Where to Go in Yazd?

Yazd is known as the city of Badgirs (wind towers) and Bride of the Desert. It is a historic and spectacular city that dubbed the first adobe city and the second most historic city in the world. Yazd has recently been listed as the first Iranian city in the World Heritage List for its oldness and historic monuments. 
Yazd is the ancient city which owns a pair of the tallest minarets, the loftiest wind tower, the longest Qanat, the oldest urban clock, the oldest Nakhl (a wooden structure used in religious ceremonies), etc. With these and many other historical and cultural monuments including its tourism destinations, welcomes guests and travelers from all over Iran and the world.

Historical Texture of Yazd

The first place to visit in Yazd is its historical context which is known as the old city, where collects all the beauties of Yazd history in one place. The passage through the corridors and the narrow alleys of the adobe streets takes you to the tunnel of time. You can feel the adobe and mud bricks and simplicity and beauty of the architectural designs in each corner of this old town as if you are living in an old city in the past. The handicraft shops and historical monuments attract you and make you wander for hours in the old town not feeling the passage of time. Since the old town was inhabited by the past generation, these buildings and these houses narrate many different stories. Just walk in some of these monuments and feel the stories from their each and every element.
To read more about Old City of Yazd, click here.

To have a bird view of the historical texture of Yazd, you can go to the roof of the Art House or other houses or cafes to watch the houses, badgirs, shops, bazaars, arches and vaults around the vast historical area of Yazd.

Amir Chakhmaq Complex

Amir Chakhmaq Complex is an ancient monument from the nineteenth century and Timurid era, every part of which is spectacular and is considered as the birthplace of Yazd with its worldwide reputation. This historical and unique complex includes different sections such as square, bazaar, mosque, Husseiniyeh, Tekyieh, Ab Anbar, and hammam. Amir Chakhmaq Complex and Jame Mosque of Yazd are the most-visited sights by many tourists and travelers from around the world.

Dolat Abad Garden

Dolat Abad Garden is one of the most beautiful Iranian gardens and one of the nine Persian Gardens registered in UNESCO as a world heritage. It dates back s beautiful atmosphere is the heritage of Afsharid and Zand artists. The most amazing part of this historic monument, the tall wind tower, is dubbed the tallest wind tower in the world.

Ab Anbar Rostam Giv

Giv Water Reservoir known as Ab Anbar-e Rostam Giv was built in 1941 and was served as a source of drinking water for public. This dome shape monument has a design of a cypress tree. The name was given to this reservoir after the name of the builder and investor, “Rostam Giv”. 

Alexander’s Prison

Neighboring Jame Mosque of Yazd, there is the old and beautiful neighborhood of Fahadan where the oldest building of the city is located. This oldest monument is called Alexander's Prison. Alexander's Prison has a history of more than eight centuries. One of the things that have made it special is its unique architecture having no tilework resulting to a simplicity that has given it a special beauty. 
Historical monuments of Yazd are so numerous that all of them are not covered in this topic and should inevitably be so brief, but it is recommended to tourists to watch as much as possible of these beautiful monuments to experience the history of Yazd. Otherwise, the puzzle of Yazd's history will be incomplete.

Other cities and villages of Yazd Province such as Meybod, Ardakan, Kharanaq, Mehriz, Fahraj and etc. have a long history with unique beauties which attract tourists with different tastes of history. 
To learn more about tourist and historic attractions of Yazd, we suggest you to refer to Attractions of Yazd. 

Desert in Yazd

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word desert is the tranquility and inspiring silence as well as full-star velvet nights which can touch your soul easily. Hot and soft sand, is very tempting and relaxing. The desert is as beautiful as the sea. To enjoy all its beauty and value, watch from the view point of local hard-working people.
Yazd is a desert city at the center of Iran. Various beautiful deserts can be seen on each corner of this beautiful city. In recent years, desert camps have been established and opened with special desert facilities such as safari off-road cars, camel riding, motor riding, accommodation in huts, dining areas, and so on which attract many tourists especially in the seasons when the weather is cool. 
To read more about different desert camping sites in Yazd Province, click here, or to reserve a desert tour, click here.

Zurkhaneh (traditional sport gym)

One of the most special experiences that can be gone through in Yazd is going to Zurkhaneh and having a close look at the ceremonies and rituals of this national Iranian sport. Saheb A Zaman Zurkhaneh, Khajeh Khezr Zurkhaneh, Takhti Zurkhaneh are some good and active examples which are still working in the alleyways of Yazd and women are allowed to enter and watch the activities done here.

Yazd Bazaar

Bazaars, especially the large bazaars, have always been the main commercial center and form the hub of the city. The large bazaar of Yazd shares the same crucial role. This bazaar was divided into two parts with the construction of Shah Street (current Qiam street) in the Pahlavi era, and some of its major sections such as Orosidoozha bazaar, Panje Ali bazaar, and the Mohammed Ali Khan bazaar were destroyed. In Bazaar of Yazd, materials such as fabric, Yazd sweets, gold, carpets, copper works, etc. are traded.  

What to Eat in Yazd and Where to Eat?

Modern cafes and restaurants in Yazd are enormous, some of which are refurbished houses or renovated old monuments like baths and caravanserais. This shows the utmost creativity and zeal of the people in Yazd, their love to their city; who while creating a beautiful place for receiving the guests, travelers, tourists, they preserved their ancient monuments, old buildings. 
Some of the restaurants in Yazd have different sections with different type of cuisine and some are chain restaurants. The best restaurant that you can choose to go include Fooka Cafe, Shah-e Mardan Restaurant, Khaneh Padari Restaurant, Taak Cafe and etc.
To learn more about the best and top restaurants in Yazd, refer to this page.

Panahande Cafe’ 

Panahande Cafe is one of the famous and most popular cafes in Yazd located in the middle of the traditional bazaar in Yazd. It is a good place for resting while having a delicious traditional cuisine after surfing the old texture and bazaars for long hours. Eating a bowl of lentil soup in this café, that has been making it for over forty years, is a great experience.

Traditional Hammam e Khan Restaurant 

The traditional Hammam e Khan (a used-to-be public bath) is located in the historical context of the Qiyam Street. It was renovated to a traditional restaurant and cafe in 1994. A variety of Iranian cuisines such as Chelow kabab, Kashk_e Bademjan (curd and eggplant), Fish and Rice, Dizi (broth), kofte in addition to some traditional local cuisines such as Shouli, traditional aash (soup), qeimeh Yazdi, etc. are served here. Do not forget to taste the Dizi Sangi (Dizi cooked in stone pots) for which the restaurant is famous for. 

Where to stay in Yazd?

The World heritage city of Yazd has many accommodations, ranging from Yazd's multi-star modern and traditional hotels to traditional hostels and guest houses, which are in fact renovated old houses. There are also a large number of hostels in the city where you can reserve a bed at affordable prices. If you like camping, you can easily pitch your tent in this safe city and enjoy the night sky of the desert. 

Dad Hotel

Dad Hotel is a luxury and traditional hotel in the historical context of Yazd. This 4-star hotel is one of the best hotels in Yazd, and the only hotel in Yazd that has won the Studiosus 2009 Prize of Germany which is awarded to the best hotels considering the customers’ rights. The hotel is equipped with several multi-purpose halls and restaurants, a restaurant with a variety of traditional cuisines, an indoor swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a massage room, an exchange office to make everything ready and set to satisfy the guests.

Kohan Hotel 

Kohan Hotel is a 2-star hotel with an old architectural style. This hotel has two small and large sections with spectacular attractions such as the Qanat Payab and a rooftop overlooking the old city of Yazd. In this hotel, there is a large courtyard with beautiful Bougainvillea flowers in the springtime which creates a famous dream scene to visit in the heart of a desert city. Even if you are staying in this hotel, do not miss viewing this spectacular scene in Spring. 

Narenjestan Traditional House 

Naranjestan Traditional House is a Qajar adobe house located in the historical context of the Imam Street, Yazd. Each of the rooms in this residence has a special name, taken from agricultural corps and the house is also decorated in agriculture theme and agriculture products. 
To read more bout or book in accommodations in Yazd, click here.