Adding an airline stopover to your next flight itinerary is one of the best ways to maximize your airfare and stretch your vacation time. Many international carriers offer these free mini-visits as a way to entice travelers to visit their home country or city.
Stopover programs are often booked as an extended layover and can offer stays from 24 hours all the way up to 15 days. Plus, they’re completely free to add during the flight booking process. Even with airfares getting more expensive across the industry, there’s still no extra charge for adding a stopover to your itinerary. A handful of airlines even include complimentary stays at five-star hotels, discounted sightseeing tours, savings at local restaurants, and more. The free perks are usually coordinated with the destination’s tourism board, which wants to impress travelers and garner repeat visits. Whether your carrier offers numerous free amenities or just allows you to add time to your connection, the stopover program is likely still worth taking advantage of, if only for the opportunity to explore an intriguing destination for the night.
Here, we’ve rounded up 13 airline stopover programs that are worth booking and will allow travelers to explore Paris, Madrid, Dubai, Istanbul, Reykjavik, Lisbon, Panama City, Munich, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Helsinki, Osaka, and more—all for no additional charge in airfare.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publication date.
Just launched in July 2026, Air France’s new Paris Stopover program allows passengers connecting through Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to add up to a four-night stay in the City of Light. Stays can be added on either outbound or return legs, and fliers can also add travel packages curated by Extime Travel. As part of the travel deal, visitors get a stay in a four-star or five-star hotel located in Central Paris (or near Disneyland Paris), transfers, and “hand-picked local experiences,” all starting at about €400 per person. The “Paris Must-See” package includes access to some of the city’s most famous sites, like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, and a cruise on the Seine, while the “Disneyland Paris” travel package includes entry to the Disneyland and Adventure World Parks.
When booking a flight with a connection through Paris, travelers will see a box that says “Paris Stopover” above the search results. After you book your airfare, you can then choose from among the Extime Travel packages available on the Air France site under “My Bookings.” Packages are tailored to the length of each stopover and are available to book until 48 hours before departure.
Travelers can spend up to seven days among the fairytale castles, historic beer halls, and Gothic architecture in Munich at no extra cost, thanks to Lufthansa’s new stopover program in the Bavarian capital. An option to add a stopover on the outbound or return journey will be displayed automatically during the flight booking process if one is available on the itinerary. When booking is complete, travelers can opt into receiving information on activities, benefits, and special offers from Lufthansa’s travel partners, including discounted hotel stays and tours of iconic landmarks in the region. Among the offers are 20% off the flex room rate at the Rosewood Munich, 25% off tours of Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace, 25% off a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Munich, and more.
If you’re traveling to Australia, New Zealand, or another destination in the Pacific, why not add a free 48-hour pitstop in the tropical paradise of Fiji to your itinerary? Fiji Airways allows passengers transiting through its hub in Nadi the option to explore the islands for a couple of days before continuing with their journey. Take time to enjoy some of the world’s best snorkeling, surfing, and coral sand beaches. To book, travelers can visit the carrier’s dedicated Fiji Stopover page and purchase their airfares with the “Multi-City / Fiji Stopover” toggle on. (Fiji Airways operates four gateway cities in the US: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Dallas.)
Once your airfare is locked down, choose from one of the airline’s stopover accommodation packages, which include two-night stays at top-notch local resorts like the Shangri-La Yanuca Island or VOMO island, plus perks like return airport transfers, daily breakfast, spa discounts, and late checkout, starting at about $225 per night. You’ll also get access to affordable excursions like sailing tours and ziplining, starting at about $100 per person.
Offering free stopovers in two cities—Porto and Lisbon—TAP Air Portugal has one of the most flexible programs out there. Plus, it allows travelers to stay in either city for up to 10 days. The stopover booking process is super simple, as TAP has integrated it into its standard booking field. All you need to do is choose your travel dates, departure city, and destination as usual, then click the “Add Stopover” button. This will open a pop-up window where you can input the details of your stopover, including whether you’d like to visit Porto or Lisbon and for how long.
When your flights are squared away, you can book a discounted hotel stay by browsing TAP’s list of hotel partners. The list offers booking codes with average savings of 10-20% off your stay. You’ll also have access to discounts for restaurants, museums, and walking tours. Browse the airline’s stopover offers page to see the full list. And once you wrap up your stopover, you also get a 25% discount on airfare to a second destination in Portugal, like the Azores archipelago.
Travelers on Turkish Airlines on any itinerary from the US with at least a 20-hour connection in Istanbul qualify for the carrier’s Stopover in Istanbul offering. The program is one of the most generous when it comes to accommodations, giving all fliers a free hotel stay: Passengers flying from the US in economy class can stay two nights in a four-star hotel free of charge, and business class passengers get three free nights in a five-star hotel. There’s also an option book additional nights at contracted hotels offering discounted stays starting at $49 USD per night.
Turkish Airlines has recently simplified its stopover booking process, making it easier than ever to take advantage of the program. There is now a “Stopover in Istanbul” button right on the airline’s booking page.
With its Stopover Hola Madrid program, Iberia allows travelers to stay in the Spanish capital for as little as 24 hours, all the way up to seven days and six nights at no extra cost in airfare. Passengers can add a stopover to either their outbound or return flight and select the length of their stay on the airline’s booking page. Stopover customers are also afforded a host of discounts, including 20% off tickets to the Prado museum, a free public transportation card valid for two days that can be picked up at the airport, and reduced hotel stays through the airline’s partners.
If you’re interested in adding a few days in Reykjavik to your next vacation, book with IcelandAir, which offers free Reykjavik stopovers from one to seven days for its transatlantic passengers. When booking your flights, simply click the “Stopover in Iceland” button and choose how many days you’d like to stay. While there’s no additional airfare involved, IcelandAir’s program does not include a free or discounted hotel stay, so passengers will need to factor that in as an extra cost. However, the airline’s stopover page does offer suggestions for a wide range of affordable sightseeing tours, like an abbreviated tour of the Golden Circle (from $112), a Northern Lights small group tour (from $126), and a whale watching tour (from $150).
One of the best airline stopover programs is Qatar Airways’, which offers a valuable hotel bundle. The carrier offers stays of up to four days in Doha, with bundle rates for four-star hotels starting at just $14 USD per person per night. If you want to upgrade to a luxury five-star hotel, the fee starts at $23 USD per person per night, which is still a deep discount. And of course, the stopover will cost you nothing in terms of extra airfare fees.
To score the bundle, book your stopover through Qatar Airways’ dedicated page, which allows you to select the leg of the journey you’d like to stop in Doha and for how many days. Once your flights are booked, visit the airline’s stopover hotel booking page to browse options for your stay. Choose your hotel and input your flight information during the booking process to receive the discount.
Also available during your time in Doha are discounted tour packages that range from activities like kitesurfing lessons, a private Bedouin dinner in the desert, souq tours, and many more. The carrier has also added a special F1 experience to its stopover lineup for 2026. Travelers who book a Doha stopover between November 27 and 29 include a 3-day T16 Grandstand ticket to the F1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix for each person traveling on the stopover.
With its “Stopover on Us” package, Etihad is offering free stopovers in Abu Dhabi. The one- or two-night packages include a free stay at a three-star hotel in the city, plus perks like 24-hour check-in and free in-room Wi-Fi. Among the hotel partners are the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, the Yas Plaza Marina by IHG, the Millennium Downtown Abu Dhabi, and the Intercontinental Abu Dhabi.
To add the stopover, you need to first book a flight connecting through Abu Dhabi in any cabin class. Then, select your stopover package and check hotel availability on the airline’s stopover page. It’s important to note that a flight reservation is required to check the program’s hotel availability (which is not guaranteed) and bookings must be made at least 72 hours before travel.
Travelers can take up to 15 days to explore Panama City with Copa Airlines’ stopover program. Copa passengers can add a stopover in the capital city—one of the best places to go in South America in 2024—on either the outgoing or return leg of their journey. Travelers can stay in Panama for as little as 24 hours all the way up to two weeks without needing to pay extra airfare. (Copa also offers the option to add a second stopover to your flight itinerary for $250 USD.) To book the stopover, simply go to the booking page on Copa’s website and toggle to the “Multi-city/Stopover” tab. The program now includes discounted hotel stays, including up to 48% off stays at boutique properties like Central Hotel Panama Casco Viejo or 30% off oceanfront hotels like Bambuda Santa Catalina. The savings also extend to tours, activities, restaurants, and car rentals.
With its Dubai Connect program, Emirates offers travelers with extended layovers in Dubai an array of complimentary perks, including a one-night hotel stay, visa, meals, and transfers to and from the airport. Passengers in economy through first class are eligible for these perks. To qualify for the program, your layover must be between eight to 26 hours for economy and premium economy tickets or six and 26 hours for business and first class tickets. Your connection time must be the shortest available—meaning you have to depart Dubai on the next available flight to your destination or your itinerary won’t be eligible.
When passengers arrive in Dubai, they can head to the Dubai Connect desk in the arrivals terminal for their free car transfer to their hotel. The airline usually puts Dubai Connect passengers in the Copthorne Hotel Dubai, the Le Méridien Airport Hotel Dubai, or the JW Marriott Marquis, but it’s possible travelers will be booked at a different property at the carrier’s discretion. While at the hotel, all applicable meals will be included as part of the service. You can book Dubai Connect online at least 24 hours before your layover.
For a longer stopover experience, travelers can book a multi-city itinerary on the airline’s booking page. Toggle the “advanced search” feature and input Dubai International airport as an additional destination between your city of origin and final destination. When your flights are booked, you can add on Dubai hotels and experiences through Emirates’ Dubai stopover page, which offers discounts and extra perks like 24-hour hotel check-in.
Billing itself as one of the most “stopover friendly” airlines in the industry, Japan Airlines offers extended layovers in cities like Osaka and Kyoto. Essentially, JAL’s program allows fliers to book multi-city itineraries with stays in stopover destinations of at least 24 hours. Although the airline doesn’t offer free perks once you arrive in your stopover city, it’s definitely still worth taking advantage of the feature to see more stunning destinations throughout Japan. Plus, booking is easy. Simply use JAL’s “multi-city/stopover” search tool to find options for your free pit stops in some of the nation’s most popular destinations.
Spend up to five days in Helsinki soaking up Nordic culture with Finnair’s stopover program. The airline offers extended stays in Finland’s capital city at no extra cost to fliers—the itineraries can be booked as a multi-city trip. (Just select the “multi-city” option under the trip type drop down menu when booking.) Although Finnair doesn’t offer any deals on activities or accommodations in Helsinki, the carrier has curated layover guides to the city that offer recommendations on what to see and do—perhaps a spin through the Helsinki Design Museum, followed by a French-Finnish meal at Restaurant Savoy?—plus logistics on the fastest ways to get to and from the airport.
Source: www.cntraveler.com
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