A layover tour is designed for travelers who have a layover in Istanbul and want to make the most of their time by exploring the city’s attractions before continuing their journey.
All Istanbul Layover Tours are completely private. Whether you’re picked up from the airport or a nearby hotel, your tour is exclusively reserved for you and your travel group. This ensures a personalized experience, greater flexibility, and comfort—without joining any shared or mixed groups.
Yes, we do! We offer private tours from all major arrival points in Istanbul — including:
Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side
Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) on the Asian side
Istanbul Cruise Port (Galataport) in the city center
Booking a layover tour with ILT is simple. You can fill out the inquiry form on our website or reach out to us directly via email or phone. We highly recommend sharing your flight details and expectations in advance—this allows us to tailor the itinerary to your layover schedule and ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience. Also you can book your tour instantly from the tour page.
Each layover tour includes a private, licensed tour guide, comfortable round-trip transportation, and a customized itinerary tailored to your interests and layover time. Whether you’re interested in historical landmarks, scenic views, or local flavors, we design the experience around what matters most to you.
The tour price does not include meals, personal expenses, entrance tickets, or any additional activities not listed in the confirmed itinerary. A dedicated private van for full-time use is available upon request at an extra cost. Additional transfers beyond the standard airport pick-up and drop-off may also incur extra charges.
Yes, you can. Our layover tours are fully customizable, and we can tailor the itinerary to suit your interests and preferences.
Yes, we offer multiple stopover tours in Istanbul. These tours are tailored to your layover duration and interests, allowing you to make the most of your time in the city.
The free Turkish Airlines layover tour is limited to certain tour hours and itineraries, while a private tour with Istanbul Layover Tours offers more flexibility in itinerary and duration.
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Recommended minimum layover duration is 7 hours layover for international connected flight and 6 hours layover for domestic flights from Istanbul International Airport. We can accommodate business travelers with shorter layover duration.
The duration of our layover tours can vary depending on your layover time and preferences. We offer tours starting at 3 hours and extending up to 10 hours.
We offer airport pickup services starting as early as 6:00 AM on weekdays and 6:30 AM on weekends.
Our tours generally run until close to midnight. Guided night tours typically conclude around 10:30 PM, with airport drop-off scheduled by 11:30 PM. For tours extending beyond midnight, we offer a driving sightseeing tour with a dedicated driver and private van for an additional fee.
Night Layover Tours from Istanbul Airport are operated with a licensed guide until approximately 10:30 PM, with airport drop-off by 11:30 PM. For tours extending beyond midnight, we offer a dedicated driver and private van for an additional fee.
We recommend traveling light and storing your bags at the airport unless you are staying overnight. You can store them at Left Luggage inside the arrival terminal near Exit Door #14. Location of Left Bag: Locate The Left Bag
Yes, we track flights and adjust pickup and tour schedules accordingly to accommodate delays.
For international flights, if luggage is checked through to the final destination and you already have your boarding pass, we will drop you off 2 hours before departure. For domestic flights, 1 hour is sufficient.
No, the standard tour fee covers transportation for airport pick-up and drop-off only. For a tour with a dedicated full-time driver and vehicle available throughout, an additional fee applies.
A detour to a hotel for dropping off bags is not included in the standard tour fee if the hotel is outside the main touring area. However, we can arrange this for an additional fee. Please inform us in advance if you require this service so we can plan accordingly.
Food is not included in the standard layover tour package, but we can arrange for meals to be included at an additional cost.
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Yes, we provide pick-up and drop-off services from complimentary hotels offered by Turkish Airlines, as long as they are located within city center limits.
The tour prices include two-way airport/hotel transfers. We can provide the departure transfer on the next day if needed.
Yes, we can arrange a return transfer to a hotel instead of the airport upon request. The standard tour fee includes airport transfers, but if you prefer to be dropped off at a hotel, please let us know in advance to accommodate this.
A tour booking is considered a no-show if the traveler has not arrived at the designated meeting point within 1 hour and 45 minutes following flight landing without prior communication. Our transfer service will wait up to 1 hour and 45 minutes from the scheduled arrival time. If you anticipate any delays, please inform us as soon as possible to coordinate a new meeting time or make alternative arrangements.
No, we provide a full refund in case of flight cancellation.
Our cancellation policy is relaxed, with a 24-hour window for cancellations.
The tour fee is influenced by several factors, including the type of tour, the number of people in the group, tour duration, and whether the itinerary includes a standard schedule or a full-time driver. These elements help us customize the tour experience while ensuring value and flexibility.
