Quick summary
Turkish Airlines operates two completely separate programs for Istanbul transits — Touristanbul offers a free city tour for 6-24 hour layovers, while a hotel stopover gives complimentary accommodation for 20-168 hour connections. Confusing them will cost you the benefit. Net saving on a Europe-Vietnam routing: $150-200 in hotel costs, plus a guided tour valued at roughly €60 per person.
Only passengers holding a single Turkish Airlines ticket (starting with 235) qualify for either program. Codeshare flights, separate bookings, and layovers falling between 24 and 20 hours are excluded entirely.
