What to do in Izmir with only 24 hours!

Most visited bazaar, must try street food and helpful tips & links to get you where you need to go faster.

With only one day in Izmir we knew we had to make the most of our time so we decided to spend it in the Kemeraltı Bazaar trying as many different foods as we could! This was our first time in Izmir, but our second time in Turkey, which made navigating and planning a bit easier. It was also no surprise to us when we were welcomed with such genuine hospitality as it was the same when we were in Istanbul. The people in Turkey truly make you feel like family. My only regret is we didn't have more time to see everything that this beautiful city has to offer!

Must see Bazaar in Izmir, Turkey

Kemeraltı Bazaar: This is where we spent our day in Izmir and is a must stop when you are in town. This historical landmark is one of the liveliest districts in Izmir and dates back to medieval times. Here that you can find all of Izmir's must try street foods including: kokoreç, söğüş, şambali and kumru! We spent the day wandering though its narrow streets full of vibrant shops, taking in the amazing smells of its many vendors selling spices, teas, sweet and savory treats, and more. While there you must try a cup of fresh pickle juice! Just find a stall with a line of old men and you will be in good hands. The refreshing drink is one of my favorites when I'm in Turkey. This Bazaar is BIG, so allow yourself time to get lost in its countless alleys and go hungry so you can try as many of the delicious treats as possible.

Four must try street foods and where to find them in Izmir, Turkey

Mis Kokoreç Kemeraltı: This was our first stop on our Izmir food tour where we had kokoreç sandwiches. So first, what is kokoreç? Kokoreç is made from seasoned intestines, normally lamb or goat, that are then stuffed with offal and grilled. It was late so we just went into the first shop that had what we were looking for and this one fit the bill. Here the kokoreç is cut into large slices, seasoned with cumin, and we topped ours with pickled jalapeños. The sandwich was delicious and the service was great and I'm glad this is where we ended up. It was a great start to our time in Izmir. For two sandwiches and two Cokes the total came to 305TRY ($7.18USD)

Meşhur tarihi agora söğüşçüsü: This was one of my favorite meals of the day even though I was a bit hesitant to eat here at first. Here we had söğüş. Söğüş is different types of head meat from a sheep, like cheek, tongue and brain. Yes, brain, and that's the part I was hesitant about, but I'm so glad I got over my fear and tried it. Everything here was so fresh and clean and all the meat had a mild taste and the brain had an amazing buttery texture. It is served cold with flat bread, onion, tomatoes and parsley. We ended up here because of the amazing staff. They saw us eyeing the place and after feeding Don a sample they had us hooked and guided us to a simple table on the sidewalk. Even though it's a restaurant they made it feel like they were inviting us into their home and continued to treat us like family for our meal. This is one of the many reasons I love Turkey. We shared one order which came to 300TRY ($7USD)

Ademoğlu şambali halep tatlısı: We had to stop for this famous dessert! Şambali is a cake made from semolina, sugar and yogurt, then baked, cut into rectangles and covered with syrup. They turn two of these into a sandwich with the most delicious homemade whipped cream you've ever tasted! I'm serious, the whipped cream was like ice cream! Surprisingly the cake wasn't too sweet so the treat was very well balanced.

Kumru: A delicious cold sandwich filled with Tulum cheese, tomatoes and peppers. I had originally bought this to eat at the airport, but it looked so good I couldn't wait!

Feti'nin Yeri: This was our last stop before our flight. I had to have a lamb doner kebab in a wrap before I left Turkey! Don had the lahmacun, which is a flatbread with meat. Everything was delicious and the outdoor seating area was cute. Its location in the heart of the market makes it an easy place to stop and refuel while exploring. The food plus two teas came to 400TRY ($9.42USD)

Where to stay in Izmir, Turky

ST945 Palas Otel: This was a great hotel that was pretty much in the Bazaar. They have a 24hr desk so it doesn't matter what time you arrive. They sell coffee and tea all day and you can buy breakfast as well. The rooms were modern and clean with great Wi-Fi. They held our luggage as we explored the city and even let us hang out in the lobby while we waited for our flight. $51USD per night.

Helpful Phases in Turkish

Hello: Merhaba (mer-ha-ba)

Thank you: Teşekkür ederim (teh-sheh-kureh eh-deh-rim)

How much? Ne kadar (neh kah-dar)

Please: Lütfen (loot-fen)

Yes: evet (eh-veht)

No: Hayır (hah-yeer)

You don't have to learn a different language to travel, but learning a few helpful phrases can go a long way with the locals.

How to say one through ten in Turkish

one: Bir (bihr)

Two: İki (ee-kee)

Three: Üç (utch)

Four: Dört (dihrt)

Five: Beş (besh)

Six: Altı (al-tuh)

Seven: Yedi (yeh-dee)

Eight: Sekiz (seh-keez)

Nine: Dokuz (doh-kooz)

Ten: On (on)

Helpful Tips when Traveling to Izmir, Turky

E-sims: Make sure you purchase and activate the E-sim outside of Turkey, we were unable to access these websites or apps while in Turkey. They strictly control internet access here. We also had to change our VPN from US to Turkey to get the internet to work at all. Because we didn't want to buy what felt like an overpriced tourist sim card for a single day we went without coverage here.

Is Izmir pedestrian Friendly? Yes, for the most part. All the major roads have sidewalks and crosswalks making it easy to get where you need to safely. Some of the smaller roads in the older parts of town do not have sidewalks, so the narrow roads can be shared by cars and people. Traffic is really slow so just keep an eye out.

Visa: U.S. citizens do not need a visa for Turkey for tourists or business trips under 90 days within a 180 day period.

Is the water safe to drink? In some places. I would ask your host as some of the older pipes make the water unsafe to drink, but its fine for brushing your teeth.

Language: The national language is Turkish and Izmir has a specific Western dialect that is influenced by its proximity to Greece. We did find that a lot of the restaurants and vendors in the tourist areas spoke a little English. When they didn't we used Google Translate, remember to download the offline translation!

Maps: We used Google Maps and found it very reliable from walking directions as well as tram and train times. Don't forget to download the offline maps!

Public bathrooms: There were paid public toilets within the Kemeraltı Bazaar. I dont remeber the price, but its wasn't expensive, though we only saw squatty toilets.

Public trash cans: Though not abundant like the US there are public trash cans around.

Public transit: Public transit is abundant and reliable. For the tram you can either buy a transit pass at one of the larger stations or tap your credit card. Foy the train you can buy ticked at the counter at the train staion. All transit we took was modern and clean.

How to get from the ferry to the hotel in Izmir, Turkey

We took the trolley which is pretty easy to get to from the ferry. You can buy a transit pass at the big station, but you will need cash. There is an ATM there that only charges 15 TRY. We bought the disposable card with 3 rides for 175 TRY Public transportation is pretty easy to use, clean and safe. When we went to add another ride to our card the cashier told us we could just use a Visa or Mastercard where you tap the Transit card. We ended up not needing another ride, so we didn't test it, but I imagine he is right.

How to get to the airport in Izmir, Turkey

For this we used the train. I would recommend getting to the train station a little early as the line to get a ticket can be long. You will need to go through security before entering the station, it was quick and easy. You will need to show your passport to buy the ticket and it costs 65 TRY per person. The trains are comfortable, clean, on time and there are restrooms onboard. The ride is about 26 minutes

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