Hi everyone! I’m glad this video is doing so well and you’re finding it valuable. I forgot to mention you do need an e-visa which is $20 USD. Whether you pick the tour option or the hotel option, it is free as long as you fly with Turkish airlines and have a layover of 6-24 hours. Many of you are asking me questions that you can find out in the video. I will no longer be answering questions asked in the comments section because I can guarantee it can be found in video or please do further research online. Please watch the video it’s entirety before asking questions. I also do not know everything and I’m not an expert on Istanbul travel (I wish I was though lol). You can only pick one option…either the tour or the hotel. Not both. I chose The free tour and paid for a separate hotel near the airport. The tour starts at the airport and ends at the airport. I hope this addresses everything that you may want to know, but please do watch the video and listen carefully 😊
The eVisa is now $50/person for US/Canadian citizens. The cost varies depending on your country, but $50 is the minimum price. They say it could take 7 to 30 days, but it literally took 2 seconds for me to be approved.
@@sirisri767 You can get one on arrival but it can take a while and the line can be long. It is the same price to get it in advance and literally took 1 second for me to get approval after submitting it (they say up to two weeks and I guess 1 second is "up to two weeks" ;) ), so I would do it in advance and not have to stand in line.
Thank you for your informative video. I am about the fly Turkish Air from US to Bali with 9 hours layover in Istanbul. Now I have something to do and not having to spend hours walking around the airport. Thank you and safe travel.
I did the same during the 2023 New Year Eve, but I selected the hotel. and went to downtown using the public transportation This you save time and money for finding hotel (you get free hotel dinner and breakfast) and have the freedom to go wherever you want. I downloaded offline Istanbul map to Google Maps to always know my location.
Oh yes , the hotel they provide is outside the airport ,so you do need visa (if u wish u can get evisa ) , I had a layover of 23hr unfortunately and I stayed in the airport itself . If u want to know anything u can ask ,I ended up exploring everything in that short period of time🤣
Yeah, honestly best airline ever. Every time I mention I will travel with them, people say "Wow, it's so cool!". While if I mention AA or any other, it is like "Ugh, I hope your flight doesn't get overbooked or cancelled" hahaha
I had this done last year. Had a 24-hour layover - which included 5-6 hours of touring around with Touristanbul and had the rest of my time to myself and explore further. Istanbul is a place to visit - just be weary of club thugs and taxi drivers in Istanbul.
I had a one night stay when I went to and from France to home and I as a Muslim I loved hearing the call to prayer ❤️🇹🇷❤️. My pfp is also A picture of Istanbul I took from a plane!
good work .... i m going to plan this I found your video i have started my journey from jan 2023 i have completed Sharjah Dubai Cairo (Egypt) and finally in Africa .. so i m thinking to go back to Dubai with Turkish airline ... informative video thanks for sharing ...............
Thank you for this review Ilana! I have an upcoming flight to Prague and Your video made me consider flying TA! I’m flying solo and meet my friends there but I’m a little scared of doing the tour until I saw your video. It looks like you had a great time. Question about the half day schedule. Website says 0830-1500. Does that mean you’re already back in the airport by 1500 or it’s just when the tour ends? My flight is 1645 so might not be the best tour to consider
As of December 22, 2023 citizens of Bahrain, Canada, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Saudi Arabia are no longer required to obtain a visa to enter Turkey for up to 180 days of travel. Starting in 2025 (maybe, it has been delayed multiple times) Turkey will fall under the new European ETIAS requirement. Technically this is a "Travel Authorization" instead of a "Visa" but it is really the same thing. It is valid for all of the Schengen area.
ISTANBUL IS THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD. U WONT BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING WITHING FEW HOURS. YOU NEED MINIMUM 4-5 DAYS TO ENJOY IT. BUT IM GLAD TO SEE YOU EVEN HAD GOOD TIME FOR THAT SHORT TIME.
Just want to make sure people know. If you leave the airport, you will need to apply for an e-visa for a short stay. Super easy to do online and costs around 30 USD. Have a safe travel
Is Istanbul a pretty safe town? I’ve got a 13 hour layover to the Philipines This is a huge prize or add on thanks a lot for letting us know if this ✌🏼
a free hotel room seems like it would be a better value than a 3 hour bus tour. i would think a tok tok would give you a similar tour for a fare price. Please let me know what you think.
There’s other tours that let you explore more :) this is what worked for me and my flight. I didn’t know it was gonna be mostly on the bus. I still thought it was awesome :)
As a Turk I can say that Turks are payıng very high prices to equalize low prices and free services for foreign customers. P.S . Check the last scandals with the major of NY
Just done the tour and Yes you can go solo. There are different tours with different itinerary. They will provide the choices at the hotel desk as you exit passport control. They guarantee return time to catch your flight. Safe travel
Can we not move outside Istanbul and live elsewhere then the hotel they recommended? I was thinking to go to a border country from there but they kind of restrict you, no?
I am thinking of booking a flight that arrives from JFK at 17:55 on Monday. Do you think I can take any of them, maybe the one that departs at18:30?? Is this for passenger from the states?
As per Turkish airlines website you have to pay for the transit and the food as well is it true? Or you get free meals at the hotel? Since I'll be travelling with my 15 months old daughter I will take the stopover option but what's the cost of Tour Istanbul. Could you please do a cost breakdown. Thank you
Before I book with turkish airlines as a us citizen and I have a layover between 6 and 24 hours, do I need to apply for turkish e visa for touristanbul online or they sell e visa at instanbul airport, I'm thinking of booking from los angeles California to tbilisi georgia and if the layover is between 6 and 24 hour I qualify for free touristanbul, do I have to apply for turkish e visa online or I could buy the visa once I get to istanbul
hello ilana, Since I am also having a flight on December 24. and I have more than 20 hours of transit where my next flight will be from Istanbul to Toronto. So, how can I reserve a hotel for free?
Did you need visa to do that? Because I will have a 19 hours long layover. I will arrive in Istanbul at night 11 and my next flight would be on next day 18:30. I am in dilemma of taking tour vs hotel. Can you suggest?
Hi there please this is my first time i will go to the airport so if you dont mind till me till me how you went to the airport i mean with a bus or a taxi and until you arrived to the airplane
I'm planning to go dhaka to London by Turkish airlines. while booking the airlines the transit time showed 1 hour for changing the plane. but I want to take 5-6 hours transit time in turkey. is it possible to increase time of transit?
@@IlanaPinsky sorry to bother u but would u mind in telling how far was ur hotel from the airport as I can’t find it online. N how did u commute bw hotel and airport?? Thanks a ton🙏🏻🙏🏻
I didn’t do the free hotel! Only the tour. I booked a hotel with my own money separately. Please re-watch the video as I share how to get the free hotel option
This stopover tour is good for people who don’t require a Visa or qualify for e-visa, otherwise if not belonging to the above two categories, then it’s not quite worth it !
Quite unfortunate.. cos I seem to have same challenge, I only wish international travelers with visa to Europe, North Americas at least could/should qualify for visa on arrival or e visa 😢..
I have a plan to Kazakhstan with layover at IST about 15-19 hours. I think the free tour is look very useful instead waiting in airport, especially Istanbul (and Bursa) really have special place in my heart Btw can i still on the tour for at least 4 hours before my departure?. Thank you
So I would like to give a suggestion for this video, first of all breathhhhhh, you are just Goin on and on about it, and not really giving time to explain things, second use a better mic because a lot of your words here are bit audible. Thanks.
Lol I edited out all the breathes because people don’t like hearing them. I’m surprised you didn’t like the mic because I’m using a blue yeti which is a great mic and an expensive one at that. Thanks for the feedback though!
How is this video bad? If you choose the tour or the hotel with Turkish airlines…it is free! That’s the total…I personally didn’t find it necessary to include my spending from the first night as that was not apart of the package which I believe I made clear in the video that was my own choice to do free time exploring the night before the tour. I did mention the price of the sapphire hotel. I only spent money on the coffee during the actual tour and that was my choice to spend money.
Hi everyone! I’m glad this video is doing so well and you’re finding it valuable. I forgot to mention you do need an e-visa which is $20 USD. Whether you pick the tour option or the hotel option, it is free as long as you fly with Turkish airlines and have a layover of 6-24 hours. Many of you are asking me questions that you can find out in the video. I will no longer be answering questions asked in the comments section because I can guarantee it can be found in video or please do further research online. Please watch the video it’s entirety before asking questions. I also do not know everything and I’m not an expert on Istanbul travel (I wish I was though lol). You can only pick one option…either the tour or the hotel. Not both. I chose The free tour and paid for a separate hotel near the airport. The tour starts at the airport and ends at the airport. I hope this addresses everything that you may want to know, but please do watch the video and listen carefully 😊
Do you remember the hotel name they put you in and how long it took to get there from the airport?
The eVisa is now $50/person for US/Canadian citizens. The cost varies depending on your country, but $50 is the minimum price. They say it could take 7 to 30 days, but it literally took 2 seconds for me to be approved.
@@zork999do they give visa on arrival or do we need to apply for visa in advance?
@@sirisri767 You can get one on arrival but it can take a while and the line can be long. It is the same price to get it in advance and literally took 1 second for me to get approval after submitting it (they say up to two weeks and I guess 1 second is "up to two weeks" ;) ), so I would do it in advance and not have to stand in line.
Thank you for your informative video. I am about the fly Turkish Air from US to Bali with 9 hours layover in Istanbul. Now I have something to do and not having to spend hours walking around the airport. Thank you and safe travel.
I did the same during the 2023 New Year Eve, but I selected the hotel. and went to downtown using the public transportation
This you save time and money for finding hotel (you get free hotel dinner and breakfast) and have the freedom to go wherever you want. I downloaded offline Istanbul map to Google Maps to always know my location.
For choosing a hotel option , one needs a turkey visa too?
@@thor07did you get to know yet?
Oh yes , the hotel they provide is outside the airport ,so you do need visa (if u wish u can get evisa ) , I had a layover of 23hr unfortunately and I stayed in the airport itself . If u want to know anything u can ask ,I ended up exploring everything in that short period of time🤣
@@harsharav3rvge593 there is a hotel and sleeping pod option available inside the airport though , was out of my budget .
@@harsharav3rvge593 there are sleeping pods and a hotel available inside the airport if u wish ,but I have to pay for them out of ur pocket
Thanks for making this video. I’m planning for a long layover in Istanbul on a return leg and was wondering about the tour.
Peace and love :)
As Turks, we take pride in Turkish Airlines
Love that! Great airline :)
Yeah, honestly best airline ever. Every time I mention I will travel with them, people say "Wow, it's so cool!". While if I mention AA or any other, it is like "Ugh, I hope your flight doesn't get overbooked or cancelled" hahaha
love TA
They do a amazing job
Hey! Can you tell me more places that I can visit.i have a 19 hour layover
I had this done last year. Had a 24-hour layover - which included 5-6 hours of touring around with Touristanbul and had the rest of my time to myself and explore further. Istanbul is a place to visit - just be weary of club thugs and taxi drivers in Istanbul.
I had a one night stay when I went to and from France to home and I as a Muslim I loved hearing the call to prayer ❤️🇹🇷❤️. My pfp is also A picture of Istanbul I took from a plane!
This the reason I’m about to book Turkish airlines. I love to pet the littles kitties around the city 😺
Thank you for posting this video. I have a 12 hours layover at this airport next week and I will definitely do the tour!😄
You’re so welcome!! Enjoy Istanbul!
Hello, I am wondering how did your tour go ?
I have 12 hours layover next month and I am looking for advice. Thanks
Same! Mines on 7th august. Let me know how it goes!
When was your flight ?
@@nabilaa1559 how it went for u guys
Great video, recommendation, you are very kind, genuine, honest and constructively critical
I am already thinking like... Oh i should get bunch of cat treats... 🤣 that bus looks comfy and nice. Thank you for the info!
good work .... i m going to plan this I found your video i have started my journey from jan 2023 i have completed Sharjah Dubai Cairo (Egypt) and finally in Africa .. so i m thinking to go back to Dubai with Turkish airline ... informative video thanks for sharing ...............
Thank you for this video. After I watched your video , I decided to do it too during long layover👍
Amazing! It’s totally worth it and gets you out of the airport.
Thank you for this review Ilana! I have an upcoming flight to Prague and Your video made me consider flying TA! I’m flying solo and meet my friends there but I’m a little scared of doing the tour until I saw your video. It looks like you had a great time. Question about the half day schedule. Website says 0830-1500. Does that mean you’re already back in the airport by 1500 or it’s just when the tour ends? My flight is 1645 so might not be the best tour to consider
As of December 22, 2023 citizens of Bahrain, Canada, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Saudi Arabia are no longer required to obtain a visa to enter Turkey for up to 180 days of travel. Starting in 2025 (maybe, it has been delayed multiple times) Turkey will fall under the new European ETIAS requirement. Technically this is a "Travel Authorization" instead of a "Visa" but it is really the same thing. It is valid for all of the Schengen area.
I will use it this week! I've an almost 15 hours stop. Thanks a lot!
What did you choose, free tour or hotel options?
ISTANBUL IS THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD. U WONT BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING WITHING FEW HOURS. YOU NEED MINIMUM 4-5 DAYS TO ENJOY IT. BUT IM GLAD TO SEE YOU EVEN HAD GOOD TIME FOR THAT SHORT TIME.
I absolutely wish I had more time!! 😭😭 it was so beautiful! I need to go back!
Just want to make sure people know. If you leave the airport, you will need to apply for an e-visa for a short stay. Super easy to do online and costs around 30 USD. Have a safe travel
eVisa is no longer required for US Citizens.
thanks for making this video! super helpful! I have a 21hr layover here in the fall
What did you choose, free tour or hotel options?
Is Istanbul a pretty safe town? I’ve got a 13 hour layover to the Philipines This is a huge prize or add on thanks a lot for letting us know if this
✌🏼
After the first check I will visit Instanbul more.
Thank you 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Anytime! Enjoy!
Thank you for this informative video... my language is spanish and you deliver in a very undertanding manner.
Greetings and loves from İstanbul ❤❤❤🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷
Thanks for the video, we are going in May and has 10 hour layover there, when did you do this Tour?
March 8th so just a couple of weeks ago!
@@IlanaPinsky thank you!
a free hotel room seems like it would be a better value than a 3 hour bus tour.
i would think a tok tok would give you a similar tour for a fare price. Please let me know what you think.
There’s other tours that let you explore more :) this is what worked for me and my flight. I didn’t know it was gonna be mostly on the bus. I still thought it was awesome :)
@@IlanaPinsky Thank you. Do you mind sharing the cost of your hotel room? Looking at a long layover for 2 possibly. I appreciate your help
@@andrewsmith9980 it was like $35-hotel Melanj I believe was the name
Have you done this tour or been to Istanbul before?
As a Turk I can say that Turks are payıng very high prices to equalize low prices and free services for foreign customers.
P.S . Check the last scandals with the major of NY
Thanks for the video. Did you get the hotel for free?
No, I chose the tour over the hotel and paid for a hotel separately
Hi! I didn't hear this in your video, but wanted to ask did you go solo? If so, any tips you think will be helpful?
Just done the tour and Yes you can go solo. There are different tours with different itinerary. They will provide the choices at the hotel desk as you exit passport control. They guarantee return time to catch your flight. Safe travel
For the hotel option and she we have a connection flight next day, do we retrieve the bags and recheck in again ?
Can we not move outside Istanbul and live elsewhere then the hotel they recommended? I was thinking to go to a border country from there but they kind of restrict you, no?
I am thinking of booking a flight that arrives from JFK at 17:55 on Monday. Do you think I can take any of them, maybe the one that departs at18:30?? Is this for passenger from the states?
Thanks a lot for sharing this. So your hotel stay was also included in the Touristambul package?
Nope, I said I chose the tour over the hotel and paid for my own
@@IlanaPinsky Thank you for the quick response. Appreciate it 😊
As per Turkish airlines website you have to pay for the transit and the food as well is it true? Or you get free meals at the hotel?
Since I'll be travelling with my 15 months old daughter I will take the stopover option but what's the cost of Tour Istanbul. Could you please do a cost breakdown.
Thank you
@@raghuveersingh9418 touristanbal is completely free. I mention that in the video
How many minutes did it take you to get out of the airport? More or less than 30 minutes?
Do you need visa to get into Istanbul when you have connecting flight and want to go to Istanbul during layover?
I'll be in Istanbul airport on the 1st of September, for 22 hours
Hii did you arrive back ok time to the airport? I also have a long transit but im scared i wont arrive with enough time to catch my flight.
You didn't mention it, but don't you have to register online with your plane ticket?And then when you get there ypu have a reservation?
Did they help you with the Visa?
Do you have to claim your luggage when leaving the airport for the tour?
No, since it’s a layover! You’d claim your luggage at your final destination that isn’t Istanbul
How much was the cost of hotel?
Transport to hotel and coming back?
Hi! Do you know if we can take 2 tours (afternoon and shopping)? 😊
Did you go back at the airoport in 11:30 or no ?
Hi Ilana,
Do you recommend the evening tour over the morning sightseeing tour?
I never did it so I couldn’t tell you!
Before I book with turkish airlines as a us citizen and I have a layover between 6 and 24 hours, do I need to apply for turkish e visa for touristanbul online or they sell e visa at instanbul airport, I'm thinking of booking from los angeles California to tbilisi georgia and if the layover is between 6 and 24 hour I qualify for free touristanbul, do I have to apply for turkish e visa online or I could buy the visa once I get to istanbul
hello ilana,
Since I am also having a flight on December 24. and I have more than 20 hours of transit where my next flight will be from Istanbul to Toronto. So, how can I reserve a hotel for free?
Did you need visa to do that? Because I will have a 19 hours long layover. I will arrive in Istanbul at night 11 and my next flight would be on next day 18:30. I am in dilemma of taking tour vs hotel. Can you suggest?
I got the e-visa just in case. It’s easy to get online
@@IlanaPinsky so you did that beforehand?
@@IlanaPinsky Can you please tell how much does e-visa cost?
@@tam7235 $61.50 USD
@@quynhanhvt06 and does this touristanbul service require an e-visa?
I’m missing tour times by 1 hour of my arrival
Oh no! Thankfully, there’s other options!
@@IlanaPinsky other options?
I could not find the tour istanbul hotel desk anywhere in the arrivals lobby. Where is it?
hey did you take a visa for turkey?
Hi there please this is my first time i will go to the airport so if you dont mind till me till me how you went to the airport i mean with a bus or a taxi and until you arrived to the airplane
I took a taxi! Highly recommend the BiTaksi app
@@IlanaPinsky ok thanks for replying me
So you can only request it upon arrival and not in advance?
Yes, I think that’s so weird!
So we have option to select hotel room or tour?
Hi, how much should we tip the tour guide? I know the tour is free but I think it’s nice to tip them.
I tipped around 20 liras
after each of the tour, the bus will send you back to the airport?
Yes
I only realised my trip was changed the day before my flight. What do I do?
If we have no Turkish visa then we qualify or not??
Hi, do you need visa to apply for touristanbul?
The flight before my layover and after my layover has to be of the turkish airlines? To access the tour service
I was your guide! Lol
Omg hi!!! You were awesome :)
Do we need turkish visa for this service?
I have a 6.5 hour layover at IST. Is that enough time to get to Hagia Sofia & make it back in time?
I'm planning to go dhaka to London by Turkish airlines. while booking the airlines the transit time showed 1 hour for changing the plane. but I want to take 5-6 hours transit time in turkey. is it possible to increase time of transit?
What about hotel rent? How much it could be? Could be elaborate more pls.
can you please tell me how did you manage Mobile data? If you know the Prices of Sim and Data packages in Istanbul airport let me know :)
My US phone plan has international roaming for $10 a day :)
do you need a transit visa for this?
I have 8 hrs layover in Istanbul airport do i need transit to change flights
Could u plz tell me which hotel did u book?? We r a couple n we need a room nearby to get tour service.
Sure! I stayed at the Melanj and it’s near the airport
@@IlanaPinsky sorry to bother u but would u mind in telling how far was ur hotel from the airport as I can’t find it online. N how did u commute bw hotel and airport??
Thanks a ton🙏🏻🙏🏻
How did you get the hotel free?
How can I get it? I have an upcoming flight with 24 hours layover. Please let me know.
I didn’t do the free hotel! Only the tour. I booked a hotel with my own money separately. Please re-watch the video as I share how to get the free hotel option
Can we choose both free tour and free hotel ... I have almost 17+ layover hehehe....
Unfortunately no you can’t do both :(
can you choose 2 tours?
Yes!
For my country requirement, need sticker visa. But for this, they will provide me evisa?
This stopover tour is good for people who don’t require a Visa or qualify for e-visa, otherwise if not belonging to the above two categories, then it’s not quite worth it !
can you explain more pls? do i have to pay visa fee to be on this tour?
Quite unfortunate.. cos I seem to have same challenge, I only wish international travelers with visa to Europe, North Americas at least could/should qualify for visa on arrival or e visa 😢..
is it required for transit VİSA?
They cheated us out of a free hotel and denied us the tour. Scam. Poorly managed.
how
Yes
I have a plan to Kazakhstan with layover at IST about 15-19 hours. I think the free tour is look very useful instead waiting in airport, especially Istanbul (and Bursa) really have special place in my heart
Btw can i still on the tour for at least 4 hours before my departure?. Thank you
Not sure, I would ask and check
@Ilana Pinsky OMG thank you Ilana. Maybe you can inform us if you got the answer
Really love and appreciate your content 🙏🙏
on the website of Turkiye airlines, the tour is only for layover 6-24 hours
Do I need a visa for this?
do we need turkey transit visa for this tour istanbul
I got an e-visa for tourists just in case
Hey ilana you fid good tour in Istanbul
Yes I did
The audio has sooo many cuts and its painful to listen. Nice video otherwise.
Na shukray insaan
So I would like to give a suggestion for this video, first of all breathhhhhh, you are just Goin on and on about it, and not really giving time to explain things, second use a better mic because a lot of your words here are bit audible. Thanks.
Lol I edited out all the breathes because people don’t like hearing them. I’m surprised you didn’t like the mic because I’m using a blue yeti which is a great mic and an expensive one at that. Thanks for the feedback though!
Very bad video,,cant explain how much total!? Is hotel or tour or taxi or bus or eating drinks!??? Just someone pay to her for fake ad....
How is this video bad? If you choose the tour or the hotel with Turkish airlines…it is free! That’s the total…I personally didn’t find it necessary to include my spending from the first night as that was not apart of the package which I believe I made clear in the video that was my own choice to do free time exploring the night before the tour. I did mention the price of the sapphire hotel. I only spent money on the coffee during the actual tour and that was my choice to spend money.
🖐
🌷✈🙈
I hate cats ‼️
And they hate you too
@@IlanaPinsky wonderful
in next time speak slowly fk
I recommend changing the speed settings to a slower speed on the video :)
@@IlanaPinsky YASSS YOU ATE. PLUS IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH...IM SORRY??? IS IT MY FAULT???
Useless and misleading video
I’d love to hear how so and what you were expecting!
Your so nice! What a weird boy to comment that to you! @@IlanaPinsky
Do you need health insurance for entry into istanbul even if it is for a few hours?
nope!
@@IlanaPinsky thank you :)
do i need a visa for the tour
Yes you do! The e-visa is super easy to get!
Thanks I'm going next month
@@IlanaPinsky how much did u pay?
@@samuelhalgas8835 $20