Iran

There are two popular local excursions from Yazd: the long Kharanaq, Chak Chak and Meybod loop (whole day) to the northeast of the city, and the shorter Zein-o-din, Saryazd and Fahraj loop (around half a day) to the southeast. Both are most rewarding as part of a tour or with a private driver-guide.

Around Yazd

Badab-e Surt is a photogenic series of stepped travertine (a type of limestone) terrace pools. They're smaller in scale than the Turkish 'originals' at Pamukkale, but more colourful and with a gloriously lonely setting on a hillock in a mountain-hemmed valley.

Badab-e Surt

Strategically positioned overlooking the Strait of Hormoz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf, Bandar Abbas, known to most Iranians simply as ‘Bandar’, is the capital of Hormozgan province and home to Iran’s busiest port. Although Bandar isn’t blessed with many must-see sights, it's much more than a transport hub for Qeshm or Hormoz Islands. It's a lively city with a great bazaar, an appealing fish market, and plenty of atmosphere.

Bandar Abbas

The once attractive twin towns of Chalus and Noshahr now simmer in a shroud of vehicle fumes from the relentless traffic snarl. There's little for the traveller here other than to take the spectacular Chalus–Karaj road, which hairpins its way dramatically across the Alborz Mountains. But the new motorway bypasses Chalus, so you're actually better off staying in Ramsar or Kelardasht, both prettier, more laid-back options.

Noshahr (Nowshahr) is the quieter of the two towns, with palm trees, manicured gardens and a small bazaar around central Azadi Sq. Chalus' main landmark is Mo’allem Sq, marked by a tall telephone mast. From this square, 17 Shahrivar St leads west across a bridge into central Chalus, while Noshahr Blvd leads east, passing the Malek and Kourosh hotels (2km) and the airport (4km) before reaching central Noshahr (6km) at Jameh Mosque Sq. Azadi Sq is a block further.

Chalus & Noshahr

Esfahan is Iran’s top tourist destination for good reason. Its profusion of tree-lined boulevards, Persian gardens and important Islamic buildings gives it a visual appeal unmatched by any other Iranian city, and the many artisans working here underpin its reputation as a living museum of traditional culture. Walking through the historic bazaar, over the picturesque bridges and across the Unesco-listed central square are sure to be highlights of a holiday. As the country’s third-largest city, Esfahan is home to some heavy industry, including steel factories and a much-discussed nuclear facility in the outskirts of town. Inevitably, then, traffic jams are a regular occurrence. Despite these modern realities, the inner core of the city remains a priceless gem.

Esfahan

Many travellers opt to bypass Kashan on their journeys between Tehran, Esfahan and Yazd, but this delightful oasis city on the edge of the Dasht-e Kavir is one of Iran's most alluring destinations. It not only boasts a cluster of architectural wonders, an atmospheric covered bazaar and a Unesco recognised garden, but it also offers some of central Iran's best traditional hotels. During the Seljuk period (AD 1051–1220) Kashan became famous for its textiles, pottery and tiles, reaching high levels of accomplishment in each of these cottage industries. Currently local textile artisans are enjoying something of a renaissance of interest in their work, but mechanisation has largely led to the demise of this ancient craft. Today the town is more widely known as a major centre for the production of rose water, which is sold at outlets around the main tourist attractions and at dedicated stores in the bazaar.

Kashan

Welcome to Iran's Sunshine Coast, or Iran's Costa del Sol. However you label it, say hello to this attractive island that, since the 1970s, has become a beach resort where visitors can swim, shop and sample a laid-back and relatively liberated local lifestyle. Iran's most hedonistic spot, Kish is booming. Hotels, apartment blocks and retail complexes (it enjoys free-trade-zone status) dominate the once-empty desert landscape and domestic tourist numbers are on the rise, especially in winter, when it's freezing cold on the mainland. Kish is largely ignored by foreign tourists, though. That's a shame, because a visit here is a great way to experience Iran from an altogether different perspective. Leave the sight-laden cities of the mainland and come here to enjoy sea, sand and sun in a relaxed atmosphere.

Kish Island

Mashhad is Iran’s holiest and second-largest city. Its raison d’être and main sight is the beautiful, massive and ever-growing Haram (shrine complex) commemorating the AD 818 martyrdom of Shiite Islam’s eighth Imam, Imam Reza. The pain of Imam Reza’s death is still felt very personally well over a millennium later and more than 20 million pilgrims converge here each year to pay their respects. Witnessing their tears is a moving experience, even if you’re not Muslim yourself. Mashhad is also a good place to buy carpets, and it's a staging post for travel to Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and the little-touristed Khorasan region. Be aware that during No Ruz and major Muslim holidays, almost all accommodation and transport will be booked out months in advance. (By contrast, at other times visiting Mashhad can prove quite a bargain.)

Mashhad

Quick – turn around: there's an entire travel experience that you probably haven't even considered. While you've been planning your Iranian sojourn around the jewels of the country's rich history (Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd), to the southeast the Persian Gulf is equally deserving. Explore the magnetic islands of Kish, Qeshm and Hormoz, which are absurdly easy to combine and are altogether different. While Kish is unashamedly glam and glitzy, Qeshm and Hormoz are refreshingly void of large-scale development and offer a chance to glimpse a more traditional way of life – not to mention an array of geological wonders. Along the coast, soak up the vibes of lively Bandar Abbas and make a beeline for the delightful town of Kong, whose historical centre is peppered with charming old houses and monuments. Thus, you'll have the full monty.

Persian Gulf

The largest island in the Persian Gulf, Qeshm is fringed with biologically diverse mangrove forests, attractive beaches and 60 Bandari villages. Its sun-scorched interior features geologically significant canyons, hills, caves and valleys, most of which are protected as part of the Unesco-recognised Qeshm Island Geopark – bliss for nature-lovers.

Qeshm is a duty-free zone, but in a gulf increasingly full of gleaming skyscrapers it remains refreshingly attached to the age-old Bandari way of life. If you're after an authentic island experience, Qeshm won't disappoint. Here, locals wear traditional dress, live in houses cooled by badgirs (wind towers) and work in boat-building yards turning out lenges, the large wooden cargo boats that have criss-crossed the gulf for centuries.

The island has an abundance of wildlife, including birds, reptiles, dolphins and turtles.

Qeshm Island

Celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for over 2000 years, Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry and wine. It was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (AD 1747–79), when many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored. A city of poets, Shiraz is home to the graves of Hafez and Sa’di, both major pilgrimage sites for Iranians. It’s also home to splendid gardens, exquisite mosques and whispered echoes of ancient sophistication that reward those who linger beyond the customary excursion to nearby Persepolis – the area’s major tourist destination. There are the usual Iranian traffic issues, but the city’s agreeable climate, set in a fertile valley once famed for its vineyards, makes it a pleasant place to visit (except at the humid height of summer or the freezing depths of winter).

Shiraz

While central Iran's gem cities are deservedly a far bigger draw, the southeast offers cave-houses, classic gardens, fortresses, deserted villages, oases and fabulous erosion patterns all set in scenery that intersperses great expanses of desert with chains of high mountains. Especially if you're mobile, this is a thrilling region in which to feel like a real-life explorer discovering timeless ancient sites...and enjoying them all on your own.

If planning a multiday loop, do it clockwise: Birjand and Kerman seem far more delightful if you've yet to see Yazd and Esfahan. And crossing the Dasht-e Lut westbound provides a scenic crescendo that reaches a glorious climax at the Kaluts.