Turkey · Aegean Coast
Izmir
The Aegean's big city, where the whole of Smyrna turns out on the waterfront every evening.
Izmir is Turkey's third-largest city and its most easygoing one, wrapped around the head of a long Aegean gulf. This is ancient Smyrna, but fire, earthquakes and rebuilding have left a modern port city rather than an open-air museum: the Kordon waterfront is its living room, the Kemeraltı bazaar its old heart, and a Roman agora sits quietly in the middle of it all. The draw is the everyday life, a gulf crossed by ferry, a street-food breakfast culture of its own and a relaxed, liberal pace.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Turkish
Currency
TRY
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Izmir
The Kordon A long seafront promenade where the city comes to sit on the grass, walk and watch the sun drop behind the gulf. Nobody needs a reason to be there.
Street breakfast Izmir has its own morning food, from flaky boyoz pastries with a boiled egg to sesame gevrek and the pressed kumru sandwich, eaten on the move.
The gulf by ferry Commuter boats cross between the two shores all day, which makes a sightseeing cruise out of an ordinary errand.
An easy base The coast, the vineyards of Urla and some of the Aegean's greatest ruins are all within reach, and the city itself never feels like a tourist stop.
Best time to visit
Mar-Nov
17-34° days
38.419° N, 27.128° E
UTC+3 · Europe/Istanbul
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Weather & when to go to Izmir
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Mar-Nov
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Izmir
No season is off the table. Winter is the grey, rainy stretch when the beach day trips lose their point, though the city runs as normal. High summer is hot, and the afternoon sea breeze off the gulf is what makes it comfortable.
Top things to do in Izmir
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Kordon - sunset on the waterfront
scenic food 👍 PopularThe seafront promenade running north from Konak through Alsancak, lined with grass, cafes and fish restaurants on one side and the gulf on the other. Come in the evening, when half the city is out walking, cycling or sitting on the lawns facing the water.
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Kemeraltı Bazaar - the old market quarter
shopping history food 👍 PopularA maze of covered and open lanes behind Konak selling spices, copper, fabric, gold and everything else, with Ottoman caravanserais, mosques and old synagogues tucked in between. Kızlarağası Han, a restored Ottoman inn, is the easiest place to stop for a coffee in the middle of it.
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Konak Square and the Clock Tower - the city's emblem
history culture arts 👍 PopularThe ornate Ottoman clock tower, built in 1901 for Sultan Abdulhamid II's jubilee, stands in the main square beside the tiny tiled Konak Yalı Mosque. It is the city's symbol and the natural starting point for the bazaar and the Kordon.
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Agora of Smyrna - the Roman market
historyThe civic heart of Roman Smyrna, rebuilt after an earthquake in the second century with help from Marcus Aurelius. The standing colonnade is striking, but the vaulted basement galleries, with water still running through them, are the part to see.
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Kadifekale - the castle on Mount Pagos
history scenicThe walled hilltop where the city was refounded after Alexander the Great, with walls rebuilt by every power since. The ruins are modest; the reason to go up is the view over the whole gulf, best late in the afternoon.
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Asansör - the old lift in Karataş
history scenicA brick tower built in 1907 to carry people up the cliff between the old Jewish quarter of Karataş and the streets above. Ride it for the terrace view across the gulf, then walk the Karataş streets back towards the sea.
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Gulf ferry - Konak to Karşıyaka
scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedThe public ferries link the southern and northern shores in a short crossing, and they are the cheapest way to see the city's sweep of hills and waterfront. Go over for Karşıyaka's market street and walk back along the Bostanlı promenade at sunset.
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Boyoz, gevrek and kumru - Izmir's breakfast
food ⭐ Highly recommendedThe city's own street food. Boyoz is a flaky Sephardic-origin pastry eaten with a hard-boiled egg, gevrek is the local sesame ring, and kumru is a pressed sandwich of cheese and sausage. Add a lokma doughnut in syrup and you have eaten like a local.
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Izmir Archaeology Museum - the finds of the region
history culture artsStatues, sarcophagi and mosaics from Smyrna and the surrounding Aegean sites, in a museum on the hill above Konak. The Ethnography Museum next door covers Ottoman-era Izmir life and crafts.
Best areas to stay in Izmir
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Alsancak
Most visitors $$Bars, cafes and the Kordon on the doorstep
Explore hotels in Alsancak →
Konak
Sightseers $Historic centre beside the bazaar
Explore hotels in Konak →
Karşıyaka and Bostanlı
Longer stays $$Residential north shore with a long promenade
Explore hotels in Karşıyaka and Bostanlı →
Güzelyalı and Göztepe
Quiet stays $$Quiet seafront apartments south of Konak
Explore hotels in Güzelyalı and Göztepe →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Izmir
Getting to & around Izmir
Getting there
Fly into Adnan Menderes Airport south of the city, then İZBAN suburban train or airport bus into Alsancak and Konak.
Flight
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB)
About 18 km south of the centre. The İZBAN suburban train runs from the airport station into Alsancak in around half an hour, airport buses go to the centre, and a taxi is quickest outside rush hour.
Train
Basmane and Alsancak stations
Regional and intercity trains arrive from Selçuk, Denizli, Ankara and Bandırma, where services connect with fast ferries from Istanbul.
Coach
Izmir Otogar
Intercity buses from across Turkey use the large terminal on the eastern edge of the city, well outside the centre.
Drive
The motorway from Istanbul via the Gulf of Izmit bridge makes the road trip a matter of hours rather than a full day.
Cruise
Alsancak port
Cruise ships dock at Alsancak, a short walk from the Kordon.
Getting around
Metro
One line runs east-west from Bornova through Konak and on towards Narlıdere, covering most of what visitors need.
TBC
İZBAN suburban train
The north-south commuter line links the airport, Alsancak and Karşıyaka, and runs south as far as Selçuk.
TBC
Ferry
City ferries cross the gulf between Konak, Pasaport, Alsancak, Karşıyaka and Bostanlı, and are the most pleasant way around.
TBC
Tram
Separate tram lines run along the Konak waterfront and the Karşıyaka shore.
TBC
Taxi
Yellow metered taxis are plentiful, and useful for Kadifekale and the hill districts.
TBC
Walking
The Kordon, Alsancak, Konak and the bazaar are all flat and connected on foot.
Free
Day trips from Izmir
Ephesus
Full dayRoman city ruins
The best-preserved Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean, with the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the Terrace Houses. Pair it with the village of Şirince in the hills above Selçuk.
Getting there
train | car | tour
About 1 hr by car, or around 1.5 hr by İZBAN or regional train to Selçuk
Çeşme and Alaçatı
Full dayPeninsula beach towns
The tip of the peninsula has Izmir's favourite beaches, clear and cold water, a castle in Çeşme and the stone houses and windmills of Alaçatı, whose steady wind has made it a windsurfing centre.
Getting there
bus | car
About 1-1.5 hr west by bus or car
Pergamon (Bergama)
Full dayHilltop Hellenistic ruins
The acropolis of a Hellenistic kingdom, reached by cable car, with one of the steepest ancient theatres anywhere cut into the slope. The Asklepion healing sanctuary sits on the plain below.
Getting there
bus | car
About 2 hr north by bus or car
Urla
Half dayVineyards and old town
A small town on the Çeşme road surrounded by boutique wineries, with an old centre of stone houses and a growing reputation for its restaurants.
Getting there
car | bus
About 45 min west by car or bus
Foça
Full dayFishing town and coves
Ancient Phocaea, now a quiet harbour town of old Greek houses and fish restaurants, with boat trips to coves along a coast known for its rare Mediterranean monk seals.
Getting there
bus | car
About 1-1.5 hr north by bus or car
A little history of Izmir
Smyrna is one of the oldest cities on the Aegean. The first settlement stood at the head of the gulf in what is now Bayraklı, and tradition counts it among the places claiming Homer. After Alexander the Great the city was refounded on the slopes of Mount Pagos, and under Rome it grew into one of the richest ports of Asia Minor and an early centre of Christianity, named among the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation.
Under the Ottomans it became the empire's great western trading port, a cosmopolitan city of Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Levantine European communities. The Greek army landed in 1919, and in September 1922 the Turkish army took the city, days before a great fire destroyed much of the centre, including its Greek and Armenian quarters. The city was rebuilt as the republic's leading Aegean port and has grown into a metropolis of several million.
A settlement is founded at Old Smyrna, near today's Bayraklı, at the head of the gulf.
The city is refounded on the slopes of Mount Pagos, today's Kadifekale, in the wake of Alexander's conquest.
An earthquake levels Smyrna; Marcus Aurelius backs its rebuilding, including the agora.
Smyrna passes permanently under Ottoman rule.
The port becomes the Ottoman Empire's main outlet for trade with western Europe, drawing Levantine merchant houses.
The Konak Clock Tower is built to mark Sultan Abdulhamid II's jubilee.
The Turkish army enters the city in September; a great fire destroys much of the centre days later.
Kültürpark opens on land cleared after the fire and becomes home to the Izmir International Fair.
A strong offshore earthquake in the Aegean brings down buildings in the city, most of them in Bayraklı.
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+90
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Turkey eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Izmir
▸ When is the best time to visit Izmir?
March to November. Spring and autumn are the easiest for walking the city and the ruins nearby, while summer is hot and ideal for pairing the city with the Çeşme beaches. Winter from December to February is the rainy, grey season, though the city is still fully open.
▸ How many days do you need in Izmir?
Two days covers the Kordon, Kemeraltı, the agora, Kadifekale and a gulf ferry. Add a day or two for day trips to Ephesus, Pergamon or the Çeşme peninsula.
▸ Is Izmir a good base for visiting Ephesus?
Yes, for travellers who prefer a city to a small resort town. Ephesus is an easy day trip by suburban train or car, and Izmir gives you far more to do in the evenings than staying near the site.
▸ What should I eat in Izmir?
Start with the street breakfast of boyoz, gevrek and kumru, and finish with lokma. Otherwise the city is known for Aegean meze built on wild greens and olive oil, grilled fish on the Kordon and İzmir köfte, meatballs baked with potatoes and peppers.
▸ Is Izmir expensive?
Generally less so than Istanbul or the big Aegean resorts. Waterfront restaurants in Alsancak cost more, while the bazaar and street food are cheap.
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