Iran Top 10 Off the Beaten Paths You Should Visit! Iran is a vast country with a wealth of impressive tourist attractions. You will be amazed at the long list of famous destinations on the Classical Route of Iran, the UNESCO world heritage sites, the most famous Off the Beaten Track villages, and the most famous tourist villages of Iran. But you may still wish to add other exciting destinations to your Iran Adventure tour. Iran off the beaten paths could be the best option if you are interested in a thrilling adventure. Iran offers many untraveled routes for explorers around the world. You may not know much about these paths, but they are filled with cultural and natural attractions, scenic sceneries, and the potential for lots of exhilarating activities such as photography, biking, mounting, and trekking, as well as boating and other sea activities. Since these off the Beaten Paths are scattered in various districts with different climatic conditions, the time of the visit varies in different seasons or months. Traveling through these paths, you will enjoy an authentic experience of less-known parts of Iran. Besides picturesque landscapes in different seasons, as well as cultural, historical, and even ancient sites, you will have the opportunity to socialize with rural people whose hospitality is well-known among all tourists who traveled to these Off the Beaten Paths of Iran. Here is a list of Iran's top 10 Off the Beaten Paths you should visit during your Iran’s tailor-made journey: 1. Shush (Susa), Khuzestan Province 2. Minab town, Hormozgan Province 3. Savadkuh County, Mazandaran Province 4. Kong port, Bandar Abbas, Persian Gulf 5. Anzali Lagoon & villages around, Gilan Province, Caspian Sea 6. Siraf port, Bushehr Province, Persian Gulf 7. Chabahar port, Sistan and Baluchistan
Iran Top 10 Off the Beaten Paths You Should Visit! Iran is a vast country with a wealth of impressive tourist attractions. You will be amazed at the long list of famous destinations on the Classical Route of Iran, the UNESCO world heritage sites, the most famous Off the Beaten Track villages, and the most
Persian Gardens of Iran The UNESCO Sites One of Iran’s main tourist attractions is Iranian historical gardens, which are situated in different regions of Iran. UNESCO collected 9 gardens under the name of the Persian Gardens and registered them in their heritage sites in 2011. Across time and in various climates, this type of designed garden has taken on a multitude of forms. Chahar Bagh, or the Persian Garden's original principle, adapts in new ways over the centuries. It first matured in the garden of Cyrus the Great's palace complex, in Pasargadae, more than two thousand years ago. Persian Garden exemplifies the ideals of art, philosophy, symbolism, and religion through a combination of natural elements and man-made elements. In a way, the Persian Garden is an Earthly Paradise or Eden. No Name of the Gardens Region Province/ City Geographical Coordinates 1 Ancient Garden of Pasargadae Iran Plateau Fars/Shiraz N: 30˚ 10΄ 0.0΄΄ E: 53˚ 10΄ 0.0΄΄ 2 Bagh-e Eram Iran Plateau Fars/Shiraz N: 29˚ 38΄ 10.03΄΄ E: 52˚ 31΄ 31΄΄ 3 Bagh-e Chehel Sotun Iran Plateau Esfahan/Isfahan N: 32˚ 39΄ 27΄΄ E: 51˚ 40΄ 20΄΄ 4 Bagh-e Fin West of Dasht-e Kavir Desert Esfahan/ Kashan N: 33˚ 22΄ 20.53΄΄ E: 51˚ 22΄ 20.53΄΄ 5 Bagh-e Abas Abad Caspian Sea Mazandaran/ Behshahr N: 36˚ 39΄ 50΄΄ E: 53˚ 35΄ 38΄΄ 6 Bagh-e Shahzadeh South west of Dasht-e Lut Desert Kerman/ Mahan N: 30˚ 01΄ 30΄΄ E: 57˚ 16΄ 59΄΄ 7 Bagh-e Dolat Abad Iran Plateau Yazd/Yazd N: 31˚ 54΄ 12.30΄΄ E: 54˚ 21΄ 6.59΄΄ 8 Bagh-e Pahlavanpur Iran Plateau Yazd/ Mehriz N: 31˚ 33΄ 36.6΄΄ E: 54˚ 26΄ 25.21΄΄ 9 Bagh-e Akbariyeh Desert (North of Dasht-e Lut) Southern Khorasan/ Birjand N: 32˚ D1΄ 10΄΄ E: 59˚ 13΄ 40΄΄ 1. Ancient garden of Pasargadae 2. Bagh-e Eram
Persian Gardens of Iran The UNESCO Sites One of Iran’s main tourist attractions is Iranian historical gardens, which are situated in different regions of Iran. UNESCO collected 9 gardens under the name of the Persian Gardens and registered them in their heritage sites in 2011. Across time and in various climates, this type of designed
Iran Cooking Tour and Persian Cuisine Iran cooking tours and Persian Cuisine like many other things in Iran is not well known. Iranian delicious foods should be on the menu of many important national restaurants everywhere else like Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food in East Asia, but unfortunately, the lack of marketing and other different issues affected this matter and the majority of travelers have no idea about the Persian Cuisine before their trip to Iran. Even if you know about Iranian cuisine, you should have good local contacts or invitations to the house of locals to taste different traditional Iranian foods. In addition, another important thing that makes Iran very different with other countries is that Iran has varied categories of foods belonging to different ethnic and tribes. If you would like to know deeply about the Persian Cuisine, you have to know that there is wisdom behind their meals, which is deeply related to the regions and climate and weather system of that location. It means the meals of every region is connected to the Persian traditional medicine and it is very important for the health system of the people. For example, the meals of the Caspian Region in Gilan province are different from people who live in the desert regions of Iran like Kerman or those who live in the Iranian Plateau like Meymand (UNESCO) and those who live in southern part of Iran in Bushehr, Baluchistan and Bandar Abbas. Another interesting fact about Persian cuisine is that they had meals for different seasons of the year based on traditional medicine practices, these categorization took the products of the season and the region that the food was made in to consideration. Recently, the numbers people who are interested in Iranian foods are increased and many people
Iran Cooking Tour and Persian Cuisine Iran cooking tours and Persian Cuisine like many other things in Iran is not well known. Iranian delicious foods should be on the menu of many important national restaurants everywhere else like Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food in East Asia, but unfortunately, the lack of marketing and other different
Travel to Iranian Kurdistan Kurdistan Introduction Iranian Kurdistan with 21137 sq./m is located in the west of Iran with a joint border with Iraq. It’s one of the destinations of Iran that offers you a lot of Off the Beaten track for those who are looking for new experiences. Depending on your travel style and the type of activity you would like to do, you could travel to Iranian Kurdistan from one week up to one month. Most Iran visitors who already visited the Main tourist destinations of Iran travel to Kurdistan as a cultural tour. They only visit a couple of spots mentioned in the guidebooks. Also, most of the tours designed to visit Kurdistan are two to three-week tours of northwestern and western Iran, which spend only one or more days in this province and actually pass through this province and cannot explore the attractions of this region and understand the intangible highlights of this exotic destinations. Kurdistan has a long list of attractions for travelers and in this article, we try to mention the main important highlights of the province. Kurdish Region locations The Kurdish region of Iran is a geographical area in northwestern Iran that has been historically and is presently inhabited by a predominantly Kurdish population. This region includes parts of three Iranian provinces; the Kordestan Province, the Kermanshah Province, and the West Azerbaijan Province. These three Iranian provinces share borders with parts of Iraq and Turkey that are also inhabited by the Kurds. West Azerbaijan Province Kurdistan Province Kermanshah Province Kurdish People The Kurdish people have inhabited the northwestern region of Iran for centuries – dating back before the Islamic conquests of the 7th century. It is believed that the Kurdish language was derived from Persian dialects in the
Travel to Iranian Kurdistan Kurdistan Introduction Iranian Kurdistan with 21137 sq./m is located in the west of Iran with a joint border with Iraq. It’s one of the destinations of Iran that offers you a lot of Off the Beaten track for those who are looking for new experiences. Depending on your travel style
Photography Travel in Iran Iran is an amazing destination for photography and depending on your photography type there is so much to offer for experts in this field. The most important type we could mention are as below: 1- Landscape photography in Iran 2- Iran portrait photography 3- Architecture photography in Iran 4- On the Road Photography 5- Iran’s Tribes and nomads (and their lifestyle) Photography Along with the above main categories, there is also another topic for special interests like bird-watching and wildlife adventure photography in Iran and a much unrelated subject, Persian historical houses. Photography of events or special festivals is also another specific topic that many travelers come to Iran for. Some travelers are interested in these events but for photographers it’s a whole different story. Ashoora and Tasooa are the two main important religious ceremonies which are in the summer this year. On the 7 and 8 of August 2022. But every year those date move 12 days forward so, on 2023 the event would be 20 and 21 of July. In some towns, Ashoora and Tasooa ceremony and their special customs are totally different which is amazing for taking some out of this world shots. Along this ceremony, there are other historical ceremonies in Iran which is amazing for event photography as well. Pireh Shaliar is a traditional dance festival of Kurdish people in Howramanat and it is one of the best locations for traveling for photography. In Adventure Iran, we have done photography in all main categories and we have performed a few photography tours in different regions. Also, another important matter for photography is that you have to visit places when it’s not crowded and you have to have local information or special guides for the destination and the topic of your
Photography Travel in Iran Iran is an amazing destination for photography and depending on your photography type there is so much to offer for experts in this field. The most important type we could mention are as below: 1- Landscape photography in Iran 2- Iran portrait photography 3- Architecture photography in Iran 4- On the
The Arbor Day The tree is the embodiment of beauty and life and one of the most magnificent and fruitful blessings of God that fulfills an important part of human needs. In ancient times Iranians had many substantial and special celebrations. One of these celebrations was planting trees on Arbor Day. Every year people were planting young seedlings in gardens and forests, respecting the soil and agriculture. This tradition has been passed down through the generations. Even now, Iranians are celebrating "Arbor Day" together and planting trees. Iranians welcome spring by donating a seedling to nature. Individuals are encouraged to plant trees on Arbor Day. In Iran, 5-12 March has been designated as "Natural Resources Week". "Arbor Day ", which falls on 5th March is the first day of this week. In other countries, the day and date change, depending on its climate, when a time is chosen so the tree can grow. During this week in Iran, different kinds of seedlings are distributed among people by the municipality, and tree planting techniques are taught to those interested. On this day you will be given free seedlings in front of most parks, green spaces, and other parts of the city. Planting trees and their maintenance have always been important. In general, trees are a large part of the natural and national resources of any country and belong to everyone. Every single person in the community breathes the delicate air that trees produce. In addition, the role of trees in preventing floods should never be overlooked. These days, because of industrialization, trees play other essential roles in human life. Trees provide products such as furniture, stationery, timber, and thousands of other commodities. Another significant role that trees play in human life is their therapeutic properties. For centuries, plants have played a
The Arbor Day The tree is the embodiment of beauty and life and one of the most magnificent and fruitful blessings of God that fulfills an important part of human needs. In ancient times Iranians had many substantial and special celebrations. One of these celebrations was planting trees on Arbor Day. Every year people were
Iran 5 Best Touristic Destinations In this article, you can read about Iran best touristic destinations and all the activities you can do in them in detail. These tourist cities are in the most popular travel itinerary of travellers during the spring season and is on the Best Iran Tours list. Iran, with 27 UNESCO world heritage sites, (as of September 2023), is the tenth country in the world with regard to the number of such sites. Contrary to the perception of many tourists who haven’t read about Iran, it’s too much to even see its major highlights in a month. For this reason, most travelers prefer to make the main touristic cities of the country their main priority which includes Tehran, Kashan, Esfahan, Yazd, and Shiraz. Also, Lonely Planet’s travel guide book, which is a reference for many travelers, has chosen these cities for Iran’s first-time visitors. Also, Lonely Planet uses the term “CLASSIC” to describe a short travel itinerary for each country where travelers wish to visit a famous site. CLASSIC IRAN route is an overland journey that includes the main 5 urban tourist destinations of Tehran, Kashan, Esfahan, Yazd, and Shiraz with 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with a couple of other attractions on the route. You need two weeks to visit these 5 major cities but depending on the holiday time you have available, the season of travel and your interests, you may want to extend your visit to see more attractions or even if time is a problem, make it shorter. Along with the historical and cultural attractions of this major cities, this route is one of the most popular tourist routes in Iran for photography trip. An example trip for photography in this direction is Iran's classic photography Trip. It’s necessary to
Iran 5 Best Touristic Destinations In this article, you can read about Iran best touristic destinations and all the activities you can do in them in detail. These tourist cities are in the most popular travel itinerary of travellers during the spring season and is on the Best Iran Tours list. Iran, with 27 UNESCO
New Requirements to Enter Iran (April 2022) As of April 7th, Iran entry requirements during Covid rules and regulations have been changed. For the last 2 months, no PCR test was required for entering Iran but as of now, the new Rules require a PCR test done within 72 hours before your flight for all individuals above the age of 12. A vaccination card is needed to enter the country as well. Please keep in mind that at least 15 days must have passed from your second dose. Iran entry requirements during Covid do not include proof of any booster shots. So the requirements are as bellow: All travelers over the age of 12 must provide a negative PCR test, conducted within 72 hours before arrival. A vaccination card as proof for the first double doses. (At least 2 weeks must have passed from your second dose) You can read the last updates at the links below: March 2022 update January 2022 update
New Requirements to Enter Iran (April 2022) As of April 7th, Iran entry requirements during Covid rules and regulations have been changed. For the last 2 months, no PCR test was required for entering Iran but as of now, the new Rules require a PCR test done within 72 hours before your flight for all
Sizdah Be-dar Day Sizdah Be-dar is the thirteenth day of Farvardin (the first month of the Iranian calendar) and is one of the New Year’s festivals. In Iran’s official calendar, this day is designated as Nature Day and is a holiday. Some people believe that Sizdah Be-dar day has an ominous feel about it, so they prefer to leave their houses that day to spend time outdoors in natural surroundings. However, there is no historical and credible narrative to prove that the ancient Iranians had this view. After twelve days of celebration, Ancient Iranians would, on the thirteenth day of Nowruz, considered an auspicious day, go outside to appreciate nature and rejoice. By celebrating this day, they ended the Nowruz period. Sizdah Be-dar Traditions People prepare everything for Sizdah Be-dar a day before. For Aush Reshteh, all beans and grains get cooked the night before. In some parts of Iran, people believe that food must be cooked with wild herbs on this day. For example, one of the Sizdar Be-dar rituals in Khorasan province is cooking a kind of Aush with wild native herbs. Samanu or halva should also have been on the table on Sizdah Be-dar. Kabab is the other popular food that can be seen on almost every occasion and Sizdah Be-dar is no exception. Before lunch, we eat lettuce with Sekanjabin, (the oldest Iranian drink which is made of honey and vinegar). Usually, nuts are eaten in the afternoon. Playing in a group is the other delightful part of this day. Playing with the family brings joy and vitality, which is an important part of this day's program. Some examples of these games are pantomime, kabaddi, dodgeball, kite flying, snakes and ladders, and football.Knotting the greenery is another tradition of this day. It is common for
Sizdah Be-dar Day Sizdah Be-dar is the thirteenth day of Farvardin (the first month of the Iranian calendar) and is one of the New Year’s festivals. In Iran’s official calendar, this day is designated as Nature Day and is a holiday. Some people believe that Sizdah Be-dar day has an ominous feel about it,
Traveling to Iran during Nowruz (Persian New Year) The longest Iranian holiday Persian New Year or Nowruz is one of the special dates for Iranians. It starts on the 20th of March (1st of Farvardin) and continues for about 2 weeks till the first of April (13th of Farvardin) which is the day Called Sizdah Bedar. Nowruz is the start of spring. It is the month that the earth wakes up from its hibernation and breathes. It is the time of flowers blooming and pleasant winds of spring blowing. Although traveling in Nowruz could be tempting for most travelers, it might not be the best time to travel to Iran. What Iranians do during Nowruz Many Iranians plan for these two weeks in advance. For most, it is their longest holiday of the year and they plan to make the most of it with their family and friends. What better time to visit other cities of Iran and sightsee their numerous historical sites? Main famous tourist cities of the country (Like Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, Kashan, Tabriz, and …) become busy. Most hotels will get booked early. All public transportation will be full and all roads leading to these cities will be crowded with private cars. You may visit most sites with local tourists from other cities. In the end, this can make you give up on seeing some parts of it. The only city that will do 180 and become quiet and peaceful is Tehran the Capital. Citizens of Tehran won’t take this time for granted. They usually plan a holiday for themselves. Despite this, most people from other cities prefer the cities mentioned above and won’t come to Tehran for the holidays. The streets are mostly with no traffic, sites and museums are likely to be empty,
Traveling to Iran during Nowruz (Persian New Year) The longest Iranian holiday Persian New Year or Nowruz is one of the special dates for Iranians. It starts on the 20th of March (1st of Farvardin) and continues for about 2 weeks till the first of April (13th of Farvardin) which is the
