Lonely Planet Iran

Iran

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Iran

Iran's Top 16

Need to Know

First Time Iran

If You Like

Month by Month

Itineraries

Visas & Planning

Regions at a Glance

On The Road

Tehran

Sights

Activities

Tours

Courses

Sleeping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Alborz Ski Resorts

Mt Damavand

Rey

Western Iran

Bazargan

Maku & Around

Khoy

Orumiyeh

Maraqeh

Tabriz

Kandovan

Jolfa

Aras River Valley

Kaleybar

Ardabil

Khal Khal

Zanjan

Soltaniyeh

Takab

Rasht

Around Rasht

Ramsar

Kelardasht

Qazvin

Alamut Valley

Garmarud

Sanandaj

Howraman

Paveh

Kermanshah

Bisotun

Hamadan

Bijar

Marivan

Dorud

The DorudAndimeshk Railway

Andimeshk

Shush

Shushtar

Ahvaz

Khorramabad

Central Iran

Qom

Kashan

Around Kashan

Esfahan

Zagros Mountains

Dasht-e Kavir

Yazd

Around Yazd

Shiraz

Persepolis

Naqsh-e Rostam & Naqsh-e Rajab

Pasargadae

Bavanat

Firuz Abad

Kazerun & Bishapur

Persian Gulf

Kish Island

Bandar-e Lengeh

Bandar Abbas

Qeshm Island

Hormoz Island

Southeastern Iran

Meymand

Kerman

Around Kerman

The Kaluts (Lut Desert)

Rayen

Birjand

Qa'en

Northeastern Iran

Sari

Gorgan

Semnan

Garmsar

Shahrud

Gonbad-e Kavus

Bajgiran

Mashhad

Around Mashhad

Kalat

Bojnurd

Esfarayen

Sabzevar

Understand

Understand Iran

Iran Today

History

People

Daily Life

Iranian Cuisine

Faith in Iran

Architecture

Carpets, Arts & Crafts

Literature, Music & Cinema

Natural Environments

Survive

Safe Travel

Crime

Kidnapping & Terror

Police & Security Forces

Road Safety

Earthquakes

Women Travellers

Directory AZ

Accommodation

Activities

Children

Climate

Customs Regulations

Electricity

Embassies & Consulates

Food

LGBTI Travellers

Insurance

Internet Access

Legal Matters

Maps

Money

Opening Hours

Photography

Post

Public Holidays

Smoking

Telephone

Time

Toilets

Tourist Information

Travellers with Disabilities

Visas

Transport

Getting There & Away

Getting Around

Health

Before You Go

In Iran

Travelling with Children

Womens Health

Language

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

Welcome to Iran

Welcome to what could be the friendliest country on earth. Iran is the jewel in Islam's crown, combining glorious architecture with a warm-hearted welcome.

In the Footsteps of Empire

Echoes of ancient civilisations resonate down through the ages in Iran. Some of history's biggest names – Cyrus and Darius, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan – all left their mark here, and the cities they conquered or ruled are among the finest in a region rich with such storied ruins. Walking around the awesome and beautiful ancient capital at Persepolis, experiencing the remote power of Susa (Shush), and taking in the wonderfully immense Elamite ziggurat at Choqa Zanbil will carry you all the way back to the glory days of Ancient Persia.

The Beauty of Islam

Iran is a treasure house for some of the most beautiful Islamic architecture on the planet. The sublime, turquoise-tiled domes and minarets of Esfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square draw many appreciative gasps of wonder, and rightly so, but there are utterly magnificent rivals elsewhere, in Yazd and Shiraz among others. And it's not just the mosques – the palaces (especially in Tehran), gardens (everywhere, but Kashan really shines) and artfully conceived bridges and other public buildings all lend grace and beauty to cities across the country

Modern & Sophisticated

This is your chance to get to grips with Iran's modern history, too, particularly in Tehran. Enter part of the former US embassy, now called the US Den of Espionage; gaze up at Tehran's beautiful Azadi Tower, where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to mark the 1979 revolution and, in 2009, to protest against the regime the revolution delivered; and visit the haunting Iran Holy Defense Museum to learn all about the Iran–Iraq war that so traumatised the country. Tehran is also where you can take Iran's contemporary pulse at creative art galleries and liberal cafe spaces.

Redefining Hospitality

Across Iran, a nation made up of numerous ethnic groups and influenced over thousands of years by Greek, Arab, Turkic and Mongol occupiers, you'll find the people are endlessly welcoming. Offers to sit down for tea will be an everyday occurrence, and if you spend any time at all with Iranians, you'll often find yourself invited to share a meal in someone's home. Say yes whenever you can, and through it experience first-hand, Iranian culture, ancient, sophisticated and warm. It’s these experiences that will live longest in the memory.

Masjed-e Shah mosque, Esfahan | Rafi Nourinia/500px ©

Why I Love Iran

By Anthony Ham, Writer

What's not to love? The landscapes here are wonderful, from high mountains to deep deserts where the soulful presence of the Asiatic cheetah still roams. There's the architecture and the magic of the bazaars. There's the utterly civilised appeal of taking tea in a teahouse overlooking the river in Esfahan or with nomads out in the Zagros Mountains. Or wandering the mud-brick alleyways of Yazd then venturing to a Zoroastrian fire temple on the cusp of the desert. Yes, I love all of these things. But Iran's greatest gift is its people.

Iran's Top 16

Meet the People

In any competition for the title of the world's friendliest people, Iranians would be definite finalists. It’s the people that leave the most lasting impressions from any journey to Iran, their warmth and their hospitality, their willingness to set aside enmities between countries and welcome you with open arms and doors. Whoever you meet, you will regularly be asked what you think of Iran, told ‘You are our guest’ and brought tea and food. Meeting Iranians is, quite simply, the best experience in Iran.

Spice merchant, Bazar-e Bozorg, Esfahan | Tim Barker/Getty Images ©

Top Experiences

Esfahan, Half of the World

There are moments in travel that will long stay with you, and your first sight of Esfahan’s majestic Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square is one of them. This square is home to arguably the most majestic collection of buildings in the Islamic world: the perfectly proportioned blue-tiled dome of the Masjed-e Shah, the supremely elegant Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah and the indulgent and lavishly decorated Ali Qapu Palace. Far from being a static architectural attraction, the square and the nearby teahouses overlooking the river throng with life.

Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square | lkpro/Alamy Stock Photo ©

Top Experiences

Yazd

Few places have adapted to their environment as well as the desert city of Yazd. It’s a gem of winding lanes, blue-tiled domes, soaring minarets, covered bazaars, and fine old courtyard homes topped by badgirs (windtowers) and watered by ingenious qanats (underground water channels). Several of these homes have been restored and converted into marvellously evocative traditional hotels. Many travellers declare Yazd to be their favourite city in Iran, and it's not difficult to see why, combining as it does a whiff of magic on the cusp of the desert.

Amir Chakhmaq Mosque Complex | javarman/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

More than Kabab

Iranian food is one delicious surprise after another. Once you’ve tried several varieties of kabab, khoresht (stew), ash (soup) and flat bread, ask for fesenjun (chicken in walnut and pomegranate sauce) or anything with bademjan (eggplant), or try Gilan cuisine with its predominantly sour flavours. Then you can try the shirini (sweets)… As exquisite as so many Iranian flavours are, it's the buzz that surrounds eating, the primacy of food in so many social encounters that makes it truly one of life's great pleasures.

Khoresht | hlphoto/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

Nomads of the Zagros

About two million Iranians from several different ethnic groups still live a nomadic existence, travelling with their goats in spring and autumn in search of pasture. Qashqa’i and Bakhtiyari nomads spend the summer months in the Zagros Mountains, before heading down to the coast for the winter. You can get a taste of nomad life on a day trip from Shiraz, or stay with the Khamseh (and eat their delicious handmade yoghurt) in the hills above Bavanat.

Nomads of the Zagros | Marcin Szymczak/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

Ancient Persepolis

The artistic harmony of the monumental staircases, imposing gateways and exquisite reliefs leaves you in little doubt that in its prime, Persepolis was at the centre of the known world. These days it's Iran's premier ancient city. Built by kings Darius and Xerxes as the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid empire, a visit to the World Heritage-listed ruins of the city also testifies to Alexander the Great’s merciless destruction of that empire. Don’t miss the monolithic tombs at nearby Naqsh-e Rostam.

Naqsh-e Rostam | OPIS Zagreb/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

Skiing the Alborz Mountains

Think Iran and skiing is hardly the first thing that springs to mind. But Iran has more than 20 ski fields and most of the action is conveniently concentrated around Tehran. The Dizin and Shemshak resorts are the pick, with steep downhills and plenty of untracked powder to keep skiers of all levels interested. Chalets and ski passes are inexpensive compared with Western countries, and the slopes are relatively liberal, beloved as they are by Tehran's upper middle class.

Skiier, Shemshak Ski Resort, Alborz Mountains | Christian Aslund/Getty Images ©

Top Experiences

Choqa Zanbil, Susa & Shushtar

Even if you don’t normally seek out ancient ruins, these three World Heritage sites will make you reconsider. Its great bulk, semidesert isolation and fascinating backstory make the Choqa Zanbil Ziggurat, which dates back a mere 34 centuries, one of the most impressive historical sites in a region full of them. Now excavated, some of the bricks look as if they came out of the kiln last week. Susa (Shush) is a fabulous ruin of a place with a castle, acropolis and palace remnants, while Shushtar impressively rounds things out.

Choqa Zanbil Ziggurat | Valery Shanin/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

Tehran Art Scene

The capital’s excellent museums and palaces provide great insights into Iran’s past. However, to gain a handle on its present, don’t miss the city’s range of hip cafes and contemporary art galleries. These provide an entrée into a side of modern Iranian life – creative, challenging and liberal – that you seldom hear much about in the media. Even government-sponsored institutions such as the Iran Holy Defense Museum and Qsar Garden Museum make inventive use of contemporary art.

Grand Festival of Art for Peace in Tehran | Oleksandr Rupeta/Alamy Stock Photo ©

Top Experiences

Mashhad's Haram-e Razavi

Iran is an Islamic Republic and while most travellers find Islam is not nearly as all-pervasive as they had expected, the Shiite faith remains an important part of Iranian life. It is at its most obvious in the passionate devotion seen at monuments such as the huge Haram-e Razavi in Mashhad. The main draw here is the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza, the only Shiite imam buried in Iran. The passion and warmth you'll encounter here lends a powerful sense of Islam as a force for good in the world.

Holy Shine of Imam Reza | Rob Penn/Getty Images ©

Top Experiences

Desert Oases

The welcome is rarely warmer than in the vast, empty silence of Iran’s two great deserts. Garmeh is the oasis village of your dreams, with a crumbling castle, swaying date palms and the sound of spring water. It’s the sort of place you come for one night and stay four. Nearby Farahzad and tiny Toudeshk Cho, between Esfahan and Na’in, also offer memorable desert-style family homestays; think beds on the floor, basic bathrooms, fresh, delicious home-cooked food and endless horizons just outside your door.

Garmeh | Jakob Fischer/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

Bazaar Shopping

In the age of the superstore, most Iranians continue to rely on these mazes of covered lanes, madrasehs and caravanserais for much of their shopping. Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz, Kerman and Kashan all have atmospheric bazaars where you can browse beneath domed ceilings, dodge motorcycles and stop in tiny teahouses for a hot brew. But perhaps the greatest bazaar is the World Heritage–listed Tabriz Bazaar, the world’s largest covered bazaar and once among the most important trading centres on the Silk Road.

Tabriz Bazaar | mathess/Getty Images ©

Top Experiences

Scenic Western Iran

With the slowdown in overland traveller traffic, surprisingly few make it out west, but that's just the way we like it. Track down Unesco World Heritage–listed Armenian churches. Follow the scenic route through Howraman on your way between Marivan and Paveh. Explore the Aras Valley. Or the Coloured Mountains. Or spend some time getting to know the Kurds around Howraman, the Azeris in the northwest, the Gilan on the Caspian Coast, the Arabs of Khuzestan. Put them all together and Western Iran is worth building your entire trip around.

Bridge on the Karun River | Shahram Khorasanizadeh/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

Hiking in the Alamut Valley

The fabled Alamut Valley offers a tempting invitation to hike, explore and reflect among the fabled Castles of the Assassins. Nestled on widely spread rocky knolls and pinnacles lie the shattered remnants of more than 50 ruined fortresses that were once home to the medieval world’s most feared religious cult. Choose a day hike from Qazvin or more extensive wanderings from Gazor Khan – a full, mule-accompanied trans-Alborz crossing to the Caspian hinterland. Either way, this is some of the most rewarding hiking to be found anywhere in the Middle East.

Alamut Valley | alexreynolds/Shutterstock ©

Top Experiences

The Poets of Shiraz

Iranians like to say that even in the poorest home you’ll find two books: a Quran and the poetry of Hafez. It’s appropriate for a country whose most celebrated sons are poets, and where almost every person can quote their favourite millennium-old man of words. In Shiraz, the city of nightingales and gardens, the tombs of Hafez and Sa’di draw pilgrims from around the country. Join them as they linger over tea, reciting the works of their heroes.

Aramgah-e Hafez (Tomb of Hafez), Shiraz | Herre van der Wal/Lonely Planet ©

Top Experiences

Zoroastrian Fire Temples

Iran may be an Islamic Republic, but its Zoroastrian sites have an otherworldly charm. Chak Chak, out in a deliciously remote location in the Yazd hinterland, has a superb fire temple with a stunning brass door, even more stunning views, and an air of ritual, ancient and deep. This was the Zoroastrian heartland and remains its most significant pilgrimage site. It's difficult to come here and not imagine yourself in the days before Islam arrived in Iran. There are other fire temples in Kerman and Yazd.

Worshippers at Pir-e-Sabz Fire Temple, Chak Chak | Kuni Takahashi/Getty Images ©

Need to Know

Currency

Iranian rial (IR)

Language

Farsi (Persian) and ethnic languages, primarily Azari Turkish.

Money

Bring enough cash (in US dollars or euros) for the duration of your trip. You cannot use credit or debit cards, travellers cheques or ATMs.

Visas

A valid Iranian visa is required. Start the process at least two months before you plan to arrive. Some nationalities can get a visa on arrival if arriving by air.

Mobile Phones

You will need a local SIM card for cheap local and pricey international calls. Your home SIM will not work.

Time

GMT/UTC +3½ hours; daylight saving observed between No Ruz (around 21 March) and 22 September

When to Go

High Season (Mar–May)

A Ideal temperatures in most of Iran with generally mild, clear weather.

A Prices are highest and crowds biggest during No Ruz (21 March to 3 April), especially at Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and the Persian Gulf coast.

A Prices in hotels go up and availability goes down in April.

Shoulder Season (Jun–Oct)

A Warmer weather in June means fewer travellers.

A September and especially October temperatures moderate; good for mountain trekking.

A Prices slightly lower than March to May.

Low Season (Nov–Feb)

A Extreme cold, especially in the northeast and west, but good for skiing.

A Some mountain roads can be impassable.

A Hotel prices are discounted by 10% to 50% and there are fewer crowds.

Useful Websites

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/iran) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.

Iran Tourism & Touring Online (www.itto.org) As close as Iran comes to a tourism website with some informative links.

Easypersian (www.easypersian.com) Learn some Farsi.

Iran Chamber Society (www.iranchamber.com) Good for high-level coverage of the arts.

Tehran Times (www.tehrantimes.com) Iran's English-language news site and newspaper.

See You In Iran (www.facebook.com/SeeYouinIran/) Worth signing up to this FB group posting all kinds of useful stuff for Iran travellers.

Important Numbers

Drop the 0 when dialling an area code from abroad.

Exchange Rates

For official exchange rates, see Central Bank of Iran (www.cbi.ir). For exchange office rates (given here), check www.rialconverter.com.

Daily Costs

Budget: less than US$50

A One-way bus Tehran–Esfahan: US$9

A Entrance fees to most sights: US$4

A Dorm bed or basic room with bathroom: US$10–40

A Meal in local restaurant: US$5–10

Midrange: US$50–200

A One-way flight Shiraz–Tehran: US$70

A Half-day trip from Shiraz to Persepolis by taxi/driver-cum-guide: US$40/50

A Double room with bathroom: US$40–149

A Meal in midrange restaurant: US$8–15

Top end: More than US$200

A Four-star hotel in Tehran or Esfahan: US$150 plus

A Main meal in top Tehran restaurant: US$25–50

A Guide and/or driver for day: US$70–100

Opening Hours

Opening and closing times can be erratic, but you can rely on most businesses closing Thursday afternoons and Friday (the Iranian weekend).

Banks & Government Offices 8am-2pm Sat-Wed, 8am-noon Thu.

Museums 9am-6pm summer, until 4pm or 5pm winter, some closed on Mon.

Restaurants noon-3pm, 6-10pm.

Shops 9am-8pm Sat-Thu, but likely to have a siesta between 1-3.30pm and possibly close Thursday afternoon.

Travel Agencies 9am-5pm Sat-Wednesday, 7.30am-noon Thu.

Arriving in Iran

Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran

Fixed price taxi into town: IR750,000, depending on vehicle type; rip-offs are unusual if you use the official taxi queue. Bus to Metro station: IR75,000, plus IR7000 for Metro ticket to city centre

Shiraz International Airport

Taxi into town: US$5

Turkish border at Bazargan

Taxi to Maku: US$10. Onward bus to Tabriz: US$2

Getting Around

Services on most forms of public transport are frequent, fairly punctual and very cheap; airlines are often delayed. Book ahead if you’re travelling on a weekend or, especially, any public holiday.

Air An extensive network of generally reliable domestic flights is a great way to avoid some really long drives.

Bus You can get almost anywhere by bus. Most buses are comfortable rather than luxurious; speed checks have dramatically improved safety.

Savari Shared taxis that are usually quicker than buses; far less comfortable.

Train Links most major cities but departures are much less frequent.

First Time Iran

Checklist

A Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months past your arrival date.

A Inform your debit-/credit-card company.

A Arrange for appropriate travel insurance.

A Check government travel warnings and make sure you're not travelling to any areas that will void your insurance.

A Check if you can use your mobile/cell phone.

What to Pack

A Farsi phrasebook

A Some pictures of your family to better communicate with your new Iranian friends

A Sturdy walking shoes

A Warm clothes in winter

A Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen

A Water bottle

A Electrical adapter (European, two round-pin type)

A Small gifts from home for new friends

Top Tips for Your Trip

A Plan your trip (including visa application process) well in advance.

A Don't be too ambitious – Iran is big and trying to see everything can lead to frustration.

A Learn some Farsi before you go – a sure way to make local friends.

A Take some small gifts from home to repay the many small acts of kindness and hospitality you're likely to receive while in Iran.

What to Wear

Few questions occupy the minds of first-time female visitors to Iran quite like the question of what to wear. Like all females aged nine and older, women travellers will need to wear hejab while in Iran. That means covering hair, arms and legs and wearing clothes that disguise your body shape when in public. Bring something long and loose from home and, if you want to look less like a tourist, shop for a manteau (an overcoat that covers your bottom, at least) once you arrive. Ditto for scarves, which will require constant attention lest you expose too much hair. As for men, the main dress restrictions are that you shouldn’t wear shorts, or singlets that show your shoulders.

Sleeping

Choice is limited to fairly uninspiring hotels and basic local lodging houses away from the main tourist circuit and larger cities.

Hotels Runs the full gamut from budget cheapies to top-end behemoths; the upmarket end of things is limited but improving all the time.