Izmir Holidays

Izmir holidays offer the best of both worlds, serving up ancient history with a side of cosmopolitan sass and seriously good food.

✨ Highlights of your Holidays to Izmir

• 🏛️ Ephesus, 75km south near Selcuk, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean and home to the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, and the site of the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World)

• 🏖️ Cesme peninsula beaches, Altinkum, Ilica, Pirlanta, plus the windsurf capital Alacati, roughly 80km west of the city with some of Turkey's chicest coastal resorts and boutique stone-walled towns

• 🕌 Kemeralti Bazaar in Izmir city, the 17th-century covered market spilling across narrow streets with spices, silver, leather, carpets and some of the best haggling in Turkey

• 🚡 The Asansor, the 1907 stone lift tower that rides you up a cliff in the Karatas district for panoramic sunset views across the Gulf of Izmir, with a café and restaurant at the top

• 💑 Alsancak and Kordonboyu, the seafront promenade and bar district in Izmir city where the evening crowd strolls along the Aegean, sea breeze on your face, ferry lights across the bay

📌 Good to Know

• ☀️ Properly Mediterranean climate, summers (June to September) hit 30-33°C with reliable sunshine, spring and autumn sit in the gorgeous 20-25°C sweet spot for sightseeing plus beach, winters are mild and wet at 10-14°C and pretty much only for culture-focused trips

• 💷 Brilliant value, the lira is weak against the pound so your money goes properly far. A full Turkish breakfast is £3-5, a proper sit-down dinner with wine is £15-25 for two, and a beer is £1.50-2.50. All-inclusive resorts in Kusadasi are genuinely unbeatable value in Europe

• 🌊 The destination covers three distinct holiday types in one, the Izmir city break (Kemeralti Bazaar, Asansor, seafront promenade), the Cesme chic-beach scene (Alacati boutique hotels, Ilica thermal springs, windsurfing), and the Kusadasi all-inclusive mega-resort strip with Ephesus on the doorstep. Many people combine two or three in one trip

👨‍👩‍👧 Families

Kusadasi is the obvious family base with the biggest cluster of all-inclusive mega-resorts (aqua parks, kids' clubs, themed restaurants), plus easy day trips to Ephesus and Dilek National Park. Cesme/Ilica is the next step quieter with thermal springs, wider beaches and more boutique family hotels.

💕 Couples

Alacati is the couples' headline, boutique stone-walled village with gorgeous restaurants, windsurfing beaches and properly grown-up design-led hotels. Cesme town itself for the smart Turkish weekend crowd, marina scene and thermal spas. Izmir city works for couples wanting a pure city break with seafront promenades, rooftop bars and the Kemeralti Bazaar.

👯 Groups

Kusadasi for groups wanting the full-on all-inclusive party-and-beach experience with mega-resorts that have multiple bars and nightclubs on-site. Izmir city's Alsancak district for groups doing a culture-plus-nightlife city break, loads of bars, rooftop spots and live-music venues.

What are the best hotels to stay at in Izmir?

Izmir gives you three very different holiday bases, the buzzing city itself, the chic Cesme/Alacati peninsula, and the family-resort heartland of Kusadasi. Have a look at our picks below, browse all our Izmir hotels for the full range, or check our all-inclusive Turkey options if you fancy unlimited shish.

👨‍👩‍👧 Best for Families

• 🏨 Aqua Fantasy Aquapark Hotel & Spa – Five-star Kusadasi resort with a mahoosive on-site water park, seven restaurants, a spa with Turkish hammam and sauna, plus kids' clubs and family rooms. The Izmir-area headline family pick if you want everything laid on.

• 🏨 Pine Bay Holiday Resort – Proper mega-resort in Kusadasi with eleven pools, a colourful aqua park, kids' club, beachfront location and seven à la carte restaurants. The kind of place where kids wear themselves out between breakfast and bedtime.

• 🏨 Ramada Hotel & Suite by Wyndham Kusadasi – Clifftop Kusadasi resort with three pools plus a brand-new aqua park, kids' club, spa, and free shuttle to the beach. Stunning Aegean Sea views from the pool deck.

• 🏨 Tusan Beach Resort – Seafront Kusadasi all-inclusive with its own beach, spacious rooms, buffet and à la carte dining plus Mediterranean and Turkish themed nights. Reliable family crowd-pleaser.

💕 Best for Couples

• 🏨 Sheraton Cesme Resort Hotel & SPA – Beachfront five-star on the Cesme peninsula with thermal spa, multiple restaurants, and a 5-minute drive to buzzing Alacati's boutiques and breezy cafés. Properly grown-up.

• 🏨 Casa Sevilla Alacati Town – Charming boutique stay in central Alacati with poolside rooms, an à la carte restaurant, jacuzzi and the whole Alacati stone-walled village scene at your doorstep.

• 🏨 Premier Solto Hotel by Corendon – Alacati beachfront boutique with garden-view and sea-view rooms, quiet bay setting, and a 15-minute walk to Alacati Marina. The proper "get away from it all" couples' pick.

• 🏨 Korumar Ephesus Spa & Beach Resort – Ultra-luxe spa resort on a Blue Flag beach in Kusadasi with marble bathrooms, king-sized beds and properly elegant suite options. The Kusadasi pick for couples who want quiet luxury over family chaos.

✨ Luxury

• 🏨 Liberty Kusadasi – Beachfront Kusadasi resort with ten pools (each with a different vibe), seven restaurants, adults-only penthouse bar, and a spa with Turkish baths. Everything's on-site and everything's top-tier.

• 🏨 Fantasia Hotel De Luxe Kusadasi – Kusadasi's headline premium hotel in the lively centre, private beach, multiple restaurants and lounge bars, with the elegant Nostalgia restaurant for proper dinners.

• 🏨 Altin Yunus Resort & Thermal Hotel – Thermal spa resort on the Cesme peninsula with indoor and outdoor thermal pools, Thalasso pool, fish restaurant, and a serious wellness focus. Proper spa-break luxury.

👯 Best for Groups

• 🏨 Korumar Hotel De Luxe – Kusadasi clifftop hotel with multiple restaurants, three bars, beachfront lift access, loads of activities (banana boats, water skiing, jet-skiing, tennis, archery) and proper entertainment programme.

• 🏨 Mi Playa Hotel by Corendon – 18 acres of grounds on Cesme's beachfront with private beach, multiple bars including a beach bar, kids' club and space for the group to spread out. Proper group-friendly.

• 🏨 Ephesia Hotel – Kusadasi seafront resort with private sandy beach, semi-olympic pool, spa centre with Turkish bath, two restaurants and three bars. Reliable group base.

💰 Best Value

• 🏨 Calis Hotel Cesme – Family-run charmer 500m from Cesme centre, on-site restaurant, outdoor pool and proper friendly Turkish service. Brilliant value for the Cesme location.

• 🏨 Club Beyy Resort Hotel – Ozdere all-inclusive with buffet plus Italian à la carte (wood-fired pizza!), 50 minutes from the airport. Solid value option in the quieter Ozdere area.

• 🏨 Movenpick Hotel Izmir – Central Izmir city hotel within walking distance of the business and shopping districts, indoor pool, rooftop bar with harbour views. The city-break base at proper city-break prices.

👉 See all Izmir hotels | See all Turkey all-inclusive hotels

What are the best beaches to visit on your Izmir holidays?

If you’re hunting for the perfect spot to soak up some sun and splash around in Izmir, you're in for a treat with these bangin' beaches. Here’s a top-tier list to get your jollies sorted:

• 🌊 Cesme Altinkum Beach, the headline Cesme beach with golden sand and crystal-clear water, properly chic and popular with the Turkish weekend crowd. Roughly 80km west of Izmir city

• 🪁 Alacati Beach, the Turkish wind-surfing capital, shallow turquoise water and reliable afternoon winds mean it's packed with kite and windsurfers every summer. Lively beach bar scene

• ⛱️ Ilica Beach, properly wide sandy beach backed by natural thermal springs that feed into the sea (the water is warm year-round in places), loads of space to sprawl out, popular with families

• 🌬️ Pirlanta Beach, the kite-surfer's spot on the Cesme peninsula, properly breezy and a top pick for adventurous beach days

• 🐚 Urla Beaches, halfway between Izmir and Cesme, a mix of pebbled and sandy stretches with a quieter, more local feel than the Cesme hotspots

• ⚓ Foca Beaches, the historic fishing-port town north of Izmir with small picturesque beaches and proper old-town charm, a lovely day trip from the city

• 🏝️ Ladies Beach (Kadinlar Denizi), the headline Kusadasi beach south of the town centre, golden sand, shallow water, family-friendly with loads of beach bars and water sports. Don't let the name put anyone off, everyone welcome

• 🌲 Dilek National Park beaches, protected coastal nature reserve south of Kusadasi with pristine pine-backed coves (Aydinlik, Kalamaki, Karasu) and some of the clearest water in the province. Properly uncrowded

🗣️ Local Lingo

Turkish is the official language. English is widely spoken in hotels, Ephesus tour guides and tourist-area restaurants, but a few Turkish basics go a long way in markets and smaller local spots.

• 👋 Merhaba, Hello

• 🙏 Teşekkür ederim, Thank you (or just "teşekkürler" for quick thanks)

• ✅ Evet / Hayır, Yes / No

• 💰 Ne kadar?, How much? (essential for the Kemeralti Bazaar and every market in Turkey)

• 🍻 Şerefe!, Cheers! (for toasting)

✈️ Holidays to Izmir – Travel Guide 2026 / 2027

👨‍👩‍👧 Families

• 🏛️ A day trip to Ephesus is the headline family activity, best-preserved ancient city in the Mediterranean, the kids genuinely love the Great Theatre and the Library of Celsus. Pair with the Temple of Artemis site and the House of the Virgin Mary nearby

• 🦁 The Izmir Wildlife Park north of the city is a proper sprawling safari-style park with lions, monkeys, gazelles and more, set in lush green grounds, brilliant for younger kids

• 🐢 Dilek National Park south of Kusadasi is an all-day family outing, pine-backed coves with pristine water, walking trails, and the chance to spot sea turtles if you're lucky

• 🎢 Most Kusadasi mega-resorts have on-site water parks that'll keep the kids happy without leaving the hotel. Aqua Fantasy and Pine Bay are the headliners

• 🍦 Do the traditional Turkish ice cream (dondurma) show on the Izmir Kordon seafront, the servers pull pranks with their long handles before giving you your cone, kids howl with laughter every time

💕 Couples

• 🌅 Ride the Asansor in Karatas up to the cliff-top café for sunset over the Gulf of Izmir, the 1907 stone lift is a proper atmospheric arrival and the view is bananas, perfect for a quiet couples' evening

• 🏺 Day trip to Alacati's stone-walled village, boutique shopping in the narrow streets, windswept beach afternoon and dinner at one of the seafront restaurants. Properly romantic

• 🕌 Explore the Kemeralti Bazaar as a couple, 17th-century covered market with spice lanes, silver workshops and old caravanserai tea gardens to stop for a cardamom coffee

• ♨️ A thermal spa afternoon in Ilica or Cesme, natural hot springs feed directly into the sea and several resort spas offer proper Turkish hammam treatments for couples

• 🍷 Dinner on the Kordonboyu promenade in Alsancak, seafood meze spread with chilled Turkish white wine, the Aegean sunset doing its best work right in front of you

👯 Groups

• 🍻 Izmir's Alsancak district is the nightlife heart, proper strip of bars, pubs and clubs with everything from chic rooftops to laid-back jazz cafes. Easily the best Aegean-coast group night out

• 🛥️ A day charter boat from Cesme or Kusadasi for the group, coastal swimming stops, lunch on board and the chance to visit quieter coves only reachable by sea

• 🕺 Bornova in Izmir is the younger/student district, energetic clubs, indie music scene and late-night bars, brilliant for a big group night

• 🚲 Rent bikes and cycle the Kordonboyu seafront path, Izmir's flat seafront promenade runs for miles, stop at the beach bars along the way

• 📸 Group day trip to Ephesus with a private guide, properly worth splitting the cost for (around £20-30 per person), the guides bring the ruins to life in a way the audio guide can't

🏝️ More Destinations

• Turkey, the full country hub with Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and the Turquoise Coast

• Kusadasi, Izmir's main beach-resort cluster 90km south, the all-inclusive heartland with Ephesus on the doorstep

• Bodrum, Izmir's boujee neighbour south on the Aegean, proper nightlife and the yacht crowd

• Dalaman, further south with the Turquoise Coast's headline beaches including Oludeniz Blue Lagoon

• Antalya, Turkey's Mediterranean all-inclusive giant east on the Turquoise Coast

• Marmaris, southwest Turkey's lively resort town with a massive marina and buzzing bar scene