it's really a place you need to alot sufficient time to see. And a personal guide would be very helpful.

I think it's just another misunderstood country. There's so much to see in the country that it would take a 2 week guided tour to see what you need to see.

I use to fly Turkish Air a lot. On 2 trios I intentuinaĺy laid over 3 nights and was happy I did. (Which is why I repeated). Basically it's a free ticket. On 2 other ocassions I had planned in about 8 hour layovers so I could spend the night at the hotel in the gate area, catch an early morning flight and arrive at my destination ready to play.

But, stopping in Istanbul isn't something I would plan in the near future.

Merhaba!

Dang, Mark, I love the stamina of a newlywed! Take Istanbul by the tail in 24 hours before lighting up Italy? Wish I could get a little of whatever juice you’re taking. 😉

This west coaster sees it this way. Turkish Air will fly you to either San Fran or LAX for a direct flight to Istanbul. You may have to recheck your bag with Turkish Air at the connecting airport from Alaska Air(their partner) since TA doesn’t have a presence here in Pdx which means going through security again. I had to in 2020.

From the west coast, it’s a 15 hour flight to Istanbul. That catapults you 11 hours backwards into a different time zone. Factor in just how intense Istanbul is, taming that tiger in 24 hours is aspiring. Then back to the airport to rocket launch 2 hours forward in time zones to Italy time the next day ? Jeez, what’s your secret champ? Melatonin? Kombucha? Or maybe the afterglow knowing you’ve just married the most awesome partner there is?

Don’t get me wrong. Istanbul is awesome. Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Galleta Tower, whirling dervishes, the call to pray, the grand market but it’s chaotic, messy, busy and overwhelming on jet lagged nerves. Don’t even think of spending less than 48 hours there. It’s not worth the visa and traffic in from the way, way out of town new airport.

Our absolute best connections out of PDX to Europe are Delta’s direct flight to AMS (9-9.5 hours nonstop) and destinations ongoing or Condor’s seasonal direct flight to FRA and destinations ongoing. Give me that 9.5 hour flight over a 15 hour one in any class any time, in my opinion. There’s also the pesky thing about Istanbul being 11 hours ahead of us and Italy only being 9. Kind of a 11 hour forward 2 hour back dilemma. Let’s chat at group this month.

Some corrections to what's posted above:

Turkish Air will fly you to either San Fran or LAX for a direct flight to Istanbul...

I'm assuming your "Mayberry-on-the-Willamette" reference is Portland (I thought Eugene was Mayberry-on-the-Willamette?).

In either case, your nearest connecting city would probably be SEA. TK currently has one nonstop between SEA and IST every day, next year they're adding a second flight on some days (great news for SEA-based TK fans). Turkish Airlines also currently has nonstop flights between Istanbul and the following other cities in the USA: JFK, BOS, MIA, ATL, IAH, DFW, EWR, ORD, LAX, IAD and DTW (also in Canada: YVR, YUL, YYZ). They are expanding regularly, look for new cities served (I believe DEN is coming next).

It's an 11-12 hour flight (at least from Seattle, where I live), not 15. Flight length varies by season and weather (jet stream shifts). It's a long flight in any case, though if you're in business class (which you seem to be stalking) the time really will pass quickly and easily.

Turkish Airlines does not partner with Alaska Airlines in any way. Alaska & Turkish do not "interline" bags (so you can not check a bag with Alaska Airlines in PDX through to IST).

United Airlines is a Turkish partner. So (assuming you have a single ticket all the way), you should be able to check a bag with United in PXD thru to IST and beyond to your final destination; if you can find a United flight from EUG to SEA, the same should be possible.

On a return flight from IST you would clear passport control and customs at your first US airport, so presumably SEA.

@ thenosbigs - OP is not planning a self-inflicted 17-hour redeye blitz visit to Istanbul after peeling themselves off a plane. They are considering the free city-tour benefit that this airline offers all passengers with a long layover who qualify - they are going to be in Istanbul for a long layover, the question is simply how best to use that time. It's a v-e-r-y quick, superficial, fully-guided-tour snapshot of this huge, complicated city (so not requiring much metal acuity or energy). I assume the OP is interested in this as a "freebie" benefit that just happens to come with their ticket, rather than just spending those 17 hours cramming food in the airport lounge (though I have to admit, it's a very nice airport lounge, with lots of great food - try the lentil soup, it's sublime!). Passengers on this free tour don't need to worry about making any arrangements (other than signing up and showing up for the tour itself), just get on the tour and follow instructions, they drive you back and forth. You would need to get the Turkish e-Visa (and I'd want to be sure I had enough time to make my onward connecting flight after the tour), but they run these tours twice a day, every day, so they know all about the bad traffic and how much time things take.

Yes, there will be some jetlag but by flying the long overnight leg in business class (in a quite comfortable lay-flat seat), I have found that I get a good night's sleep, and arrive in IST nicely rested and ready to hit the ground running. When you do finally reach your actual destination, you may be ready to hit the sack for a good long sleep, though (what's your final destination? It could make a difference in what kind of shape you're in there - ie headed to Venice, or Johannesburg...?).

I have friends who just booked a flight in TK business class from SEA to IST then after a long layover there, are connecting to Milan, and they may opt to do the free city tour (or they may just opt to relax in the lounge, catch a shower, get a massage, eat, etc.).

It's certainly a cool option if you are in the mood for it. I'd certainly consider it. Have fun.

Thanks for the "helpful" advice. To clarify i am thinking about this as a free add on. Our closest flight to Milan connecting through Istanbul is Seattle or Vancouver BC. But....we are open to East coast hubs. Last trip we spent a few days in NYC and that really helped w/jet lag. And I will look for that option. If we left from the East coast plus lay flat seats we could be well rested. Fall back we leave from SEA/YVR and try to get a bunch of sleep. At this time I'm leaning toward the Tour and not the hotel stopover. But I'll have to check the flight lengths and rates for East Coast transit.

Unrelated question on the Visa in Istanbul. Is a Visa required if you stay airside at IST? Or only if you exit?

Mayberry on the Willamette is a reference to our little burg of Wilsonville, Or. a few minutes south of Portland

Visa is only required if you exit airside. If you're just connecting, no visa required (I connected through IST on the way to Malta in September; nobody asked for a visa). The e-Visa is easy, but it is an out-of-pocket cost (IIRC about US$50 last time I checked) that you would otherwise skip if you just hang out in the lounge.

It may sound counter-intuitive, but I actually think it's better to depart from a west coast city (and have a longer flight), rather than first going east, stopping there, then departing from that east coast city for the still-long flight to IST. At least I believe that's true if you are in business class. Because...

For me, business class is all about getting a good, solid night's sleep. The meals, the drinks, the twinkling little candles and the other embellishments are nice touches, but not a big deal. Arriving well-rested and happy (as opposed to arriving exhausted and miserable) is a big deal. For me, I'd always rather have one long leg that gets me all the way from home to Europe. If I need a connection or two, I'll take a short hop up or down the west coast (to another west coast city), and/or a short regional hop within Europe. My goal is to maximize the length of the long flight.

What I do not want is a 4-6 hour flight getting from the west coast to an east coast (or even a midwest) hub, a layover there, then another long flight after that. Even though it's a great experience up in the forward cabin, I'd still rather get it all done in one leap. The flight from SEA is great - enough time to have dinner and a drink or two, watch a movie or two, then switch off, completely relax, and get a full night's sleep. For me, it's ideal, YVVM.

My friends just booked SEA-IST-MXP in TK business class for next October. You didn't say when your trip is, but worth noting: TK currently has daily flights from SEA (also YVR). They are adding a second flight from SEA (not sure exactly when, but it's on their schedule in October when my friends are going). The addition of the second flight makes it easier (because it departs SEA earlier) to connect in IST to a regional flight and arrive at your final destination before dark - a bit more convenient that plopping down in Venice late at night. So with their expanded schedule, you may have more/better options (depends on the date you're flying).

In any case, I wish you a great trip. The SEA-IST flight on TK is a great way to start any adventure. 👍

Thanks David. Very helpful. All the accoutremonts of Business class get in the way of the sleeping. I'll look at the October flight & see the pricing. We have a friend competing in the World championship Dragon boats in ravena the first part of September. We have talked about seeing her compete....but that's not set in stone.

Sorry to have provided unhelpful information. I'll try again based on your updated comment. There is a Yotel airside at IST if you want to skip the visa/tour process and just get a few hours sleep. According to several of my Best of Turkey tourmates who flew the Seattle-IST route on Turkish air, it is a notoriously tardy flight both arriving and leaving. Not hours late, but enough that you'd want to make sure any transfer time at either end is sufficiently cushioned. And last unhelpful thought, maybe prices have come down, but when I costed out the Turkish direct flight from SEA or SFO for this past fall (Sept/Oct), it was significantly cheaper to fly from PDX through Amsterdam and onward (economy class). Good luck.

@CL makes a very good point about the flights between SEA and IST being routinely late. They are, almost every day. Sometimes just a few minutes late, sometimes an hour or more. Last time I checked, I think the average was about 20-30 minutes late. And that's true going both ways. When I last flew through IST (September and October 2023), our inbound arrival from SEA was delayed about 30 minutes, the outbound departure to SEA was delayed well over an hour. They can (and usually do) make up a little of that time during the flight, but the delays are routine, so don't cut things too close.

I'm not sure why this flight is so chronically delayed, but it sure seems to be. TK has only been flying this route for a little more than a year, maybe they're still figuring things out.

Also, about options for sleeping: In addition to the aforementioned Yotel, there are also some "sleep pods" within the airport (pay-by-the-hour, surprisingly expensive, not a great option IMHO). For a not-too-long layover, the TK lounge has some decent options. There are private sleeping rooms available which are great if you can get one - they're popular and often fully booked - check with the lounge concierge for availability as soon as you enter. If those are unavailable, there are some decent (though not quite so private) napping spaces scattered around the lounge. We found a handful of chaise-lounge sleepers in a corner of the "Tea Room" (a section within this huge lounge), where it was nice and quiet and dim, pretty good conditions for a nice nap. If in doubt, ask the concierge for suggestions on where to nap, they can point you to some likely options.

@CL no problem at all. I know what is in my mind & the factors relating to the trip but I don't always express them well in print. Also CRS problem....

So with the activity on this thread TK jumped the pricing to near double!!!! It will settle after a bit. There is still a decent price from Chicago & return SEA. If we do that we would stop over a couple days & explore...then onward. The shorter previous trip NYC-LHR seemed to help w/jet lag. But sleeping for 6-7 hours on the plane could do the same

I looked at those sleeping pods at IST a couple years ago. Maybe if I was a single traveler but my partner would hard veto them. We did an overnight at LHR in T2 that wasn't great. Very small windowless room. The pod would be even smaller. The Yotel or similar might do. And I'm a wannabe lounge lizard so if they have napping rooms that could work too

"Sleeping Pods"? Okay they aren't the largest hotel rooms in the world, but they are not sleeping pods either. The Airside Yotel is very much a real hotel with real (small) hotel rooms containing full baths, queen beds,
and free food and drink.

After the massive terrorist attack a few years back, Turkey had learned how to protect their airport. But to be honest I would not feel as free in Istanbul today as I did two years ago.

"Sleeping Pods"? Okay they aren't the largest hotel rooms in the
world, but they are not sleeping pods either.

Yes, there are indeed actual sleeping pods there. The company that rents them out by the hour call them that: "sleepods." They even have the name "SLEEPOD" plastered right on the side of them in large letters for anyone to see. They look like this.

There is ALSO a "Yotel" (a minimalist, international, no frills, small hotel chain) in the terminal, too. But the sleep pods referenced above certainly do exist.