Airlines With Free Stopovers

Icelandair

Icelandair offers free stopovers for travellers flying between North America and Europe. This will allow you to stop over in Iceland for a maximum of 7 days for free! You can add this stopover when you book online, or by contacting Icelandair’s customer service. If your stopover is just for 24 hours, I would recommend heading straight to the Blue Lagoon from the airport because it’s close, and then spending some time in the capital city. If you have 3 days, do the Blue Lagoon or Sky Lagoon, a Golden Circle day tour, and a day in the capital city.

Iceland highlights:

✈ The Northern Lights

✈ Skógafoss Waterfall

✈ Þingvellir National Park

✈ Blue Lagoon

✈ Diamond Beach

✈ Geysir Geothermal Area

TAP Air Portugal

Picture Location: Porto, Portugal (by Nick Karvounis)

Anyone travelling between Europe, Africa, or North and South America can take advantage of TAP Air Portugal’s stopover programme. This enables a free stopover in Lisbon or Porto for up to 10 days! If you decide to take advantage of this amazing deal, TAP Air Portugal is also offering a 25% discount on domestic flights within your stopover period. This means that you could spend a few days in Lisbon or Porto, and then fly to one of Portugal’s islands (Madeira or Azores) with a discount. Brazil is on my bucket list…so I will definitely be taking advantage of this deal when I finally decide to book that trip.

Lisbon Highlights:

✈ Jerónimos Monastery

✈ Alfama District

✈ Belém Tower

Porto Highlights:

✈ Port Wine Cellars

✈ Livraria Lello

✈ Ribeira District

Turkish Airlines

Picture Location: The Blue Mosque, Istanbul (by Luna Zhang)

Are you flying with Turkish Airlines? Is your flight connection at least 20 hours? Then you might be eligible for the Stopover in Istanbul programme. If you are flying economy, you will get 1 night free in a 4 star hotel, or 2 nights for free in a 5 star hotel if you are flying business class. Unfortunately, not every country is eligible for this programme, and you can find a list of all the countries on their website. You will need to apply for this stopover at least 3 days before your first flight.

You may also want to register for Touristanbul if you have a layover that is 6-24 hours. This is a free service that includes a tour around the city.

Istanbul highlights:

✈ Ayasofya

✈ The Blue Mosque

✈ Grand Bazaar

✈ Basilica Cistern

✈ Dolmabahçe Palace

✈ Bosphorus River Cruise

Qatar Airways

Picture Location: Mina District, Doha (by Murewa Saibu)

Passengers travelling with Qatar Airways can stopover in Doha for a maximum of 4 nights. This includes booking a stay at a 4 or 5 star hotel for as little as around £20 per night! You can book the stopover online at the same time as booking your flight.

Doha Highlights:

✈ The Museum of Islamic Art

✈ Souq Waqif

✈ Katara Cultural Village

✈ Doha Corniche

✈ Villaggio Mall

✈ National Museum of Qatar

Iberia

Picture Location: Calle Gran Vía, Madrid (by Florian Wehde)

Iberia are offering Stopover Hola Madrid programme. This allows anyone flying taking a connected flight with Iberia, can choose to spend up to 6 nights in Madrid for free. This scheme also provides passengers with discounts on accommodation, transport, restaurants, and attractions.

Madrid highlights:

✈ The Royal Palace

✈ Prado Museum

✈ Retiro Park

✈ Gran Vía

✈ Temple of Debod

✈ Mercado de San Miguel

Copa Airlines

Picture Location: San Blas Islands, Panama (by Angel Silva)

The Panama Stopover Programme is offered by Copa Airlines, to allow passengers on connected flights to spend up to 7 days in Panama for free. This airline offers flights mainly between North America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Panama highlights:

✈ Panama Canal

✈ Casco Viejo (Old Quarter)

✈ San Blas Islands

✈ Bocas del Toro

✈ Boquete

✈ Islas de las Perlas

Emirates

Photo Location: Burj Al Arab, Dubai (by Darcey Beau)

Emirates passengers with connected flights can take advantage of the free Dubai Stopover Programme. Economy class passengers can extend their connection to spend up to 48 in Dubai, and business or first class passengers can spend up to 96 hours. If your stopover is between 8 and 26 hours, you may also be entitled to access the Dubai Connect scheme. This allows you to access free hotel accommodation, airport transfers, meals (terms and conditions apply), and a visa to enter the UAE.

Dubai highlights:

✈ Burj Khalifa

✈ Dubai Mall

✈ Palm Jumeirah

✈ Dubai Desert Safari

✈ Dubai Marina

✈ The Dubai Fountain

Aer Lingus

Photo Location: Temple Bar, Dublin (by Diogo Palhais)

Travellers Flying with Aer Lingus can take advantage of a free stopover in Dublin for up to 7 nights. This can be done by using the multi-city flights option on their website, or calling the airline’s help desk directly to book over the phone. I personally feel like 2 nights is enough in Dublin, so be sure to visit other areas of Ireland on day trips if you plan to stay longer.

Dublin Highlights:

✈ Guinness Storehouse

✈ Trinity College and the Book of Kells

✈ Dublin Castle

✈ Temple Bar

✈ Kilmainham Gaol

✈ St. Patrick’s Cathedral

I hope you enjoyed reading my post about airlines with free stopovers. I have never done any of these before but I will in the future. The Iceland Air stopover is perfect for a trip to New York. The Qatar Airways stopover would be ideal for splitting up the long journey to Southeast Asia. Speaking of Asia, you might want to check out my post about how to spend 3 days in Bangkok Thailand.