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Complete Travel Guide to Bushehr
As soon as travel outside Iran has become unaffordable for many Iranians in the recent years, they still continue travelling but inside Iran. And Bushehr has become one of the most popular destinations of the past few years. But I am absolutely sure that Bushehr can be a brilliant destination not only for Iranians, but also for foreign travelers who want to explore the diversity of regions and cultures of Iran. So, I have prepared the most complete guide to Bushehr, including all the practical information that you may need to plan your trip. Let`s get started! Bushehr is the central city of the Bushehr Province. It`s a port located…
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Complete Travel Guide to Arak
If you are reading this now, I`m sure you haven`t heard about Arak. Or maybe the only thing that you`ve heard about it (probably from Iranians) was that it is an industrial city infamous for its highly polluted air. Well, I am here to change this idea. Arak is a city with a good tourist potential and unfortunately, it has been overseen by most tourists. So, let`s see what it has in store for travelers! The present-day city of Arak was founded not that long ago – at the beginning of the 19th century, and was named Soltanabad. And maybe thanks to that it has preserved the historical center so…
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The Most Scenic Train Ride in Iran
Train has been undeservingly avoided by many tourists travelling to Iran. Most of them prefer to travel by bus which is faster and available any time of the day and sometimes even at night. But personally, I love travelling by train in Iran. And believe me, I know what I`m talking about! My husband and I traveled Iran by train a lot – from Mashhad in the east of Iran to the small city of Shoosh in the west, Sari in the north and Bandar-Abbas in the south. What I love about train trips in Iran is the comfort they offer, an opportunity to mingle with locals and finally, just…
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Travelling Iran: What to See in Yazd
Yazd had been my favorite destination in Iran (until I discovered Qeshm island), and I always recommend it to everyone who travels to Iran. Located on the edge of a desert, it impresses travelers with its unique mud-brick architecture, very different from Isfahan, Shiraz or Tehran. I have been to Yazd two times and would love to visit it again because every time I discover more and more (and of course, I don`t mind adding a couple of bowls or other Yazd ceramics to my collection). However, traveling to the city of wind-catchers is not only about visiting Yazd itself – there are plenty of religious, historical and natural sights scattered all…
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Guide to Tehran Palaces: Niavaran Palace
You can`t imagine visiting Tehran without seeing one of Tehran palaces. Tehran has been the capital of Iran for around 200 years and has seen many shahs, each of whom wanted to build a palace more beautiful than previous shahs. Golestan, Sadabad and Niavaran palaces remain the most popular and significant tourist attractions in Tehran. Each of them can offer its visitors several palaces from different historical periods as well as a range of museums. So I`ve decided to write a complete guide for each palace complex to help you decide which palaces and museums to visit. In this article I`ll tell you about Niavaran palace and its museums. Sahebgheraniyeh…
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Ashura in Iran: What to Do on Ashura in Tehran
Moharram is a month during which Iranians and other Shia Muslims commemorate the death of Imam Hossein. The mourning reaches its culmination at Ashura, the tenth day of Moharram. I have already written about Ashura in Iran and mourning ceremonies organized on this occasion here and here. During several years I`ve been living in Iran, I have attended quite a number of ceremonies in different parts of Tehran (there are still areas uncovered though). Some attract hundreds of people, while others are attended only by locals. However, many foreigners hesitate to go out on the day of Ashura which is the culmination of Moharram mourning ceremonies. Maybe, they are afraid of Iranians…
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Complete Travel Guide to Qazvin
Qazvin is a city of ornaments and gorgeous tiles, “a city in the middle of a garden” (that`s how Nasreddin-Shah described it to his European counterparts in the 19th century). Finally, Qazvin is the gate to amazing Alamut valley with its impressive castle. Unfortunately, Qazvin is often missed out by tourists, while it can be an amazing stop on the route to Rasht, Zanjan or Tabriz. I have prepared a travel guide for you where I am going to write about the vibe of the city, its people, main tourist attractions, share some useful tips and my own experience of traveling to Qazvin. Hope you enjoy! I have gathered all the…
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What Is the Best Ice Cream Shop In Tehran, or Ultimate Guide to Iranian Ice Cream
Summer is coming to an end just like my ice-cream challenge. Summer heat has given way to autumn chill, but the sun still warms us up, and you still can give summer delights one last shot! And I hope my recommendations will help you to choose the best! Let me remind how it all started. It was around July when Tehran heated up to +40. The heat was getting unbearable. And to survive it we decided to check out some popular ice cream shops in Tehran. After searching different sources in Persian, asking friends for recommendations and just browsing various ice cream places on the web, we came up with…
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Ultimate Guide to Tehran Grand Bazaar. Part 2: Food
Snacks & Lunch Options at Tehran Grand Bazaar A great variety of snacks and food are available at the Grand bazaar. While walking through the alleys of the bazaar you will occasionally see snack stands (mostly at the intersections) selling nuts and seeds, lavashak, steamed beetroot and bananas. Moslem Restaurant If you search for a place for lunch at the Bazaar on the Internet, the most frequent suggestion will be Moslem restaurant which is situated on the main street of the bazaar right on the right from Sabzeh Meydan. It actually serves good food (and is famous for its tahchin that is rice baked with chicken) and is extremely popular among Iranians and…
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Ultimate Guide To Tehran Grand Bazaar
If you are reading this post, you might have heard a lot about bazaars in Iran. Any city you go in Iran, its bazaar will be one of the main sights for tourists to visit. Why so? Well, the bazaar is one of the oldest institutions in Iranian culture. It embodies traditional lifestyle, traditional architecture and, most of the times, houses city`s main mosque – Jame` Mosque. Tehran Grand Bazaar (or bazar-e bozorg in Farsi) (as it`s obvious from its name) is one of the biggest bazaars in the country (after, maybe, the one in Tabriz). Its different parts and alleys are dedicated to different type of goods, and…
