Why Iran Is a New Tourism Hotspot?

The tourism industry in Iran has a very high capacity for growth and development. According to the World Tourism Organization: “Iran ranks tenth in ancient and historical attractions and fifth in the world in natural attractions.” From ancient cities with breathtaking mosques to gorgeous natural landscapes. In this article you will read about some of Iran’s most beautiful, untouched tourism attractions that you shouldn’t forget to put them on your MUST VISIT list!

Tourism attractions you must visit in Iran:

What do you like the most? Nature? Art and history? Modern cities? What ever is your taste you can find it in Iran. From the biggest Lake of the world, Caspian Sea to the wonderful islands in the South, you can visit places in Iran and get surprised from the diversity of them!

1. Iran deserts

Iran is located in a dry plateau and there are beautiful deserts located in it. The most famous desert of Iran is Lut desert, or Dasht-e Lut. But you should know Lut is not the only Desert of Iran. There are many other deserts in the central that you can enjoy visiting and camping in them.

Lut Desert

In the Southeast of Iran, there is one of the most beautiful deserts in the world. With an area of 175,000 km, it’s the largest desert of Iran and the 27th largest desert in the world. The desert is located among parts of Kerman, Sistan and Baluchestan and South Khorasan provinces. With the highest recorded temperature at 70.7 C. , Lut’s core is the hottest spot on Earth.

One of the most beautiful sights in the Lut plain is the mysterious yardangs of Shahdad; From a distance, they are similar to a city with cloak skyscrapers, which some have called the city of ghosts. People also call the yardangs the imaginary city, or the city of Lut.

Shahdad yardangs are the tallest sand pyramids in the world, created by wind and water erosion. There is no life in the middle of these yardangs and no human has yet covered all parts of it. The yardangs, are made of sand; due to this fact, they continuously change their shape. So if you visit the same spot at a later time, it might look completely different!

Varzaneh Desert

Varzaneh, the most beautiful central desert of Iran, is located 100 km away from Isfahan and 200 km from Yazd. The desert has gotten it’s name from, Varzaneh village which is located near it. The sand dunes and hills are beautiful and have made beautiful and strange landscapes. The biggest desert entertainment site of Iran is located in this area. Unlike Lut desert, that only the ones who are thirty for deserts go for a trip in it, Varzaneh is one of the usual tourist attractions; and if you just want to experience how a desert is, we recommend you to visiting this fabulous desert.

Mesr Desert

Mesr desert, also called the sand sea, is located near Isfahan province. The desert is usually welcomed by astronomers; and is more popular than other deserts in Iran. Mesr desert is located 700 km from Tehran and among the quicksands of the central desert of Iran. The best time to visit it is from mid-autumn to late April. The price of Mesr desert tour varies depending on the place of residence and the services provided.

2. Northern cities of Iran

Iran is located in a dry plateau and due to the fact that more than 50% of it is covered by desert areas, people do not expect to have the option of camping in hyrcanian forests or go on a trip in green cities with mild weather.
Well, if you travel to North, while you are passing Alborz mountain chain you can vividly feel the weather is getting more humid and milder.
Northern cities of Iran are a popular tourism attraction because of the Caspian sea but there are plenty of other attractions in the coast of Caspian sea that you shouldn’t miss.

Chalus Road

Chalous Road, is one of the most important access roads to Northern Iran; starting from Karaj city in Alborz province and connecting to Chalous city in Mazandaran. Some consider it one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Steep roads snaking down the mountainside, tunnels carved in solid rock, and natural springs and bodies of water make this one of the most scenic routes in Iran.

Cooking and selling all kinds of soups such as noodle soup, doogh soup (A kind of Iranian soup), and lentil soup on the Chalous-Karaj road, especially near the Kandovan tunnel, is popular with vendors and restaurants; and is one of the tourist attractions of this road.
This road travels the diameter of Albroz mountain chain; and in addition to the Kandovan tunnel, which is the most well known structure of this road, there are plenty bridges built on it too.

Anzali Lagoon

Well, how can you leave Gilan, when you have not visited Anzali wetland yet?! The beautiful Anzali Wetland with an area of ​​about 20,000 hectares, is one of the most interesting and largest natural habitats for animals in Iran. The lagoon annually receives a large number of birds that come to Iran from neighboring countries. Due to it’s geographical location in terms of high humidity and water, It is not comparable to any of Iran’s wetlands. There are also several islands in this wetland and you can enjoy the view they’ve made in the lagoon while you’re boating.

The area of Anzali lagoon reaches about 120 square kilometers in winter and spring due to the increase in rainfall; and in summer and autumn it decreases to about 80 kilometers. The lagoon also is the spawning ground for fishes too, especially white fish. The wetland, due to it’s remarkable beauty, attracts many tourists as a blue-natural ecosystem and is one of the most amazing attractions of Iran.

Rudkhan Castle

20 km Southwest out of Fooman city, there is one of the most beautiful tourism attractions of Iran, called Rudkhan castle. This military complex was initially built on two mounts during the Sassanid era and rebuilt a few centuries later. The castle is also as the “castle of a thousand steps”; in order to get to the top you have to climb 935 stairs. It is located in the woods so climbing up about 1000 stairs can be a lot of fun for you! Rudkhan castle has got two parts: 1. Ghourkhane (place for the soldiers) and 2. Arg (residence of the ruler and his wives). With 65 watchtowers, 2.6 hectares area and a wall with 1500 m length; the castle is known as the strongest fort in Gilan province.

Masouleh

One of the most famous tourist attractions in Rasht is Masouleh village, located about 65 km West of Rasht city. The village is also one of the most famous examples of stepped architecture in the world.

According to historical sources, the village is about 800 to 1000 years old, and is also a place where you can see the best natural landscapes of Iran in it. The village is located in the forested slopes of Alborz and at an altitude of 1050 meters above sea level. One of the interesting features in Masouleh is the difference in height from the lowest point to the highest point. There is a height difference of about 120 meters between its lowest and highest point; due to the stepped nature of this village.

The rooftop of every house is also the yard of the neighbor’s house because of the unique architecture of it. Because of the stepped architecture of the spectacular Masouleh, no vehicles can enter to it. You cannot find any streets in this village too, maybe some narrow alleys with short stairs.

Ramsar Cable Car

Ramsar city is the largest tourism hub among cities along the Caspian sea; and almost everyone knows it as the “Bride of the northern cities of Iran”. One of the most popular tourist attractions of this beautiful city is it’s cable car. The cable car is actually located in a complex which in addition to the cable car includes a water sports club, a buggy track, a Baccarat karting track, a Maya wrestling field, the Paintball Artemis Club, a dreamland amusement park, a restaurant and a coffee shop.

Ramsar caple car is the biggest cable car in Iran. It starts from the Caspian Sea coast and continues to the top of Mount Ilmili. When you look down the cable car, you will see the entire city of Ramsar and a bit of the city of Chabaksar. At 700 meters above sea level, the Ramsar cable car travels 2,000 meters in 12 minutes at a speed of 3 meters per second. The number of cabins in the Ramsar cable car is 40, and the capacity of each cabin is 4 people. If you plan to use the forest huts and suites of the Welfare Complex; the cable car is the only way to get there. Ramsar cable car has only one station known as Bam station, where you will have the opportunity to take a romantic walk.

What is also waiting for you in Ramsar?

There is also a beautiful musical water fountain, beautiful promenades with beautiful pavilions as well as several beach pavilions. In the beautiful and mountainous areas of the complex, full facilities such as luxury suites and forest huts with a capacity of 2 to 6 people are provided for the overnight stay of the visitors, which are a good option for spending the holidays.

Do you have interests in visiting the Northern cities of Iran? We have a package for it! Besides, in the ECO CULTURAL TOUR you can also visit Qeshm, one of the most famous islands of Iran; and Isfahan city known as “Half of the world” due to the variety of monuments of it. Just cick on the tour below and find out about the details or make your own tour.

3. Isfahan Province

 The beautiful Isfahan city, the third populated city of Iran is located in the center of the country. It is full of historical monuments, and you can see many of them on the UNESCO Heritage Sites list.
Isfahan is full of ancient buildings, beautiful mosques and minarets and covered bridges like “si-o-se-pol” and “Pol-e Khaju”. Because of the variety of historical and cultural monuments, old buildings with exquisite Iranian architecture and the most beautiful mosques of Iran, people gave the nickname of “The half of the world” to Isfahan.
Isfahan is one of the most popular tourism attractions of Iran and every year many tourists travel to Iran to visit this lovely city and enjoy the culture and beauty.

Are you interested to visit big historic popular of Iran? Well you can choose our Highlight Tour and travel from Tehran to Shiraz with a tour leader at a reasonable price. Just click below and check it out.

4. Kashan City

Kashan is a small city located in Isfahan province, mostly known for It’s rose-water, silk and carpet. As it is on the main highway from Tehran to Isfahan and has got interesting sights to see, people usually stop here for a few hours if not for a night to learn more about it.
Kashan is mostly known for it’s ancient houses and Fin garden. Boroujerdi House, Ameri House and Tabatabaei house are well-known houses that everyone have heard of them at least once.

Well this small city is much more than the 5 names we all have heard about; beautiful mosques and at least 19 intact ancient houses, nooshabad underground city, sialk hills and many other attractions that make us think about the history and rich culture of Kashan.
If you are planning to have a trip to Iran, you shouldn’t miss visiting Kashan city.

Abyaneh Village

Abyaneh or “The red village”, located in Kashan, is the oldest village in Iran and also, one of the most famous tourism attractions of Iran. The village is more than 2000 years old and been registered on Iran’s National Heritage since 1975.
Abyaneh is also called The Red Village because of it’s red soil. Houses in Abyaneh have a reddish color that comes from the soil around the village containing iron oxides.

In addition to red alleys and red houses, which is the main reason of this village’s fame, you can see beautifully carved wooden doors and door-knockers in Abyaneh. If you pay close attention to some of these spectacular doors, you’ll notice a pair of door-knockers; one with a long shape, and the other with a circular shape, each with a distinct sound; One for male users and one for female users.
Beside the natural beauty of the village and the lovely architecture, there are some historical monuments such as the Harpak Zoroastrian Fire Temple and Jameh Mosque of Abyaneh which we strongly recommend you to visit.

5. Shiraz

We can surely say that Shiraz is one of the most popular cities of Iran; the city of poets, wonderful gardens and more importantly the city of Persepolis, the symbol of ancient Iran. Persepolis is the most famous tourism attraction of Iran, anyone who knows a little bit about Iran, is familiar with Persepolis and Naghsh-e Jahan square in Isfahan.

Shiraz has been the capital of Iran for three times during the history; so there are tons of monuments remained from all those periods of the history of Iran. As many poets were born and lived in Shiraz, it’s also known as the city of culture and art. The question is: where else can be as pleasant and beautiful as Shiraz?

Shiraz is perfectly described in poems of the famous Iranian sufi and poet, Hafez, whose tomb is also located in Shiraz and is one of the most popular tourism attractions of Iran. He liked his home town so much that he just went out of Shiraz once in his lifetime and he describes his attachment in this way in his poems:
“The breeze of Mosla and Roknabad (places in Shiraz), won’t let me to going on a journey.“

Shiraz attractions

Well, Persepolis and Hafeziyeh (tomb of Hafez) are not the only attractions of Shiraz; and there is lots of site seeing you have to do in Shiraz. There are colorful gardens, beautiful mosques, The lovely “Maharloo lake” and interesting buildings.

Shiraz Gardens | Maybe a part of heaven!

If you are going to travel in Spring there are heavenly gardens filled with smell of orange blossoms and the sound of the birds you can enjoy. There are a cast majority of grape gardens in Shiraz, which have made Shiraz wine a well known international brand. Eram garden, Jahan Nama garden, Delgosha Garden and Afif Abad garden are the most well known gardens of Shiraz.

Shiraz Mosques:

The city is full of mosques and if you are a little interested in Islamic architecture, visiting them can be the most enjoyable thing you can do in the city. While you are visiting them don’t forget to take your camera with you to the “Nasir-almolk mosque“, which is also known as the pink mosque because of the pink color used in the tiles and windows.

Nasir-almolk mosque | The pink mosque

The mosque dates back to about a century ago and from the point of view of tiling, is one of the most exquisite mosques of Iran. The mosque has three entrances, the main entrance is decorated with seven colored tile (a kind of tile in Islamic architecture), with the pattern of red roses and Shirazian irises. There are two Shabistans located in the East side and West side of Nasir-almolk mosque, decorated with colorful windows which make a phenomenal view inside the Shabistan when the sun shines through them.

Vakil mosque | One of the elements of Vakil complex

Vakil Mosque is located on the western side of the entrance of Vakil Bazaar. The mosque was built during Zand Dynasty. It was constructed for public use so ordinary people could do their daily religious duties and say their prayers. Different parts of the mosque include the entrance, a corridor, a yard, a large seraglio, a winter seraglio, an altar, an Islamic marble pulpit, two verandas, and a pearl arch.

Unlike most of the mosques in Iran with four iwans, Vakil mosque has only two iwans which are decorated with colorful tiles known as “Seven-colored tiles”. Iwans are located on the northern and southern sides of a large court. The shabestan (prayer hall) covers an area of 2,700 meters square 48 monolithic pillars carved in spirals, each with a capital of acanthus leaves. One of the most interesting items in this mosque is its Menbar which is built out of a solid piece of green marble with 14 steps.

Except the mosque, Vakil complex is a combination of a citadel, a bath and a bazaar; we strongly recommend you to visit all of them, it’d be enjoyable.

Maharloo lake | One of the strangest tourism attractions of Iran

The lake is located in the Southeaast of Shiraz and is a very famous tourism attraction due to it’s strange pink color. Maharloo Lake, known as the pink lake, is home to many species of migratory and non-migratory birds. This lake can also be called a salt lake, because the water is almost salty. Due to the drying of many parts of the lake, the bed of some parts of it is covered with salt and is used as a source of salt in Shiraz. As Maharloo is a seasonal lake, most of it dries up in the summer. With the onset of rainfall in the fall and winter, the lake’s water level rises again. From autumn to mid-May, the best season to visit this lake.

6. Yazd Province

Yazd city, known as the clay town or the city of wind catchers is located in the middle of Iran’s dry plateau. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Because of generations of adaptations to it’s desert surroundings, Yazd has a unique Persian architecture. It is also very well known for it’s Zoroastrian fire temples, cisterns, canats (underground channels), yakhchals (coolers), Persian handicrafts, handwoven cloth (Persian termeh), silk weaving, Persian cotton candy, and its time-honored confectioneries.
There are also many villages in Yazd that you can go visiting them and enjoy the originality and beauty of them.

7. Iran Islands

There are around 40 islands located in Persian Gulf which about half of them are non-residential. Besides there are more than ten islands with wonderful attractions in Persian Gulf; you should put them on your list! We will count the most popular islands of Iran which have a great share in attracting tourists to Iran.

Hormuz Island

One of the most famous Iran attractions, Hormuz island, is located at the entrance of the Persian Gulf. For such a small island, Hormuz is brimming with dreamy nature and tranquility. Shades of red, yellow, and orange color the land area, which contrasts beautifully with the Persian Gulf’s blue water. A dream for geology and nature enthusiasts, this island is also home to deer and other fauna.

In addition to the great commercial and strategic importance of Hormuz island, due to it’s geographical location and proximity to the Strait of Hormuz; the island is also one of the most popular tourism attractions of Iran because of it’s special nature. Hormuz island has one of the most beautiful beaches of the world. If you are planning to camp there, choose a destination near the sea in order to have the nicest view.

There are of course more than just a beach to visit in this beautiful mysterious island; and if you are interested to know them and read more about them, we recommend you to check out the article. Just click on the picture below.

Qeshm Island

If you ask us to describe Qeshm in one word for you, no word would be better than “stupendous“! The island offers pristine nature and a world of mystery; and we bet you will come back after visiting it once.

Qeshm is the biggest island of Iran and one of the most popular destinations among tourists. The best time to visit the island would be late November to early Jun; and as it is one of the six free trade zones of Iran you can visit it without needing visa. Unless you are planning to stay in the island for more than two weeks.

When you arrived at your destination, there’s so much to experience, don’t let anything slip off your list. There is Stars valley, Chahkooh canyon, Hera forests, Naaz island and Qeshm Geopark, you have to visit. Don’t forget to go diving in the island, specially if you are visiting Qeshm in Winter or Spring; and what would be more important than tasting the delicious local food of Qeshm island?

Kish Island

The most famous Island of Iran is Kish. A great place to ride bike along the beach, go shopping, watching the dolphins, swimming and diving. Kish, is a coral island and the most famous attraction of it is the big aquarium of Kish island. There are more than 70 kinds of fishes in the aquarium which is located on the East of the island. The Greek ship, ocean water park, Kariz underground city and the dolphins park are other attractions of Kish island. If you are looking for a little bit luxury, having a trip to Kish would be a great choice. As the island is one of the free trade zones of Iran, you wont need a visa for under two weeks long trips.

Are you willing to walk, take photos and feel these places with your soul? So start planning your trip NOW! Click on the picture below and check our TOUR PACKAGES out.

The most popular Iran tourism attractions are gathered in our packages; we’ve tried our best to plan a perfect, worth while trip for you. HOPE YOU ENJOY :*