Izmit

Introduction

İzmit is the capital of Kocaeli Province, set on the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara in northwestern Anatolia. It lies roughly 100 km east of Istanbul, close enough that the two are often mentioned in the same breath, and the city's urban area spreads across the surrounding districts of Kartepe, Başiskele, Körfez, Gölcük, Derince and Sapanca.

As in Istanbul, the city and its province are closely intertwined, and İzmit is the largest Turkish city whose name is not shared with its province. Use it as a base for the gulf and the wider Kocaeli area.

Before you go

Izmit sits on the Istanbul–Ankara transport corridor and has long been an industrial city, so you are more likely to arrive for business — the automobile industry in particular — or while passing through than for a holiday. The head of the gulf is lined with commercial and military docks, and the city will never be mistaken for a beach resort. Bear in mind too that the region is earthquake country: a devastating quake in 1999 destroyed much of Izmit's Ottoman architecture, and the city was rebuilt in its aftermath.

The climate is oceanic, modified by the surrounding Mediterranean zone and the low altitude. Summers are very warm, broken by occasional thundery downpours, with nights cooler than nearby Istanbul. Spring and autumn are mild and the ideal time to visit, though they bring more rain, and nights can dip low from as early as November to as late as May. Winters are chilly and wet, and snow is possible. Whatever the season, the cold waters of the gulf generate overnight mist that seeps across town in the morning.

Getting there

Fast YHT trains run several times a day from Ankara and from Konya, via Eskişehir and Arifiye, and continue west from Izmit toward Gebze and the Istanbul stations at Pendik (handy for SAW airport), Bostancı and Söğütlüçeşme, with one daily service running further out to Halkalı. You can also reach the area on the Marmaray suburban train from Istanbul as far as Gebze and change there, and regional trains link Gebze with Izmit, Arifiye and Adapazarı. An overnight Ankara Express also calls at Izmit in both directions. Check TCDD for timetables and tickets. Izmit railway station sits at the western edge of the town centre, close to the budget accommodation area.

Buses from Istanbul Harem, the Asian terminal, run roughly every hour or two, with a few starting from Esenler on the European side or requiring a change at Gebze; Efe Tur is the main operator, and Metro Turizm also runs frequent services that call here between Istanbul and Ankara. From Ankara, expect about five buses a day. The otogar, or main bus station, is by the bypass on the northeastern edge of the city, so you'll need a dolmuş to get into town — this may be included in your ticket, so ask when booking — while trams also run to the centre and on to the esplanade. By car, the D100 from Istanbul runs straight through the city centre and is often congested as it negotiates town centres and industrial areas; the limited-access, tolled O-4/E80 to its north is a better choice, and the O-7 further north is faster again but carries a higher toll. In normal traffic, the drive from Istanbul's Asian side takes a little over an hour.

Getting around

The most rewarding part of İzmit to explore on foot is the compact core around the clock tower, where the sights of most interest to a short-stay visitor are concentrated. Beyond that central zone the city sprawls and climbs into hilly older quarters, so plan on switching to a dolmuş or taxi for most other journeys. Two boulevards link the clock tower area with the commercial district, and their traffic rules shape how you pick up transport: İnönü Cd runs one-way westbound, while Cumhuriyet Cd is two-way, so look for your ride accordingly.

• Tram (Akçaray): a single line linking the bus station in the east, through the centre, to Seka and the western suburbs — useful for the bus terminal–centre–esplanade corridor.
• Dolmuş: fills the gaps the tram line does not cover, particularly the sprawling districts away from the centre.
• Taxi: the other recommended option alongside the dolmuş for reaching parts of town beyond the walkable centre; hail one in the conventional way or ask your accommodation to arrange it.
• Arriving by bus: the Otogar sits by the bypass on the northeastern edge, not within comfortable walking distance of the centre, so you will need a dolmuş into town — this transfer is sometimes included in your ticket, so ask when you book.
• Arriving by rail: the railway station is at the western edge of the town centre near the budget accommodation area; YHT fast trains stop at Pendik, which serves Sabiha Gökçen Airport, and Marmaray can bring you as far as Gebze, where you change for a service onward to İzmit.
• Arriving by car: of the routes from Istanbul, D100 passes through the centre and is often congested; O-4/E80 is the better choice, and O-7 further north is the fastest option.

Where to stay

İzmit has two main accommodation strips. Along the D100 on the south edge of town you'll find the budget options, though you may have to hold your nose. East along the D605, the choices shift to pricier business hotels.

• La Flora House Hotel — a reliable mid-price option near the intersection of the main highways.
• Ramada Plaza — a mid-price chain hotel offering comfort and efficient service.
• Business Palas Otel — convenient for the highway, but with mixed reviews for comfort and cleanliness.
• Wes Hotel — across the D100 from the Ethnographic Museum, with small rooms that are clean and convenient.

Başiskele, a separate town on the south shore of the gulf, is worth considering if you're driving towards Bursa. There you'll find Tryp by Wyndham İzmit, a good smart chain hotel on the coast.

Food & drink

What to see and do

Izmit's sights cluster near the railway station and the leafy plaza that holds the Clock Tower, a neoclassical structure built in 1901 as part of a series marking Sultan Abdul Hamid II's reign, prettified with fountains and restored in 2006. Beside it, off İnönü Cd, the Imperial Pavilion Museum occupies an 1860s lodge built for Sultan Abdulaziz, while the Kocaeli Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, in a 19th-century former railway station, displays Paleolithic, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman finds. Down on the coast next to the station, an old US warship and a submarine have been moored and converted into the Izmit Naval Museum, visitable by pre-booked guided tour. From the clock tower, the alley of Kapanca Sokak winds uphill past preserved and restored traditional Ottoman houses, including the Selim Sirri Pasha Mansion, with the House of Atatürk and the National Struggle a short distance east. Elsewhere in the city you can see the Orhan Mosque, built soon after the Ottoman conquest and repaired after later earthquakes; the Fevziye Mosque, a replica of a 16th-century original destroyed in the 1999 earthquake; and the Pertev Paşa Mosque, or "New Mosque", dating from 1579. The SEKA Paper Museum, in the converted halls of a mill that operated from 1936 to 2005, covers the technology and artistry of paper-making, with a hands-on science museum next door and a collection of mock-up Ottoman buildings, the Seka Park Film Set, nearby.

For exercise, the esplanade works for strolling, but the shore itself and the murky water are best avoided; the gulf's eastern head is industrial, and the best of a poor choice for a beach is the stony south shore at Başiskele. Football fans can watch Kocaelispor, promoted in 2025 to the Süper Lig, at their Kocaeli Stadyumu east of the town centre.

When to go

İzmit has a humid subtropical climate, which means hot, muggy summers and cool, wet winters, with rain spread fairly evenly through the year. Summer is the warmest stretch, but it is also noticeably wetter here than at other spots along the northern Sea of Marmara coast, so pack for rain even in the warm months. Expect muggy conditions and keep a rain layer within reach.

• Summer: Hot and often muggy, with rain still a real possibility despite the heat.
• Late fall and winter: The heaviest precipitation of the year, with frequent rain and cooler conditions as summer gives way.
• Winter: Cool and wet, with snowfall fairly common and heavy snow a genuine risk, so wintry conditions can disrupt travel.

Three days in Izmit

Day one: Base yourself in Izmit, on the Gulf, and get your bearings along the waterfront before heading out to the districts around the Sea of Marmara. Kartepe, Başiskele, Körfez, Gölcük and Derince all sit within easy reach, so you can shape the day around whatever pace suits you. Use the fast YHT trains if you would rather let someone else handle the driving.

Day two: Push further east towards Sapanca and the Anatolian side, or stay closer and take in the Ottoman traces that give the province its character. Summers here are warm and humid, winters can be bitterly cold, and spring and November sit somewhere in between, so pack for the season you find yourself in.

Day three: Loop back through the Gulf towns and pick up anything you missed, whether that is a stretch of Mediterranean-style shoreline or a slower morning in one of the smaller districts. If you are connecting onward, Gebze, Pendik, SAW, Bostancı, Söğütlüçeşme and Halkalı are the names to watch for on the rail and air network, with Istanbul, Ankara, Konya and Eskişehir all within reach.