Stand in the middle of Naqsh-e Jahan Square on a Friday evening and you will understand the Persian proverb that calls Isfahan "half the world". Families spread blankets on the grass, students drift over to practise their English, and the tiled domes of the Imam Mosque and the Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque catch the last light on opposite sides of the square.
Isfahan suits travellers who are happy to spend a day walking between Safavid monuments, crossing between the old quarter and the Armenian quarter of Jolfa, and sitting by the Zayandehrud River even when there is little water in it. The city rewards slow movement rather than a checklist.
This guide covers the squares, mosques, palaces, bridges, churches and gardens named in the source material, with a one-day plan that strings the strongest of them together.
Top things to do in Isfahan
1. Naqsh-e Jahan Square
Also known as Shah Square or Imam Square, this Safavid-era square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains two mosques, a palace and the bazaar. It is the largest historical public square in the world after Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and it is surrounded by buildings from the Safavid era and by souvenir shops.
Come on a Friday or holiday evening, when locals picnic on the grass and will often approach you to practise their English. Entry to the square itself is free, and it is the natural starting point for the Imam Mosque, the Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque and the Ālī Qāpū palace.
2. Imam Mosque
On the south side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, the Imam Mosque was built during the Safavid period and is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture. It is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its splendour comes mainly from seven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions.
It was called the Shah Mosque before the revolution. Entry is 200,000 rials, and because it faces the square it pairs naturally with the Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque on the east side.
3. Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque
On the east side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, this mosque is considered the most beautiful in Iran and is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid Iranian architecture. It was built in 1602 by Shah Abbas I and designed by his chief architect, Sheikh Bahai, as a private mosque for the royal family, which is why it has no minarets. A tunnel runs from the mosque to the Royal Palace across the square.
It closes from 12:00 to 13:00, so plan your visit around midday. Entry is 200,000 rials.
4. Ālī Qāpū
The Royal Palace, dating from the early 17th century, stands 48 metres high with seven floors, each reached by a difficult spiral staircase. The sixth-floor music room has deep circular niches in the walls that serve both an aesthetic and an acoustic purpose, and the building is rich in naturalistic wall paintings by Reza Abbassi, the court painter of Shah Abbas I, and his pupils, with floral, animal and bird motifs.
Entry is 200,000 rials. Because it sits on Naqsh-e Jahan Square, it fits easily between visits to the two mosques.
5. Chehel Sotoun Palace
Built in 1647, this palace takes its name from its many columns, since forty means many in Iranian usage; there are in fact twenty columns, reflected in the pool in front. It was used for religious and national ceremonies, royal festivals, and receiving royal ambassadors and guests, and it contains spectacular battle murals. Its Persian Gardens are among the nine inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Entry is 200,000 rials. Allow time for the gardens as well as the building.
6. Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan
North of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in the old quarter, this mosque was started in AD 842 and is the first Islamic building to adopt the four-courtyard layout of Sassanid palaces. Entry is 200,000 rials.
Combine it with the Hakim Mosque, which is also north of Naqsh-e Jahan in the old quarter, and with a walk through the surrounding lanes.
7. Si-o-Seh Pol
Also called the Bridge of 33 Arches, this 1602 bridge is one of the most famous examples of Safavid bridge design and is beautiful whether or not there is water underneath it. There is a basic eatery at the northern end.
Walking along the Zayandehrud River beside the ancient bridges is something many locals do every day, although drought and badly planned damming mean the river is often dry.
8. Pol-e Khaju
Built by the Safavid king Shah Abbas II around 1650, this is the finest bridge in the province of Isfahan. It was once ornamented with artistic tile work and paintings, and it served as a teahouse.
It is best visited as part of a river walk that also takes in Si-o-Seh Pol, since both sit along the same stretch of the Zayandehrud.
9. Vank Armenian Cathedral
In Jolfa, the Armenian quarter, this 17th-century cathedral is also known as the Holy Savior Cathedral. Its interior is covered with fine paintings and gilded carvings and includes a wainscot of rich tile work, while the delicately blue and gold painted central dome depicts the creation of the world and man's expulsion from Eden.
It sits one block east of the Nezami and Khaghani street intersection, and entry is 500,000 rials. Jolfa also contains one of the most beautiful churches in Iran, so give the quarter some time.
10. Bedkhem Armenian Church
Also called the Bethlehem Armenian Church, this large church was completed in 1627 and is another interesting combination of Persian and Armenian religious architecture, full of paintings and frescoes. It stands one building west of the intersection of Nazar and Tohid streets.
It is behind Jolfa Square and less than a five-minute walk from Vank Cathedral, so the two are easy to see together. Entry is 50,000 rials.
11. Hasht Behesht Palace
Known as the Palace of Eight Paradises, this building dates from 1669 and was reportedly built for the residence of the king's harem. It is set within lush gardens that you can roam for free if you do not want to go inside the building.
Entrance to the palace building is 150,000 rials. The gardens alone make it a reasonable pause between the old quarter and the river.
12. Hakim Mosque
One of the oldest mosques in Isfahan, it was built by Shah Abbas II between 1656 and 1662 on the site of a 10th-century mosque. Its portal was covered in mud until it was discovered in 1956.
Entry is free. It is north of Naqsh-e Jahan in the old quarter, so it pairs well with Masjed-e Jāmé.
13. Atashgah
This Zoroastrian fire temple is dramatically set atop a rock on the outskirts of Isfahan and gives a commanding view of the city, although much of the view is covered in smog.
You can take one of the blue buses, asking the driver, to get there. Climbing it is a challenge in flip-flops and impossible with them on the way down. Entry is 150,000 rials.
14. Chaharbagh Boulevard
Dating from 1596 in the Safavid era, this avenue is the most historically famous in all of Persia, although it is just a regular street nowadays.
It is a straightforward way to orient yourself between the old quarter and the river, and to see how the Safavid plan still shapes the modern city.
15. Flowers Garden and Birds Garden
The Flowers Garden is a botanical garden east of Bozorgmehr Bridge with an entry fee of 100,000 rials. The Birds Garden, about a kilometre north-west of the Zayanderud Bus Terminal, is a garden under a huge net with many different birds, some locked in and some you can walk among, with an entry fee of 180,000 rials.
Both suit a slower day or a break from tile and stone. The Birds Garden is the more interactive of the two.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Naqsh-e Jahan Square while it is still quiet, then visit the Imam Mosque on the south side and the Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque on the east side, remembering that the latter closes from 12:00 to 13:00. Finish the morning at Ālī Qāpū, climbing its spiral staircase to the music room.
Afternoon: Walk north into the old quarter to Masjed-e Jāmé and the Hakim Mosque, then continue to Chehel Sotoun Palace for its battle murals and Persian Gardens. If time allows, pass through Chaharbagh Boulevard on the way.
Evening: Head to the Zayandehrud River and walk between Si-o-Seh Pol and Pol-e Khaju, which is at its best as the light goes. If you still have energy, return to Naqsh-e Jahan Square, where locals picnic on Friday and holiday evenings and will often come over to talk.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see Naqsh-e Jahan Square?
Friday and holiday evenings, when locals picnic on the grass and approach visitors to practise their English. Entry to the square is free.
Which mosques on the square charge an entrance fee?
The Imam Mosque and the Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque both charge 200,000 rials. The Hakim Mosque in the old quarter is free.
Is there water in the Zayandehrud River?
Usually not. As a result of drought and badly planned damming, there is usually no water in the river, but the bridges are still worth walking between.
How do I reach Atashgah?
Take one of the blue buses and ask the driver. Entry is 150,000 rials, and the climb is difficult in flip-flops and impossible with them on the way down.
Use this list to sketch your own route, check the current opening arrangements for the mosques and palaces, and start planning your days around the square, the old quarter and the river.