Dena Protected Area Introduction Dena Protected Area is one of Iran’s most preserved environmental regions managed by the Iranian Environmental Organization. There’s also a special ecodiverse zone inside this protected area called Dena National Park. The park was registered on the list of biosphere reserved regions of UNESCO in 2010. Dena Protected Area is nestled in the Dena Mountain Chain, one of the longest chains of the Zagros Range. Dena location and how to reach it Dena Protected Area, situated in the south-west of Iran, is approximately north of Shiraz province. This protected area with 255,537.00 ha (2555 square kilometres) is located in the two provinces of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and Isfahan. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive of 200 km from Shiraz city on a beautiful mountain road. You can also reach Dena from the north of Isfahan city, a drive of about 310 km taking about 4.5 hours and passing through a network of tunnels. Dena Geographical specification Dena Protected Area is situated in a specific geographical location of the Zagros Mountain range which has different terrains. The lowest part of the Dena Protected Area is located in the agricultural area and starts at an altitude of 1300 m. The land goes up to an upper altitude reaching the forest close to the Dena Mountain foothills. This region has an altitude between 1800m to 2500 m covered mostly with oak trees with a wide range of flora and fauna. The upper part of Dena protected land is a mountainous region which is above 3000 m. In this area you will find a lot of canyons, waterfalls, and glaciers, making it an exceptional place for wildlife. These three different ecosystems have created a unique destination for those of you who would like to experience the extra-special
Dena Protected Area Introduction Dena Protected Area is one of Iran’s most preserved environmental regions managed by the Iranian Environmental Organization. There’s also a special ecodiverse zone inside this protected area called Dena National Park. The park was registered on the list of biosphere reserved regions of UNESCO in 2010. Dena Protected Area is
Top Tehran Mountains and Trekking Trails Top Tehran Mountains are located in the central Alborz mountain and has a lot of amazing and Trekking Trails. Tehran is the capital city of Iran and it is the first entry point for the majority of travelers who visit Iran. The IKA airport in Tehran is the most important Iran airport where the majority of international planes land. Moreover, access to other cities from Tehran with buses, domestic flights, and trains is more convenient compared to the other parts of the country. Tehran is also on the list of 5 Major Iran cities located on Iran’s most visited path of Classic Iran, and most travelers spend a few days in this metropolitan capital. For all mentioned reasons, many travelers pass Tehran but they do not have any idea about potential trekking regions near the capital. The majority of Iran’s visitors travel far away from the capital to experience trekking tours in Iran while Tehran is one of the most important mountain regions of the country for trekking activity giving you many choices in different seasons for various Levels of Difficulty. The reason is that most of Iran’s guide books didn’t attention to this important fact and they offer other mountain regions in different mountain regions of the country. In this post, we will explain the most important trekking regions and National Parks around Tehran to give you a better image of the possibility of short and long hiking in Tehran province. Alborz Mountains range, as you may know, is Iran’s major mountain range located in northern Iran with 900 km in length. It begins in the northwest of Iran and stretches to the northeast of the country. This range has made a massive wall between the Caspian Sea and Iran Plateau. This
Top Tehran Mountains and Trekking Trails Top Tehran Mountains are located in the central Alborz mountain and has a lot of amazing and Trekking Trails. Tehran is the capital city of Iran and it is the first entry point for the majority of travelers who visit Iran. The IKA airport in Tehran is the most
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
Best Time for Trekking in Iran Iran, with countless mountains above 4000 m, in the two famous mountain ranges of Alborz and Zagros, may well be the ideal trekking destination for mountain lovers. The extraordinary length of these mountains has created very special climatic conditions for all seasons that allows trekkers to climb in various regions and trek in Iran throughout the year. In addition, Iran has the two vast deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and Lut which are amazing destinations for those who would like to experience desert trekking and get to know the lifestyle of locals. These deserts were part of the ancient Silk Road. Besides mountains and deserts, Iran has two seas, the Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea in the north of the country. These seas make it possible to trek at any time, due to one sea area being pleasantly hot and the other being dry and cold. These weather conditions allow visitors to Iran to enjoy a four-season trekking holiday. With the above information, depending on the traveller’s interest and the trail’s level of difficulty, you have a wide range of options to choose from to find the most suitable trail for you. In Adventure Iran, we have a grading system for different physical levels. We categorize all treks based on the Level of Difficulty. We evaluate these levels according to the mountains’ altitude or length of the trail per day in the desert, or hours of activity during a day. Below is the most useful information for you based on difficulty. Strenuous Trekking in Iran Summer Season For those who would like to climb the highest peaks in different countries, summertime is the best season for the main three highest mountains of Iran which are MT Damavand (5610
Best Time for Trekking in Iran Iran, with countless mountains above 4000 m, in the two famous mountain ranges of Alborz and Zagros, may well be the ideal trekking destination for mountain lovers. The extraordinary length of these mountains has created very special climatic conditions for all seasons that allows trekkers to climb in various
10 Best Off the Beaten Path Hiking Trails in Iran Iran’s geographical location has made it one of the most exceptional countries in the world for hiking. There are two seas in the north and south of the country, as well as the two long mountain ranges of Alborz and Zagros. Moreover, a lot of sub-ranges and mountain chains, high-altitude peaks in each corner of the country, the famous Hyrcanian forests (UNESCO), and two vast deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and Lut (UNESCO) plus numerous springs and lakes have made Iran unique. Iran, with so much to see as well as numerous Off the Beaten hiking trails, is perfect for all types of hikers who wish to experience an unusual and exciting journey. The varieties of terrain and climate have created amazing opportunities for freak (atypical) hikers to hike in different regions all year round. Having excellent information about the Off the Beaten hiking trails in Iran and knowing the right regions in the right month is one of the main steps to have a memorable trekking holiday. Another advantage of Iran is enjoying a varied climate and ecosystem simultaneously in its different regions. To give you a better idea, we will explain a few of Adventure Iran’s tours during spring. While we perform hiking tours in the forests, south of the Caspian Sea, we also have other hiking tours in the central Alborz mountains, north of Tehran. At the same time, we have another hiking tour in the Dasht-e Kavir desert located in central Iran. We have had a lot of experience performing these tours. As there is still snow on the high-altitude mountains in the central parts of the country, you will see a lot of flowers and trees in bloom while people in the south of Iran, in
10 Best Off the Beaten Path Hiking Trails in Iran Iran’s geographical location has made it one of the most exceptional countries in the world for hiking. There are two seas in the north and south of the country, as well as the two long mountain ranges of Alborz and Zagros. Moreover, a lot of
Darbandsar Village in Iran ALBORZ SKI REGION Darbandsar is a village in the heart of the Alborz Mountains of Iran, 60 km away from the capital and northeast of Tehran province. The village is situated on the slope of the southern part of the Central Alborz mountains with various altitudes. The average height is approximately 2600m above sea level. Darbandsar is also the name of the ski resort which was created after Iran’s revolution. Darbandsar village became famous in Iran as the piste is owned by a private company. The company built the length of the ski slope as well as bought a new lift system for the ski resort, which, by the way, is more up-to-date compared to other ski resorts in Iran. Winter time is the busiest time of the year, with Tehranians coming to ski. It is generally even busier at the weekends, (which are Thursday and Friday in Iran). Due to this influx of visitors, the main road (Fasham-Shemshak) is usually packed full of cars at this time. Apart from the ski activity in winter, the region is a perfect destination for other activities such as trekking and mountain biking during other seasons. A lot of high mountains above 3000 m surround this village with plenty of canyons and spring water, flora, and wildlife. Darbandsar is located in the Alborz Markazi protected area which makes this region one of the best places to visit for those who live in the capital and would like to spend their weekend in northern Tehran in the central Alborz Mountains. The highest point of Darbandsar is 2650m, a mountain above the ski resort which locals call Mahmoud Chal peak. There are also a few very high mountains around Darbandsar such as MT Kolonbastak 4150m, Sarakchal 1 (4120m), Sarakchal 2
Darbandsar Village in Iran ALBORZ SKI REGION Darbandsar is a village in the heart of the Alborz Mountains of Iran, 60 km away from the capital and northeast of Tehran province. The village is situated on the slope of the southern part of the Central Alborz mountains with various altitudes. The average height is approximately
Mount Alam kuh in Iran Alam Kuh, is the name of a huge mountain in northern Iran, in Mazandaran province, located in the Takht-e Soleyman massif mountain chain. Takht-e Soliman is also a part of the west Alborz Mountain range. Alam Kuh’s altitude is 4,850 m above sea level and is the second highest mountain in Iran after Damavand Mountain (5,610 m). Mount Alam Kuh is known as the Alps of Iran, which is the main center for professional Iranian climbers and hikers. The north face of Mt Alam Kuh is a steep, enormous vertical wall. This feature has made it famous for climbers around the world looking for something different. The height of this granite rock rises to about 480 m to reach the summit. One of the main highlights is that the base of the wall starts from 4,400 m above sea level. Climbers have found this formation extremely inspiring and challenging. Since 1936, there have been several routes to choose from, all created by famous international and local climbers. They are still ongoing. Mount Alam Kuh has at least two desirable hiking routes to reach its peak from various directions. One of the most beautiful is a week-long trail starting from the southern side of Alborz from Alamut valley to MT Alam Kuh. This is the link for the tour: Alamut Long Trek. Apart from this, there is another trail to ascend the peak starting from a city near the Caspian Sea called Kelardasht. Most local climbers choose this route for ascending the summit during the summertime. Locals call this route Hesarchal which is on the south face of Alam Kuh as it is the easiest and shortest route compared to the other trails. Below is the link for that trek, (an excellent choice for
Mount Alam kuh in Iran Alam Kuh, is the name of a huge mountain in northern Iran, in Mazandaran province, located in the Takht-e Soleyman massif mountain chain. Takht-e Soliman is also a part of the west Alborz Mountain range. Alam Kuh’s altitude is 4,850 m above sea level and is the second highest mountain
