Decided on going to Dizin? Great. While the snow there is fantastic I am sure you want to experience more than just going down a mountain. Here is my list of places to see in Iran:

Yazd

My first suggestion definitevely has to be Yazd. It is the oldest city in the world that is still inhabitated. Walking through the narrow streets between old mud houses is like stepping back two thousands years in time. Some of these houses hide beautiful gardens with pools and rooms enough for a king behind their tall walls. In addition there are some fantastic mosques here.

Masouleh

A beautiful hill-side village where the houses are built so close together in the steep hill that the house-roofs are used as roads. A popular getaway for Tehranians who wants to escape the heat and enjoy a hike in the mountain. Rent a room from one of the villagers and enjoy a kebab in the small bazaar. Also visit nearby Qaleh-Rudkhan, an old hill-top fort.

Kashan

If you have limited time then a trip to Kashan is the best choice. Only a couple of hours south of Tehran you can see beatiuful old buildings and a great active bazaar. A perfect place to see a real Iranian small city, you will not find many tourists here and the bazaar is operated the same way it always has. Nearby you will also find Fin Garden. For a day-trip from here visit a small mountain village called Abyaneh famous for beautiful red mud houses and women with colorful scarfs. On the way back to Tehran stop in Qom, the religious center of Iran where you will find conservative muslims.

Isfahan

Holds perhaps one of the beautiful man made places in the world: Naqsh-e Jahan Square (after the revolution officially known as Imam Khomeini Square). Also take a stroll over one of the bridges and a stop for a relaxing chai while chatting with the locals.

Been to Iran? What are your favorite places? Leave a comment.

I travelled three months in Iran and questions regarding safety is a bit of a joke now for me. Because I would say it is probably the safest country in the world to travel in if you exclude Japan and Singapore. However I do understand the concern. My family was worried when I entered Iran because what they see in the media and many people in the west think Iran is the same as all the other countries in the middle east such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. Which a dangerous place with terrorists. But it would be much more dangerous to travel to London than to Tehran. I feel safer with my belongings in Tehran that I did on my visit to Madrid this weekend. Petty crime is looked down upon and theft and physical assaults, especially towards foreigners, is uncommon.

On my journey I also met several women who traveled alone without any problems.

If you are going to Iran just for Dizin then there is even less need for worrying about safety. Dizin is mainly visited by rich Iranians who drive with their 4WD from north Tehran and Dizin is probably the most liberal public area in Iran.

In Tehran the only safety issue you should really worry about is the traffic. Which is daunting at first sight. Crossing the road is a near-death experience walking through fast pacing cars. It should however be noted that drivers are skilled and do a very good job at dodging pedestrians, so once you get used to madness crossing the road is as easy as a stroll in the park.

Where not to go

What I wrote above applies to areas in Iran where you would go as a tourists. There are however areas in Iran that most certainly should be avoided (even for the normal Iranian). Those areas include the borders to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most notably the area Balochistan which lies near the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most of the world supply of heroin goes through this area and there is a high risk of kidnapping. Unless you are traveling to Pakistan over land you will have no reason to enter this area. If you however are traveling by car there make sure you get a police escort. Two of my friends did this journey in 2008 so it is perfectly possible.