10 Hidden Gems You Can Find at Airports

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For decades, airports were, for the most part, not all that great. They’d have a couple of restaurants, some shops, and if you were lucky, maybe a bar. Other than that, they were pretty boring places.

The first airport lounge opened in 1939. Called the “Admiral’s Lounge,” it was run by American Airlines and was an invitation-only club at the New York Municipal terminal (now LaGuardia Airport). Lounges didn’t open to the public until 1967. And even then, you had to pay $25 a year [about $228 in today’s money] or $250 for a lifetime membership (this was when the minimum wage was $1.40/hour and the median household income was $7,200 a year).

But most typical people didn’t (and still don’t) have access to lounges. So for years, their options were still restaurants, shops and bars. Granted there are more of them now than there used to be. But there’s only so much shopping and dining one can do.

Fortunately, airports have figured that out over the years and have grown to offer other things. We’ve gone over some of them in the past:

• The butterfly garden and big slide at Changi Airport
• Mamava nursing stations (they have the best airport “in-joke” EVER)
• Chapels for those who would like a quiet place to reflect or pray
• The public space at ATL that’s almost as good as a lounge
• Minute Suites

However sometimes airports will have activities or places that are not necessarily so well known, but are just as appreciated. Here are some good ones:

Austin-Bergstrom international Airport (AUS)

Here’s a perfect example of something being hidden away…I’ve landed in AUS once or twice a year for a good ten years, and had no idea this was a thing.

AUS has something called an “Interimaginary Depatures” gate where you can print a boarding pass to mystical/fictional destinations such as Narnia or the Emerald City. It’s between gates 12 and 14, titled Gate ∞ (that’s an infinity symbol). It’s an immersive and interactive permanent installation by Brooklyn-based artist Janet Zweig. Sounds like fun, if you have a fun spirit or traveling with kids. Here’s more info about it:

Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) and
Paris-Orly Airport (ORY)

If you’re in either of the French capital’s two international airports, you’ll have the opportunity to while away the hours by playing video games for free.

Baby-foot, Arcade gaming, PlayStation games areas… Paris Aéroport offers all you need to wait for your flight in an entertaining way. The hardest thing will be to let go of the joysticks to get into the plane!

Enjoy your choice of any of these games 24/7:

• The latest PS5 games (Fifa 23, Astrobot, Gran Turismo, and more)
• Classic arcade games ((Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Arkanoid, Galaga, Donkey Kong, etc.)
• Baby-foot (a.k.a. Foosball)

The arcade games can be found at:

• CDG: Terminal 2C: Gate 82.
• CDG: Terminal 2E: Gates K36 and K49.
• Orly 1&2: Gate A20
• Orly 3: Gates D11 and D12.
• Orly 4: Gates E6, F23 and F27.

The Foosball can be found at:

• CDG: Terminal 2E, hall K: gate K23
• CDG: Terminal 2E, hall L:  between gates L24 and L26
• CDG: Terminal 2D: gate D41
• CDG: Terminal 2D: gate D57
• CDG: Terminal 2B: gate B22
• CDG: Terminal 1: gate 16
• CDG: Terminal 1: gate 31
• Orly 2 : gate C11
• Orly 3 : gate E08
• Orly 4 : between gates F03 and F04

Narita Int’l Airport (NRT)

Located in Narita, Japan, NRT has the Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program.

Long airport layovers can be dull. You’re in a different country, if only for a few hours – why not get out to see some sights or experience a bit of the culture! The Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program helps you do just that by offering a range of both guided and self-guided tours for travelers on a budget. Our English-speaking volunteer tour guides are completely free – you only need to cover personal expenses like transportation – letting you focus on the tour and not on your wallet.

They offer 5 different guided tours. Each one takes about 3 to 4 hours:

• Get a Full Japanese Cultural Experience at Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple – Travel back in time as you explore the rows of inns, handicraft shops and restaurants leading to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. Take part in traditional Japanese tea ceremony and savor delicious unagi over rice. This tour can be customized to fit your interests and budget (Minimum budget 500 yen).
• Enjoy Home-style Japanese Cuisine & Relive Japan Aviation History – On this tour of Shibayama Town, enjoy a buffet lunch of home-style Japanese food, much of it grown locally, and breathe in the country air on a walk to quiet Shisho Shrine. Aviation enthusiasts of all ages will not want to miss the Museum of Aeronautical Sciences or Airplane Hill. This tour can be customized to fit your interests and budget (minimum budget 2,000 yen).
• Enjoy Japan’s Countryside in Tako Town – Walk or cycle through idyllic rice fields to a quiet out-of-the-way temple, a former school for monks. Afterwards enjoy a riverside lunch made with locally-grown rice. This tour can be customized to fit your interests and budget (minimum budget 600 yen).
• Cosplay in an Edo Period Reproduction in Sakae Town – Chiba Prefectural Boso no Mura theme park recreates the atmosphere of late-Edo Japan with authentic shops, houses, and other buildings. Enjoy this time-travel even more by dressing up as a samurai, ninja, or lady in kimono. This tour can be customized to fit your interests and budget (minimum budget 1,600 yen).
• Discover the Edo Period Atmosphere of Riverside District Sawara – Sawara was an important commercial hub in the Edo Period, when many canals were built to help transport goods to the capital of Edo (Tokyo) by river. Now part of Katori City, Sawara retains much of its Old Japan atmosphere and is perfect for a stroll or boat ride (minimum budget 1,430 yen).

They also have 6 self-guided tours, if you’d rather go off on your own.

The Narita Aiport Transit & Stay Program has been closed since Covid. But the website is still active, and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before they become available again.

Dallas-Fort Worth Int’l Airport (DFW)

DFW has a bunch of cool things. But one that’s really impressive is a space called the DFW Employee Store. Located by Gate C2 in Terminal C, the store is geared towards employees, but they’re also open to the general public.

They carry logo items for American Airlines, American Eagle, Envoy and many of the former airlines that make up the new American Airlines (hello, U.S. Airways!)  in the store. They also have bag tags, key chains, pins and other logo items for most airlines serving DFW Airport or are members of the oneworld alliance.  Some of the stuff they carry includes:

• Travelpro FlightCrew 5 Luggage
• Dansko Shoes for Women
• Clarks Shoes for Women and Men
• Sweaters, both with and without the AA Logo
• Caps and HatsCoco Bongo
• Toys
• Model Airplanes
• Lanyards
• ID Badge Holders
• Bag Tags
• Hosiery
• Winterwear such as Hoodies and Sweatpants
• Coffee Mugs and Koozies
• Jewelry and Toiletry Bags
• Watches
• Greeting Cards
• Fashion Bags
• Lunch Totes and Insulated Bags
• Travel Accessories
• Shorts
• Socks

They also sell discount tickets to area attractions such as Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, Medieval Times, Ft. Worth Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Itzy’s, Scarborough Faire, Texas State Fair and Speed Zone (although I’d think you might need to show an employee ID to get those).

Cool thing about the store is, they also have an online presence. Some of their stuff is really cute!

Munich Airport (MUC)

Anytime you can find something in an airport that’s “the only one in the region,” it’s a good day. If you find yourself at Munich Airport, make sure to look for the only brewery inside an airport in Europe.

The microbrewery called “Airbräu” first opened in 1999 at MUC.

Among the enticements are the different types of beer brewed at the Airbräu. Three of them are always available: “Fliegerquell”, a fine bitter lager, the more mature wheat beer “Kumulus” and the “1918”, the latest addition to the assortment. The beer had its premiere on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Free State of Bavaria and now gets its regular place in the all-year offer.

And Airbräu prices are a bargain; a pint of beer costs only 2.95 Euros. On top, four special seasonal beers are offered each year, for example a winter beer called “Krampus” or “Mayday” – a dark wheat beer which is served in May.

What’s especially cool is that restaurant guests can watch part of the brewing process, since the brew kettles are scattered around the restaurant. And if you want to learn more, brewmaster René Jacobsen welcomes guests on his brewery tour behind the scenes.

Thanks to Covid, the brewery now offers their own gin, as well.

During the lockdown, the beer taps in the pubs came to a standstill. This was also the case at the Airbräu brewery. Instead of simply pouring away 4,000 liters of leftover Airbräu beer. The brew master René Jacobsen made a virtue out of necessity. He developed a gin-style beer spirit under the brand name “Mountain Hub Distillers” in cooperation with the Hilton Munich Airport Hotel. Distilling Airbräu beer with selected so-called botanicals resulted in the rich and aromatic “infused beer spirit”, which combines the taste of strong beer and high-percentage juniper aromas.

El Dorado Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento Int’l Airport (BOG)

Colombia requires visitors to get a yellow fever vaccination if they plan to enter any part of the Amazon (and yes, they do ask for proof – they’ll want to see your yellow card upon arrival. The date of vaccination must be legible). It can cost close to $200 if you get the shot in the U.S.

However if you land at Bogota, you can get the shot at the vaccine clinic that’s on-site at BOG. It’s on the departures floor (the second floor), by door #5. The shot is 100% free. The clinic is open from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. However, they stop taking new patients at around 5:00 pm.

Heads up that if you plan to go to an area where the shot is required, you need to have had the vaccine 10 days before travel there.

Tampa Int’l Airport (TPA)

There was a time when Munich’s Airbräu was the only brewery inside an airport in the world. And then Cigar City Brewing came along.

Cigar City Brewing offers an experience unlike any other at Tampa International Airport. Travelers and visitors to Airside C at TPA can enjoy beers brewed right inside the airport at the Cigar City Brewpub where our brewers hand craft ales and lagers on a 3 barrel brewhouse located steps away from Gate C 43. Latin-inspired cuisine is offered at the bar and in the full-service dining room where guests can watch the next batch of CCB beer being brewed before their eyes. Airside F offers the Cigar City Taproom at TPA, a cozy bar located near Gate F88 offering a full spread of CCB beers, wine, and liquor and a tasty tapas menu.

Since January 2020, guests without an airline ticket can enjoy the Cigar City Brewpub & Taproom at TPA too! Learn more about the TPA All Access Program that allows members of the public who are not flying to visit Tampa International Airport and enjoy all the post-security (Airside) amenities.

We’ve gone over lots of airports that have hidden gems, but only two can boast having an onsen (traditional Japanese hot springs and bathing facility) on site.

Haneda Airport (HND)

Hot springs have long been loved by the Japanese for their ability to prevent disease, promote health, bestow beauty and anti-aging benefits, and soothe the body and mind.
Izumi Tenku no Yu at Haneda Airport is a natural hot spring with a view. The panoramic view before your eyes lets you take in views of  airplanes as well as Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japan.

Besides the open air bath and indoor bath, the onsen offers a dry sauna, steam sauna and hot stones sauna. Spa-style beauty and body care is also available, as is an on-site restaurant.

The onsen at HND is located at the Villa Fontaine Hotel, which is connected to the airport’s Terminal 3. It’s open 24 hours a day (the baths are unavailable from 10am to 1pm due to cleaning).

Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO)

Sola Spa Bath Fu no Yu (Sola Spa Sauna) touts itself as “Japan’s first observation bath where you can see airplanes in the general relaxation facility ‘Kutsurogidokoro’.” They say that from the observation deck, you can see the sun setting over Ise Bay and planes taking off and landing.

Located in Terminal 1 Sky Town, the onsen is open weekdays from 10a to 9p, and from 9a to 10p on weekends and holidays.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary