Hi,
Like to hear suggestions on how to best spend the 1 layover day in Izmir after the RSE Best of Turkey tour late Oct.
The guidebook said if we take the bus on the last day of the tour, we will be arriving at the Izmir airport around 9:30am. We plan to stay at an hotel near the airport. Our flight out is 7:30am the next morning. So we have 1 day to spend.
Please recommend a good local day trip. Is izmir worth to spend the day? How about excursion to Pagumon?
Appreciate your help!
Smyrna is worth many lifetimes of study - I think you can occupy a day trip.
The 100th anniversary of Hemingway's short story about the Greco-Turkish war refugees he say in Smyrna was recently:
https://www.neomagazine.com/2022/04/on-the-quay-at-smyrna-ernest-hemingway-and-1922/
Hi Aviros,
I was recently reading a book titled Smyrna Sep 1922. The links you provided are certainly very relevant. Thank you so much. With only 1 day available there, what would be the one to two places you would suggest us to visit to learn more about Smyrna/Izmir? It’s unlikely we will rent a vehicle.
Really appreciate this!
I spent a day in Izmir and I really enjoyed just walking around the city. Don't rely on Wikipedia for sightseeing ideas. There are some absolutely beautiful places to see in Izmir. If you want more ideas, get a good guidebook, or get one from the library and read up on Izmir.
I spent some time at the Agora ruins, the marketplace of ancient Smyrna. The Agora is mostly in ruins today but it was still impressive. and well worth seeing.
You could visit the gorgeous Hisar Mosque. And there is also a wonderful market called the Kemeralti Bazaar. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the various items that were for sale, and bought a few gifts to bring back. Here's an article that gives a good description of it: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/aegean-coast/izmir/attractions/kemeralti-market/a/poi-sig/1249467/360867
You can also walk down to the harbor to see the boats. I went there at sunset and it was absolutely beautiful. There are so many things to see and do. If it's a beautiful day, there's no need to spend it in a dusty museum.
There are wonderful restaurants in Izmir, too. If you haven't had pide by then (or even if you have), make sure you get some. I loved stopping for food at the street vendors, too. Izmir is really an enjoyable city - more modern than most of Turkey (and more secular) and well worth a visit.
Hi Mardee, thank you so much for the wonderful ideas!
We went to the ancient site of Pergamon, well worth the trip there.
Hi Suki,
Visiting Pergamon is on our list too! We have visited the museum in Berlin and thought we like to visit the very place one day. Did you join a tour or went by yourself? Most day tour starts at 8am, we are looking for one that starts around 9:30.
