Top 10 Iran Tourist Villages
Iran is a vast country with varied climatic conditions and different weather systems with mountain regions, desert terrains, forests, lakes, and seas which create many tourist villages in different corners. Each tourist village is distinct from others regarding the climate, natural beauties, landscapes, plants, and geographical features, as well as the indigenous culture, architecture, traditions, and customs. The differences between Iran’s tourist villages are so amazing that you think you have traveled to a different country!
If you pay attention to the Iran map below, which is spotted with the locations of the villages, you will see the tourist villages are scattered in different provinces all over the country, and the visiting time of each one is different from the others.
With an astonishing variety of geographical and cultural distinctions, villages provide a wide variety of activities and tourist destinations in Iran for all adventure seekers and culture lovers who travel to Iran with special interests, from landscape photography or hiking on the off-the-beaten-path trails, to those who are into rural tourism and plan their trips based on sustainable tourism principles.
The villages on the highlands overlooking snow-capped peaks, in the desert oases with an extended desert landscape, or at the foothills of spectacular mountain forests offer ideal opportunities for trekking, hiking, mountaineering, skiing, photography, and most of all communicating with the hospitable local communities in the rural areas and Iran off-the-beaten paths.
Whether you are the kind of traveler bored with the common tourist hubs and in seek of some adventure in the less known attractions in a new destination, or a second-time visitor who already visited the Iran Classic Route and now plans for a deeper experience of the ancient Persia, we advise you to put Iran tourist villages on your bucket list.
Below are the top 10 Iran tourist villages you should put a couple of them in your travel to Iran for visit:
1. Abyaneh mountain village, Kashan
(Best Traveling Time: Spring & Autumn)
Abyaneh is a mountain village located around the tourist city of Kashan in the province of Esfahan. Abyaneh is famous for the historical architecture, tradition and costumes of the local people, the colorful dresses of women. There are a few local houses and one hotel located in the village for your accommodation.
2. Kandovan mountain village, East Azerbaijan Province
(Best Traveling Time: late Spring, Summer, and early Autumn)
Kandovan is a mountain village located in the northwest of Iran in the province of East Azarbaijan. Kandovan is the first Iranian village registered on the list of UNESCO Best Tourist Villages. Kandovan ancient village is famous for rocky cliff houses inside of mountains which are very picturesque.
3. Mesr & Farahzad desert Oases, Esfahan Province
(Best Traveling Time: Spring and Autumn)
Mesr and Farahzad oases are the two famous tiny desert villages located in the heart of Dasht-e Kavir near Khor town. Both are very famous for their location in the desert region. From there you have good access for desert trekking and desert cycling activities. It is located in Khur town, which is one of the counties of Esfahan province. Mesr and Farahzad are very far from the main tourist destinations. You could travel there through the three main tourist cities of Kashan (500 km), Esfahan (430 km) and Yazd (360 km).
The region was a part of the ancient Silk Road and many famous travellers and explorers, like Alfons Gabriel and Sven Hedin, passed through the region on a travel expedition many years ago. Sven Hedin Photographs and his books are very famous for those interested in Persian culture.
4. Chaho Village (Chahkooh Canyon), Persian Gulf, Qeshm Island
(Best Traveling Time: End of Autumn & Winter)
Chahoo is one of the amazing villages located on the coast of Qeshm island. Qeshm is one of the most beautiful Iranian islands located in the Persian Gulf. Chahoo village is famous for ChahKooh canyon, which is one of Qeshm island’s wonders. Qeshm is one of the best Iran destination perfect for adventurous travellers and it’s registered on the list of UNESCO geoparks.
If you’re visiting Qeshm Island, consider spending a few extra days to explore the nearby islands of Hormuz and Hengam, both located around Qeshm.”
5. Masuleh forest-mountain village, Gilan Province
(Best Traveling Time: spring, Summer, and Autumn)
Masuleh is one of the most famous Iranian spectacular tourist villages. It’s located in the north of Iran (southwest of the Capisan Sea) in Gilan province. Masuleh is surrounded by Hyrcanian forest in the mountain region of Gilan. The Hyrcanian Forests is a uniqueforested massif that stretches along the Caspian Sea and is one of the natural Iranian heritage sites and registered on the list of UNESCO in 2019.
6. Howraman mountain villages, Kurdistan Province
(Best Traveling Time: spring & Autumn)
Hawraman is one of Iran’s off the beaten destinations which has recently registered on the list of UNESCO. Hawraman is located in the mountain regions of the west of Iran in the Kurdistan province. The Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat is the most important reason for travelling. The hospitality of Kurdish people and thier rich ancient culture and the food are the main reasons that made this place very attractive. Hawraman Takht is the name of the most famous village amongst many villages in the area. Hawraman refer to a huge mountain region which includes many villages and small towns in the west of Iran.
Hawraman and Kurdistan are amazing destinations for people and landscape photography. Photography Travel to Iranian Kurdistan & Hawraman Valley post give you more idea about images of the region and landscape. Iranian Kurdistan Travel Guide post is good article helping you for traveling to west of Iran. Pir-e Shaliar Festival is one of the most traditional event which is one of the main attractions of and the Kurdish region of Iran.
7. Tiss village and beach, Chabahar port, Sistan and Baluchistan Province
(Best Traveling Time: End of Autumn & Winter)
Tiss village is another Iranian off the beaten destination located in the south east of Iran in the coast Indian ocean of Oman sea (Makran). Tiss is famous for its history and also the landscape and view point of the sea.
8. Alamut (Gazorkhan) mountain village, Alamut Valley, Qazvin Province
(Best Traveling Time: Spring, Summer, and Autumn)
Alamut is one the most famous Iran region mentioned in many travel guide books with different language and it’s located in the west of Alborz Mountain in Qazvin province. Alamut has a lot of short and long stories related to the historical castles of Alamut and Hassan Sabbah. Fraya Stack, the famous travel writer and explorer passed this region on foot more than a hundred years ago and wrote the famous book of: The Valley of the Assassins. This region is also famous for a trek from Alamut towards the Caspian Sea.
9. Ziarat village, Caspian Sea, Golestan Province
(Best Traveling Time: All year)
Ziaraat village is a tourist village which has become more famous for local travelers. It’s located in Golestan province and the Turkmen Plain, situated in the north of Iran, which is in the southeast of the Caspian Sea. The village is surrounded by Hyrcanian forest, which is a foothill of the east part of the Alborz mountains. The climate and weather of this region is the Caspian climate with a lot of rain, and it also has pleasant temperatures for traveling most of the time. Gorgan is the capital of Golstan province and is the best place to start your trip from there. If you are traveling to this region, don’t forget to visit other regions in this province, which is one of the off the beaten destinations of Iran. Photography of the Turkmen plain post give you more idea about the hidden attractions of this unknown region.
10. Shemshak & Darbandsar villages, Alborz Ski Region, Northern Tehran Province
(Best Traveling Time: All year for different activities)
Shemshak village is one of the most tourist regions of Tehran province, located in the foothills of the central Alborz Mountains in the north of the capital. It’s very famous for the ski resort of Shemshak, which is one of the first Iranian ski resorts founded before the revolution. It’s also very famous for adventurous traveller who want to have a short and long trekking near Tehran. There are a few famous mountains above 4000 m in Shemshak and the Alborz Ski region, perfect for ascending during the late spring and summer season.
Besides the above Iran’s tourist villages, there are also a lot of off-the-beaten track villages all over Iran. The Best Iran Off the Beaten Track Villages post is a good article about different destinations which is worth visiting. You might also like to visit Iran’s top 10 Off the Beaten Paths post give you better ideas about the country’s attractions.
Note: Some of the destinations or attractions in Iran that we introduced appear on both the tourist list and the off-the-beaten-track list. Please do not confuse them. The reason is that these destinations are just beginning to become touristic, as many domestic travelers have recently started visiting them frequently, especially during Iran’s national holidays or Nowruz. However, many of these destinations remain unknown to international visitors and even to experienced travelers visiting Iran for the first time.
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