Top places to visit

Isfahan is not a city geared specifically towards children. The air around the city is formal, sober, and one of intellect and reverence rather than frolic and merrymaking. The lack of amusement opportunities within the city is somewhat of a downside when you are bringing along a family with toddlers. The only best place you can take children is probably one of the numerous parks around the city. An evening of family-oriented fun for kids and adults alike will keep pestering kids at bay, while offering you relief from the pressures of the city center.

Address: entrance at the north end of Naqsh e Jahan Square, stretches to the old Friday Mosque Timings: Saturdays to Thursdays 9am to 8pm

Address: west side of the Naqsh e Jahan Square, opposite the Sheikh Lotfullah Mosque Timings: 8am to sunset Tickets: IRR 4000

Address: the main boulevard beside the Naqsh e Jahan Square complex, parallel to and west of Ostandari Street.

Address: south of the Chili Sutun palace, city center, Isfahan Timings: 8am to 8pm Tickets: IRR 3000

Address: Ostandari Street, city center, Isfahan. Timings: 8am to 12noon, 2pm to sunset. Tickets: IRR 5000.

Address: opposite Hasht Behisht garden complex, Hasht Behisht Street. A fascinating piece of modernism fused with traditional color and construction, the very building of the Central Library is a refreshing break from all the typical Safavid style monuments around the city.

Address: inside the Abbasi Hotel, Chahar Bagh Avenue Timings: 9am to 5pm

Address: located within Hasht Behisht complex. A small public park that is full of avid chess players, leisure walkers, and chatty locals on evenings, providing an ideal space for intermingling with the locals, or just watching casual life in Isfahan roll along. The park contains colorful verities of local flowering shrubs and soothing bodies of water, and is a very relaxing experience after a long day exploring the city center and all its tourist locations.

Address: Ostandari Street Timings: Saturdays to Wednesdays 8am to 1pm, Thursdays 8am to 12noon Tickets: IRR 3000

Address: Ostandari Street Timings: Saturdays to Thursdays 9am to 12noon, 4pm to 8pm Tickets: IRR 3000

Address: Ostandari Street Timings: open daily 8am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm winters and 4pm to 9pm summers Tickets: IR 10000

Address: between the Si-o-She and Khaju Bridge. A smaller, less grand bridge, 150 meters long and containing 21 arches, the Chubi was built by Shah Abbas II to serve as royal parlors, for being served pleasant evening meals and as entertainment rooms for the ladies of the court. Today the bridge contains two charming little teahouses.

Address: south end of the Chahar Bagh Khaju Avenue, near the Khaju Square The second of the two most popular bridges in Isfahan, the Khaju is known for its masterfully designed sitting spaces that offer direct contact with the flowing Zayandeh River.

Address: 33 Pol, intersection of the Chahar Bagh Avenue with the river crossing. The bridge is strategically located where the Chahar Bagh, the main vehicular artery through Isfahan, crosses over the Zayandeh River. It was commissioned in 1599 by Allah Wardi Khan, a general in Shah Abbas I’s army.

Address: downstream along the Zayandeh River. The simplest way to enjoy the Zayandeh area while avoiding noisy, huddling crowds is to take a walk down the paved promenade that runs parallel to the course of the river.

Address: intersection of Nizami and Nazar Streets. Timings: 11am to 5pm.

Address: Nazar Street, Jolfa neighborhood Timings: 11am to 5pm Tickets: IRR 10000 Also known as the Kelisa e Bait ul Lahm, this church houses marvelous frescoes with catchy themes in black and gold depicting scenes from the bible. The place contains the largest church dome within the Jolfa area, and its internal treatment is also a sight to behold – swirling motifs and a fresco cycle line the base of the drum.

Address: Jolfa Square, Jolfa neighborhood. This is another prominent church within Jolfa, a bit smaller, and treated with simplicity and elegance. A charming courtyard and the smaller Hacop Church are also contained within the premises of this impressive building.

Address: Kelisa Street, Jolfa neighborhood Phone: +98 311 624 3471 Timings: 8am to 1230pm, 2pm to 530pm Tickets: adults IRR 30000, students IRR 16000

Address: opposite Atashkadeh. A recent addition to the city, this large park adapts the popular Japanese garden concept to the local context to create a soothing, mesmerizing experience for the visitors. Sprawling lawns, water bodies with wooden bridges, dry gardens, and a delightful collection of birds await you as you venture into the Mehr Park. A great place to bring children and families.

Address: along the Atashgah Avenue Rearing pigeons has been a favorite pastime for the locals since centuries. Kept domestically in cages built onto roofs of houses, you will often see, on a summer evening, people releasing and calling out to pigeons from their rooftops, sprinkling grains onto sidewalks for the birds, and putting out dishes of water at large monuments for the birds to drink from.

Address: western outskirts of Isfahan, near intersection of Amir Kabir Road with Atashgah Avenue Timings: 830am to 5pm Tickets: IRR 2000

Address: Kaladyn, near Atash Kadeh Constructed as a tomb for a respected local faker (beggar) called Abu Abdullah during the 14th century, with the minarets coming in almost three centuries later, the Minar Jomban today has gained immense popularity as being quite an extraordinary piece of architecture. Tourists know this place for its minarets – go inside one and shake the walls, and you will see the other one start to vibrate as well! Of course, not everyone is allowed to do so – only the two or three guides that are present within the premises. When a substantial tourist crowd has gathered, one of them prepares himself to go inside a minaret to perform this magical feat.