Izmir in 7 Days
A full week is the complete Aegean loop this region rewards: two city days, Ephesus, Pergamon, a Çeşme beach day, Urla’s wine trail, and a quieter closing day at Foça.
Day 1
Konak Square first, the 1901 Clock Tower and 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 like gevrek. Walk the Kordon toward sunset and eat in Alsancak that night, roughly 500-800 TRY per person (~$11-17, verify given lira inflation) for seafood and meze.
One concrete tip: buy an İzmirim Kart today, it covers every bus, train, tram, and ferry you’ll use this 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 so the ride itself catches the sunset.
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, 15-20 minutes from Selçuk, for fruit wine and cobblestone lanes, since you’ll have a whole extra week to recover the time.
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, a short hop further, 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
Urla, on the way to Çeşme, closes out the ancient-sites-and-beaches run with wine. The Urla Bağ Yolu links around ten boutique wineries growing international grapes and indigenous varieties like Boğazkere and the revived native Urla Karası. A rental car or organized tour makes stringing several tastings together easiest.
One concrete tip: book your last tasting mid-afternoon so you’re not driving back on unfamiliar rural roads after dark.
Day 7
Foça, north of the city, is the quiet close to a busy week: a partially ruined castle and city walls, an Archaeological Museum, and boat tours out to nearby islands, including Fener (Siren) Island, home to an endangered population of Mediterranean monk seals seen at a respectful distance from the boat. Good seafood and Ottoman-Greek architecture round out a slower final day before your flight out.
One concrete tip: book the morning boat tour rather than the afternoon one, the water is calmer and the seals are more reliably spotted before the wind picks up.
Read the Izmir travel guide for the visa and transport basics behind this whole week, and see the day trips guide for how each of these six trips compares if you need to swap one out.