İzmir

İzmir is Turkey’s third-largest city and the gateway to the Aegean coast. It is a relaxed, modern city with a long seafront promenade, a historic bazaar and some of the best food in Turkey. Within an hour or two you can reach Ephesus, one of the greatest ancient cities in the world, the hill village of Şirince, the beaches and windsurfing of Çeşme and Alaçatı, and, just over the border in Aydın province, the resort town of Kuşadası.

🗺️ Plan your visit: Ephesus · Çeşme & Alaçatı · Where to stay in Turkey · Pamukkale

Things to do in İzmir city

• Kordon: the long seafront promenade, full of locals walking, cycling and watching the sunset over the gulf.
• Kemeraltı Bazaar: a huge historic market area with shops, old inns, mosques, synagogues and food stalls.
• Konak Square and the Clock Tower: the symbol of İzmir, built in 1901.
• Kadifekale: the hilltop castle with wide views over the city and the bay.
• The ancient Agora: Roman ruins in the heart of the city.
• Food: try boyoz and gevrek for breakfast, kumru sandwiches and seafood by the sea.

Ephesus and Şirince

• Ephesus: the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, marble streets and the Terrace Houses with their mosaics. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The House of the Virgin Mary on a hill above Ephesus, a pilgrimage site.
• Selçuk: the Ephesus Museum, the Basilica of St. John and the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders.
• Şirince: a pretty hill village known for fruit wines, stone houses and village breakfasts.

What visitors say about Ephesus

Travellers who have walked through Ephesus recently give very similar advice:

• Go early or late. Cruise passengers from Kuşadası and big tour groups usually arrive mid-morning. At opening time or in the late afternoon the marble streets are far quieter, and cooler. Note that the Terrace Houses close earlier than the main site, so see them first if you arrive late.
• Walk downhill. Many visitors enter at the upper gate and walk down to the lower gate past the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre, then take a taxi or arrange a pick-up back.
• Do not skip the Terrace Houses. They need a separate ticket, but many say the covered mosaics and wall paintings were the highlight of the day.
• Bring a hat, water and good shoes. There is very little shade, and the old marble is smooth and slippery.
• Allow at least two to three hours, more if you like to read every sign. A guide or an audio guide helps the ruins come alive.
• Finish at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, where many of the statues and finds from the site are displayed.

Çeşme, Alaçatı and the coast

• Alaçatı: stone houses, boutique hotels, windmills and stylish restaurants; one of Europe’s best windsurfing spots.
• Çeşme: beaches with very clear water, a castle and thermal springs.
• Kuşadası (in neighbouring Aydın province): a lively resort south of Ephesus, a cruise port and a base for day trips.
• Urla and Foça: quieter coastal towns with vineyards, seafood and historic streets.

Getting there and around

• İzmir Airport (ADB): domestic and international flights; İZBAN trains, buses and taxis to the city.
• To Ephesus: trains or buses to Selçuk, or a tour with hotel pick-up.
• To Çeşme and Alaçatı: about an hour by car or bus on the motorway.
• In the city: metro, İZBAN, trams, buses and ferries across the bay.

When to go

April to June and September to October are ideal for sightseeing in Ephesus. July and August are hot in the city but perfect for the beaches of Çeşme and Alaçatı, when the wind is strong for windsurfing.

Photo: Francisco Anzola, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons