Things to do in Izmir

What to see in Izmir: top sights

1. 1

   The Kordon and Alsancak

   

   The city’s seafront promenade, with lawns by the water where locals sit to watch the sun set over the bay. Behind it is Alsancak, the liveliest district, with Levantine houses, pedestrian streets, cafés and bars.

   Recommended time: 2 h

   Tip: Come at sunset: the sun goes down over the bay and the promenade fills with people. The streets behind the Kordon have the best bars and meyhanes.

   Hotels near The Kordon and Alsancak · 53 properties
2. 2

   Konak Square and the clock tower

   

   The Ottoman-style clock tower of 1901, with fountains at its foot, is the symbol of Izmir. Beside it stands the small tile-covered Konak Mosque, with the sea behind: it is the city’s meeting point.

   Recommended time: 30 min

3. 3

   Kemeraltı Bazaar

   

   Izmir’s great historic bazaar, a maze of streets with shops selling spices, fabrics, gold and antiques, mosques such as the 16th-century Hisar Mosque, and synagogues on Havra Street. It is the best place to try boyoz, the local pastry, and Turkish coffee.

   Recommended time: 2–3 h

   Tip: Go on a weekday morning, when the bazaar is in full swing; on Sundays many shops close.

   Hotels near Kemeraltı Bazaar · 221 properties
4. 4

   Kızlarağası Han

   

   An 18th-century Ottoman caravanserai in the heart of Kemeraltı: a courtyard ringed by arches where merchants once rested and where today there are craft shops and cafés for a Turkish coffee in the shade.

   Recommended time: 45 min

5. 5

   Agora of Smyrna

   

   The public square of Roman Smyrna, rebuilt after the earthquake of AD 178. It keeps columns, arches and an impressive vaulted underground gallery, and is one of the best-preserved Roman agoras in a city centre.

   Recommended time: 1 h

6. 6

   Kadifekale

   

   The fortress on top of Mount Pagos, where tradition says Alexander the Great decided to refound the city. Its walls hold centuries of history and, above all, the best view of Izmir and its bay.

   Recommended time: 1–1.5 h

   Tip: Take a taxi up and walk down if you want to see the traditional hillside neighbourhoods. Sunset from the top is spectacular.

   Hotels near Kadifekale · 227 properties
7. 7

   The Asansör

   

   A 1907 lift that climbs from the Karataş neighbourhood to the top of the cliff, built by a Jewish merchant to spare residents the stairs. At the top, a terrace overlooking the bay; below, Dario Moreno Street and the old Jewish quarter.

   Recommended time: 1 h

   Tip: Go up at sunset and stay for dinner or a drink on the terrace.

8. 8

   Konak Pier and the ferries

   

   An elegant late-19th-century customs building, now with shops and restaurants over the water. Next to it, ferries cross the bay to Karşıyaka: the short, cheap ride is the best way to see the city from the sea.

   Recommended time: 1–2 h

   Tip: Cross to Karşıyaka and walk back along the Bostanlı seafront at sunset, or simply ride there and back.

Day trips from Izmir

• Ephesus and Selçuk

  1 h by train or car

  One of the best-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean, a World Heritage Site: the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, Curetes Street and the Terrace Houses with their mosaics. Nearby are the House of the Virgin Mary and the village of Şirince.

• Çeşme and Alaçatı

  1 h by car or bus

  Alaçatı is a village of stone houses and windmills, with streets full of bougainvillea and restaurants, and one of Europe’s best windsurfing spots. Çeşme adds its castle and the clear-water beaches of Ilıca.

• Pergamon

  1.5–2 h by car

  A World Heritage Site: the acropolis on a hilltop, reached by cable car, with its dizzyingly steep theatre and the Temple of Trajan, and below, the Asclepion, the ancient healing centre.

Izmir in 3 days

1. Day 1

   Day 1: Konak Square and the clock tower, Kemeraltı with Kızlarağası Han, and the Agora; in the afternoon, the Asansör at sunset and dinner in Karataş.

2. Day 2

   Day 2: Kadifekale in the morning, the ferry to Karşıyaka and back; in the afternoon, a walk along the Kordon and Alsancak into the evening.

3. Day 3

   Day 3: a day trip to Ephesus and Şirince, or to Çeşme and Alaçatı if you want the beach. With one more day, Pergamon.

Izmir with kids

• Riding the Asansör and looking out over the bay from the top.
• The ferry ride across the bay to Karşıyaka.
• Izmir Wildlife Park, on the outskirts, with animals in large enclosures.
• The shallow beaches of Ilıca, in Çeşme.

Free things to do in Izmir

• Sunset on the Kordon.
• Getting lost in the streets of Kemeraltı Bazaar.
• Konak Square and the clock tower.
• The view from the top of Kadifekale.

Where to stay in Izmir

In the city, Alsancak has the atmosphere and the seafront, and Konak the bazaar and the sights. To combine with the beach or Ephesus, Alaçatı and Selçuk are good bases.

• Alsancak

  The liveliest district, by the Kordon, with hotels, cafés, bars and restaurants. Ideal for going out at night and walking by the sea.

  Places to stay in Alsancak · 53 properties

• Konak and Kemeraltı

  In the historic centre, steps from the bazaar, the clock tower and the metro. Practical for sightseeing, quieter at night.

  Places to stay in Konak and Kemeraltı · 221 properties

• Karşıyaka and Bostanlı

  Across the bay, residential districts with a long seafront promenade, linked to the centre by ferry.

• Alaçatı

  Boutique hotels in stone houses, an hour from the city. For a few days of beach, windsurfing and good food.

  Places to stay in Alaçatı · 688 properties

• Selçuk

  The town next to Ephesus: for reaching the ruins first thing, before the heat and the groups.

  Places to stay in Selçuk · 145 properties

When to go to Izmir

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