Iran Tourist Attractions

There are a number of cities in Iran which are very popular for both local and international tourists, and Isfahan is on the top of that list due to its stunning bridges over Zayand-e Rood, magnificent gardens, numerous historical sites, and especially delicious cuisine and delightful desserts.

Shiraz is one of the most amazing and historical cities in Iran which is also well-known for its famous poets, Persian Gardens, traditional houses and of course the Persepolis. The city is almost included in all tourists’ itineraries, and people who travel to Iran for the first time, never go back to their homes, without visiting Shiraz, the city of art and poems.

While the city of Isfahan, has a dry climate and located at the edge of the desert, there are a number of gardens, beautiful roses, and shades of trees in the city. In addition to numerous historical sites in Isfahan which always visited by tourists when they travel to Isfahan, there is a small, beautiful palace at the center of the garden, called Baghe Bolbol. 

Islands don’t usually come to mind when talking about Iran, but in fact, it has several in the Persian Gulf. The largest is dolphin-shaped Qeshm, known as “the island of seven wonders.” Read on to discover 13 reasons why everyone needs to visit this amazing island.

The moment you hear the name of city Shiraz, you can definitely smell the fragrance of citrus, with unparalleled effects in front of you. You can go for hours wandering on its streets and fulfilling your moments with a magnificent flavor, or give your heart to Hafiz and Saadi, and review their poems to learn life lessons.

Iran is full of landmarks whether they are cultural, historical, or natural. Architecturally speaking, though, it has been greatly influenced by both its various ruling dynasties and pre- and post-Islamic elements. Read on and take our tour of the most iconic architectural landmarks in the country. 

The first-time itinerary of Iran often counts the cities of Esfahan and Persepolis as must-visits, along with Shiraz perhaps. However, there are many overlooked spots which definitely deserve their place at the top of the list. Here is our round-up of the most underrated cities in Iran.

Though Masouleh has been around for hundreds of years, the history of the village dates back even further. In 1006 AD, some 6 km (3.7 miles) northwest from the present day town, Masouleh was a thriving commercial spot for the ironworks industry trade and home to hundreds of families, who lived in the stacked houses that have become synonymous with the town. 

Tehran as the capital city of Iran is home to numbers of museums, especially the national ones. Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is one of those. The museum is located on the western side of Laleh Park in a concrete modern building, which is surrounded by different types and models of sculptures.

Isfahan is known as a city with numerous beautiful gardens, historical bridges, and palaces. Most of these monuments have a history for at least for a hundred years. 

With a great heritage, there are numbers of historical houses, gardens, and monuments in Shiraz, which makes the city one of the most visited one in Iran. Among all of these places, one of the most popular ones in the heart of the city is Vakil or Zandiyeh complex.

Since Iran has always been an arid region, inhabitants needed to find a system to preserve water for agricultural and permanent settlements usage, therefore they came up with Qanats which are tunnels underground to conduct the water by gravity.

One of the most beautiful Iranian deserts is the Maranjab Desert with high dunes and forests arch. It is one of the best places for trekking in Iran, in addition, to be a perfect place for photography during days and nights.

Shahr-e Sokhteh, which stands for ‘Burnt City’, is situated at the junction of Bronze Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau, in the Sistan and Baluchistan province, in the southeast of Iran.

There are some amazing villages all around Iran, and as a matter of fact, Maymand is one of those. The village is believed to be a primary human residence in the Iranian Plateau, dating back to 12,000 years ago.

One of the most important cities in Iran which is known for a cultural exchange since antiquity is Tabriz which is located in the northwest part of Iran. The city is one of the most important commercial centers on the Silk Road and therefore one of the most historical bazaar in the country is located at the heart of Tabriz.

With a supreme history, Iran acts as a live museum with numerous valuable objects and museums around the country. In fact, the country has more than 20 properties listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The city of Tabriz has been and still is one of the most important cities in Iran. Not only because of historical and cultural aspect but also due to the economic, industrial and political influences that the city had on the country in general. 

Isfahan is one of the most magnificent cities in Iran with lots of beautiful and historical sites to visit. There are numerous palaces, bridges, mosques, and bazaars in the city which for sure no tourists have enough time to visit all of those. In this article, we are going to introduce the best places to visit in Isfahan to make sure that you do not miss any.

In every city, there are numerous places to visit. However, considering the time limit of every travel, it would not be possible to visit all the places and every passenger should plan to visit the best and must-see places.

By traveling to the northern part of Iran at the beautiful coastline of the Caspian Sea, you will face with beautiful landscapes through your journey, with mountains and jungles on one side and sea on the other.

If you ever check the map of Iran, you will notice that it is limited by the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea in the southern side of the country. There are so many beautiful islands with amazing wildlife in both of these bodies of water and therefore numerous tourists travel to these islands all around the year. 

With a great history, Iran represents numbers of historical monuments in the country. 

The Shrine and Khanegah of Sheikh Safi al-Din in Ardabil is one of the magnificent monuments in Iran which was built from the beginning of the 16th century till the end of the 18th century. 

If you are planning to travel to Iran, we suggest to visit the Persian Gulf and see the process of building the lenj boat, the traditional skills of building and sailing the Lenj boats.

When you travel to Iran, one of the World Heritage Sites of UNESCO that you must visit is St. Thaddeus Monastery. 

If you travel to Iran, it is impossible to ignore some cities. One of this cities that you should visit it when travelling to Iran, is Zanjan. Zanjan is situated on the north-west of Tehran on the main highway from Tehran to Tabriz, about 20 kilometres south of the Qaflankuh Mountain Range. 

Iran travel can make you surprised. If you are planning to travel to Iran and you have southern part of Iran in your itinerary, you should expect a completely different culture and ethnicity from the rest of the country. 

If you are planning to travel to Iran and visit Isfahan, one of the must-see monuments of the city is Masjed-e Jame of Isfahan. Actually, a travel to Iran and travel to Isfahan is not completed without seeing this amazing place. 

Iran has a great history and therefore there are many historical monuments in every part of Iran. If you are planning to travel to Iran we must say, Bisotun complex is an archaeological complex containing some items in the western part of Iran in Kermanshah province. 

Iran is famous for some items, such as Persian Carpet, Caviar, and of course, the best quality Iranian Saffron which is cultivated in some parts of Iran but the most popular one is from Birjand, the capital city of South Khorasan province. 

One of the best ways to spend your vacation in Iran is to start from the north part of the country, continue to the center, and headed to the south part of Iran. 

There are some cities in Iran with great and unique sightseeing’s and stunning rare nature, however, they are not that much popular for visitors who travel to Iran. 

Any trip especially to other countries is not completed if you don’t see, and feel a new culture. 

Tehran as the capital city of Iran and the main port of entry to the country by most of the visitors attracts many people to the city. 

Travel to Iran is not limited to the historical places, Iran is a wonderland with magnificent natural items in every corner of the country, one of the most beautiful phenomena is salt lakes, there are some small and large salt lakes in Iran. 

Gorgan; the historical city with the second longest wall worldwide The rapidly developing city is a livelihood place with the mixture of different ethnics. 

The Caspian Sea shore in Iran is about 700 kilometers (435 miles) long, however, there are few cities that are well known in this area. 

Iran used to have many capital cities during the history, and Qazvin was one of those. Therefore, you can find lots of historical sites from the Safavid and Qajar dynasties in the city.

Zoroastrians worship in fire temples or as it's said in Farsi “Atashgah” which are also called “Dare Mehr”, or “Agiyari”.

Pahlavani and Zoorkhaneh rituals are one of the Iranian traditional sports that has been practiced since ancient time. 

In the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee in Bahrain on Saturday,

When travelers think of Iran and started their planning to visit Iran, they mostly think about the historical points of the country, while, Iran is very rich in nature in different aspects. 

When people think about the city of Qom, they usually consider visiting two most important sites in the city; Shrine of Fatima bin Musa, and Jamkaran. 

It is believed that the name of the city is derived from Yazdegerd I, the Sassanids king of Persia.

The capital of Khorasan Razavi province in northeast Iran and the second-largest city in the country, Mashhad is best known for its beautiful pilgrimage shrine of Imam Reza. 

Naghsh -e Jahan Square (Naghsh stands for Image and Jahan for the World), is situated at the center of Isfahan city. 

The historical and cultural complex of Sa’dabad is a collection of mansions and palaces which is located in refreshing and good weather foothills of Mount Tochal and the lush and green valley of Darband in Tajrish distinct, North of Tehran. 

Few things rival the soothing effect of a leisurely walk through the woods. From vast deserts to towering mountain ranges, Iran's topography is a canvas painted with the hues of varied ecosystems.

Shushtar is a city in the southwest part of Iran, about 90 Km from Ahvaz in the province of Khuzestan. 

Pasargadae was the capital city of the Achaemenid Empire under the governance of Cyrus the Great which is also his tomb. 

The reason for the importance of Soltaniyeh is the Mausoleum of Il-khan Öljeitü also known as Muhammad Khodabandeh; the eighth Ilkhanid ruler. 

The archaeological site of Takht-e Soleyman is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2003. 

Mesr (it has the same meaning as Egypt in Persian) is a desert village in the Central District of Khur and Biabanak County in the Isfahan province and 45 km far from the city of Jandag and 371 km far from Yazd. 

Tabriz is one of the most important cities of Iran, not only from the historical and cultural aspect but also from the economic, industrial and political point of view it has a very special place among the cities of Iran. 

If you are traveling to Isfahan from Kashan or Tehran by car it would be a great idea to spend a few hours in Abyaneh village. 

Due to numbers of beautiful sights, traditional houses and ancient monuments in Kashan, lots of international tourists consider visiting the city while traveling to Iran. 

Kerman metropolis city is the capital city of the vastest province of Iran with the same name of Kerman. 

Hamadan (in old Persian: Hagmetana or Ecbatana) is one of the oldest continually inhabited towns in Iran. It is believed that the city was occupied by the Assyrians in 1100 BCE. 

Isfahan is the most visited city by international tourists in Iran for its stunning bridges over Zayanderud, magnificent palaces, beautiful gardens, wonderful mosques, lots of historical sites and also the Armenian church in Jolfa district. 

Tchogha Zanbil is an ancient Elamite complex which is located in the southwest of Iran Khuzestan province, 30 Km (19 Mile) to Susa and 80 Km (50 Mile) north of Ahvaz. 

Borujerd (Persian: بروجرد Borūjerd‎‎) is a city in and capital of Borujerd County, Lorestan Province in western Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 227,547 in 59,388 families. Among the existing modern cities in Iran, Borujerd is one of the oldest reported at least since the 9th century. In Sassanid Empire, Borujerd was a small town and region neighboring Nahavand. Gaining more attention during Great Seljuq Empire in the 9th and 10th centuries, Borujerd stood as an industrial, commercial and strategic city in the Zagros Mountains until the 20th century. In its golden ages, Borujerd was selected as the state capital of Lorestan and Khuzestan region during Qajar dynasty in the 18th and 19th centuries.