48 Hours in Shiraz

Shiraz is the city of poets, love, literature, wine, and flowers, blessed with a moderate climate. Shiraz city is named as the capital of Iranian culture and the city of Persian Gardens. During the 9th century, Shiraz was Iran’s wine capital. Shiraz City is where you will be amazed by the glory of Persian civilization and the Beauty of orange gardens. 

Shiraz city has been the capital of Iran in several eras, and that’s why it has too many historical attractions. In Iran’s national calendar, the 5th of May in spring is named Shiraz day.

The First 24 Hours

VISIT: Pasargadae, Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rustam, Naqsh-e Rajab.

• Pasargadae

This 2500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site was the capital of Persia in the Achaemenid era. Pasargadae is the Tomb of Cyrus, The great king of Persia, which consists of seven stone stairs. Seven represents the Iranian sacred number. Pasargadae's architecture is so impressive. Due to its enormous stones, people believed that Pasargadae was made by Solomon. Pasargadae site includes the beautiful relief of the human with wings, Tall-e Takht, Cyrus’s Private Palace, Audience Palace, and the Prison of Solomon.
Pasargadae is about 75 kilometers north of Shiraz and 50 kilometers north of Persepolis. You can visit Pasargadae from 8 AM to 7 PM. The entrance fee for foreign visitors is 500.000 IRR and the best time to visit is during the morning.

• Persepolis

The 3000 years old Persepolis was the magnificent capital of the Achaemenid Empire and it last150 years. This ancient site consists of majestic palaces, impressive reliefs, and beautiful tombs. Visit Apadana Palace, the Palace of 100 columns, and the Gate of all Nations. A bas-relief depicting Armenians bringing their famous wine to the king, at the Apadana. The most impressive bas-reliefs are in the Apadana staircase. Pay attention to the reliefs when you visit this astonishing place. The reliefs show Persian soldiers guarding Lotus flowers and 23 delegations bringing their gifts to the Achaemenid king. The most famous reliefs are at the entrance of Apadana palace, The Nowroz symbol, and a ring with wings in Tachara palace. Persepolis has still kept its glory. Sadly this magnificent site was burnt and plundered by Alexander.

Persepolis has placed 60 Km northeast of Shiraz. The site is open from 8 AM to 6 PM, and the Persepolis museum is open from 8 AM to 7 PM. The entrance fee for foreign visitors is 500.000 IRR.

The Persepolis Museum is located in the Persepolis complex. The building of the museum is the oldest building in Iran, which has been renovated and dedicated to the museum. It was built about 2500 years ago in the Achaemenid era. You can see the foot of the marble statue and part of the burnished curtain, which has discovered in the Persepolis site, in this museum.

• EAT: Iranian Traditional Cuisine

If you are hungry and looking for a restaurant that serves up delicious food, we suggest Laneh Tavoos Restaurant. It is the best restaurant in the way of Naqsh-e Rustam. It is placed about six kilometers in the north of Persepolis, three kilometers south of Naqsh-e Rustam, and also it takes about ten minutes to Naqsh-e Rustam. You can try a lot of kinds of Iranian food such as Kebab in a peaceful and beautiful place.

• Naqsh-e Rustam

Visiting Rostam and Rajab reliefs is a part of your trip to Persepolis. There are four enormous rock tombs in the cliffs in Naqsh-e Rustam, including the tomb of great Darius. Ka'ba-ye Zartosht, which means Cube of Zoroaster is placed in front of the tomb of great Darius. It was considered as a fire temple or a treasury. Naqsh-e Rustam includes many marvelous reliefs that, fortunately, many of them are not damaged. The best one is Anahita relief, a Persian woman goddess. Also, Naqsh-e Rustam includes many reliefs, showing the victory of Sasanid Kings over Romans. Naqsh-e Rustam is six kilometers northwest of Persepolis. It is open from eight AM to 7 PM, and the entrance fee is 200,000 IRR.

• Naqsh-e Rajab

The bas-reliefs of Naqsh-e Rajab show the reigns of Sassanian kings and are worth visiting. Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rustam, and Naqsh-e Rajab are very close to each other. It takes a walk to visit them all. But don't visit it in the summer because Shiraz has a hot summer. Tourists can visit Naqsh-e Rajab from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and the entrance fee is 80,000 IRR.

• Dessert: Yellow Shirazi Halvah, Muscat

There is a variety of Iranian desserts in Shiraz such as Yellow Shirazi Halvah and Muscat. One of the best places that we highly recommend is the Reza confectionery, to get there, you have to go to Felestin Street.

The next 24 hours

VISIT: Nasir al Mulk mosque, Vakil Complex, Saraye Moshir, Shah Cheragh Holy Shrine, Arg e Karimkhan, Eram Garden

• Nasir al Mulk mosque

The Nasir al Mulk mosque is one of the most elegant and most photographed pieces of architecture in the south of Iran. Due to its colored tiling, it is named the Pink mosque. The best time to visit the Nasir al Mulk mosque is early in the morning when the sun streams in the stained glass, carved pillars, and polychrome faience of the winter prayer hall. So, if you don’t want to miss this dazzling and unbeatable sight, wake up soon in the morning and visit there between 8 AM to 10 AM. It is located on Lotfalikhan Street, and it’s also close to other famous and tourist sites, such as Vakil Bazaar, Naranjestan Qavam, and Shah cheragh Holy Shrine. The Nasir al Mulk mosque is open from 8 AM to 1 PM and from 3 PM to 7 PM. The entrance fee to the Nasir al Mulk Mosque is about 500.000 IRR for foreign visitors.

• Vakil Bazaar

Visiting the Vakil complex needs half a day, located in Lotfalikhan Zand Street, Taleqani Street.  This 400 years old Bazaar, located in Zand Street, is full of photo opportunities. Walk around in one of the most famous Bazaars of Shiraz and Iran. Vakil Bazaar, with its unique architecture, is a great place to enjoy your afternoon; with more than 200 stores, Vakil Bazaar is a great place to buy Persian carpets and other Souvenirs. 

• Vakil Mosque

The magnificent Vakil mosque is located in the west of Vakil Bazaar and near Vakil Bath with 48 carved columns and well -detailed yellow and green tile work in its portal. An elegant Marble Minbar is another attraction of this pretty mosque. According to some history books, this marble minbar was carried from Azerbaijan under the order of Karim Khan Zand.
Vakil mosque is open from 8:30 AM to 7 PM, and the entrance for foreign visitors is 150,000 IRR.

• Vakil Bath

Vakil bath is both a museum and a bathhouse.  You can imagine how a Persian bath would be. You can see some statues which show Persians having a traditional bath. These statues can recreate the Iranian traditions bath very well, like how they used to spend hours in the bathhouse eating, gossiping, and spending time. The Bathhouse in Shiraz has beautiful decorations on its ceiling, which are worth a visit. Vakil Bath is open from 8 AM to 7 PM, and the entrance is 300.000 IRR for foreign visitors.

• EAT: Polo Shirazi, Kalam Polo, Traditional Shirazian Cuisine

If you are looking for delicious local cuisine, the Vakil Restaurant is the best choice. One of the advantages of this restaurant is that you can get to the famous and tourist site. For instance, you can come over whole the Vakil complex and then enjoy the delicious local cuisine there. We recommend trying Polo Shirazi and Kalam Polo, which consist of rice and cabbage. In addition to the delicious local cuisine, the Vakil restaurant is so tidy and has a beautiful interior design, and is very affordable.

• Saraye Moshir

Saraye Moshir is one of the oldest Bazaar in Shiraz, which was built in the Qajar era, located in the southeast of Vakil Bazaar. The Architecture of Saraye Moshir is the same as Vakil Bazaar. There is a beautiful and large pool in the middle of the courtyard that dazzles the eyes of visitors. This courtyard with its beautiful orthodox trees creates a delightful space within the Bazaar.

• Arg Karim Khan

Shiraz city was the capital of Iran, this place and many other attractions were built under the order of Karim Khan Zand. Visiting the Arg will take about two hours. There are some fascinating attractions inside the castle and a courtyard filled with citrus trees, and attractive tilework showing a battle between Rostam and the white demon from Shahnameh. Arg includes a museum with sculptures of the Zand period.
Arg Karim Khan is located in Shohada square in Hejrat Street. Arg Karim Khan is open from 8 AM to 8 PM, and the entrance for foreign visitors is 500.000 IRR.

• Eram Garden

Eram Garden is one of the most attractive and popular Persian gardens in Iran. This UNESCO-listed garden has many cypress trees, a pool, and an elegant palace with fabulous architecture. The palace is not open to the public. The best time to visit Eram Garden and probably Shiraz is during May and April when the garden is filled with flowers. From April to May, Eram Garden is open for visitors from 8 AM to 8 PM. In autumn and winter, Eram Garden is open from 8 AM to 1 PM and from 2 PM to 5 PM. The entrance fee is 500.000 IRR.

• Tomb of Hafez

Hafez is probably known as one of the most famous poets in Iran, and his tomb is the main attraction for Hafez fans. Iranian believe that Hafez can predict the future, so you may see many Iranians and lovers performing faal- Hafez. His poems are about love, freedom, and god. Iranian believe, every home must have two things: A Quran and a collection of the works of Hafez. There is a coffee shop in Hafeziyeh where you can enjoy having tea. There is also a book shop selling Hafez poems. If possible, visit Hafeziyeh in the late afternoon. Hafeziye looks like a lovely, tranquil place in the afternoon. During spring and summer, Hafez Tomb is open from 8 AM to 10 PM and during autumn and winter from 8 AM to 9 PM. Its entrance fee is 500.000 IRR. Hafeziyeh is located in the south of the Quran gate in the northeast of Shiraz city.

Translation of one of the most famous Hafez Poems:
Ho! O Saki, pass around and offer the bowl (of love for God)
For love, at first looked easy, but problems have occurred.
 

• Tomb of Saadi

You can easily take a taxi from Hafeziyeh to the Tomb of Saadi. It’s about 100,000 IRR. Around the Tomb is surrounded by a pretty garden full of flowers. The Tomb of Saadi architecture is unique, designed with marble stones and beautiful azure tailings. There is a pool in front of the building, people believe, if they throw coins in it their wishes will come true. A picture of The Tomb of Saadi printed on the 100,000 IRR Iranian Money. The tomb of Saadi is very crowded during Nowroz, but it’s less crowded in the early morning and late afternoon. The entrance fee is 500.000 IRR for foreign visitors. In spring and summer, the Tomb of Saadi is open from 8 AM to 10 PM, and in autumn and winter, from 8 AM to 8 PM. The tomb of Saadi is located in the northeast of Shiraz City, Boostan Street, and near Delgosha Graden.

• Faloodeh

Faloodeh is an Iranian cold dessert, including thin-sized noodles mixed in a semi-frozen syrup made of sugar and rose water. You can eat the most delicious and finest one in Shiraz. We suggest test Faloodeh in Kolbe ice-cream shop because it’s near to the tomb of Saadi.

• Qavam House

Qavam House is a small Persian garden filled with orange trees in Shiraz city, which is famous for its beautiful mirrored ceiling. Qavam House is designed with wooden ceilings and elegant paintings. The walls have pink, yellow, and green tiles works depicting Persian women, battles, and flowers. Qavam House belonged to Qavam ol Molk, a Shirazi’s wealthy family. In spring and summer, Qavam House is open for visitors from 8 AM to 8 PM and during autumn and winter, from 8 AM to 6 PM. The entrance fee is 200,000 IRR. There is also a gift shop in its basement selling miniature paintings and other handcrafts at great prices. Narenjestan e Qavam is located in Lotf Ali Khan Zand Street. Narenjestan Qavam, Shahcheragh Shrine, and Nasir al Mulk Mosque are all located around Lotf Ali Khan Zand Street. You can visit them in a half day.

• DRINK: Herbal Flavored Syrup

You can try a variety of Herbal Flavored Syrup in Shiraz. To drink some of these healing syrup, you can get to west Saheli Street. This Herbal Syrup has a lot of health benefits for the body, such as the Kidney, Stomach, Heart, and Nerves.

• Shah Cheragh Holy Shrine

The Shah Cheragh Holy Shrine is located next to the Ahmadi Square in Shiraz. Mir Seyyed Ahmad (known as Shah Cheraq) is the son of Imam Musa Kazem (AS), and the brother of Imam Reza (AS), buried in The Shah Cheragh Holy Shrine. The blue-tiled dome and dazzling gold-tipped minarets form a magnificent context for the Shiite rituals at this revered center of pilgrimage. The shrine has the typical Shirazi bulbous dome, intricate mirror work, and four slender wooden pillars that boast near-perfect proportions. Visitors can enter the courtyard in the middle of the complex and take discreet photographs, but the entrance to the shrines is not permitted to non-Muslims at the time of writing. Women must wear chador inside the whole shrine complex. The Chador (The Islamic women’s dress) is available for free at the women’s entrance. It’s often open 24 hours, but, the time is variable.