The Best Airports in Asia for 23-Hour Layovers

We’ve covered stopping for 23-Hour layovers in cities across North America and Europe, now we’re going to take a look at the top 32 airports in Asia.

Exacerbating the trend we saw in North America, Asia is a land of extremes, with some airports offering cheap, convenient access to their city centers while others impose visa restrictions, onerous train rides or offering buses and taxis as the only options.

I’ll be honest and add that there is a bit of a subjective factor taking signage and “ease” of figuring out your transit options. ICN, NRT and TPE, for example, each have fleets of limo buses that go to nearly every square inch of Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei, but making sure you’re on the right one can be a little daunting. Similarly, some cities like MNL and SGN only have taxi access to the airport and you may be at the mercy of a dishonest driver.

I’ve updated the database with Asia (third tab) and will begin to compile some graphs related to tradeoffs of cost/convenience and whether traffic starts to influence the need for an express train. Stay tuned.

Lastly, while I’ve been to about two-thirds of the airports on these lists, I’m relying on you to point out inaccuracies, suggest alternative options and add pricing updates. Feel free to comment below or edit the sheet directly.

Singapore — SIN

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You could also just stay in the airport. It pretty much has anything you’d need in case of a zombie apocalypse. Jacuzzi? Check. Movie theater? Check. Butterfly sanctuary? Check.

The grandaddy of all airports (and probably no surprise to see on a list like this to a frequent flyer), Changi in Singapore makes you completely question why travel everywhere else has to be so difficult. Immigration even gives you candy! Store your luggage in the middle of T1, T2 or T3, grab some cash at an ATM and be on your way minutes after you land. The Singapore MRT green line will take you into town in about 45 minutes with a short transfer at Tanah Merah. Keep your boarding pass handy for discounts at restaurants and shops.

Dubai—DXB

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Grab some tea or cocktails at the Burj Dubai. Make sure you have a reservation in advance!

Because it’s so close to both the old city center and the modern Sheik Sayed Ali Road loaded to the gills with skyscrapers and malls, it’s very easy to hop into a cab and check out parts of Dubai in minutes. The airport amenities are also quite impressive, particularly if you’re flying Emirates in a premium cabin. You can also check out Deira and Dubai Mall via the spiffy Metro, which also stops right at the airport. Hotels can often be cheap in the summer months, making this a prime one day layover location.

Seoul — ICN

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I don’t think people in Seoul have to do much walking…

There is a convenient train and many private bus lines that will get you into Seoul within an hour. While not the shortest transfer, it’s still pretty efficient and immigration is usually a snap and the Seoul Metro can take you nearly anywhere in the city. The airport even offers coordinated free tours of the city if your layover is over 5 hours. Most of these depart in the morning, but it seems like a great way to get out and see some of the city with zero stress.

Hong Kong — HKG

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Cushy train takes you right to Kowloon and Central in 30-35 minutes.

The Airport Express Train into Central isn’t the cheapest, but it’s quite quick and stops in Kowloon on the way. From either stop it’s usually no more than a few stations on the MTR to get anywhere in the city. Grab some dim sum or take a ferry ride. There are also direct boats to Macau from the airport if you want to get some gambling and dining in while you wait for your next flight.

Kuala Lumpur—KUL

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Kuala Lumpur is known as one of the greenest cities in Asia. Go get out of the terminal and grab some fresh air!

With a 28-minute convenient link into Sentral, this can be a great destination for a 23 hour layover, with a quick visit for food tourism or views from the Petronas Towers. Try some ridiculously spicy dishes or go to one of the several markets to bring back a souvenir or two for friends and family.

Runners Up:

• Bangkok — BKK

Now with an efficient, cheap airport train, you can bypass a majority of the Bangkok traffic and take a taxi the last mile or two to your hotel. Budget about 75 minutes door to door transit time, but at most a taxi will cost you $300 baht (~$10USD)

• Taipei—TPE
• Shanghai (Hongqiao)—SHA
• Seoul (Gimpo)—GMP
• Manila—MNL
• Abu Dhabi—AUH
• Shanghai (Pudong)—PVG
• Fukuoka—FUK

Cities to Avoid:

• Tokyo (Narita)—NRT
• Tokyo (Haneda)—HND
• Beijng—PEK

Chinese immigration policies are pretty strict, though Americans can now quality for a 72 hour transit visa. The airport transfers to all three cities are well over an hour. NRT is simply too far from Tokyo to justify spending the roughly $55 USD roundtrip cost on the Narita Express, especially since 2 precious layover hours are eaten up by the commute. However, many people cite the village of Narita near the airport as a pretty good alternative. Might be worth checking out if you have time to kill.

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