Inside 5 of the world’s best airports, worth visiting just as much as the cities they’re in

Some airports have become much more than a place to catch a flight, with epic features from giant slides and swimming pools to cinemas and carnivals making them destinations in themselves. 

Where long rows of hard seats, fast food chains and identical duty-free shops used to be the hallmark of almost every airport in the world, today many are becoming sleeker, their vibes warmer, and their features more homely. 

The best airports showcase their destination as if transporting you into their country via the taste of culinary delicacies, the work of local artists, the smell and touch of local flora in landscaped gardens, and even the sound of native birds.  

Wellbeing has moved to the fore, with sleep pods, spas, swimming pools, and even running circuits, allowing you to energise and rebalance. 

Here are some that have become renowned destinations in themselves. 

1. Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore

Loved for its sensory experiences designed to soothe and delight weary travellers, the list of attractions at Changi is almost endless.

There’s a butterfly garden, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, a four-storey slide, a trampoline suspended 8m above the ground, a hedge maze, a mirror maze, and ‘Foggy Bowls’, where toddlers can “slip in among puffs of cloud and hide away in gentle bowls of mist”. 

Over the past several years, Changi has become a destination in itself. Picture: Getty

Changi also leans into nostalgia, with tropical gardens, art displays and murals paying tribute to Singapore’s rich heritage, while a retail strip is inspired by the city’s Peranakan shophouses.  

A six-minute theatrical performance is screened on their facades at intervals, giving you a glimpse of life in 1930s Singapore. 

At the time of writing, there was also an underground carnival with more than 30 rides. You can race a Dink-Kart through a disco, compete in a 3D shooting gallery or enjoy carnival games reminiscent of the Great World Amusement Park, which thrilled Singaporeans from 1929 to 1978. 

Changi has something for everyone – including a hedge maze. Picture: Getty

If you’re keen to get moving, the airport offers a Virtual Run or Ride Challenge where you can unlock distance milestones. There’s also a rooftop pool, with cocktails on hand. 

2. Istanbul Airport, Turkey

Turkey is full of culinary delights so it’s no surprise that Istanbul Airport also offers a treat for the senses.  

This sleek and vast airport was Europe’s busiest in 2022, handling around 64.5 million passengers, and none of them had cause to go hungry. 

Istanbul’s international airport was the busiest in Europe last year. Picture: Skytrax

The Turkish food court creates an Ottoman vibe, offering doner kebabs roasting over open flames, Turkish ravioli (tiny dumplings stuffed with minced meat and topped with garlic yoghurt) and halva galore.  

Cafes and bakeries dotted throughout sell loose-leaf teas and aromatic coffees served from decadent urns, plus local bagels, baklava, sweet cakes and of course, Turkish delight. 

With the tempting aromas, natural light and the (fake) trees, you could almost be in a Turkish village. 

The airport has rows of sleep pods for travellers to rest in. Picture: Skytrax

And if you’re hankering after the real deal, a free ‘Touristanbul’ service allows those in transit to explore Istanbul’s most notable historical sites and of course, its authentic cuisine. 

3. Hamad International Airport, Qatar

Winner of Skytrax World Airport Awards in 2022, the stunning Doha Hamad offers an endearing nod to Qatar’s rich cultural heritage and natural environment, with a curved roof inspired by ocean waves and sand dunes, the mosque reminiscent of a water drop, and the control tower, a crescent moon. 

An extensive public art program displays the works of acclaimed local and international artists, the most famous being ‘Lamp Bear’ by Swiss artist Urs Fischer — a 7m canary yellow teddy sculpted from bronze that slobs peacefully inside a lamp.  

The airport was crowned the best in the world last year. Picture: Hamad International Airport

“It reminds travellers of childhood or precious objects from home,” the airport’s website says. 

In true Middle Eastern style, the place is all about luxury and pampering. A health club provides two squash courts, a gym, a jacuzzi and an indoor lap pool, surrounded by glass. 

This airport is important real estate. At the size of around 75 soccer fields, it’s about a third of the size of Doha itself. 

4. Munich Airport, Germany

If you’re heading to Europe for Christmas, you may want to choose a flight passing through Munich.  

The airport revels in seasonal festivities, with an ice rink set among fir trees, live music, and a Christmas market with 40-odd stalls selling handicrafts, hot chestnuts, steamed dumplings and Bavarian glühwein. 

The winter markets have become a famed attraction. Picture: Getty

It’s quite fun the rest of the year, too.  

The free outdoor Visitor’s Park offers a new adventure playground and interactive exhibits. And for plane and airport nerds, you can watch the take-off and landing action from Visitors Hill or get up and personal with a jet on a free airport tour.  

The airport has its own brewery. Picture: Getty

Oh, and Munch Airport houses the world’s only airport brewery, Airbräu, where you can kick back with a Bavarian brew in a large, covered beer garden. 

5. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia

The ideal place to breathe out, Kuala Lumpur International Airport houses a jungle and a waterfall. 

A wooden boardwalk takes passengers through the rainforest where plaques teach them about Malaysian flora while the native noises and steamy humidity make it seem completely authentic. 

The airport has its own jungle. Picture: Malaysia Airports

The airport is also sprinkled with gardens offering spots of zen, while a wellness spa, though temporarily closed, offers massages and treatments. 

There are two movie theatres for the ultimate in-transit kickback. 

How do Australia’s airports compare?

Being relatively remote, Australia’s airports don’t offer the incredible attractions of the world’s bigger and busier transport hubs.  

However, they didn’t fare too badly on Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022, with Brisbane coming in at 22, Melbourne at 26, Sydney at 41 and Perth at 55.  

The focus is now on Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport, due to open in 2026, which will be “Australia’s best airport terminal”, the airport’s CEO Simon Hickey said. 

Western Sydney International Airport is due to open in 2026. Picture: Western Sydney Airport

It may not have giant slides, pools or rainforests but it will offer specialty retail, restaurants and cafes, as well as an outdoor plaza designed to host local food festivals, markets and community celebrations. 

It will also be state-of-the-art, Mr Hickey promised, with passengers able to track their baggage via an app, for example. 

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build an airport from the ground up with consideration not only for emerging technologies, such as air taxis but also technology that has yet to be imagined,” he said.