Izmir Travel Guide: Turkey's Aegean City, Ephesus and Beyond

Turkey's third-largest city has a very different feel from Istanbul: palm-lined promenades, sea breezes, a relaxed café culture and some of the best food on the Aegean. It's also the perfect base for the ancient wonders of Ephesus and Pergamon and the beaches of the Çeşme Peninsula.

Izmir at a glance

In the city

1. Stroll the Kordon

Izmir's waterfront promenade stretches for kilometres along the bay. Join locals for a sunset walk, a bike ride or a drink at one of the seafront cafés.

In the evening the whole city seems to come down to the seafront: couples on the grass, cyclists, families with ice cream and the sun setting over the bay in a blaze of orange. Grab a drink at a waterfront café and watch İzmir at its most relaxed.

2. Get lost in Kemeraltı

The historic bazaar district is a maze of lanes, old inns (hans), mosques and synagogues. Stop at the restored Kızlarağası Han for Turkish coffee.

The bazaar is a maze of narrow streets full of spice stalls, fabric shops and tiny tea houses, with the smell of roasted coffee drifting from Kızlarağası Han. It's local, noisy and authentic – far fewer tourists than in Istanbul.

3. See the Clock Tower in Konak Square

The ornate 1901 Clock Tower is the symbol of Izmir, standing in the city's main square beside a small, tiled mosque.

The ornate Ottoman clock tower stands in the middle of the square, pigeons swirling around it and the sea glinting nearby – the city's favourite meeting point.

4. Ride the Asansör

This historic elevator, built in 1907, carries people up a cliff in the Karataş neighbourhood. At the top, a terrace restaurant has sweeping views over the bay.

The old lift whisks you up the cliff in seconds, and the doors open onto a terrace with sweeping views over the bay. Have dinner or a coffee at the top at sunset.

5. Visit the Agora of Smyrna

The remains of the Roman marketplace of ancient Smyrna, with impressive arched basements, sit in the middle of the modern city.

Walk among Roman arches and columns in the middle of the modern city, and down into the cool, dim vaulted basements, where water still trickles in channels.

6. Eat like a local

Try boyoz (a flaky pastry, often eaten with a boiled egg), kumru sandwiches, fresh seafood and plenty of olive-oil dishes. The Alsancak district has the best bars and restaurants.

Start the day with boyoz pastry and a hard-boiled egg from a street cart, snack on kumru sandwiches and stuffed mussels, and finish with an evening of meze and rakı. İzmir is one of the best food cities in Turkey.

Day trips

7. Ephesus

One of the greatest ancient cities in the Mediterranean, with the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the beautifully decorated Terrace Houses. Arrive at opening time.

Walking down the marble street, worn smooth by centuries of feet, you suddenly see the two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus at the bottom. In summer the heat is intense and the crowds are huge – go at opening time or late in the afternoon.

8. Şirince

A hillside village of old stone houses near Selçuk, known for its fruit wines and village breakfasts – a perfect stop after Ephesus.

Stone houses climb the hillside among vineyards and olive trees, and the narrow lanes are lined with stalls selling fruit wines, olive oil and soap. Day-trippers crowd it at midday – stay for the quieter evening if you can.

9. The House of the Virgin Mary

On a wooded hill above Ephesus, this small chapel is believed by many to be where Mary spent her last years. It's a place of pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims.

Set among pine trees on a hillside, the small stone chapel is quiet and moving, and outside, visitors tie wishes to a wall covered in ribbons and paper.

10. Pergamon

North of Izmir, the ancient city of Pergamon has a breathtakingly steep theatre on its acropolis and the Asklepion, a famous healing centre of the ancient world.

The cable car rises to the acropolis, where the steepest theatre of the ancient world plunges down the hillside below you – standing at the top gives you a touch of vertigo and an unforgettable view.

11. Alaçatı and Çeşme

An hour west of the city, Alaçatı's stone houses, windmills and boutique hotels are hugely popular, and Çeşme has some of the best sandy beaches on the Aegean.

Bougainvillea, stone houses with pastel shutters, boutique cafés and windsurfers' sails dotting the bay – the perfect weekend escape from the city.

12. Urla wine route

The Urla Peninsula has a growing number of wineries producing wines from local grapes. Book a tasting and lunch among the vines.

Vineyards roll down towards the sea, and in the tasting rooms the wines are served with local cheese and olive oil as the sun sets over the hills.

When to visit

Spring and autumn are ideal: warm, sunny and comfortable for sightseeing at Ephesus. Summer is hot, but the afternoon sea breeze – the imbat – cools the city, and the beaches of Çeşme and Alaçatı are at their best. Winters are mild but can be rainy.

Where to stay

Stay near the Kordon or in Alsancak for restaurants, bars and the waterfront, or around Konak for the bazaar and transport. For Ephesus, many visitors spend a night or two in Selçuk or Şirince; for beaches, Alaçatı and Çeşme have boutique hotels and beach clubs.

A four-day plan

Day 1: the Kordon, Konak Square and the Clock Tower, Kemeraltı bazaar and the Asansör at sunset. Day 2: a day trip to Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary, with lunch in Şirince. Day 3: Pergamon, with its hilltop acropolis and theatre. Day 4: Alaçatı's stone streets and the beaches of Çeşme.

Getting around

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport has good domestic and international connections. Use the metro, İZBAN trains and the commuter ferries across the bay with a city transport card. For more of the coast, see our guide to Turkey's best beaches.