• Explore Izmir’s Museum of Culture and Art, one of the country’s richest repositories of ancient artifacts.
• Roam the open-air Izmir Agora Museum, site of an ancient agora that was Smyrna’s heart.
• See vestiges of stunning freestanding colonnades and covered walkways known as stoa.
• Enjoy time on your own at the 18th-century Kizlaragasi Hani Bazaar to shop or sip a Turkish coffee.

• Visit the striking and well-preserved ruins of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Admire the authentically restored façade of the AD 125 Library of Celsus, named for a Roman Senator.
• Study striking excavated treasures, such as the Odeon Theater and the public baths.
• Gaze at the breathtaking Great Theater, which seats 24,000 spectators and is still in use.
• Explore the richly ornate Terrace Houses, where the wealthiest residents lived.

• Investigate the ruins of Pergamum, a UNESCO World Heritage site where parchment was invented.
• Discover an ancient library that once contained 200,000 books, making Pergamum a noted Roman cultural center.
• Stroll Pergamum’s acropolis, whose strategic hilltop placement assured it was nearly impenetrable.
• Survey striking remains such as the Temple of Trajan, the Sanctuary of Demeter and the agora.
• Visit 4th-century BC Asclepion, an ancient healing center honoring the Greek god of medicine.
• Savor a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.

• Discover how the long-forgotten wineries in the Urla district have been revitalized.
• Savor a meal that reflects the local cuisine at an elegant restaurant.

• Spend free time exploring the surrounding neighborhood after dining.

• Visit the striking and well-preserved ruins of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Admire the authentically restored façade of the AD 125 Library of Celsus, named for a Roman Senator.
• Study enthralling excavated treasures, such as the Odeon Theater and the public baths.
• Gaze at the breathtaking Great Theater, which seats 24,000 spectators and is still in use.
• Appreciate time to shop for antique jewelry or handmade carpets in alluring Kusadasi.

• Experience the ancient Lydian capital of Sardis, entering the city by roads lined with stately columns.
• See an impressive two-story gymnasium complex that once housed a synagogue.
• Explore remains of a 3rd-century BC temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis.
• Appreciate a brief familiarization tour of Izmir.

OVERVIEW Settle in for a panoramic drive through Izmir, an ancient city whose origins date back more than 5,000 years, and then dine on a gourmet meal that showcases the local cuisine. Izmir exudes history through its many excavated archaeological sites, yet it is still a modern metropolis, especially around the shimmering Gulf of Izmir. The restaurant Soiree overlooks the waterfront and offers an extraordinary setting for your lunch. It occupies a building in the Konak Pier Shopping Mall that was used as a customs house in the 19th century. In this atmospheric location, you will enjoy a leisurely multi-course meal that showcases the local ingredients. The area’s signature sour plums will be prepared into a sauce to accompany the veal shank entrée and an exquisitely flavored type of local pear will be featured in the dessert. Local wines or raki – the national drink of Turkey – will also be served.

• Discover the site thought to be the last home of the Virgin Mary until her Assumption.
• Visit the striking and well-preserved ruins of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Marvel at Ephesus’ 24,000-seat Great Theater, 2nd-century Library of Celsus and the Odeon Theater.
• Lunch will be served at a handicraft center in Selcuk.
• Relish time to shop for souvenirs, jewelry or handmade Turkish carpets at the handicraft center.

• Discover ancient Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site, under the tutelage of an expert archaeologist.
• View parts of Ephesus off-limits to most visitors with a guided look at some of its most breathtaking ruins.
• See relics of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Relish a flavorful lunch at a handicrafts center located near the ancient site.