Compare Izmir holidays

What to do in Izmir

It’s easy to while away your days during your Izmir holiday, sipping Turkish coffee in Konak Square or in a restaurant along the promenade. However, with a history that runs deep – and all the attractions you’d expect from Turkey’s third largest city – you may want to make some time for sightseeing.

Kemeralti Market

The scale of this bazaar means you could happily visit several times during your stay in Izmir and still get lost – but that’s part of the joy.

Dating back to the 17th century, its colourful streets are studded with stalls, quiet courtyards and ancient roadside inns once used by traders passing through. As well as haggling for handmade pashminas and tasting sticky sweets, you’ll also uncover artisanal workshops, mosques, synagogues and tea garden during your wanders.

Izmir Agora

The remains of this multi-storey marketplace help paint a picture of Izmir’s culturally diverse history across Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantium rule. Above ground, you’ll find the striking colonnade and Faustina Gate but in the basement of the two basilicas, you’ll be truly awe-struck – the vaulted chambers and cisterns here remain almost entirely intact.

Look out for the ancient graffiti – thought to be one of the largest collections in the world from this time – and unique Ottoman tombstones.

Izmir Museum of History & Art

Spread across three buildings, bordered by grand pillars and situated in a tranquil park, Izmir’s premier museum captivates before you even step foot inside.

Each pavilion specialises in their own display – sculptures in one, precious objects in another and ceramics in the third – so divide and conquer or make a beeline for the one you really want to see. Guides are on hand to share more about Izmir’s past, but if you prefer to explore under your own steam, the information under each artefact is in English.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Pamukkale, where mineral-rich waters have carved out an unfathomable landscape with deep basins, mineral forests and frozen waterfalls, is a sight to behold.

Dip a toe in its white, earth-warmed pools before heading to Hierapolis, the ancient Roman spa city next door. Here you can see well-preserved theatre ruins and a far-reaching necropolis with sarcophagi. The sites are about a three-hour coach ride from Izmir.

Ephesus

Follow ancient guidebooks to Ephesus, the home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though all that’s left of the once-renowned Temple of Artemis is a few cobbled-together ruins, much of its surrounds are intact.

Go with a guide to uncover the secrets of Ephesus’ well-preserved streets, ancient houses, libraries, baths and gyms, and marvel at the sprawling theatre that could seat 25,000 spectators. The town is around an hour’s drive from Izmir.