Iran · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Iran
These are the bazaars, mosques, gardens, teahouses and stays we would point a friend to in Iran, from the famous classics to quiet corners. Places can close or change hours, so check before you go, especially for anything we have marked as unconfirmed.
Places to Visit in Tehran
Arts and Culture
- Golestan Palace (Arg Square)
The mirrored halls and tiled courtyards of the Qajar kings are Tehran's most beautiful sight. - National Museum of Iran (Imam Khomeini Street)
Finds from Persepolis, Susa and prehistoric Iran tell the country's story in one visit. - Treasury of National Jewels (Ferdowsi Avenue)
A vault under the Central Bank holding the Darya-ye Noor diamond and the Peacock Throne, open only a few days a week. - Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Laleh Park)
A rare collection of modern Western and Iranian art in a building inspired by desert windcatchers. - Glass and Ceramics Museum (Si Tir Street)
A small Qajar mansion full of ancient glass and pottery, quiet and beautifully lit. - Saadabad Palace Complex (Shemiran)
Royal palaces and museums set in a leafy hillside park in the cool north of the city. - Niavaran Palace Complex (Niavaran)
The last Shah's family home, preserved with its furniture, cars and gardens. - Iranian Artists Forum (Honarmandan Park)
Galleries, a café and a creative crowd in a park in central Tehran.
Shopping and Markets
- Grand Bazaar of Tehran (Panzdah-e Khordad)
Kilometres of covered lanes selling carpets, spices, copper and gold, with mosques hidden inside. - Tajrish Bazaar (Tajrish)
A lively local market for fruit, herbs, pickles and sweets beside the Imamzadeh Saleh shrine.
Things to Do
- Tabiat Bridge (Abbas Abad)
A striking three level footbridge between two parks, packed with families at sunset. - Tochal Telecabin (Velenjak)
A long cable car ride up into the Alborz, with hiking in summer and skiing in winter. - Azadi Tower (Azadi Square)
The city's landmark gateway, built in 1971, with a museum underneath. - Former US Embassy Museum (Taleghani Street)
The old embassy compound, now a museum telling the revolutionary story of 1979. - Milad Tower (Gisha)
One of the tallest towers in the world, with a viewing deck over the whole city. - Masoudieh Palace (Baharestan)
A restored Qajar palace complex with gardens and occasional exhibitions.
Nature and Outdoors
- Darband (Shemiran)
A mountain path lined with teahouses and kebab places beside a rushing stream. - Jamshidieh Park (Niavaran)
A rocky hillside park with streams, viewpoints and easy walks above the city.
Restaurants
- Moslem Restaurant (Grand Bazaar)
A famous, always busy bazaar lunch spot for saffron chicken and kebab with rice. - Shandiz Restaurant (Jordan Street)
A well known name for lamb shishlik and grilled kebabs.
Cafés
- Cafe Naderi (Jomhouri Avenue)
A historic café attached to an old hotel, once a meeting place of Tehran's writers. - Lamiz Coffee (Tehran)
A local speciality coffee chain that shows how serious young Tehran is about coffee.
Events
- Fajr International Film Festival (Tehran)
Iran's main film festival each winter, with screenings across the capital. - Tehran International Book Fair (Imam Khomeini Mosalla)
One of the largest book fairs in Asia, a huge spring event for readers.
Stays
- Espinas Palace Hotel (Saadat Abad)
A large modern hotel in the north of the city, popular with business visitors. - Parsian Azadi Hotel (Chamran Expressway)
A landmark tower hotel with mountain views.
Bars and Nightlife
- Valiasr Street evening walk (Valiasr Street)
Iran has no bars, but a walk along the long plane tree lined street shows Tehran's evening life.
Places to Visit in Isfahan
Arts and Culture
- Naqsh-e Jahan Square (Central Isfahan)
One of the grandest public squares in the world, ringed by mosques, a palace and the bazaar. - Shah Mosque (Naqsh-e Jahan Square)
A masterpiece of Safavid blue tile work with a famous echoing dome. - Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (Naqsh-e Jahan Square)
A small royal mosque whose dome glows cream and pink, often called Iran's most perfect building. - Ali Qapu Palace (Naqsh-e Jahan Square)
A palace terrace over the square and a music room carved with sound niches. - Jameh Mosque of Isfahan (Old city)
A thousand years of Persian mosque architecture in one quiet, rambling complex. - Chehel Sotoun (Central Isfahan)
A Safavid pavilion of slender columns reflected in a long pool, with vivid wall paintings. - Vank Cathedral (New Julfa)
An Armenian cathedral whose plain exterior hides walls covered in frescoes. - Hasht Behesht Palace (Bagh-e Bolbol)
A small garden pavilion of the Safavid kings, calm and often overlooked. - Music Museum of Isfahan (New Julfa)
A private museum of Iranian instruments, often with a short live performance. - Monar Jonban (West Isfahan)
The shaking minarets, where one moves when the other is pushed.
Things to Do
- Khaju Bridge (Zayandeh River)
The best place in the city at dusk, when people gather and sometimes sing under the arches. - Si-o-se Pol (Zayandeh River)
The thirty three arch bridge, a favourite evening walk for local families.
Shopping and Markets
- Qeysarieh Bazaar (Naqsh-e Jahan Square)
The old royal bazaar, full of workshops for enamel, miniatures and printed cloth. - Gaz shops on Chaharbagh (Chaharbagh Street)
Shops selling Isfahan's pistachio nougat, the classic sweet to take home.
Cafés
- Azadegan Teahouse (Naqsh-e Jahan Square)
A cluttered old teahouse hung with lamps and curios, just off the square.
Restaurants
- Shahrzad Restaurant (Abbas Abad Street)
A traditional dining room with mirror work, serving classic Persian dishes.
Nature and Outdoors
- Nazhvan Forest Park (West Isfahan)
A large green park by the river with walking paths and family picnics.
Stays
- Abbasi Hotel (Chaharbagh Street)
A grand hotel in a converted Safavid caravanserai with a beautiful garden courtyard.
Events
- Nowruz in Isfahan (Naqsh-e Jahan Square)
Persian New Year brings families, picnics and lights to the square in late March.
Places to Visit in Shiraz
Arts and Culture
- Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (Old Shiraz)
The pink mosque, where morning light through stained glass floods the prayer hall with colour. - Tomb of Hafez (Hafezieh)
The garden tomb of Iran's most loved poet, where people come to recite his verses. - Tomb of Saadi (Saadieh)
A quieter garden tomb of the great poet, with an underground fish pool. - Narenjestan Qavam (Old Shiraz)
A garden house of orange trees and mirror work, lovely in spring. - Vakil Mosque (Old Shiraz)
A prayer hall of carved twisting columns and floral tiles. - Vakil Bath (Old Shiraz)
An old bathhouse turned museum, with figures showing how the baths were used. - Shah Cheragh (Old Shiraz)
A dazzling mirrored shrine, open to non-Muslims with a guide provided at the gate. - Afif Abad Garden (Shiraz)
A garden palace with a small military museum. - Ali Ebn-e Hamze Shrine (Old Shiraz)
A mirrored shrine that is quieter than Shah Cheragh.
Nature and Outdoors
- Eram Garden (Eram)
A UNESCO listed Persian garden of cypress avenues, pools and a Qajar pavilion. - Quran Gate (North Shiraz)
The old city gate and a hillside park with views across Shiraz at sunset.
Shopping and Markets
- Vakil Bazaar (Old Shiraz)
An eighteenth century brick bazaar for spices, textiles and nomad rugs. - Moshir Caravanserai (Old Shiraz)
A restored caravanserai with craft shops and a courtyard.
Things to Do
- Arg of Karim Khan (Shohada Square)
A brick citadel with a famous leaning tower in the city centre. - Persepolis (Marvdasht)
The ceremonial capital of the ancient Persian kings, with carved staircases and great columns. - Naqsh-e Rostam (Marvdasht)
Royal tombs cut into a cliff above Sasanian rock reliefs. - Pasargadae (Fars)
The simple stone tomb of Cyrus the Great in a wide open plain.
Restaurants
- Haft Khan Restaurant (Shiraz)
A large, popular restaurant complex with several dining styles.
Cafés
- Faloodeh Shirazi shops (Vakil Bazaar area)
Try the frozen rose water noodle dessert where locals buy it.
Stays
- Niayesh Boutique Hotel (Old Shiraz)
A traditional courtyard hotel in the heart of the old city.
Events
- Hafez Day (Hafezieh)
Each October Iranians gather at the poet's tomb for readings and music.
Places to Visit in Yazd
Arts and Culture
- Jameh Mosque of Yazd (Old town)
The tallest tiled portal in Iran, lovely at night. - Amir Chakhmaq Complex (Old town)
Three tiers of arched niches over a square where families gather in the evening. - Atash Behram Fire Temple (Yazd)
A Zoroastrian temple keeping a flame said to have burned for fifteen centuries. - Yazd Water Museum (Yazd)
Explains the ancient qanat channels that kept desert life going. - Lari House (Fahadan)
A Qajar merchant's house with windcatchers and courtyards.
Nature and Outdoors
- Towers of Silence (South Yazd)
Two hills where Zoroastrians once laid out the dead, best climbed at sunset. - Dowlatabad Garden (Yazd)
A Persian garden with one of the tallest windcatchers in Iran.
Shopping and Markets
- Haj Khalifeh Ali Rahbar (Yazd)
Yazd's best known sweet shop, for baklava, ghotab and pashmak. - Khan Bazaar (Old town)
Yazd's old bazaar for textiles, sweets and spices.
Things to Do
- Old town rooftop walks (Fahadan)
Lanes of mud brick and windcatchers, best seen from a rooftop at sunset. - Zurkhaneh Saheb A Zaman (Yazd)
Watch traditional Persian athletes train to drums and chanting in an old cistern. - Chak Chak (Yazd Province)
A Zoroastrian cliff shrine with dripping water, an hour into the desert. - Kharanaq (Yazd Province)
An abandoned mud brick village with a shaking minaret. - Meybod (Yazd Province)
A pottery town with a pigeon tower, ice house and old caravanserai.
Stays
- Moshir al Mamalek Garden Hotel (Yazd)
A hotel set in a historic Persian garden. - Silk Road Hotel (Old town)
A long running traditional courtyard hotel near the Jameh Mosque. - Dad Hotel (Yazd)
A grand courtyard hotel in a converted old building.
Events
- Muharram ceremonies (Amir Chakhmaq Square)
Mourning rituals in the month of Muharram fill the square, a deep cultural experience.
Places to Visit in Tabriz
Shopping and Markets
- Tabriz Historic Bazaar (Central Tabriz)
One of the largest covered bazaars in the world, a UNESCO site. - Muzaffariyeh Timche (Tabriz Bazaar)
The carpet hall of the bazaar, where traders explain designs and knots.
Arts and Culture
- Blue Mosque of Tabriz (Central Tabriz)
Fragments of fifteenth century tile mosaic of extraordinary depth and colour. - Arg of Tabriz (Central Tabriz)
A massive brick wall from an unfinished medieval mosque. - Azerbaijan Museum (Imam Khomeini Street)
Finds from the region's ancient sites and a sculpture gallery. - Constitution House (Tabriz Bazaar area)
Where the leaders of the constitutional revolution met, now a museum. - Saint Stepanos Monastery (Near Jolfa)
An Armenian monastery in a gorge, part of a UNESCO listing. - Qareh Kelisa (West Azerbaijan)
The Saint Thaddeus Monastery, an ancient Armenian church in remote hills. - Maqbaratoshoara (Surkhab)
The Tomb of Poets, a modern monument where many Persian poets lie.
Nature and Outdoors
- El Goli (South east Tabriz)
A park and lake with a pavilion, busy with families at dusk. - Eynali Mountain (North Tabriz)
A mountain park with a cable car and views over the city.
Things to Do
- Kandovan (Osku County)
A village of homes carved into volcanic rock cones, still lived in.
Stays
- Pars El Goli Hotel (El Goli)
A large hotel above El Goli park.
Places to Visit in Kashan
Arts and Culture
- Tabatabaei House (Old Kashan)
A merchant's house of courtyards, stucco and stained glass. - Boroujerdi House (Old Kashan)
A grand house with distinctive windcatchers and painted walls. - Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse (Old Kashan)
A beautifully tiled bathhouse with a rooftop of domes to walk on. - Agha Bozorg Mosque (Kashan)
An unusual sunken courtyard mosque and school. - Sialk Hills (Kashan)
Remains of one of the oldest settlements on the Iranian plateau.
Nature and Outdoors
- Fin Garden (Fin)
One of Iran's oldest Persian gardens, with spring fed channels and pools.
Shopping and Markets
- Kashan Bazaar (Central Kashan)
An old bazaar with the stunning Timche-ye Amin od-Dowleh dome.
Things to Do
- Abyaneh (Natanz County)
A red mud village in the mountains where elders still wear traditional dress. - Maranjab Desert (Aran va Bidgol)
Dunes, a salt lake and a caravanserai for a desert night near Kashan.
Events
- Rosewater festival (Qamsar)
In May villages near Kashan distil rosewater from fresh roses, a fragrant spring event.
Stays
- Manouchehri House (Old Kashan)
A restored historic house hotel with courtyards and a café.
Places to Visit in Mashhad
Arts and Culture
- Imam Reza Shrine (Mashhad)
Iran's holiest site and one of the largest shrine complexes in the world.
Places to Visit in Qeshm Island
Nature and Outdoors
- Chahkooh Canyon (Qeshm Island)
A narrow rock canyon carved by water, part of a UNESCO geopark.
Places to Visit in Hormuz Island
Nature and Outdoors
- Rainbow Valley (Hormuz Island)
Red, ochre and silver soils on a small Gulf island.
Places to Visit in Masuleh
Things to Do
- Masuleh Village (Gilan)
A stepped mountain village where the roofs of one house form the street above.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Dizi Sara (Central Tehran, Tehran)
A simple place to try dizi, the lamb stew you pound at the table. - Divan Restaurant (Sam Center, Fereshteh, Tehran)
Modern Persian cooking with views over north Tehran. - Pardisan Park (West Tehran, Tehran)
A big nature park with walking trails and wildlife exhibits for families. - Firouzeh Hotel (Amir Kabir Street, Tehran)
A simple central hotel long popular with independent travellers. - Ferdowsi Street carpet shops (Ferdowsi Avenue, Tehran)
A row of carpet dealers close to the museums, good for comparing before buying. - Azam Beryani (Near Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan)
A long running spot for beryani, Isfahan's grilled minced lamb in bread. - Pigeon Towers of Isfahan (Isfahan outskirts, Isfahan)
Huge old towers built to collect pigeon droppings for farm fertiliser. - Ghasr Monshi Hotel (Old city, Isfahan)
A restored traditional house hotel with a courtyard and pool. - Roozegar Cafe (New Julfa, Isfahan)
A relaxed café in the Armenian quarter's lanes. - Shapouri House (Old Shiraz, Shiraz)
A garden house with a restaurant in a restored Qajar mansion. - Taha Hotel (Shiraz, Shiraz)
A simple, central hotel used by many independent travellers. - Talar-e Yazd (Yazd, Yazd)
A traditional dining hall for local dishes in a historic setting. - Khan Bazaar rooftop cafes (Old town, Yazd)
Rooftop cafés above the bazaar for tea and sunset views. - Kufteh Tabrizi restaurants (Central Tabriz, Tabriz)
Try the giant stuffed meatballs the city is famous for. - Khaneh Ehsan (Old Kashan, Kashan)
A traditional house with a courtyard café.