4 Days in İzmir: Day-by-Day Itinerary

Historic & Cultural

Ephesus

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, a city-state that was also the capital of Arzawa, by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era, it was one of twelve cities that were members of the Ionian League. The city came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.

Plan 3 hours

Historic & Cultural

Library of Celsus

The Library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus, Anatolia, located near the modern town of Selçuk, in the İzmir Province of western Turkey. The building was commissioned in the years 110s CE by a consul of the Roman Empire, Tiberius Julius Aquila Polemaeanus, as a funerary monument for his father Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, former proconsul of Asia, and completed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, sometime after Aquila's death.

Historic & Cultural

Temple of Hadrian

The Temple of Hadrian is a historic site located in the ancient city of Ephesus, in Selçuk, Aydın. It was built in the 2nd century AD in honor of Emperor Hadrian and features Corinthian order architecture. The temple is notable for its rich reliefs depicting the founding legend of Ephesus and mythological stories. It is within walking distance of Ephesus (425 m), the Celsus Library (119 m), and the Church of Mary (795 m).

Historic & Cultural

Prytaneion (Ephesus)

The Prytaneion is a historic site located in Selçuk, Aydın. It served as the religious and administrative heart of the ancient city of Ephesus. Built during the 3rd century BCE under Lysimachos, the Prytaneion housed the sacred eternal flame, which symbolized the city's existence and was crucial to keep lit. The Prytaneion is within walking distance of Ephesus (624 m), the Celsus Library (373 m), and the Temple of Hadrian (254 m).

Religious Sites

Church of Mary

The Church of Mary was an ancient Christian cathedral dedicated to the Theotokos, located in Ephesus. It is also known as the Church of the Councils because several councils of importance to the history of Early Christianity are assumed to have been held within, although only the first one is accepted by Chalcedonian Christians. The church is located in the south stoa of the Olympieion next to the harbor of Ephesus.

Historic & Cultural

Temple of Ephesian Artemis

The Temple of Artemis or Artemision, also known as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to a localised form of the goddess Artemis. It was located in Ephesus, near modern-day Selçuk in Turkey. In antiquity, it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Historic & Cultural

Basilica of St. John

The Basilica of Saint John the Theologian was a basilica in the city of Ephesus. It was constructed by Justinian the Great in the 6th century, at a site where John the Apostle was said to have been buried. It was modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.

Museums

Ephesus Archaeological Museum

The Ephesus Archaeological Museum is an archaeological museum in Selçuk near the Ancient Greek city of İzmir, Turkey. It houses finds from the nearby Ephesus excavation site. Its best-known exhibit is the ancient statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis retrieved from the temple of the goddess in Ephesus.

Plan 1 hour

Historic & Cultural

Isa Bey Hamam

İsa Bey Bath or Grand Bath is an old bath in Selçuk. A bath inscription found in the garden of a house near the bath is thought to belong to this bath. According to the five-line construction inscription written in Thuluth script, the structure was built by Hacı Hoca Ali, son of Salih, in October or November 1364.

Museums

Kent Belleği Müzesi

Located in Selçuk, Aydın, the Kent Belleği Museum is housed in a former tobacco warehouse built in the second half of the 19th century. The museum serves as a time capsule, showcasing Selçuk's 8600-year history and cultural heritage. It can be visited Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:30 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00. It is 139 meters from Selçuk train station.

Closed every Sunday

Historic & Cultural

Pergamon

Pergamon or Pergamum, also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos, was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located 26 kilometres from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus and northwest of the modern city of Bergama, Turkey. During the Hellenistic period, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon in 281–133 BC under the Attalid dynasty, who transformed it into one of the major cultural centres of the Greek world.

Plan 2 hours

Historic & Cultural

Pergamon Altar

The Pergamon Altar was a monumental construction built during the reign of the Ancient Greek King Eumenes II of the Pergamon Empire in the first half of the 2nd century BC on one of the terraces of the acropolis of Pergamon in Asia Minor. It was described as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by three known classical lists. 4 metres deep; the front stairway alone was almost 20 metres wide.

Historic & Cultural

Library of Pergamum

The Library of Pergamum is an ancient Greek building in Pergamon, Anatolia, today located nearby the modern town of Bergama, in the İzmir Province of western Turkey. It was one of the most important libraries in the ancient world.

Historic & Cultural

Ancient Greek theatre of Pergamon

The Ancient Theatre of Pergamon, located in Bergama, İzmir, is a historic site. Built during the Hellenistic period, this theatre is one of Turkey's largest ancient theatres, with a capacity of approximately 10,000 people and 80 rows of seats. Known as the steepest theatre in the world, it featured a wooden, removable stage. The theatre is within walking distance of the Pergamon Acropolis (315 m), the Great Altar (152 m), and the Pergamon Library (74 m). The Akropolis Teleferik - Yukarı İstasyon cable car stop is 261 m away.

Historic & Cultural

Teos

Teos or Teo was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, on a peninsula between Chytrium and Myonnesus. It was founded by Minyans from Orchomenus, Ionians and Boeotians, but the date of its foundation is unknown. Teos was one of the twelve cities which formed the Ionian League. The city was situated on a low hilly isthmus. Its ruins are located to the south of the modern town of Sığacık in the Seferihisar district of İzmir Province, Turkey.

Historic & Cultural

Temple of Dionysos

The Temple of Dionysus, located in the Seferihisar district of Izmir, is one of the most significant structures in the ancient city of Teos and is known as the largest Dionysus temple in Anatolia. Dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine, harvest, and theatre, this temple was built in the early 2nd century BC by the renowned Hellenistic architect Hermogenes. The temple features an Ionic order, with a peripteral plan of six columns on the short sides and eleven on the long sides, and underwent renovations during the Augustan and Hadrianic periods. Situated within the ancient city of Teos, the temple is within walking distance of other important structures such as Teos (323 m), Teos Theatre (367 m), and Teos Cistern (387 m).

Nature & Adventure

Ekmeksiz Beach Nature Park

Ekmeksiz Plajı Nature Park, located in the Seferihisar district of İzmir, is a nature protection area known for its clear waters and natural beauty. It was awarded a blue flag in 2001. The beach offers a suitable swimming area, especially for families with children, due to its fine sandy structure and shallow sea. The park, surrounded by pine forests, also provides opportunities for picnicking and camping.

Shopping

Teos Marina AVM

Teos Marina AVM, located in Sığacık, Seferihisar district of İzmir, opened on June 21, 2010. The marina has a capacity for 480 boats in the sea and 80 on land. Teos Marina AVM features an open-concept bazaar with various shopping and dining options, including cafes, restaurants, boutiques, cosmetic shops, and a supermarket. It is within walking distance of Sığacık Castle (242 m) and 405 m from the Seferihisar (Sığacık) ferry stop.