Tehran Travel Guide

Tehran; the historical metropolitan Tehran; the historical metropolitan Tehran; the capital city and the heartbeat of Iran, the same as most other capital cities in the world, is the biggest city in the country.

The city has been the capital city of the country for almost 200 years which makes it a historical metropolitan. There are also a number of historical houses and monuments in the city. Most people traveling to Iran, start their trip from Tehran due to the location of one of the main international airports in the country; Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA).

However, not everyone stays in the city to go around it visit the historical places, while there are numerous sightseeing available in it. Apart from national museums, and magnificent palaces, there are historical monuments.

It is worth to know that, Tehran; the historical metropolitan has a number of stories you can hear about when you visit the city. While making your decision about booking a tour and travel to Iran, don’t think of Tehran as a busy city and ignore visiting it, as a suggestion, consider at least two days for being in Tehran and enjoy all the beauty of it. Here, we are going to briefly introduce Tehran and talk about its history, the best places to see and go.

History of Tehran

About a few centuries ago, Tehran was not an important city in Iran. However, it is believed that the city has been existed since thousand years ago as a small village till the end of Zandieh Dynasty. During the Safavid era, it was considered a city for the first time when Shah Tahmasb Safavid ordered to construct a barrier all over the city. The Safavid barrier had 114 columns, each with a writing of a section from Qur’an. There were also five gates around the barrier. At that time, Tehran had a population of 15,000 people. The city becomes the capital city of Iran in 1796 by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar; the king of Qajar Dynasty, as the 32nd city to become the capital city of Iran. During the Qajar era, the Safavid barrier destroyed in order of Naser-din Shah and another one built with 12 gates; three in each side of the barrier. At that time the population of Tehran increased to 250,000 people. However, when Reza Shah decided to enlarged Tehran and develop the city, he ordered to destroy the Naseri barrier. At that time no barrier built again and therefore people from all cities and villages started moving to Tehran, so the population of Tehran raised to 1,500,000 people by this decision. The city has been developed and enlarged during the past few decades and therefore it has a population around 8 million people, however, with the surrounded area the inhabitant of the metropolitan become 15 million people and therefore Tehran is the most populated city in the country. Nowadays, Tehran as a capital city is not only the center of economic, political and social activities but also the center of cultural and educational institutes and events. 

Location of Tehran

Tehran is located at the foot of the Alborz Mountains with a cold semi-arid climate. Due to the size of the city there a huge difference in elevation among districts of the city. The altitude of the city has a range between 1100 till 1700 meters above sea level. For instance, the 17.3 km (10.7 mi) Valiasr Street runs from Tehran's railway station at 1,117 meters (3,665 ft.) elevation above sea level in the south of the city, while the other end of the street in Tajrish Square is at 1712.6 meters (5612.3 ft.). The highest elevation in the city can even rise up to 2,000 meters (6,600 ft.) at Velenjak neighborhood. The city is divided into 22 municipal districts, each with its own administrative center. All of the municipal districts, except districts one and twenty are located in Tehran County's Central District. District one calls Shemiranat in the northern part of Tehran, and district twenty is Rey which is often considered as part of Greater Tehran.District one which is consisting of various neighborhoods such as Zaferanie, Jordan, Elahie, Pasdaran, Kamranie, Ajodanie, Farmanie, Darrous, and Qeytarie is considered as the wealthiest part of Tehran. The center of the city mostly houses government ministries, headquarters of banks and other entities, and commercial centers.

Climate of Tehran

Due to its geographical location, Tehran features a cold semi-arid climate. Generally speaking, Tehran has mild weather in spring and autumn, hot and dry in summer, and cold and wet in winter. The coldest time of the year in Tehran is in January and February, while the hottest is between July and August. It is best to visit Tehran from mid-April until the end of June.

Sightseeing of Tehran

Due to the great history, there are a number of places to visit in the city. As an example of worthy places to visit in Tehran, in the northern part of the city, you can visit Niavaran Palace Complex, Sa’ad Abad Palace Complex, Music Museum of Iran, and neighborhoods of Tajrish square, Darband district and finally Darakeh district. However, in the center of the city, there is much more to see, the same as, Golestan Palace Compound, the Grand Bazaar, Museum of Treasury of National Jewels, the Iran Bastan Museum, the Abgineh Museum, the Reza Abbasi Museum, the Carpet Museum, and finally the Museum of Contemporary Arts. These are the one that can be considered a must-see, however, there are much more to see. If you have enough time, not so far from Tehran, you can also have a visit of Ray in the southern part of Tehran. There are two monuments to visit, one is the Toghrol Tower which dates back to the 12th century, during Seljuk dynasty, and another one is the Shah Abdul Azim Shrine which is a 9th-century burial place. 

Ski in Tehran

In addition to exploring the city, it is also a great place for skiing. Since the city is surrounded by mountains, and it is very cold and snowy during winter, it becomes a very popular destination for sky lovers, whether local citizens, tourists, and especially people from the Middle East. There are great ski resorts around the city with a high standard of quality. There are Shemshak, Dizin, Darbandsar, Tochal, Ab Ali, and Khor ski resorts with easy access, and great facilities. It is worth to know that Shemshak and Dizin resorts are international ones and have the capability in administrating official and international competitions.

Local dishes in Tehran

In every city of Iran, you can find local dishes. The same is also true about Tehran and you can find some of the delicious cuisines in the city. Shirin Polo (Rice with slices of orange peel and pistachio which taste sweet and served with chicken, Tahchin (Mixture of rice, saffron, yogurt and egg with layers of chicken), Qormeh Sabzi Stew and Dizi are the ones you should absolutely try in traditional restaurants when you are traveling around Tehran.

Best Restaurants and cafes in Tehran

In the past few years, a number of Cafés and restaurants have been opened in Tehran. Some of them have a modern style, while others are more traditional and offer local foods and drinks. There are also some that have a mixture style of both modern and traditional. 

If you walk around the city center in Karimkhan Street or Valiasr Street, you will find so many great places in those areas. To name some of the best cafes in the city, Café Tehroon, Café Shemroon, Chaibar, Café Cinema, Café Naderi, and Sam Café are among the top list.

If you are visiting the great Bazaar of Tehran, Shamshiri Restaurant, Moslem Restaurant, and Sharaf ol Eslami are among the oldest and best ones. 

If you are looking for a traditional restaurant in Tehran, the best ones are Morshed Restaurant, Shandiz Restaurant, Asil Restaurant, Hes Touran Restaurant, Ali Qapou Restaurant (with live music at nights) and Mestouran. To taste delicious dizi in Tehran you can go to the oldest Dizi Sara in Tehran; Azari Traditional Restaurant or Iranshahr Dizi Sara. 

The best hotels in Tehran

There is a great range of accommodation in Tehran, from a 5-star hotel to local places and hotels in the city center. Depending on what you expect from the accommodation, you can easily find the best one which fits you in the city. The Best Hotels in the Northern part of Tehran:

• Espinas Palace Hotel

• Parsian Azadi Hotel

• Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel

• Parsian Evin Hotel

• Eram Grand Hotel

• Tehran Homa Hotel

• Taj Mahal Hotel

The Best Hotels in the center of Tehran

• Ferdowsi International Grand Hotel

• Tehran Grand Hotel 1 

• Tehran Grand Hotel 2

• Mashhad Hotel

• Pamchal Hotel

• Hotel Markazi Iran

• Howeyzeh hotel list of Hostels in Tehran

• HI Tehran Hostel (with two branches)

• See You in Iran Hostel

• Tehrani Boutique House

• Iran Cozy Hostel

• Tehran Heritage Hostel

• Tehran Cedar Hostel

• Seven Hostel in Tehran

• Arian Hostel

To read the complete article about hotels in Tehran, please click on the title. Please keep in mind, if you are looking to book a hotel in Tehran, you can contact us and send your request to us at incoming@eavartravel.com . Our experts will check your request as send you the best offers as soon as possible.