A stopover is a break of more than 24 hours at a connection city. Several airlines turn this into a free mini-tour — including a hotel, guided excursions and sometimes meals. It's the most cost-efficient way to see two cities on one ticket.
🌟 Best Stopover Programs in 2026
- Turkish Airlines — Touristanbul: free guided tour in Istanbul on a 6-24 h layover (Hagia Sophia, Bosphorus, Grand Bazaar)
- Emirates — Dubai Stopover: hotel + transfer from $60, or included in some fare bundles
- Qatar Airways — Doha Stopover: Souq Waqif, Museum of Islamic Art from $35/night
- Finnair — Helsinki Stopover: free self-guided itinerary, Suomenlinna, design district
- Etihad — Abu Dhabi Stopover: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island packages
✈️ Touristanbul — Turkish Airlines (Istanbul)
Touristanbul is open to any passenger with a 6-24 h layover at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). The tour is completely free — includes a bus, English-language guide, Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet and a Bosphorus cruise.
Register at turkishairlines.com/touristanbul — checked luggage is required.
Touristanbul spots are limited — register at the Turkish Airlines desk immediately after passport control, before other passengers take the remaining places.
🏙️ Dubai Stopover — Emirates
Emirates offers My Dubai Stopover packages: 1-night hotel + transfer from $60, 2-night from $110. Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Palm Jumeirah — all manageable within 48 hours.
Compare fares on Travel365's price calendar — a routed ticket with a Dubai stopover often costs less than a direct connection.
💡 Stopover vs. Separate Ticket
A stopover is almost always cheaper than a separate city ticket. Example: Tbilisi–Istanbul–New York on Turkish Airlines with a 24 h Istanbul stopover gives you a free city tour vs. a separate Tbilisi–Istanbul round-trip at $120-200.
See the open-jaw tickets guide — combining a stopover with open-jaw routing lets you visit 3 cities on one fare.
- 1 stopover = 2 cities on one ticket — saving $55-220
- Georgian citizens need no visa for Istanbul, Dubai or Doha
- Free hotel (Finnair, Qatar) with transfer included
- Check the transit visa guide for Europe and US transit rules
📋 Stopover Planning Checklist
- Luggage checked through to final destination — travel light for the stopover day
- Visa check: Istanbul, Dubai, Doha — Georgians are visa-free
- Confirm bag-storage option if hotel checkout and flight don't align
- Use Travel365's price calendar to find the cheapest routing with a stopover
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