Also check on the city’s traffic conditions so that you are back in the airport well in time for your flight.
Changi Airport, Singapore
Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport together offers a free 2-hour city tour to passengers on a transit time of five hours or more. You have to register an hour before the start of the tour at the Free Singapore Tours (FST) registration booth located at Terminal 2 (Level 2, near Transfer Lounge E) or Terminal 3 (Level 2, near Transfer Lounge B) in Changi airport. By day, you can enjoy the heritage tour to Merlion Park and Chinatown, and in the evening, you can go on the City Lights Tour to Marina Bay waterfront promenade, Bugis village and the Raffles Hotel. www.singaporeair.com
Hamad International Airport, Doha
Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority together offers an opportunity to explore the capital city of Doha. The tour, which takes a little less than 3 hours, is open to passengers with a transit time of 5-12 hours and arriving in Doha 4am and 7pm, local time, on a first-come first-served basis. The tour includes visits to the Pearl-Qatar (shops and restaurants), Katara Cultural Village (a centre for arts and heritage), Souq Waqif (traditional jewellery, spices and handicrafts) and the Museum of Islamic Art with its beautiful seaside park. www.qatarairways.com.
Incheon Airport, Seoul
If you are on a transit of 2 hours or more, you can try Incheon Airport’s free bus tour to catch a glimpse of South Korea’s history, culture and daily life. The tours mostly cover royal palaces and museums in downtown Seoul, Youth Street around Hongnik University and the region around Incheon Port. But you have to pay admission fees to monuments if required. You can book online or contact any of the transit tour desks in the airport. www.airport.kr.
Istanbul Atatürk Airport, Istanbul
Called TourIstanbul, the free tour (including a free meal) can be availed by passengers with a transit time of 6 hours or more, travelling on international transit flights through Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. There are three tours – two of six hours duration and one of nine hour duration. These cover some of the most popular attractions and restaurants (a chance to taste Ottoman cuisine; vegetarian options available for lunch) of Istanbul. Bookings have to be made at least half an hour before tour starts at the Hotel Desk in the International Arrival Hall at the airport. But passengers may not get both hotel accommodation and TouristIstanbul on the same journey. http://www.istanbulinhours.com/.
Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei
The twice-a-day free tours, sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Board and conducted by a private operator, are available to passengers with at least 8 hours of transit time within a 24-hour period before their next connecting flight. One has to register at the Tourist Service Centre in the Arrival Lobby of the airport. The bookings are accepted on a first-come first-served basis with a minimum group size of five people and maximum of 18. The morning tour (which leaves at 8am and aims to return by 1pm) covers Sansia & Zushih Temple and Yingge (Taiwan’s pottery hub), while the afternoon tour (which leaves at 1.30p and aims to return by 6.30pm) covers Taipei 101 Building, Longshan Temple, Presidential Office Building, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and the Martyr’s Shrine. www.taiwanholidays.com.au