The media doesn’t paint a positive picture of this country, as the dominating headlines are of war, terrorism, and restrictions.

So, why travel to Iran?

I’ve always been a traveller who likes to visit a place for myself to gain first-hand knowledge of what it’s really like.

My visit to Iran gave me a deep understanding of Iranian culture, the warm and friendly people, who are just the same as you and me.

My trip certainly proved to me, that what we see in the media is far from the real truth.

I want to share with you, some of my favourite things from this friendly country. If you’re wondering why travel to Iran is something you should do or not, read this post to help you decide.

I hope that it displays a positive image of this misunderstood country and gives you at least 8 reasons why you should travel to Iran.

Why Travel to Iran? 8 Things I Loved the Most

1. Iranian people

Iranians are easily some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Previous to my travels to Iran, I’d often heard they’d treat guests like old friends. Honestly, I began to see the warm hospitality immediately upon arriving.

The locals want to take care of you, feed you and show you off proudly to their friends.

We stayed with some lovely hosts that we contacted through Couchsurfing, and they made us feel like important guests the whole time.  Our hosts spoke good English, so we could communicate with each other easily which made it more enjoyable.

Many websites and media are banned by the Iranian government, so people are very curious to gain more knowledge about your culture, which made for many interesting topics to chat about.

2. Dance parties in the home

Iranians don’t have nightclubs or bars to go and dance at, which is something that maybe we take for granted in Western countries, but that doesn’t stop them! They love to dance and express themselves, so they organise dance parties in their homes.

We were invited to several different apartments of young couples for what I thought would just be dinner with a few quiet cups of tea. Far from it!  Shortly after arriving and enjoying many sweets and fruits offered by our hosts, the lights were dimmed, the dance floor (middle of the living room) would be cleared and the music channel would be turned up, loud!

Pop music from Iran and Turkey was played, as well as many catchy Arabic songs. We were beckoned to the middle of a huge living room to join in and dance the night away.

3. The Sights and Landscapes

‘’Why travel to Iran?’’  The most common question from people when they heard of my intention to travel to Iran. I was curious to learn more about Iranian culture and explore its cuisine, but I also looked forward to the sights. I imagined it to be different to the destinations I’d already travelled and I craved this.

So much of Iran was beautiful, and it was so much more than just mosques. I watched as the landscape changed from the cities to deserts to the incredibly green lush countryside in the North. Iran was visually, much more than I expected.

The sights and landscapes you will see are very good reasons why travel to Iran is a good option, especially if you love history.

4. Sweets in exchange for small change

After a few days in Iran, you see that they have an issue with money and small change. They simply don’t have enough small notes and coins.  When you make a purchase in the shops and they don’t have enough change to return to you, they pay you back in sweets or chocolate.

Many times I purchased bottled water for 9,000 rials, gave the cashier a 10,000 rial note and he would give me a little chocolate bar as change. The bars always came in useful on long bus or taxi rides when a little hit of sugar was needed.

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5. The Food – My #1 favourite reason for why travel to Iran

This is a definite reason why travel to Iran is worth it. The food is fantastic! So, what is Iranian food? It’s so much more than just rice and kebabs, I can tell you that much.

I’d heard that the food in Iran was good, but I didn’t expect it to be amazing.

The best meals we ate were cooked in the homes of our new hosts and friends. Typical Iranian food is a combination of rice with meat and onion, garlic, vegetables, nuts and herbs. Iranians cook with spices such as saffron, cinnamon and fresh green herbs to name a few.

Don’t miss these Top 10 Most Delicious Foods from Iran.

6. The Villages

There are many villages to explore in Iran, and getting ‘off the beaten track’ was part of our favourite days. Masouleh was a small rooftop village located in Western Iran, close to the Caspian Sea. We spent a few nights here after some local Iranians encouraged us to see this old traditional village.

We really enjoyed everything about Masouleh, and you can read more about it here. We also spent an afternoon in Abyaneh, an ancient village known as the ‘red village’ due to its crumbling red-brick houses.

You can learn more about this Iranian historical village here.

Men wear a traditional felt hat and a pair of loose cotton trousers with unique shoes. All women of Abyaneh cover their hair with the same type of scarf with a floral design.

7. The Bread

Every meal is always accompanied by fresh Iranian flatbread. Bread is commonly available at all times of the day, baked fresh from hundreds of small bakeries dotted around cities, villages and home-style tandoor ovens.

There are many different kinds of bread, and they are all equally delicious and match perfectly with Iranian cuisine.

8. The Colours

The colours were magnificent in Iran. Colours in the desert would change dramatically from beige to dark red.

The sky was the most incredible blue of the day, creating the ideal canvas for me to capture photographs of the turquoise-tiled minarets.

I loved watching the sunset here, the most intense pink colour I’ve ever seen would illuminate the sky.

I hope you enjoyed this post about the things I loved most about Iran. My 20 favourite photos taken in Iran may inspire you to visit the country. Read more about Masouleh – a beautiful rooftop village in Iran.

Travel to Iran with a group tour company, a private tour or travel around the country independently, as we did. Either way, this is a country that is sure to pleasantly surprise you!

There is often confusion about the two countries of Iran v Iraq – learn the main differences between them here.

If you’re planning on travelling further in this part of the world, check out our ultimate Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan Itinerary.

Or if you only have time to visit just one of these countries, we’d recommend visiting Georgia – it’s wonderful, and just next door to Iran.

We’ve got all the information you need for where to stay in Tbilisi, Georgia, and our Food Lovers Guide to Georgia will be very useful for exploring this country.

Travel Tips for Asia

We have many travel guides and tips for Asia— a fascinating continent!

Delicious cuisine can be enjoyed across Asia, and our food map of Asia will inspire your food journey.

These top 5 best street foods in Asia are unmissable! We explain Central Asian food, including seven popular foods in this region.

Our Southeast Asia packing list will be helpful if you’re travelling here.

Furthermore, if you plan to travel long-term (or at least until the money runs out), these 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you make your hard-earned dollars stretch a bit further.

Not surprisingly, our top 10 best countries for food lovers include a few Asian countries.

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling in Asia. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual Asian countries, or consider a regional eSIM for Asia (which covers 18 countries).

If your travels in Asia are part of a much larger global adventure, then a Global eSIM may be the answer. It connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM. The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Check out our Group Tours first for any upcoming departures in Asia, or view Tourradar for great deals on tours in Asia.

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.