From Tehran's palaces to Persepolis, Yazd's mudbrick lanes and Isfahan's royal square — the perfect first journey through Persia, day by day.
If it's your first trip to Iran, the "classic route" is the one to take. In a single, well-paced week it strings together the country's four great cities — Tehran, Shiraz, Yazd and Isfahan — plus the garden city of Kashan, covering more than two thousand years of Persian history without ever feeling rushed. Below is a day-by-day version we love, looping from the capital down to the south and back. You can run it in either direction, and it's easily stretched to ten or twelve days if you want more time to linger.
The route works in any season, but spring (late March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable, with warm days and cool evenings. Distances between cities are long, so most travellers fly Tehran–Shiraz at the start and drive the scenic desert legs in between. Here's how the week unfolds across our key destinations.
Ease into the capital with the dazzling mirror halls of Golestan Palace, the treasures of the National Museum of Iran, and a first plunge into the sprawling Grand Bazaar. See more in our Tehran city guide.
A short morning flight brings you to the city of poets. Catch the stained-glass dawn at the Nasir al-Mulk (Pink) Mosque, wander Vakil Bazaar, and end the day at the serene garden tomb of Hafez. Background in our Shiraz guide.
Spend the morning at Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid kings, with nearby Naqsh-e Rostam and Pasargadae. In the afternoon, drive east across the plateau toward the desert city of Yazd.
Lose yourself in a labyrinth of mudbrick lanes, wind-towers and the great Jameh Mosque, then visit the Zoroastrian Fire Temple and the Towers of Silence — a living window into ancient Persia's first faith.
Drive to Isfahan via the caravan towns of Meybod and Nain, arriving by afternoon to stroll the storied bridges of the Zayandeh River as the light turns gold.
A full day around Naqsh-e Jahan Square — the Imam Mosque, the jewel-like Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Ali Qapu Palace and the buzzing handicraft bazaar. Read our full Isfahan guide.
Drive north to Kashan for the exquisite Fin Garden and the grand merchant houses, before continuing to Tehran for your onward flight — or extending your stay.
One week, four great cities, and twenty-five centuries of Persia — the classic route is the perfect first taste.
Most journeys begin and end in Tehran, a fast-moving city framed by the snowcapped Alborz mountains. Give it at least a day at the start: the Qajar-era Golestan Palace and the National Museum set the historical scene, while the Grand Bazaar and the leafy cafés of the northern districts show you modern Iranian life. If your flight lands late, save the sightseeing for the loop's final day instead.
Shiraz is gentle, green and full of poetry — the ideal base for the south. The unmissable day trip is Persepolis, whose carved staircases and towering columns are among the most moving cultural experiences anywhere in the country. Allow a full morning there, and try to arrive early before the midday sun. From Shiraz the road turns into the desert and the rhythm of the trip slows beautifully.
Yazd is many travellers' surprise favourite — a honey-coloured desert city where wind-towers cool the houses and the call to prayer drifts over flat rooftops at dusk. Stay in a restored traditional house, climb to a rooftop for sunset, and let yourself wander without a map. It's the quietest, most atmospheric stop on the route.
If you keep the best for last, that's Isfahan. The vast Naqsh-e Jahan Square — one of the largest public squares on earth — is ringed by turquoise-tiled mosques, a royal palace and a bazaar packed with miniature painters and metalworkers. Add the famous arched bridges and the Armenian quarter of Jolfa, and you'll understand the old saying that Isfahan is "half the world."
This is a framework, not a fixed timetable. With more days you can add Kerman and the Lut desert, the Caspian forests of the green north, or a culinary deep-dive into Persian food and bazaars. The whole route forms the backbone of our Classic Persia tour, which can be run privately and tailored to your pace, interests and budget. For visas, money, safety and the best time to visit, our travel FAQ has you covered.
Ready to turn this outline into a real, private itinerary? Our local experts will shape every day around you — just tell us your dates and we'll plan your trip. A week in Persia goes quickly, but the memories last a very long time.
Published by Arian Tour — Iran travel specialists. Driving times, opening hours and domestic flight schedules can change seasonally; we confirm every detail when planning your trip.
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