Isfahan
Isfahan
Half the world
8 highlights · tap a pinIran's showpiece and Safavid capital of Shah Abbas I, built around one of the world's largest squares, threaded by the Zayandeh River and its arched bridges, ringed by turquoise domes, covered bazaars and the Armenian quarter of New Jolfa.
Next 5 days
Top places to see
- 1
Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square
UNESCO 1979One of the world's largest squares; the Safavid 'pattern of the world'. UNESCO 1979; frames four Safavid masterpieces.
- Time needed
- About 2 hours for the square itself (more with the monuments around it)
- 2
Imam (Shah) Mosque
17th-c. royal mosque with iconic tiled dome and acoustic vault.
- Time needed
- About 45–75 minutes
- 3
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Jewel-box royal oratory (1603-1619), no minaret/courtyard; color-shifting dome.
- Time needed
- About 30–45 minutes
- 4
Ali Qapu Palace
Six-storey Safavid pavilion with cut-plaster music hall and terrace over the square.
- Time needed
- About 45–60 minutes (incl. music room + terrace)
- 5
Masjed-e Jameh (Friday Mosque)
UNESCO 2012Living catalogue of Iranian mosque architecture from the Seljuks on.
- Time needed
- About 1–1.5 hours
6Si-o-se-pol (Bridge of 33 Arches)
Longest bridge on the Zayandeh River; evening social promenade.
- Time needed
- About 20–40 minutes (best at dusk)
- 7
Khaju Bridge
Safavid bridge-dam-pavilion where locals sing under the arches at dusk.
- Time needed
- About 20–40 minutes (best at dusk)
- 8
Chehel Sotoun Palace & Garden
UNESCO 2011'Forty Columns' pavilion with Safavid fresco halls; UNESCO Persian Garden component.
- Time needed
- About 1–1.5 hours
- 9
Vank Cathedral, New Jolfa
17th-c. Armenian cathedral fusing Islamic tilework with Christian frescoes.
- Time needed
- About 45–60 minutes (incl. museum)
- 10
Grand Bazaar (Qeysarieh)
Vaulted Safavid bazaar off the square; qalamkar, miniature, enamel, metalwork.
- Time needed
- About 1.5–2.5 hours
Where to stay in Isfahan
From $2 a night, our service included