Page Contents<\/p>
- Claim a Free Hotel Stay With the Turkish Airlines Stopover Program<\/a>
- Stopover benefits for U.S. departures<\/a><\/li>
- Hotels available for a stopover<\/a><\/li>
- Turkish Airlines stopover restrictions<\/a><\/li>
- Who is eligible for the Turkish Airlines free hotel stopover?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Free Layover Hotel for 9+ Hour Connections in Istanbul<\/a><\/li>
- Free TourIstanbul Excursion With a Layover of 6\u201324 Hours<\/a>
- How to book a free tour<\/a><\/li>
- Key terms<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Our Take<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
Claim a Free Hotel Stay With the Turkish Airlines Stopover Program<\/span><\/h2>\n
Several airlines offer a free or nearly free stopover service for long-haul passengers who want to explore the airline's hub city. For example, Qatar Airways offers a stopover package in Doha for as little as $14 per night<\/a>, and Etihad gives up to two nights in Abu Dhabi for free<\/a>\u00a0or up to four nights with a 40% discount.<\/p>\n
Turkish Airlines also offers a stopover program, with full terms available here<\/a>. Travelers from numerous countries can receive one or two nights free at a hotel in Istanbul. Travelers from select countries — including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. — are eligible for an additional bonus night. That means getting two (or three) free hotel nights. But there are some restrictions.<\/p>\n
![\"Turkish](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Credit: Turkish Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Note that Turkish Airlines' main hub is Istanbul Airport (IST), which is over 20 miles outside the city center. This is the only airport part of this promotion. Turkish Airlines also flies out of another airport south of the city \u2014 Sabiha G\u00f6k\u00e7en International Airport (SAW) \u2014 but it's used for short-haul operations and flights to and from that airport aren't eligible for this stopover program.<\/p>\n
Stopover benefits for U.S. departures<\/span><\/h3>\n
How many free nights you get depends on the class you are flying. Travelers departing from the U.S. (and other select countries) get two free nights at a 4-star hotel with an economy ticket \u2014 or three free nights at a 5-star or boutique hotel with a business class ticket. You need to be traveling from one of the following countries to qualify:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Australia<\/li>\n
- Canada<\/li>\n
- Chile<\/li>\n
- China Mainland (PVG, CAN, PEK)<\/li>\n
- Taipei<\/li>\n
- Indonesia<\/li>\n
- Japan<\/li>\n
- Malaysia<\/li>\n
- Mexico<\/li>\n
- New Zealand<\/li>\n
- Singapore<\/li>\n
- South Korea<\/li>\n
- USA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Departures from other countries get one free night at a 4-star hotel with an economy ticket and two free nights at a 5-star or boutique hotel when flying in business class.<\/p>\n
Hotels available for a stopover<\/span><\/h3>\n
Passengers don't get to choose their hotel; they are assigned by Turkish Airlines. However, these are the hotels with which Turkish Airlines has a partnership in 2025.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Polat Renaissance Hotel<\/li>\n
- Grand Yavuz Hotel<\/li>\n
- Vialand Palace Hotel<\/li>\n
- Dedeman \u0130stanbul Hotel<\/li>\n
- Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus<\/li>\n
- Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center<\/li>\n
- Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Sisli<\/li>\n
- Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus<\/li>\n
- Armada Hotel, Istanbul<\/li>\n
- Ramada Plaza by Wyndham \u0130stanbul Atak\u00f6y<\/li>\n
- Eresin Hotels Topkapi<\/li>\n
- Hilton Istanbul Maslak<\/li>\n
- Grand Cevahir Hotel<\/li>\n
- Istanbul Marriott Hotel Sisli<\/li>\n
- Wish More Hotel \u015ei\u015fli<\/li>\n
- Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Pera<\/li>\n
- Wish More Hotel \u0130stanbul<\/li>\n
- Le M\u00e9ridien Istanbul Etiler<\/li>\n
- Hyatt Regency Istanbul Atak\u00f6y<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Turkish Airlines stopover restrictions<\/span><\/h3>\n
While passengers departing from the U.S. have better benefits, they also have a longer negotiation process (though Turkish doesn't provide details on the additional steps). However, getting an tourist visa for T\u00fcrkiye is another step, as this is not included in the stopover package.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage to the Turkish Airlines stopover program is the location of the free hotels, most of which are closer to the city center than the airport. Ground transportation between the airport and your hotel is not included as part of the stopover deal. Like many other countries, taxis at the Istanbul airport are not always the cheapest, so you might incur significant expenses to enjoy your “free” hotel.<\/p>\n
But if you want to keep the stopover as close to “free” as possible, consider taking a bus or the subway (M11 line) from the airport. The subway or a taxi can take as little as 40 minutes, while traffic could drag that out to as much as two hours. Trust me.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nWho is eligible for the Turkish Airlines free hotel stopover?<\/span><\/h3>\n
The Turkish Airlines stopover program is only available for round-trip flights with a ticket number starting with 235 and operated entirely by Turkish Airlines.\u00a0The departure and arrival destinations for the round-trip ticket must match.<\/p>\n
Free stays are not provided for “N” and “R” class tickets. Awards tickets are<\/strong> eligible for the stopover program.<\/p>\n
To qualify for the Turkish Airlines stopover, you must have at least 20 hours in Istanbul between flights. For round-trip flights, passengers can only use the stopover service once on either the outbound or the inbound journey, not both.<\/p>\n
All additional costs other than the free nights at the hotel are the passenger's responsibility. This includes ground transportation to and from the hotel, taxes, fees, surcharges, visa expenses, etc.<\/p>\n
Only flights booked at least three days (72 hours) in advance are eligible for the stopover program. The stopover program can't be combined with any TourIstanbul offers.<\/p>\n
Related: How To Search and Book Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Award Tickets<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Free Layover Hotel for 9+ Hour Connections in Istanbul<\/span><\/h2>\n
The Turkish Airlines stopover program shouldn't be confused with the layover service<\/a>. Turkish Airlines business class passengers with more than nine hours between flights in Istanbul can get a free night at a hotel. Economy passengers must have 12 hours between flights to qualify for a free hotel stay. Passengers can receive a maximum of two free nights with an extreme layover.<\/p>\n
Just like the stopover program, available hotels are in the city center, 25-plus miles from the airport. It's unclear whether transportation between the airport and hotel is included. As the hotel is located outside the transit area, passengers are required to fulfill any necessary regulatory obligations (e-Visa, visa fee, etc.) to enter T\u00fcrkiye.<\/p>\n
Credit: Turkish Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Unlike the stopover program, codeshare flights are eligible for the layover service. However, if the traveler did not select the first available connecting flight, they are not eligible for the layover service.<\/p>\n
For example, a passenger flies business class from London to Bangkok via Istanbul. Turkish Airlines has two departure flights scheduled 4 hours and 13 hours after landing. The passenger can't take advantage of the layover service by choosing the first option, as the first flight is not more than nine hours after arrival. And passengers can't intentionally select the later flight to get the layover service. If you want more time in Istanbul, choose the free stopover program instead and book your flights accordingly.<\/p>\n
For the layover service, simply go to the Turkish Airlines hotel desk at the Istanbul Airport to get your free hotel voucher. This is, of course, provided you meet the criteria.<\/p>\n
Free TourIstanbul Excursion With a Layover of 6\u201324 Hours<\/span><\/h2>\n
A tour option also exists for passengers with layovers between six and 24 hours between connecting flights in Istanbul. You can't get the tour and a free hotel, though. It's one or the other. Of course, if your layover is between six and nine hours (or 12 hours for economy class fares), a tour is your only complimentary option.<\/p>\n
- Key terms<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Hotels available for a stopover<\/a><\/li>
- Stopover benefits for U.S. departures<\/a><\/li>
![\"Turkish](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Turkish-Airlines-Stopover-Program-2025-1024x586.jpg\")
![\"Istanbul](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Featured-_Istanbul_over_the_bosphorus.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"banner](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Turkish-Airlines-Layover-Free-Hotel.jpg\")