Eviano

Turkey · Road trip · 12 days

Aegean Round Trip

Ancient cities, wine villages, travertine terraces and the most beautiful coves of the west coast in one loop from Izmir. Twelve days, five bases, around 800 kilometres on good roads.

The route, day by day

  1. Day 1 to 2

    Izmir: Kordon, Kemeraltı and the Car on Day Two

    You fly to Izmir, from Zurich usually with a change in Istanbul, direct only in summer. Leave the car at the airport for now and take the İZBAN train into town: Izmir is better explored on foot. In the afternoon the Kemeraltı Bazaar with its courtyards and coffee houses, in the evening the Kordon, the three kilometre waterfront promenade where the whole city goes for a stroll after sunset. On the second day have boyoz and çay for breakfast, ride the Asansör lift up for the view over the bay and collect the hire car at the airport or in Alsancak in the afternoon. Two nights are enough; Izmir is pleasant but not a destination for a week. Sleep in Alsancak, mid-range around CHF 80 (about EUR 86) for a double room, within walking distance of the Kordon and the train. On to Çeşme: 85 kilometres on the O-32 motorway, just under an hour, toll charged via the HGS sticker on the hire car.

    Tours at this stop: Izmir bazaar and street food tour ↗Izmir city walking tour ↗

    Open the Izmir travel guide →

  2. Day 3 to 4

    Çeşme: Alaçatı, Ilıca and Wind

    The Çeşme peninsula is the tip of the Turkish Aegean and windier than any other corner of the country: the meltem blows every afternoon in summer, which is why the bay of Alaçatı is one of the best windsurfing spots in Europe. One day for Alaçatı, ideally in the morning while the stone lanes with their blue shutters are still empty, lunch away from the main street Kemalpaşa, where prices are at Istanbul level. In the afternoon a surf lesson or simply watching. The second day is a beach day: Ilıca with its warm springs in the sea, or further on to Altınkum and Pırlanta, where the water is Caribbean turquoise. If you want to see Greece, take the ferry to Chios, 30 minutes, and do not forget your passport. Sleep in Çeşme town or Ilıca, not in Alaçatı itself, where a mid-range room costs CHF 130 (about EUR 139) and more in summer. On to Kuşadası: 150 kilometres, back along the O-32 and then the O-31 motorway towards Aydın, around two hours.

    Tours at this stop: Windsurfing lesson in Alaçatı ↗Day trip to Chios ↗

    Open the Çeşme travel guide →

  3. Day 5 to 7

    Kuşadası: Ephesus, Şirince and Three Ancient Cities

    Kuşadası itself is a cruise port with a beach promenade, but as a base it is unbeatable: Ephesus is 20 minutes away. Drive there at eight on the first morning, enter through the upper gate and walk downhill, and you will be at the Library of Celsus before the buses from the port arrive. The Terrace Houses cost extra and are the best part of the site. In the afternoon go to the House of the Virgin Mary and the wine village of Şirince in the hills, have dinner there and try the fruit wine. The second day belongs to the three other ancient cities: Priene on its hillside, the theatre of Miletus and the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, a 150 kilometre loop in total, no problem with your own car. The third day is for the beach or the Dilek National Park with its coves. Three nights, because antiquity is denser here than anywhere else in Turkey. Sleep in a mid-range hotel on the slope above the harbour, around CHF 70 (about EUR 75) per night. On to Pamukkale: 190 kilometres via Aydın on the D320 and D585, just under three hours.

    Tours at this stop: Ephesus with the Terrace Houses ↗Priene, Miletus and Didyma ↗Cooking class in the wine village of Şirince ↗

    Open the Kuşadası travel guide →

  4. Day 8 to 9

    Pamukkale: Terraces in the Evening, Hierapolis in the Morning

    Most people see Pamukkale as a midday day trip, when the travertine glares and the terraces are full. You arrive in the afternoon, check into a guesthouse in the village below the terraces and only walk up through the south gate after 5 pm, barefoot over the warm limestone, until the sun sets behind the terraces and the buses are long gone. The next morning go back onto the site, the ticket is valid for the day, this time for Hierapolis: the theatre, the necropolis, the Gate of Domitian, and a swim among the columns in Cleopatra's Pool if the CHF 15 (about EUR 16) surcharge is worth it to you. In the afternoon you can drive to Laodicea, 15 kilometres, almost empty, or sit in the red thermal springs of Karahayıt. Two nights is right: one would be stressful, three too many. Sleep in the village of Pamukkale in a guesthouse with a pool, around CHF 60 for a double room; hotel thermal pools are standard here. On to Bodrum: 240 kilometres via Denizli, Tavas and Muğla on the D330 and D550, a good three and a half hours, winding in the middle section.

    Tours at this stop: Paragliding over the terraces ↗Pamukkale balloon flight ↗

    Open the Pamukkale travel guide →

  5. Day 10 to 12

    Bodrum: Castle, Gümüşlük and Drop-off

    Bodrum is exactly right at the end of the loop: three nights in which you no longer have to drive, unless you want to. The first day belongs to the town: the Crusader castle with the underwater museum and the oldest shipwreck in the world, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, of which hardly anything is left, the white lanes and the harbour in the evening. On the second day you drive across the peninsula: Gümüşlük at the western tip with fish restaurants right on the water and the island you wade across to, then Türkbükü on the north coast if you want to see where Istanbul's money spends the summer. The third day is a boat or beach day; Bitez and Akyarlar are cheaper and windier than the town beaches. Sleep in Bodrum town or Gümbet in a mid-range hotel, around CHF 90 (about EUR 96) per night, considerably less in October. Return journey: 36 kilometres to Bodrum-Milas airport, 40 minutes, drop the car, flight via Istanbul to Zurich. If you want to save the one-way fee, drive the 240 kilometres back to Izmir, three and a half hours.

    Tours at this stop: Bodrum peninsula boat trip ↗Day trip to Kos ↗Castle and old town guided tour ↗

    Open the Bodrum travel guide →

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What the route costs

Rough total per person for the whole route, mid-range, travelling as a pair. Flights and hotels vary by season; details are on the destination pages.

  • Getting there 342 EUR
  • Accommodation 514 EUR
  • Food 428 EUR
  • Local mobility 449 EUR
1,733 EUR
Total per person · 12 days

Money & payment: You pay in Turkish lira (TRY). The exchange rate moves a lot, which is why all prices here are given in francs and euros. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; you need cash for the dolmuş, markets and tips.

Rental car for this route

A rental comparison link will follow once the partner programme is live. Until then, compare directly with the rental companies or at your arrival airport.

Tips for the route

The loop can start in Bodrum and end in Izmir; Pamukkale then sits in the middle and you need not hurry on the Aegean days at the end. The order here has a reason: after Izmir you drive only an hour to the first beach, and at the end Bodrum airport is closer to the drop-off than Izmir is to Bodrum.

Between Izmir, Çeşme and Aydın you drive on toll motorways. The HGS sticker is fixed to the hire car and the fees are charged on by the rental company afterwards, around CHF 10 to 20 (about EUR 11 to 21) for the whole loop. The D320, D585 and D330 main roads are toll-free, two-lane and in good condition, only winding and slow between Tavas and Muğla.

May and October are the months for this route: Ephesus at 25 degrees instead of 38, Çeşme without the Istanbul summer prices, the sea in Bodrum still or already 22 degrees. In July and August hotels in Çeşme and Bodrum cost double, and Pamukkale turns into a frying pan. In winter the beach resorts are half closed, but Ephesus and Pamukkale are gloriously empty.

Book the hotels in Çeşme and Bodrum before the trip; they fill up quickly in summer and on Turkish public holidays. Kuşadası, Pamukkale and Izmir have so many beds that you will find something even at short notice. For Ephesus buy the ticket online, which saves the queue at the gate, and pay the extra for the Terrace Houses.

You find petrol stations every 20 kilometres, many with good çay and clean toilets, and you pay by card. Parking in Alaçatı and Bodrum town is tedious in summer, so use the guarded car parks on the edge of town for a few francs. At the cruise port in Kuşadası the police stop traffic when a ship docks, so allow an extra quarter of an hour for the drive to Ephesus.

Bring: shoes with grip for Ephesus and Priene, as the marble is slippery, a bag for your shoes on the Pamukkale terraces, where you have to walk barefoot, swimwear for Cleopatra's Pool and for Ilıca, and your passport for the Chios ferry. A credit card is enough almost everywhere; cash for the dolmuş, parking attendants and the fish market in Gümüşlük.

Frequently asked questions about Aegean Round Trip

How many days do you need for the Turkish Aegean?

Twelve days for the whole loop with five bases and two to three nights each. In nine days you leave out Çeşme and drive straight from Izmir to Kuşadası. Less than a week means dropping Pamukkale, but that still leaves a lovely Aegean week between Izmir, Ephesus and Bodrum.

When is the best time?

May, June, September and October. The ruins are then walkable at 22 to 30 degrees, the sea warm enough and prices in Çeşme and Bodrum a third below summer levels. In April the slopes around Ephesus are in bloom, but swimming is cold. July and August are hot, crowded and expensive.

Hire car or public transport?

Hire car. The towns are connected by intercity buses, but Şirince, Priene, Miletus, Didyma, the coves around Çeşme and the Bodrum peninsula can only be reached with detours and dolmuş changes. A small car costs around CHF 30 to 45 (about EUR 32 to 48) per day, fuel about the same as in Switzerland, and as a couple you are cheaper with a car than with tours.

What does the round trip cost per person?

Around CHF 1,600 (about EUR 1,710) per person travelling as a couple in mid-range: flight 320, eleven hotel nights 480, food 400, hire car with fuel, tolls and one-way surcharge 420. Entrance fees for Ephesus, Pamukkale and the castle add around CHF 80 in total. In October you save a good 150 francs on hotels.

What is driving like on the Aegean?

Easy. Motorways and main roads are well built and signposted, and traffic outside Izmir is calm. Watch out for the roundabouts, where nobody gives way, the speed cameras on the D320 and the tractors during the olive harvest in October. A Swiss driving licence is sufficient; book the fully comprehensive cover without excess online beforehand.

Which shorter or longer version is there?

Shorter: Izmir, Kuşadası, Bodrum in eight days without Çeşme and Pamukkale. Longer: after Pamukkale slot in two nights in Dalyan with its turtle beach, or take the ferry to Kos from Bodrum and add a Greek day. With Datça, the peninsula south of Bodrum, it becomes a quiet third week.

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