Yazd rewards slow exploration. The medieval old city — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is a labyrinth of mud-brick lanes, wind towers, and domed houses that took shape over more than a thousand years. The best way to explore it is simply to walk, getting mildly lost in the alleys before emerging at a courtyard garden or a tiled mosque portal. Most major sights are concentrated within or just outside the old city walls.
Beyond the ancient core, the landscape around Yazd is dramatic desert punctuated by Zoroastrian monuments and caravanserais — well worth a half-day by taxi or rented bicycle.