İzmir
City guide · Updated 2026
İzmir is Turkey's easygoing Aegean city — sunny, secular and built around a wide bay. It is less about blockbuster monuments and more about a relaxed seaside rhythm, excellent food and warm evenings on the waterfront. It also makes the perfect base for one of the ancient world's greatest sites, Ephesus.
Top things to do
- The Kordon — The palm-lined seafront promenade in Alsancak, made for sunset strolls, cycling and waterfront cafés.
- Kemeraltı Bazaar — A sprawling historic market with the Kızlarağası Han caravanserai and the Agora of Smyrna nearby.
- Konak Square & the Clock Tower — The city's symbol, beside the ferry piers.
- Ephesus (Efes) — About an hour away near Selçuk: the marble Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the Terrace Houses.
- Şirince — A pretty hillside village of old Greek houses and fruit wines, just above Selçuk.
Best time to visit
May–June and September–October are perfect — warm, with swimmable sea and comfortable conditions for visiting Ephesus (which has little shade). Midsummer is hot; winters are mild and quiet.
Getting there & around
İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB) connects to Istanbul in about an hour and sits on the suburban İZBAN rail line into the city. İzmir has a metro, trams and frequent ferries across the bay. For Ephesus, take İZBAN or a train to Selçuk, or join a half-day tour.
Where to stay
Alsancak puts you on the Kordon among bars and restaurants; Konak is central for the bazaar and ferries. To focus on the ruins, stay a night in Selçuk.
What to eat
İzmir is famous for boyoz (a flaky savoury pastry) for breakfast, kumru sandwiches, and superb Aegean meze built around olive oil, herbs and seafood.