When I was planning my visit to Iran, Shiraz was the first place I wanted to visit. Why? From here it’s easy to get to the UNESCO-listed ancient city of Persepolis. But there’s many more things to do in Shiraz, such as visiting the citadel of Karim Khan. And don’t forget to visit the Nasir al-Mulk (pink) mosque, which is one of Shiraz’ and Iran’s absolute highlights.
If you push it you could visit the highlights of Shiraz in one day, but this charming city easily warrants two days. And on a third day you should go on a day trip to Persepolis.
So without further ado, let’s start with all of the best things to do in Shiraz and start planning your visit to this beautiful Iranian city.
Read next: Two Weeks In Iran Itinerary For Independent Travelers
1. Nasir al-Mulk (Pink Mosque)
Without a doubt the best thing to do in Shiraz is to visit the Pink Mosque (Nasir al-Mulk mosque). Every morning you can witness a spectacle as the sun shines its rays through the stained glass windows. This event illuminates the winter prayer hall in a simply stunning way and offers you some fantastic photo ops.
You might wonder why they call this mosque the Pink Mosque. That’s because they used a specific kind of tile with a pink hue during construction. These tiles, made of ceramic, are glazed with a pinkish tone that casts a soft pink glow when sunlight hits them.
2. Vakil Bazaar & Moshir Palace
Spread out over two parts, north and south of Zand Street, you can visit Shiraz’ Vakil Bazaar. The southern part is the most interesting, so you can skip the northern part if you’re pressed for time. When you visit a bazaar in Iran you can usually expect a real feast for the senses, and such is the case here at the Vakil Bazaar as well.
Smell the herbs and spices, buy some freshly cooked food from one of the food stalls and take a break in the tea house. If you’re looking for a carpet to take home with you, then you might be able to find one here too.
Apart from the bazaar on the ground floor you can also visit upstairs in the Moshir Palace section of the bazaar. Here you’ll find some workshops where you can take a peak inside. Perfect for souvenir shopping.
3. Vakil Mosque & Vakil Hammam
The Vakil Bazaar, the mosque and the hammam (bath house) are all part of the royal district that Karim Khan Zand erected. Both the Vakil Mosque and Vakil Hammam are just west of the Vakil Bazaar.
The geometrical entrance of the Vakil mosque is another stunning piece of Persian architecture. The fine details and the beautiful floral patterns are worthy of a stop.
Inside the Vakil Hammam admire the fine blue and white carvings of warriors riding horses and many other depictions. You can find them all over the walls and ceiling of the changing rooms.
4. Shiraz Historical Houses
Just a few minuted away from the pink mosque you can visit some of Shiraz’ historical houses. The most interesting to visit are the Zinat al-Molk and Qavam House.
Just like in the Pink Mosque you’ll find some stunning stained glass windows in both of the houses. But also typical Shiraz tiling, ceilings and woodwork.
What’s lovely about the Qavam House is that it features a collection of regional art. You can find both houses inside gardens typical for traditional houses of their time. It’s a pleasure to stroll through them.
5. Bagh-e Nazar Garden & Pars Museum
Opposite the Karim Khan Citadel you can visit the octagon shaped Pars Museum. This museum, which is housed inside the Nazar Garden, is the place to find the Quran that used to be in the Quran Gateway.
Inside the museum you can learn about the history and legacy of the region. And you can find a collection of historical treasures, including pottery, textiles, and manuscripts. And while all of that is very interesting, I found the architecture of the building to be the real showstopper.
6. Argh-e Karim Khan (The Citadel)
The citadel of Karim Khan was just like the Vakil bazaar, mosque and hammam part of the royal district. Karim Khan Zand was the ruler of most of present day Iran and he had this impressive building that functioned as his residence built. Aside from residential purposes, the fort also functioned as the centre of military power during his dynasty.
The fort nowadays is like a museum and you can visit parts of the building and the gardens within the walls. You can see four different towers on each corner of the walls. One of the towers is slightly leaning and contains the bath house. I guess this would make it easier to drain the water.
7. Shah-e Cheragh Holy Shrine
Next up on this list of best things to see in Shiraz is the Holy Shrine of Shah-e Cheragh. You can best visit this shrine at night when it’s at its liveliest. And on top of that it’s beautifully illuminated, which makes it seem like it was lifted straight out of the pages of Scheherazade’s stories in One Thousand and One Nights.
Inside the complex you can visit a museum that features a collection of pottery, clay artwork and coins. And inside the dome you can see a lot of fine mirror work. Make sure you dress modestly when visiting. Women also need to use a separate entrance.
8. Hafez Tomb
After you’ve visited the first seven items on this list of things to do in Shiraz you’ve seen all the highlights of the city centre. So, the next three entries on this list are all outside of the city centre and north of the river
First up is the Tomb of Hafez. Hafez was a great Persian poet that has gained a mythical status in Iran. And you will be hard pressed to find an Iranian that cannot quote a poem or two by this poet and mystic. I already find a quite an accomplishment to be able to quote any poet, but knowing that this poet is dead for more than 600 years makes it even more impressive.
During the day, you can explore the Tomb of Hafez and stroll through the gardens and enjoy the surroundings. However, at night, the site is full of activity, typically hosting various events. Be sure to visit the tea house and engage in conversations with locals, who are likely to approach you, especially if you appear foreign.
9. Eram Garden
The UNESCO-listed Eram Garden is just a short taxi ride away and is famous for its cypress trees and palm trees.
The historic Persian garden has its origin already in the 12th century, although the current set-up dates back to the 19th century. A stroll through the leafy gardens is a favourite pass-time for the locals.
10. Quran Gateway
Another popular night-time visit in Shiraz is the Quran Gateway at the northern side of the city. Perfect place at the end of the day to watch the sunset. You can follow the different paths here, smoke shisha in the tea garden, and interact with locals.
One of the most interesting people I spoke to were a group of young soldiers. We were discussing hobbies and one of the guys said his hobby was being a pigeon fancier. To me this sounded like such an odd hobby, but he didn’t blink so I guess he wasn’t joking.
11. Go On a Day Trip to Ancient Persepolis
When visiting Shiraz, you must include a day trip to Persepolis, located about 60km northeast of the city. UNESCO-listed Persepolis is one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Shiraz and Iran. And I have to say it lived up to the expectations. Persepolis remains a significant historical site that once was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The ruins of Persepolis really show what great architects the ancient Persians were.
The 2,500 year old site features many stelae that make you wonder what this site actually looked liked back then. The main sights nowadays though are the two Lamassu at the Gate of All Nations and the bas-reliefs on the southern stairway of Tachara. Other highlights include bas-reliefs of Immortals at Apadana and column heads of the mythical Huma bird.
Persepolis is built on the slopes of the southern Zagros Mountains which makes it a perfect spot to view the sunset. Just climb up there to admire the views and discover that visiting Persepolis is one of the best things to do in Shiraz.
12. Continue to Naqsh-e-Rostam & Naqsh-e-Rajab
A few kilometres past Persepolis you can stop at the ancient tombs of Naqsh-e-Rostam and Naqsh-e-Rajab. The former site is the real star of the day, because the rock hewn tombs are nothing less of mightily impressive.
The four larger than life tombs are believed to be created for Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I and Xerxes I. Even though the Necropolis here is built in a different time and by different people the architecture reminds me very much of Petra in Jordan and Hegra (Mada’in Saleh) in Saudi Arabia.
Close to the necropolis of Naqsh-e-Rostam you can find some large bas-reliefs at Naqsh-e-Rajab. Both necropolis are short-listed to get World Heritage Site status.
13. Another Ancient Site: Pasargadae
Another archaeological site with UNESCO status is Pasargadae. You can include Pasargadae as the start or finish of your day trip from Shiraz. The most famous site to see here is the Tomb of Cyrus the Great.
14. Admire the Pink Maharloo Lake
If it’s the right time of year, usually at the end of summer, you could include a visit to Maharloo Lake to your list of things to do in Shiraz. When this salt lake is drying up a natural process makes the salt turn pink. Hence, the lake is also called the Pink Lake.
Check with the locals whether it’s worth going there and experience this amazing natural occurrence for some amazing views. You could combine a visit to the lake with your visit to Persepolis and Naqsh-e-Rostam if you start the day early. You won’t have enough time to visit Pasargadae on the same day then though.
Accommodation in Shiraz
The most popular place to stay in the city is without a doubt the Niayesh Hotel. It’s a good place to meet other travelers and you only have to walk about 10 minutes to reach the main sights in the city centre.
Some other suggestions to consider for your stay in Shiraz:
- BUDGET | Taha Traditional Hostel
- MID-RANGE | Alan Boutique Hotel
- LUXURY | Darbe Shazdeh Boutique Hotel
How to get to Shiraz
Fly to Shiraz
There are some international flights landing in Shiraz (SYZ) airport, mainly by Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Jazeera Airways, FlyDubai and Air Arabia. Check all the options at Google Flights and perhaps you could even fly into Shiraz and out or Tehran (IKA).
Also there are many domestic flights to Shiraz that are not visible on Google Flights. You will not find them there and won’t be able to book domestic flights on any of the popular western booking platforms. However, you can plan and book domestic flights through 1stQuest.
Train to Shiraz
A day before my arrival in Shiraz I landed in Tehran (IKA) airport. After a day of sightseeing in Tehran I boarded the sleeper train to Shiraz. It was a convenient and comfortable way of reaching this faraway city.
You can search for train tickets and book them with your international card on Austrian owned iranrail.net.
Take the bus to Shiraz
Shiraz is very well connected with long distance buses that mostly depart from the bus station in District 3. It was easy to take the bus to Yazd from here since there were quite a few services every day connecting the two cities.
There’s regular buses, but also VIP buses that offer more space. The price difference for most westerners should be negligible, so the VIP bus is the way to go, especially considering the distances between destinations.
You can get tickets by just showing up at the bus terminal and board the next bus, or have your hotel book a ticket for you. It used to be possible to book bus ticket with 1stQuest, but that service is currently suspended. Do check their website to see if the service is available again.
Also read: 10 Best Things To Do in Yazd
How to get around in Shiraz
Shiraz is quite easy to get around, especially if you stay within the city centre, close to Shiraz’ most popular sights.
You can visit the first seven sights in this list of best things to do in Shiraz are within walking distance. The final three sights are a little further afield, so you best take a taxi to reach them. A taxi is also the best mode of transportation from the airport, the train station or the bus station to reach your accommodation.
If you want to visit Persepolis and the other ancient sites northeast of Shiraz it’s best to book a tour, or ask your hotel for a driver/guide. For the Maharloo Lake you need a driver to take you there, so inquire with your hotel to make that happen.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Shiraz
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Shiraz, because there is plenty of things to see and do both within the city as in the surrounding region. Allow enough time in the city to go on a day trip to Persepolis and the tombs or Naqsh-e Roastam.
Have you been to Iran, or do you have any questions? Then leave a comment below, or contact me on Instagram. If you enjoyed reading this article, don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter for regular updates.
Planning your trip to Iran? Make sure to include to Shiraz in your itinerary. If you want to continue reading, then check out the articles below for more inspiration, or visit my Iran Travel Guide.
