9 Best Things to Do in Izmir
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Izmir rewards a slow two days more than a checklist sprint. These nine cover the seafront, the old town, and the one boat ride you shouldn’t skip, roughly in the order a first-timer should tackle them.
1. Walk the Kordon at golden hour
The Kordon is Izmir’s seafront promenade, running from around Konak up through Alsancak, laid out during the 19th-century Ottoman waterfront development. Cycle lanes, grassy picnic spots, an old-style tram, and a run of seafood restaurants line the water. Time it for sunset over the Gulf of İzmir with a tea or a drink; it’s the single most-repeated local ritual in the city.
2. See the Clock Tower and Yalı Mosque at Konak Square
Konak Square is the city’s civic heart. The İzmir Clock Tower (Saat Kulesi), built in 1901 for Sultan Abdülhamid II’s 25th anniversary on the throne, is the city’s defining symbol, with ornate North African-influenced stonework and four fountains at its base. The small octagonal Yalı Mosque sits right beside it, built in 1755 and known for its exterior tilework.
3. Get lost in Kemeraltı Bazaar
Izmir’s oldest and largest bazaar dates to Roman times, a maze of lanes centered on Anafartalar Caddesi. Inside, look for the Kızlarağası Han, an Ottoman caravanserai from 1744 now full of small shops and cafés, the 1592 Hisar Mosque next door, and Havra Sokağı (Synagogue Street), the old Jewish quarter with the densest concentration of Jewish heritage sites in Turkey. Bargaining is normal on textiles and souvenirs; once you agree a price, don’t add a tip on top.
4. Walk the Agora of Smyrna’s underground chambers
The Roman Agora is the ancient city’s marketplace, originally Hellenistic and rebuilt under Marcus Aurelius after an earthquake destroyed the earlier structure in AD 178. The reconstructed colonnade above ground is worth a look, but the vaulted basement cisterns beneath the old stoas are the genuinely atmospheric part.
5. Climb to Kadifekale for the view
The hilltop castle on Mount Pagos marks the spot where Smyrna was refounded after its original settlement was destroyed. Its walls carry Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman phases, and the payoff is a panoramic view over the city and bay, best around sunset, with a tea garden at the top to make an evening of it.
6. Ride the 1907 Asansör
This working elevator in the old Karataş Jewish quarter was built by a local banker in 1907 after a friend broke a foot climbing the 155 steps it replaces. It’s a quieter alternative to Kadifekale for a harbor view, with a café terrace at the top and Dario Moreno Street, named for the İzmir-born singer, running alongside it.
7. Cross the bay on an İZDENİZ ferry
The commuter ferries linking Konak, Alsancak, and Karşıyaka run every 15 minutes or so at peak times and are genuinely one of the best cheap experiences in the city, not just a way to get somewhere. The crossing takes 15-20 minutes and hands you the best skyline view in Izmir, especially heading into a Karşıyaka sunset.
8. Spend an evening in Alsancak
North of Konak along the Kordon, Alsancak is Izmir’s main nightlife and dining district, centered on 1453 Sokak. Expect meyhanes (taverns), cafés, and bars with a more cosmopolitan feel than the Konak side of the city.
9. Visit the Archaeology Museum and Kültürpark
Kültürpark, a large central park built where the Armenian and Greek quarters stood before the 1922 fire, hosts the annual Izmir International Fair and several museums, including the Izmir Archaeology Museum in nearby Bahribaba Park, which covers artifacts from Smyrna and the wider region. Book a guided Izmir city tour on GetYourGuide if you want the history connected for you rather than pieced together on your own.
Do these need a full day each?
No. Numbers 1-6 and 8 sit within walking distance of each other around Konak and Alsancak and can be strung into a single busy day; the ferry crossing (7) is best saved for late afternoon so you catch the sunset on the water. Kültürpark and the museum (9) work well as a slower half-day.
For the ruins beyond the city, see the day trips guide covering Ephesus and Pergamon, and read the full Izmir travel guide for visa and transport basics. Our 2-day itinerary strings most of this list into an actual schedule.
One concrete tip: do the Agora and Kadifekale on the same afternoon, since they’re a short taxi ride apart and pairing them saves you backtracking through Konak twice.