South of Isfahan, the road to Shiraz crosses a high, dry plain fringed with bare mountains, and caravans once crossed it in stages, resting each night in a caravanserai. At Mahyar, about forty kilometres from the city, one of these great roadside inns still stands: a square courtyard enclosed by brick walls, with arched rooms for travellers around it and stabling for animals behind, built in the Safavid period when Shah Abbas I made Isfahan his capital and encouraged trade along the roads. Many of Iran's caravanserais were listed together as a World Heritage Site in 2023 under the name Persian Caravanserai.
The plain here is high, over fifteen hundred metres, and the climate is dry, with hot summers and cold winters. In spring, the fields near villages turn green with wheat, and the mountains are capped with snow. The light is clear and sharp, and the colours of brick and earth glow in the evening.
The road from Isfahan to Shiraz is a busy highway, with heavy trucks and fast cars, and riding it is not a relaxing experience. Driving standards in Iran are challenging, and you need to be alert at all times. The minor roads into the villages and mountains are more interesting, but surfaces vary.
Travel to Iran is subject to complex political and practical considerations: many governments advise against travel, foreign bank cards do not work, and bringing a foreign motorcycle requires a carnet de passages. Check carefully before planning any trip. Fuel is cheap but rationed through fuel cards, and foreign travellers often need to buy fuel from station attendants at a higher price. Abrisham and Shahreza, on the road south, have services. Isfahan, with its great square and mosques, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and the obvious base for a visit.