Make the Most of Your Airport Layover with Free City Tours
GettyTaipei
If you have at least an eight-hour layover in Taipei, you can join one of two free city tours organized by the airport. Tour A ferries guests to the gorgeous Zushih Temple, about 14 miles outside of town, and on a trip to shop for pottery; Tour B packs in quicker stops to some of Taiwan's most famous sites, including the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Taipei 101, the country's tallest building.
How to book it: Register at the Tourist Service Centre in the main arrivals hall. Tours are on a first-come, first-serve basis and offered twice a day (8:15 a.m. and 1:45 a.m.).
GettySingapore
Singapore's Changi airport has so many cool features (a butterfly garden, a video gaming room, free massage chairs) that we wouldn't blame you for not wanting to leave its air-conditioned comfort. If you do, though, Singapore offers two free city tours for people transiting through the airport who have six or more hours to spare—the City Sights tour hits all the downtown highlights like the Merlion and Gardens By the Bay, while the Heritage Tour focuses on exploring cool neighborhoods like Little India and Kampong Glam.
How to book it: Instead of clearing immigration, head to either Transfer Lounge F in Terminal 2 or Transfer Lounge A in Terminal 3. There are four Heritage and two City Sights tours per day—Heritages are during the morning and afternoon, and City Sights in the evening (it's all about the sunset skyline). Tickets are first-come, first-serve.
AlamySalt Lake City
As a major layover point for transcontinental U.S. flights, Salt Lake City's airport gets a lot of people with layovers. One option? Anyone with a more than two-hour layover can get a free tour of the Temple Square area of downtown SLC courtesy the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If you want to skip the temple itself, it's an easy walk to attractions like City Creek Park and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. (Want to take ski lessons? You'll have to stay a little longer.)
How to book it: Walk over to one of the two information desks and get a brochure for the day's pickup and dropoff schedule. A desk agent can show you where to catch the shuttle.
GettyIstanbul
At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Istanbul's Ataturk Airport is one of the world's busiest. If you have more than six hours between flights there, you can sign up for the free "touristanbul" program, which gives travelers a brief tour of the city and some of its most iconic landmarks, including Hippodrome Square, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace.
How to book it: When you arrive, look for the Hotel Desk in the international arrivals hall. (It's next to the Starbucks.) There, you can sign up for one of the five daily tour departures, but you will need to be there at least half an hour before the next one starts.
GettyTokyo
The layover offerings at Tokyo's Narita Airport are divided into two basic groups: sightseeing and shopping. If you opt to go out with a guide on a cultural tour, you can explore the towns of Tako or Shibayama, go on a forest walk, or visit the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences; on-your-own travelers can shop at one of two malls that are accessible from the airport via train. The only potential holdup? Making sure your suitcase can still hold all the stuff you bought during your layover.
How to book it: The airport takes these programs so seriously there's a dedicated desk just to organize tours. It's called the Narita Transit Program Counter, and is in Terminal 1F of the Central Building.
GettySeoul
While some airports require you to have longer layovers if you want to join in on a tour, Seoul's Incheon Airport has tour options for as little as one hour, meaning there are a bevy of options. Travelers can spend from one to five hours on either a temple-focused or city-focused tour with English-speaking guides, all provided gratis. And if you've ever dreamed of getting an insider tour of the airport itself, now's your chance.
How to book it: Depending which one is closer, head to either the desk between gates 25 and 29 or the "Hana Tour" desk by gate 8.
GettyAmsterdam
Don't expect your Amsterdam airport layover to include a sightseeing tour by bus. Instead, if you're flying national carrier KLM and have a layover of six hours or more, you can sign up for the airline's "layover with a local" program. Fill out a quick questionnaire about your interests (fashion, food, tech, etc) and KLM will pair you up with an English-speaking local with similar likes, give you free bus tickets into town and back to the airport, and pay for the first round of drinks when you meet your new pal at a bar in central Amsterdam.
How to book it: Once you've booked a KLM itinerary that includes an Amsterdam layover, you should get an automated email from the airline asking if you want to sign up for the program.
GettyDoha
Flying Qatar Airways? If you have at least six hours to spare between flights, the national airline has free tours of Doha, which hit major attractions like the I.M. Pei and Jean-Michel Wilmotte-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the Souk Watif (hello, last-minute souvenir shopping), and the Katara Cultural Village. The tours come with a complimentary visa, meaning that getting back into the airport won't be a hassle later, and perhaps even more importantly, a free bottle of water—in case you forgot you were in the desert.
How to book it: Make a beeline for the Doha City Tour desk, which is in Concourse B next to the Montblanc shop.