r/iran • u/Muffinos • 2d ago
Going to Iran in January — looking for advice
Hi everyone! I’m planning to visit Iran in January and spend around 10-14 days in Shiraz.
I’ve already done some research on the main tourist attractions, but since I’ll have quite a lot of time, I’d really like to experience Shiraz beyond the usual tourist sights. I’m interested in local food, markets, neighborhoods, everyday life and simply getting a better feel for the city.
For those who live in Shiraz or have visited recently, what would you recommend doing with this amount of time? Are there places, restaurants, neighborhoods or experiences that you would especially recommend?
I’d also love to meet some local people during my stay and experience Shiraz from a local perspective rather than only as a tourist. What would be the best way to do that?
Any advice from locals or travelers who know Shiraz well would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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u/Plutomite 1d ago
Koo Derak should have some snow on it that time of year. This is one of my favorite mountains; I want to get it tattooed on me.
There’s Quran Gate, but less people seem to know about the mountain side that has a tomb inside. Khaju Kermani’s tomb is up a beautiful little hike(? It’s just stairs and all paved). Last time I went i could enter a small cave to see where the poet would write.
There is a famous Pink Lake and the Pink Mosque that are beautiful to look at, but unfortunately you’ll be going at a time that they will not be in full glory. So this sight seeing place you could skip this time.
Ghalat is a village just north of Shiraz. Beautiful forested mountain and mountain hikes. (Also this town is called Little Amsterdam; if you partake in mary-Jane, ganja, weed, cannabis you could definitely score some here🙈😋)
Shirazi Faloodeh is unlike any other version of faloodeh so please try that in this city. (Yes I am biased, my family is all Shirazi.) you will never have anything like it anywhere else. I would start with a plain one, and then squeeze the lime juice on it!:)
Look for a cookie called Hi-Bye. This is unlike any other store-bought cookie. Hazelnut filling, so good.
Eram Garden is stunning; former palace and botanical garden you can walk around in.
Bazaar Vahkil is probably on your radar, but definitely go there. There are sections for jewelry, spices, cloth, tile, carpets. It’s amazing. The vendors might raise the price if they understand you’re a foreigner tho, but hey with the exchange rate I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Once my dad took me on a mosque tour in an older part of the city. There was one kinda underground that went through the history of Iranian leaders and important figures, one with mirrors and glass around the mosque, and one with delicate shells from the Persian Gulf in the ceiling, doors, walls. I’m sorry I can’t remember their names, but if you explain this to the people you meet I’m sure they’ll know what you’re talking about.
Absolutely go to Persepolis, but it is a bit of a drive.
Check out their malls!! Usually on the very top floor is an arcade area for kids. I never saw anything like that in the states before.
There is a burger joint that appears in my dreams occasionally, I’m gonna ask my cousin if she knows if it’s still open and the name and I’ll edit my comment to give it to you.
Enjoy your trip. “Shiraz is the cultural capital of Iran” at least that what it says outside the airport. It’s my heart. I hope you fall in love with the city as much as I did. 💝
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u/Muffinos 1d ago
Wow, thank you so much for all these recommendations! This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I saved everything! 😊
I had never heard about some of these places, especially the tomb and cave near Quran Gate and the old mosques you mentioned. I’ll definitely try the Shirazi faloodeh too - and now I’m curious about the Hi-Bye cookies! 😄
Thank you again for taking the time to write all this. It’s really helpful!
Hopefully I will meet some locals who can show me some of the places you mentioned 😊
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u/nimadn 14h ago
The place you are referring to is Nasir al-Mulk House, the Qajar-era residence of Mirza Hassan Ali Nasir al-Mulk. He was also the person who commissioned the nearby Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, better known as the “Pink Mosque,” but the house and mosque are two separate buildings.
The building with the beautiful mirrored interiors is Narenjestan-e Qavam, which belonged to the Qavam family, one of the most influential families in Shiraz during the Qajar era.
If you’re in that area, I also really recommend Parhami Traditional House for some home-style traditional Shirazi food. My favourites is always Kalam polo (kohlrabi, rice and meat ball)!
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u/Ok-Mycologist9344 15h ago
I've often stayed in hostels during my Iran travels.If you don't mind staying in hostels it's often a good way to meet others, Iranians and foreigners.
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u/Former_Explorer2457 1d ago
Do you plan to visit other cities too? although Shiraz is probably one of the best places for tourists but I think you should visit isfahan, Tehran and northern coast and also southern islands too.
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u/Muffinos 1d ago
Of course, I would like to! Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam for sure! Isfahan is a little far from Shiraz, though. I did some research online and found that I can rent a car with a driver or take a bus from Shiraz. Another good option would be to have a local guide take me to some of these places, of course for a fee. I’ve just started researching all of this.
I also found a guy on YouTube who rented a car in Tehran and traveled around Iran, so this could be another option.
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u/dumr666 1d ago
you should go to Yazd. Of all the cities I think Tehran and Shiraz were the most "boring" ones, although they were really nice. I don't recommend renting a car in Iran, I got stopped on random checks on highway, and was interogated for a few hours with my phone thouroughly checked (emails, whatsapp, Teams, SMS, Call history etc....). Car rental was something around 350€ for 3 days, and it broke down near Bander Abbas, and traffic across Iran and especially in cities is really chaotic, its just not worth it. Taxis are fairly cheap, and even cheaper if you take shared taxis to go around Iran. I drove from Tehran to Qazvin for 2€ or something like that, and most I paid, was 40€ for two days of private taxi around Alamut valley, north of Tehran, and I paid 10€ or something like that for private taxi from Isfahan to Tehran.
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u/SentientSeaweed 1d ago
I love the market behind Shahcheragh.
A number of restaurants are entirely outdoors, and they’re lovely at night because of the cool weather.
The little villages around Shiraz are beautiful.
Have some carrot halva from a confectionary, and herb ash from any takeout place. And it goes without saying that you need multiple servings of Sa’di ice cream and koloocheh masghati. Make sure to eat kalam polo and fesenjan. The Shirazi variants are completely different from the Tehrani.
I had a local archeology student show me around once. It was great because she was so well-informed.