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İzmir is a port on the Central Aegean coast of Turkey, known in antiquity as Smyrna. It's the country's third-largest city, with a population of 3.12 million in 2024.
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Displays a large collection of finds from Smyrna and other Ionian cities, mostly Roman. There's also a numismatic section with ancient coins and jewellery.
Elevator
This lift was constructed in 1907 by Nesim Levi Bayrakoğlu, a Jewish businessman, to carry people and goods between Karataş waterfront and the properties on the hill. It has two cars each taking about ten people on a 58 m lift, and originally was water-powered; from 1985 both are electric. The restaurant at the top has a bird-eye view of Izmir. The street at its base is also known as Darío Moreno Sk for the singer who once lived there, David Arugete (1921-1968). It's tragic that, having dwelt so long by a free lift, he died young in a strop when he came late to an airport boarding gate and was denied boarding.
Ruins of the marketplace of Hellenistic and Roman Smyrna.
Neo-classical mansion with rooms used by Atatürk.
Mostly Hellenistic statues, ceramics and coins.
Exhibits of Turkish railways; you'll find the door locked; just ring to be let in. Parts of the network are fast and modern, but TCDD the state railway company itself belongs in a museum.
Showing the days when public information was gathered by clustering around the radio.
Former Greek Orthodox church, now used as a cultural centre.
Around 330 BC during the reign of Alexander the Great, the population moved off the cramped site now known as "Old Smyrna", to fortify this hilltop. The present walls are medieval and have mostly obliterated earlier structures, though you can still see the Roman cisterns that supplied the city's water.
Eski Smyrna
The ruins of the very first Smyrna.
Built in 1977, this gondola lifts you 423 m up the hill just south. There are restaurants, cafes and gift shops at the top.
Kuş Cenneti
Birdwatching park in the salt marshes of Gediz Delta, one of Turkey's largest coastal wetlands. It's partly artificial, as the Gediz was diverted here to reduce silting of the port. Over 250 bird species, most popular are the flamingos. You have to leave your car at the parking lot, bring a bike if you want to explore further in.
Large collection of antique cars and motorbikes.
Reliable budget eatery.
Simple cafe for pizza and similar.
Kofta restaurant, no better than okay.
Good place for fish and shellfish.
Friendly inexpensive cafe with home-style cooking.
Serving good filling meatballs.
Bright modern place for Turkish and Aegean cuisine, with vegetarian options.
Good Bosnian / Montenegro cuisine with veggie options.
Good vegan choices in this meat-oriented city.
The specialty is Manisa kebab, lightly seasoned skewered meat drenched in yoghurt and tomato sauce.
Reliable restaurant for Turkish and Med food. Try their Çöp Şiş kebab, which translates as "made of any old rubbish".
Pricey but quality food.
Upscale dining on the waterfront.
Pleasant fish restaurant on Konak pier.
Basic central place, okay for a short stay.
Bright friendly hostel, central for sights.
Friendly central hostel.
Clean and comfy, some street noise.
Clean and central, tiny rooms with poor sound-proofing and a cigarette pong.
Pleasant budget chain, rooms are small but clean.
Acceptable for what you pay.
Small rooms, usually clean, central.
A futuristic-looking hotel 500 m from the waterfront. Comfy and friendly, main drawback is the tobacco stench.
Charming place in the bazaar, but live music in the atrium dins in all the rooms until midnight.
Boxy seafront hotel, cigarette smell and street noise.
Clean and efficient, great views from the upper rooms.
Slick waterfront hotel with restaurant and gym.
Great scores for comfort, service and location at this swish waterfront hotel.
Central business hotel with pool, restaurant and gym, cleanliness erratic for this price range.
Smart clean business hotel, some rooms have sea view. 10 km west of town so you need your own wheels or take taxis.
By train
Izmir is not yet on Turkey's high-speed YHT network, so trains are a ponderous overnight affair, when daytime buses cover the distance in half the time.
By boat
As of 2024 there are no ferries to Izmir beyond local services round the bay; no blame attaches to Scylla or Charybdis. See Çeşme#By boat for the ferry from Chios.
By bus
Buses from Istanbul run hourly round the clock, taking 8 hours, for a fare in 2024 of 1100 TL. They may call on the way at Gebze, Bursa, Balıkesir and Manisa.
By road
From Istanbul follow O-5 toll motorway all the way. It's 480 km, say 5½ hours allowing for traffic at each end.
By bus
ESHOT is the city transport combine. Its bus routes span this region, all the way for instance to Bergama.
By train & metro
IZBAN railway (shown in green) runs north-south:
By boat
Izdeniz Ferries criss-cross the city inlet, a cheap, fast and pleasant form of transport.
By taxi
There are many taxis with reasonable prices and no night rate. Turkish taxis are not allowed to go outside province they are registered at.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Gaziemir · International · ADB
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