Izmir in 6 Days
Six days adds a wine-country close to the standard city-plus-day-trips loop: two days in Izmir, Ephesus, Pergamon, a Çeşme beach day, then Urla.
Day 1
Konak Square first (the 1901 Clock Tower, the 1755 Yalı Mosque), then Kemeraltı Bazaar for the 1744 Kızlarağası Han and the 1592 Hisar Mosque, cash ready for spices, textiles, and street food. Walk the Kordon toward sunset and eat in Alsancak, roughly 500-800 TRY per person (~$11-17, verify given lira inflation) for seafood and meze at a Kordon-side spot or meyhane.
One concrete tip: get an İzmirim Kart on day one, it covers everything from tomorrow’s ferry to the trains and buses you’ll take all week.
Day 2
Morning at the Agora of Smyrna and its vaulted underground cisterns, then Kadifekale for the panoramic bay view. Afternoon at the 1907 Asansör and Dario Moreno Street, then an İZDENİZ ferry to Karşıyaka (15-20 minutes, a few TRY, verify) with dinner across the bay.
One concrete tip: cross to Karşıyaka in late afternoon to catch the sunset from the water.
Day 3
Ephesus, near Selçuk, about an hour south, UNESCO-listed since 2015. Regional train from Basmane station (roughly 1h20-1h30), then a short dolmuş to the entrance. The Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre are the headline sights; the Temple of Artemis nearby is scattered rubble and one column, manage expectations. Entry roughly €40 (~$43), Terrace Houses add roughly €15 (verify both). Go for the 8am opening.
One concrete tip: add Şirince on the way back if you have the energy, 15-20 minutes from Selçuk, for fruit wine and cobblestone lanes.
Day 4
Pergamon (Bergama), 90 minutes to two hours north, UNESCO-listed since 2014. Intercity bus from Izmir Otogar (roughly 2-2.5 hours), then a local bus or taxi to the site. The hillside Acropolis has one of the steepest ancient theatres known and the remains of a library that once rivaled Alexandria’s; a cable car covers the climb in about 15 minutes. Admission roughly €15 for the Acropolis, €13 for the separate Asklepion (verify both).
One concrete tip: eat lunch in Bergama town before heading back, food options at the site are limited.
Day 5
Çeşme and Alaçatı, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours west. Çeşme has a 16th-century Ottoman castle turned museum, a marina, and beaches like Ilıca along its roughly 29km coastline. Alaçatı is an old Greek village of cobblestone streets and restored stone houses, known globally for windsurfing thanks to consistent wind. Bus from Izmir Otogar or Üçkuyular terminal to Çeşme, then dolmuş onward to Alaçatı.
One concrete tip: base your afternoon in Alaçatı rather than Çeşme town for the better beach and cafe scene.
Day 6
Close the trip in Urla, west of the city on the way to Çeşme. The Urla Bağ Yolu, the Urla Vineyard Route, links around ten boutique wineries growing both international grapes and indigenous Aegean varieties like Boğazkere and the revived native Urla Karası, the region grows the majority of Turkey’s wine overall. A rental car or organized tour is the easiest way to string several tastings together across the day.
One concrete tip: book your last tasting for mid-afternoon rather than evening, so you’re not driving back to Izmir after dark on unfamiliar rural roads.
For Foça and Şirince, the two day trips this itinerary leaves out, read the day trips guide , and see the Izmir travel guide for the visa and transport basics.