Airline Stopover Programs: How to Add a Free Extra Destination from Canada

Airline stopover programs let you visit a second destination on the way to your main one, often for little or no extra airfare. From Canada, the most useful programs today are Icelandair in Iceland, TAP Air Portugal in Lisbon or Porto, the Gulf carriers and Turkish Airlines in their hubs, and Aeroplan’s stopover option on reward tickets. Here is how each one works and how to build it into your booking.

Key takeaways

• A stopover is a planned break, usually over 24 hours on international trips, built into one ticket.
• Icelandair and TAP add up to seven and ten nights respectively in their home countries without extra airfare on many fares.
• Turkish, Etihad and Emirates offer free hotel nights or transit hotels under specific conditions; Qatar sells discounted stopover packages.
• Aeroplan lets you add a stopover to many one-way international rewards for an extra 5,000 points.
• Fine print matters: fare classes, booking channels and entry rules can all limit what you get.

Stopover vs layover: why the definition matters

On international itineraries, a connection under 24 hours is generally treated as a layover, while a longer break is a stopover. Many fares either forbid stopovers or charge extra for them. Formal stopover programs are the exception: the airline wants you to visit its hub city and makes it easy, cheap or free.

Because everything stays on one ticket, you keep the protections of a through booking. If a flight is delayed, the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination, which is a big advantage over building your own trip from separate tickets.

Stopover programs reachable from Canada

These are the main programs as of late 2026. Terms change frequently, so confirm on the airline’s official site before booking.

Airline	Stopover city	Canadian gateways	What is offered	Key conditions
Icelandair	Reykjavík area	Toronto, Montréal; other cities seasonally	Up to 7 nights without extra airfare	Hotels not included; some fares allow fewer nights
TAP Air Portugal	Lisbon or Porto	Toronto, Montréal	Up to 10 nights without extra airfare, plus partner discounts	Paid fares only; award tickets not eligible
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul	Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver	Free hotel nights on qualifying long connections; free city tours for shorter ones	Minimum connection time, fare class exclusions, Turkish-operated flights only
Qatar Airways	Doha	Toronto, Montréal	Discounted stopover hotel packages, from very low per-person rates	Book with the flight; prices vary by hotel tier
Emirates	Dubai	Toronto	Free transit hotel on some long connections; paid stopover packages	Eligibility depends on connection time and fare
Etihad	Abu Dhabi	Toronto	Up to two free hotel nights	Book direct with Etihad; stay at least 24 hours; small fees apply
Aeroplan rewards	Many cities on the route	All Air Canada gateways	One stopover per one-way reward	Extra 5,000 points; minimum 24 hours

Icelandair

Icelandair’s long-running program lets you pause in Iceland on many trips between North America and Europe. Up to seven nights can typically be added online, with longer stays possible on some flexible fares. Iceland is in the Schengen area, so Schengen entry rules apply. See our Reykjavik destination page for what to expect on a short visit.

TAP Air Portugal

TAP’s Portugal Stopover lets you stop in Lisbon or Porto for up to ten nights on the way to elsewhere in Europe, Africa or beyond, without extra airfare. Partner hotels and activities offer discounts. Our Lisbon page covers flights and timing.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines offers free hotel accommodation in Istanbul for passengers with qualifying long connections, generally one night in economy and two in business, plus a free guided city tour for shorter layovers. Eligibility depends on connection length, fare class and booking channel.

Gulf carriers: Qatar, Emirates and Etihad

• Qatar Airways sells stopover hotel packages in Doha through its holidays arm, with starter rates that are very low per person for standard hotels. Book them at the same time as your flight.
• Emirates provides free transit hotels for some long connections in Dubai when no shorter connection is available, and sells stopover packages of one or more nights.
• Etihad offers up to two free hotel nights in Abu Dhabi when you book directly and stay at least 24 hours, with a small booking fee and local tourism fees.

Aeroplan stopovers on reward tickets

If you collect Aeroplan points, you can add one stopover to many one-way international rewards for an extra 5,000 points. The stopover must be at least 24 hours, and it can be in any eligible city along a valid routing, not only an airline hub. That makes it possible to visit two European cities, for example, on one reward. Our Aeroplan beginner’s guide explains how to search and book.

Pro tip: Aeroplan stopovers can be booked online through the multi-city search. Price the reward with and without the stopover to confirm you are only paying the extra 5,000 points.

How to build a stopover into your booking

1. Start on the airline’s own website. Most programs have a dedicated stopover option or a multi-city search where you choose the stopover city and nights.
2. Compare prices. Price the same trip as a simple return to confirm the stopover really adds little or nothing.
3. Check the fare rules. Some low fares limit nights or exclude stopovers.
4. Book the hotel the right way. Free or discounted hotel offers often must be requested within a set time or booked in the same transaction.
5. Confirm entry requirements. You must meet the entry rules of the stopover country, even for one night. Check travel.gc.ca.
6. Plan your bags. Ask whether bags can be checked through or must be collected at the stopover.

Using multi-city search when there is no formal program

Many airlines allow a stopover in their hub for a modest extra cost through a normal multi-city booking. Try your route on the airline’s site and a search engine with the multi-city option; our advanced booking hacks guide explains how open-jaw and multi-city pricing works.

Example: A Montréal traveller heading to Rome books TAP via Lisbon and adds a four-night stopover. The extra stop adds no airfare compared with a standard connection; the only extra costs are hotel nights and meals in Lisbon.

Sample stopover ideas from Canada

These are illustrative routings, not live fares; availability depends on schedules and fare rules.

• Toronto to Paris via Reykjavík: two or three nights to see Iceland’s waterfalls and hot springs, then on to France.
• Montréal to Madrid or Seville via Lisbon or Porto: a few days of Portuguese food and city walks before continuing to Spain.
• Vancouver to Athens via Istanbul: a free hotel night on a qualifying long connection, plus a day exploring the old city.
• Toronto to Southeast Asia via Doha or Dubai: a short stopover breaks up a very long journey and helps with jet lag.
• Calgary to Rome on Aeroplan points: a 5,000-point stopover in another European city on the way.

When comparing these ideas, add hotel nights, meals and local transport to the cost. Even when the airfare is free, the stopover city’s prices determine whether the extra stop is a bargain.

Fine print to check

• Fare class exclusions on the cheapest tickets
• Schedule changes that shorten or cancel your stopover
• Hotel request deadlines and limited room availability
• Local tourism taxes charged by hotels
• Transit visa or entry rules for your nationality

To catch sale fares on airlines with great stopover programs, sign up for CheapFly deal alerts.

Bottom line

A stopover program can turn one trip into two for little or no extra airfare. Icelandair and TAP are the easiest wins from Canada, Turkish and the Gulf carriers can add free or cheap hotel nights, and Aeroplan members can add a stop for 5,000 points. Always confirm current conditions on the airline’s website before you book.