Shiraz

Yes. Street crime is rare and Shiraz routinely ranks among Iran's safest cities, including for solo female travellers. The real risk factor is geopolitical, not local — check your government's current travel advisory before booking, and dual nationals (especially US-Iranian and UK-Iranian) should consult their embassy before travel. Inside the city, locals are famously protective of visitors.

Three full days is the sweet spot: one for the old city and bazaar, one for Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam, and one for the gardens, poet tombs, and Shah-e-Cheragh. Two days is doable but rushed. Five days lets you add Pasargadae and a Qashqai nomad day trip, and is the better choice if you've come this far.

Mid-March through late May is peak: mild days, orange blossom in early April, roses by mid-May, and the energy of the Nowruz holidays. October and November are the quieter alternative with similar weather and lower prices. Avoid June through August when daytime highs regularly clear 38°C, and December–February when nights drop near freezing.

No — Shiraz is one of the cheapest major cities in the world for foreign travellers, thanks to the rial's weakness. Budget travellers manage on $25 a day, mid-range on $60, and even high-end stays in restored mansion-hotels with private guides rarely exceed $150 per person per day. The catch is that you must bring cash; foreign cards don't work anywhere in Iran.

Shiraz is known as Iran's city of poets, roses, and Persian gardens. It's the burial place of Hafez and Saadi, the country's two most-quoted poets, and the launching base for Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the ancient Achaemenid Empire. It's also famous for the Pink Mosque's stained glass, the Vakil Bazaar, and the gold-mirrored Shah-e-Cheragh shrine.

No. International sanctions cut Iran off from Visa, Mastercard, and Amex networks, so foreign cards do not work at hotels, restaurants, ATMs, or anywhere else. Bring euros or US dollars in clean, undamaged bills and exchange at a sarafi for rials. Some travellers preload a tourist debit card (Mah Card or Daric Pay) before arrival as a backup.

Shahid Dastgheib International Airport (SYZ) sits about 10km southwest of the centre. The fastest option is a Snapp ride-hail (around $3, but you'll need an Iranian SIM or have your hotel book it), followed by a metered taxi (around $5–8). The Shiraz Metro's Allah Square station is at the airport entrance and reaches downtown in about 20 minutes.

Persepolis is the obvious one — Darius's ceremonial capital, an hour northeast, almost always combined with Naqsh-e Rostam's cliff-tombs in a single day. Pasargadae, with the Tomb of Cyrus the Great, is another two hours further and worth a separate trip. Adventurous travellers add a day with a Qashqai nomad family in the Zagros foothills.

Stay inside or close to the old city, around the Vakil Bazaar and Karim Khan Citadel — this is where most sights cluster and where the converted Qajar mansion-hotels (boutique courtyard places like Niayesh and Forough) make a Shiraz visit memorable. The Zand Boulevard area is more functional with modern hotels, and Maaliabad suits travellers wanting a quieter, more contemporary base.

Both if you can. Isfahan dazzles with monumental architecture: the world-class Naqsh-e Jahan Square, turquoise domes, and bridges over the Zayanderud. Shiraz is softer, smaller, and built around poetry, gardens, and Persepolis. If you have only one, Isfahan wins on first-trip wow factor — but Shiraz wins on atmosphere and is the better base for ancient Persia.

Most travellers do. EU citizens and many other nationalities can apply for an Iran e-visa online with relatively few obstacles. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand cannot travel independently — they must book a guided tour through a licensed Iranian agency, who arranges the visa as part of the package. Processing can take 4–8 weeks.

Yes. A headscarf is legally required in all public places, and arms and legs should be covered. That said, enforcement on foreign tourists is light, and Shirazi women themselves wear the scarf notably looser than in Tehran — often pushed well back. Pack a couple of lightweight scarves and a long-sleeved tunic; you'll see how locals adapt within hours of arrival.

Shiraz's signature dishes are kalam polo (cabbage rice with meatballs and aromatic herbs), faloodeh (a frozen vermicelli-and-rosewater dessert), and Halim Bademjan, a slow-cooked smoked-eggplant-and-lamb stew unique to the region. Sharzeh and Parhami are the classic traditional sit-down options; for street food, queue at any stall selling faloodeh near the Shah-e-Cheragh shrine.

No. Alcohol has been illegal in Iran since 1979, and despite the city's namesake wine — which European traders carried from here in the 17th century — you will not find it served anywhere publicly. A black market exists but is risky for foreigners and is strongly discouraged. Iran has, however, developed an extraordinary café and non-alcoholic mocktail culture in its place.

Persian (Farsi) is the everyday language. The local Shirazi dialect is famously melodic and considered the prettiest in Iran. English is reasonably common in tourism — hotels, guides, and younger Shirazis — but rare in taxis, shops, and outside the centre. Download an offline translation app and learn the Persian numerals; menus and prices often use them exclusively.

Yes, and most travellers do. Persepolis sits about 60km northeast, roughly an hour by car. A standard day-tour leaves Shiraz around 8:30am, covers Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam (the royal necropolis 6km away), and often Naqsh-e Rajab, and returns by early evening. Hiring a private driver-guide runs $40–80 per car; group tours start around $25 per person.

The Pink Mosque, officially Nasir al-Mulk, is a 19th-century mosque whose west-facing prayer hall has floor-to-ceiling stained glass. From roughly sunrise until 9am, sunlight pours through the windows and paints the carpets and columns in vivid colour. Arrive by 7:30am to beat tour groups and catch the peak hour; the effect fades quickly as the sun rises overhead.