Things to do in Shiraz
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Shiraz
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is best, with bitter orange blossom, roses and 18 to 30 degree weather in April and May.
Summer is worst for sightseeing at 38 degrees plus, but Maharloo is pinkest and hotel rates drop.
Autumn is second best, cooler and thinner in crowds, with good Persepolis conditions.
Winter is quiet with cold nights, empty sights, structural gardens and the lowest hotel prices.
What's on
- Nowruz ~20 March - 2 April
Persian New Year, joyful and flower filled but extremely busy with domestic tourism.
- Sizdah Bedar ~1-2 April
The whole city picnics outdoors, with gridlock leaving green spaces.
- Shiraz Day 15 Ordibehesht (~5 May)
Municipal celebrations, garden events and civic pride across the city.
- Hafez Day ~11-12 October
Readings, music and ceremonies at Hafezieh honouring the poet.
- Mehregan early October
An ancient Persian harvest festival observed culturally in Shiraz.
- Cyrus Day ~29 October
Commemorations at Pasargadae can draw large crowds and access controls.
- Yalda Night ~20-21 December
Winter solstice family night of Hafez divination, pomegranate and watermelon.
Best things to do in Shiraz
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque
Stained glass throws pink and turquoise light across the prayer hall carpets in the early morning.
Shahcheragh Shrine
Mirror mosaic turns the shrine interior into green and silver light, and a free guide explains it.
Tomb of Hafez
At night families fill the garden, drink tea and read Hafez aloud around his marble tomb.
Eram Garden
A UNESCO Persian garden of cypress, roses and orange trees leading to a tiled Qajar pavilion.
Narenjestan-e Qavam
A Qavam reception pavilion of mirror work and painted ceilings fronting a bitter orange garden.
Zinat al-Molk House
The Qavam family private house adds mirrored halls and painted rooms beside Narenjestan.
Vakil Bazaar
A calm brick vaulted bazaar for Qashqai carpets, spices and masghati sweets, with low hassle.
Saraye Moshir
A caravanserai courtyard off the bazaar with craft shops around a pool and tea.
Where to stay in Shiraz
Zand Boulevard / Lotf Ali Khan Zand - Historic Centre
first trip, all-round base
Walk to Vakil and the Arg, with every food tier and easy Persepolis pickups.
Sang-e Siah / Old City lanes
most atmospheric base
Narrow Qajar lanes minutes from the Pink Mosque, with courtyard houses and morning tea.
Eram / Qur'an Gate / Hafez Area
return visits and families
Leafy, quieter and more spacious north of the river, with garden hotels and parking.
Ghasrodasht / Chamran / Afif-Abad / Maaliabad
local life, long stays
Modern cafes and restaurants where Shirazis eat, with apartments for longer stays.
Think twice about
- Saadiyeh, far northeast around Saadi's Tomb
Few hotels, restaurants or cafes and a long awkward rush hour ride to the Vakil and Pink Mosque cluster.
- Deep southern old-city lanes well south of Shahcheragh
Very narrow congested alleys, early noise, patchy lighting and few verified quality properties.
- Modarres Boulevard / Airport / Industrial South and the Amir Kabir bus-terminal strip
Highway scale logistics Shiraz with long rides to every sight and little to walk to after dark.
- Far northwestern new-town edges (Golestan / Sadra direction)
New residential expansion with limited tourist infrastructure and the longest commutes.
Best restaurants in Shiraz
Haft Khan Restaurant Complex
A huge multi floor complex for a celebratory traditional meal with English friendly service.
Parhami Traditional Restaurant
A small courtyard house serving the best kalam polo, the one specifically Shirazi meal to seek out.
Sharzeh Traditional Restaurant
An old city institution for kebabs, live traditional music and a busy evening atmosphere.
Shater Abbas
Long running traditional food from an open kitchen, praised for kalam polo and terrific value.
Soofi Traditional Restaurant
A reliable large traditional restaurant used by Iranian families for gatherings and mixed groups.
Hedayat Café-Restaurant
The best reviewed entry to modern Shiraz cafe culture, with specialty coffee and Persian modern brunch.
Brentin
The west side's smarter modern Persian dining, vegetarian friendly in listings.
Ash-e Sabzi
Thick herby peppery soup eaten early with fresh bread, lemon and workers starting their day.
Best coffee in Shiraz
Mahooni Café
A well supported modern cafe in the west side scene, a break from traditional kebab menus.
Café Arg
A well reviewed cafe for coffee and cakes, part of the west and centre cafe scene.
Outdoor things to do in Shiraz
Persepolis
Achaemenid reliefs and palace ruins that need a guide and an opening time start to read properly.
Naqsh-e Rostam
Four royal Achaemenid tombs cut high into a cliff, with Sassanian reliefs below.
Naqsh-e Rajab
Compact early Sassanian reliefs in a small rock amphitheatre, almost always empty.
Pasargadae
Cyrus the Great's stark limestone tomb on an open plain carries enormous historic weight.
Bishapur
A Sassanian city in a green river valley, with the Anahita water temple and palace remains.
Tang-e Chogan
Six Sassanian triumph reliefs line the Shapur River gorge near Bishapur.
Shapur Cave
A steep climb leads to a vast cave holding a 7 metre statue of Shapur I carved from a stalagmite.
Margoon Waterfall
Water emerges from hundreds of springs across a wide rock face in braided snake like streams.
Best hotels in Shiraz
Zandiyeh Hotel
The consensus best address in Shiraz, a traditional style 5 star behind the Citadel.
Darb-e Shazdeh Boutique Hotel
A restored Qajar mansion near Vakil Bazaar with a serene courtyard and individually styled rooms.
Shirazis Hotel
A solid modern hotel near the Citadel with breakfast, tour desk, parking and family rooms.
Aryo Barzan Hotel
A dependable 3 to 4 star Zand and Rudaki hotel where everything works without romance.
Eram Hotel
A long serving 3 star on Zand that has filled the solid central hotel role for decades.
Vakil Hotel
A traditional style central hotel with a courtyard pond, priced for its position.
Arg Hotel
A dependable cheap centre option with a rooftop restaurant near the main sights.
Forough Traditional Hotel
A small owner run traditional house with courtyard breakfast and personal help arranging drivers.
Is Shiraz expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | IRR 35,000,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | IRR 70,000,000 a person |
| Splurge | IRR 160,000,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Persepolis: a few days ahead
- Naqsh-e Rostam: a few days ahead
- Naqsh-e Rajab: a few days ahead
- Pasargadae: a few days ahead
- Bishapur: a few days ahead
- Tang-e Chogan: a few days ahead
- Shapur Cave: a few days ahead
- Qashqai Nomad Encounter: weeks ahead
- Book hotels, boutique houses, private Persepolis guides and domestic flights early for April to early May and Nowruz.
- Book Haft Khan, Soofi and Sharzeh ahead for Thursday and Friday evenings.
- Book Qashqai and Bishapur private days in spring, Persepolis tours 2 to 7 days ahead, and home cooking via an operator.
Is Shiraz safe?
- Check your government Iran advisory before booking and departure, as travelling against it can invalidate insurance.
- Cards do not work in Iran, so bring spending cash in euros or US dollars and change it at licensed exchange offices.
- Dress code is law: women need hijab and loose clothing in public, and men should avoid shorts and sleeveless tops.
- Petty theft in bazaar crowds is the main everyday risk, and do not photograph military, police or government buildings.
Shiraz travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Pink Mosque at midday, when the coloured light effect is largely gone.
- Persepolis without a guide at noon in summer, which leaves only columns, glare and heat.
- Treating the Arg interior as a headline sight and sacrificing Vakil Mosque or bazaar time for it.
- Buying carpets under day one time pressure, or accepting private offers of wine or alcohol, which is illegal.
Getting around Shiraz: public transport and more
- Walk the Vakil to Pink Mosque cluster and the Eram to Hafez cluster, and use taxis between them.
- Use Snapp with an Iranian SIM or a hotel booking it, and have the destination pinned or written in Farsi.
- Metro Line 1 is clean and cheap and useful at rush hour, but stations suit commuters more than sights.
- Book a driver who waits for Persepolis and other excursions, never rely on a late return ride.
- Shahid Dastgheib Airport is about 10 to 12 km southeast, 25 to 40 minutes by taxi in traffic.
Who Shiraz suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Shiraz your trip
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