Iran Travel Manual

Top touristic destinations in Iran

Varzaneh

This desert town is off the beaten path and it is known for women wearing white chadors. You can see them on the street or meet them in the mosque. They are very kind and welcoming. However, it is the salt lake and sand dunes that are even more captivating. Walking bare foot in white salt surrounded by blue-white scenery and enjoying stunning sunset on the vast dunes is something that you should not skip in Iran. Girls, take off your hijab for a while and run down a dune in the evening breeze. Moreover, it is a perfect spot for stargazing.

All this you can do within the afternoon tour organized by Traditional Guesthouses in the town. The guest houses are nice and cozy, clean with tasty breakfast and helpful staff offering different kinds of tours.

Rooms = 350.000 – 500.000 IRR /person/night with breakfast
Afternoon tour (includes salt lake, sand dunes, stargazing) = 5 EUR/person (it all depends on how big your group is and how the tour is arranged etc.)
Entrance fee (Salt lake, to be paid separately at the gate) = 50.000 IRR

Yazd Old Town

For most of the tourists, the most beautiful city in Iran is undoubtedly Yazd. I mean its old historical center, which is a labyrinth of narrow streets with arches. Some truly wonderful architectural masterpieces emerge between Yazdi houses built of clay and straw, such as the blue Jameh Mosque. Another intriguing things in Yazd are the chimney-looking windcatchers that work as brilliant air-conditioning, also the Water Museum which explains everything about the 90 km long underground canals (qanat). Then you will start to understand the hardships of life in a desert.

Make sure you have at least two nights for this city.

Pink Mosque, Shiraz

From outside the Pink Mosque (also known as Masjed Nasir-ol-Molk) looks nice but rather conventional. What draws hordes of visitors here is the interior that comes to life with the sunrise or even later, around 8.30 AM. As light shines through the colorful window panes, it reflects on the decorated Shirazi carpet, walls and arches turning the room into a fantasy world.

However, forget about enjoying this exciting play of colors alone. You will have to be very patient if you want a few nice photo shots, as there will be another at least 20-30 lovers of colors with you inside.

Entrance fee = 150.000 IRR

Imam Square, Esfahan

Esfahan can be proud of its huge Imam Square (Naghsh-e Jahan) that is one of the largest in the world. It is 512 meters long and 163 meters wide. It is bordered by two-story arcades filled with shops and continuing into a bazaar, anchored by the Shah Mosque (Masjed-e Shah) and the Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque among other significant buildings. No wonder the square is UNESCO-listed. At night the lights go on, people gather around the fountain and the whole square becomes lively.

In every large city in Iran you will find a bazaar (Tehran, Tabriz, Esfahan, Kashan, Kerman, Shiraz), mostly with arched passageways. You should include into your itinerary at least one of them and buy some date, halva or saffron. I think the bazaar in Esfahan linked to this square is probably one of the most lively, stylish and appealing in Iran.

Persepolis and Necropolis

Maybe one of the very first things you have heard about Iran was its fabulous city of Persepolis with the ancient ruins, griffins, wall reliefs of men with curly beards and famous Persian kings´ tombs.

The distance between Persepolis and Necropolis (Naqsh-e Rustam) is about 12 km. I recommend visiting both.

Persepolis is a 2500-year-old complex of ruins of royal palaces (of Darius I., Xerxes I., Artaxerxes I., Artaxerxes III.), the Gate of Nations, treasury, throne hall and two tombs among other things. You need about 2 hours for this place.

Necropolis contains only tombs. Tombs of the most famous Persian kings, though (starting from the left Darius II., Artaxerxes I., Darius I., Xerxes I.). You need about half an hour for this spot.