Shiraz is the center of Fars Province located in the southwest of Iran. The excellent geographic location and its evergreen gardens like the Eram Garden have caused Shiraz to enjoy a four-season climate with mild winters and summers. Also, Shiraz is famous for its relaxing atmosphere, happy people, and amazing spring days which is the best time of the year for visiting Shiraz and is when the whole city is covered with fragrant orange blossoms, flowers, and green trees. Before you explore Shiraz, you might think that what are the top things that should be done here, so that you get the best out of the time spent in this city. So, the list below might help you plan your Shiraz itinerary correctly.
Tourists Visiting Tomb of Hafez - Shiraz - Iran
1- Walk along the Vakil Bazaar
Although it originally dates back to the 11th century, Vakil Bazaar is one of the most important elements of the Zand Complex which was built in Shiraz during the Zand Dynasty, when Shiraz was the capital of Iran and is one of the most amazing traditional bazaars of Iran. This bazaar includes bathhouses, caravanserais, long corridors, roofed junctions with amazing brickworks, and old shops selling textiles, different spices, Persian rugs, and antiques. Walk along this bazaar, listen to the sounds, get amazed by the colors of textiles and aromas spread in the air, and enjoy the oriental atmosphere. Vakil Mosque, Vakil bathhouse, Pars Museum, and the Karimkhan Citadel are other monuments of the Zand Complex that you will visit in the area.
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Vakil Bazaar - Shiraz, Iran |
2- Explore the surviving ancient sites
The vast land of Fars Province is home to glorious legacies from ancient civilizations. By driving for only 60 kilometers away from Shiraz, you’ll reach Persepolis the UNESCO listed capital of the Achaemenid kings dating back to 518 BC and Necropolis (Naqsh-e Rostam) which is a collection of rock reliefs from the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras. Persepolis (Takht-e Jamshid) and Necropolis are among the top attractions that you’ll visit in Iran. On the other hand, eight of the Sassanid legacies including the fortified structures, palaces, and ancient city plans are located in the southeast of Fars Province (Bishapour, Firuzabad, Sarvestan) and are reachable from Shiraz by about 2 hours driving. The Sassanid Archeological landscape of Fars region is a UNESCO World Heritage and is so worth visiting.
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Huma Bird statue in Persepolis - Iran |
3- Visit the Nasir al Molk Mosque in the morning
With its exquisite architecture and eye-catching tilework, the Nasir al Molk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, has become one of the highlights of Shiraz and one of the must-see mosques in Iran. Apart from its tilework, what makes this gorgeous mosque stand out is its main hall which is ornamented with stained glass lattice windows. In the morning when the sunshine passes through the windows, the hall gets decorated with colorful lights and creates an unforgettable magical atmosphere.
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Nasir al Molk Mosque - Shiraz Iran |
4- Taste Shirazi food
Shiraz is the city of gastronomy. This city is packed with Iranian restaurants, cute cafés like Ferdowsi Café, and fast foods serving diverse international food. Apart from having Iranian cuisines like kebabs and stews, make sure to taste some Shirazi food in local restaurants that are happened to be very popular among the people of Shiraz and the foreign travelers like the traditional Parhami House, which is a historical house renovated into a professional restaurant. Kalam Polo which is made with rice, cabbage, and meatballs is the most famous Shirazi food that you shouldn’t miss in Shiraz. Also do not forget to taste some traditional ice-cream and Faloodeh, which is a fizzy starch desert, downtown especially at the old cafés around the Zand Complex.
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kalam Polo - Shiraz local food |
5- Read some Hafez poems
No one knows the soothing atmosphere of Shiraz is the reason why this city has been home to poets and mystics or vice versa, but what is clear is that this city feels just peaceful. One of the best places to experience this amazing feeling is the Tomb of Hafez, the Persian poem who spent his entire life (1315-1390) in this city and wrote amazing poems. Hafez is known as the poet “who lauded the joys of love and wine but also targeted religious hypocrisy”. Visiting the Tomb of Hafez, which is also a contemporary Iranian architecture masterpiece, would be completed by reading some of his wonderful poems (Ghazal) translated into English or asking a local to read the original version to you so that you can enjoy its musical rhythm. Saadi was another great Iranian poet who was born and today his tomb is one of the atmospheric locations which attracts local and travelers in Shiraz.
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Tomb of Hafez - Shiraz, Iran |
Since the attractions and activities in Shiraz are among the top things that you do in Iran and no traveler wants to miss them, every Iran tour includes two or three nights in this city. As an Iranian travel agency, PackToIran is not an exception and you can enjoy visiting Shiraz on our various guided tours around Iran.
