Isfahan Travel Guide

Travel Guide to Isfahan

Get familiar with top sights, find itineraries, accommodations and tours

General Information

Isfahan, historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan, Esfahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 kilometres (211 miles) south of Tehran.

Based on wikipedia, the Greater Isfahan Region had a population of 3,793,104 in the 2011 Census, the second most populous metropolitan area in Iran after Tehran. The counties of Isfahan, Borkhar, Najafabad, Khomeynishahr, Shahinshahr, Mobarakeh, Falavarjan, Tiran o Karvan, Lenjan and Jay all constitute the metropolitan city of Isfahan.

Isfahan is located on the main north–south and east–west routes crossing Iran, and was once one of the largest cities in the world.

It flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Safavid dynasty, when it became the capital of Persia for the second time in its history. Even today, the city retains much of its past glory. It is famous for its Persian–Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the Persian proverb "Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast" (Isfahan is half of the world).

The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is one of the largest city squares in the world. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also has a wide variety of historic monuments and is known for the paintings, history and architecture.

Get in and around

There are daily flights from Tehran and Mashhad and there are many flight from other major cities in week.

Isfahan is well-served by highways. There are good routes from the capital Tehran, Kashan, Shiraz, Yazd and Ahvaz.

Isfahan is well connected to most parts of Iran by bus. There are several bus terminals in Isfahan and you should note which one is more suitable for you. From Tehran the busiest and most comfortable bus terminal to get to Isfahan is Beyhaghi terminal and Southern Terminal.

There is a night-train from Tehran and a daily train from Mashhad.

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Top sights & Things to do

When to visit?

The most popular time to visit is during the hot, dry summer (Jun–Sep). Temperatures in winter (Dec–Feb) are much cooler. The International Children’s Film Festival (Sep/Oct) shows films from around the world. During the month of Ramadan (varies according to the Islamic calendar), most businesses are closed during daylight fasting hours. July is the warmest month of the year. The temperature in July averages 28.2 °C. The lowest average temperatures in the year occur in January, when it is around 2.2 °C. There is a difference of 20 mm of precipitation between the driest and wettest months. The variation in temperatures throughout the year is 26.0 °C.

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
High/Low temperatures
-4°
13°
-2°
18°
23°
29°
13°
35°
18°
37°
21°
36°
19°
32°
14°
25°
17°
11°
-2°
Chance of precipitation
8%
7%
8%
9%
5%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
7%
10%
Local Food and Drinks in Isfahan

Local Food & Drinks

Like all cities and destinations in Iran, Isfahan has it's own local foods. One of the best local food of Isfahan is Beryouni which you can see it's photo here. Travel to Isfahan without tasting Beryouni never will be a complete adventure! Other local foods of this city are Kale Joush, Eshkeneh, Halim Bademjan, Sar Gonjeshki and etc.

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Recommended Accommodation