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Izmir
Türkiye / Aegean Coast / Izmir

Izmir

Turkey's Easy-Going Third City on the Aegean

Plan this trip
1 dayIdeal stay₹3,800From / night₹1,600Food / dayFreeEntry

Turkey's third city (İzmir, ancient Smyrna), relaxed and liberal, with a long seafront promenade (the Kordon), the Kemeraltı bazaar, the Roman agora and the clock tower in Konak. Its airport is the gateway to Ephesus, Çeşme and the northern Aegean, with trains to Selçuk and Denizli and buses everywhere along the coast.

Highlights

  • Sunset on the Kordon
  • Kemeraltı bazaar and Kızlarağası Han
  • Konak clock tower
  • Agora of Smyrna
  • Boyoz and gevrek breakfast
  • Ferry across the bay to Karşıyaka
  • Day trip to Pergamon

Things to do

  • Kemeraltı bazaar & Konak squareMorning · 3h
  • Agora of SmyrnaAfternoon · 1h
  • Kordon seafront sunset walkEvening · 2h
  • Pergamon Acropolis day tripMorning · 7h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Izmirvia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Izmirvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: April – June, September – November

Worth knowing

Bayram Holiday: Buses and Flights Sell Out

Ramazan Bayramı (about 9-12 March 2027) and Kurban Bayramı (about 16-19 May 2027, often stretched to nine days off) send millions of Turks travelling. Intercity buses and domestic flights sell out and prices jump, coastal hotels fill, and some museums close on the first morning. Book transport and rooms early, and avoid travelling on the first and last days of the holiday.

  • Ramadan (Ramazan) — The fasting month, expected from about 8 February to 9 March 2027. Life for visitors carries on: restaurants, cafes and sights stay open, and alcohol is still sold in tourist areas. In conservative cities (Konya, Mardin) eat discreetly in daylight. At sunset the iftar meal fills restaurants and Sultanahmet's square becomes a night market; drummers wake the neighbourhoods before dawn.
  • Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) — The holiday ending Ramadan (expected about 9-12 March 2027). Millions of Turks travel home: intercity buses and domestic flights sell out and prices jump, so book a few weeks ahead. Some museums close on the first morning; Istanbul's bridges and public transport are often free.
  • Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha) — The four-day feast of the sacrifice (expected about 16-19 May 2027), often stretched to nine days off. The biggest travel rush of the year: buses, flights and coastal hotels book out and fares double, and the Aegean and Mediterranean resorts fill with Turkish families. Avoid moving between cities on the first and last days.
  • Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) · 29 Oct — The founding of the Republic in 1923: flags everywhere, parades in Ankara, fireworks over the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Government offices close; most sights and shops stay open.