Izmir in 7 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
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Izmir in 7 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
A full week adds Urla’s wine country to the 6-day loop, the last of Izmir’s usual day trips and a mellow way to close out the ancient-sites-and-beaches pace of the days before it. Lira prices below are snapshots (verify), figured at roughly 47 TRY to the US dollar. Shorter trip? See the 6-day itinerary ; tighter on time, the 3-day itinerary covers just the city core plus Ephesus.
Book these before you go:
- Ephesus day tour on Viator
- Pergamon private tour by car on Viator
- Hotel in Alsancak or Konak on Booking.com
| Day | Focus | Est. spend (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Kordon, Konak Square, Kemeraltı Bazaar | $25-30 |
| Day 2 | Kadifekale, Asansör, the Agora, a bay ferry | $20-25 |
| Day 3 | Ephesus, plus an afternoon in Şirince | $65-75 |
| Day 4 | Pergamon day trip | $40-50 |
| Day 5 | Çeşme and Alaçatı beach day | $20-25 |
| Day 6 | Foça day trip | $20-25 |
| Day 7 | Urla wine country | $25-35 |
Day 1: Kordon, Konak and the bazaar
İZBAN from the airport into Alsancak, 35-40 minutes for 15-20 TRY (verify). Boyoz and gevrek breakfast, 40-60 TRY. Walk the free Kordon to Konak Square for the Clock Tower and Yalı Mosque, then the Kemeraltı Bazaar, free, with the Kızlarağası Han and Havra Sokağı inside. Kumru lunch, 120-150 TRY. Dinner in Alsancak, 250-350 TRY casual or more for seafood and rakı.
Day 1 spend: roughly $25-30. Tip: buy the İzmirim Kart at the airport, it covers the whole week.
Day 2: Kadifekale, Asansör and the bay
Kadifekale’s hilltop, free, then the Asansör and Dario Moreno Street, free or nominal. The Agora of Smyrna costs a modest ticket (verify, roughly 100-150 TRY). Cross to Karşıyaka by ferry, a normal fare, for a cheaper dinner around 200-300 TRY.
Day 2 spend: roughly $20-25. Tip: take the ferry back after dark for the lit-up Kordon.
Day 3: Ephesus and Şirince
Ephesus in the morning, about €40 entry (verify), Terrace Houses an extra €15. See the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, and the Temple of Artemis site, today one column and rubble. In the afternoon, a short dolmuş or taxi (50-100 TRY each way, verify) on to Şirince for cobblestone lanes and a wine tasting, roughly 100-150 TRY a glass.
Day 3 spend: roughly $65-75. Tip: do the ruins first, Şirince is the wind-down, not the main event.
Day 4: Pergamon
Intercity bus from Izmir Otogar toward Bergama, roughly 2-2.5 hours for 150-200 TRY each way (verify). The Acropolis, about €15 (verify), cable car up for a small extra fee, and the separate Asklepion, about €13 more. Lunch in Bergama town, 150-250 TRY.
Day 4 spend: roughly $40-50. Tip: eat in Bergama town, not at the site gate.
Day 5: Çeşme and Alaçatı
Bus to Çeşme, 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for 150-200 TRY each way (verify), then a dolmuş on to Alaçatı, 30-50 TRY. The castle exterior and beaches are free; seafood lunch by the water runs 300-400 TRY.
Day 5 spend: roughly $20-25. Tip: there’s no direct Izmir-Alaçatı bus, Çeşme is the transfer point.
Day 6: Foça
Bus north to Foça, roughly 100-150 TRY round trip (verify). The castle walls and Ottoman-Greek streets cost nothing to walk; a boat tour to see monk seals from a distance near Fener/Siren Island runs roughly 400-600 TRY (verify). Seafood lunch by the harbor, 250-350 TRY.
Day 6 spend: roughly $20-25. Tip: go here, not Çeşme again, if you want a quieter coastal day.
Day 7: Urla wine country
A dolmuş or taxi west toward Urla, roughly 150-250 TRY round trip (verify), covers the Urla Bağ Yolu, a route linking about 10 boutique wineries growing both international varietals and revived native grapes like Urla Karası. Tasting flights run roughly 300-500 TRY per stop (verify); picking 1-2 wineries plus a light lunch, around 200-300 TRY, keeps the day reasonable.
Day 7 spend: roughly $25-35, depending on how many tastings you add. Tip: this pairs naturally with Çeşme if you’re short on days, it sits on the same road west, but as its own day it’s the gentlest close to a week that’s otherwise heavy on ruins.
Check current Otogar and dolmuş schedules before you go. Read more: Izmir on a Budget: 7 Cheap and Free Things to Do covers the full list this itinerary draws from, or for a shorter trip, Izmir in 6 Days on a Budget skips Urla wine country.