12 'not to miss' things to see in Iran

Lonely Planet Iran

Lonely Planet Iran travel guide

Iran travel guide

- take in the opulence of the Golestan Palace, a monument to Qajar excess

- explore the Grand Bazaar, the mother of all Iranian markets, which sells it all – from skimpy knickers to antique carpets

- hike between flower-filled valleys and snow-capped peaks around the ruined 12th-century Castles of the Assassins

- explore ancient churches, mud-walled castles and grand canyons along the sublime Aras River Valley

- watch a master at work in Esfahan, the cultured capital of handicrafts

- scoop up the coloured light of a morning visit to the Masjed-e Nasir-al-Molk (Pink Mosque) in Shiraz

- soak up local vibes while wandering through the animated streets of Bandar Abbas and visiting its fish market

- explore the splendid old city of Harireh, which comprises the remains of a large house and an old port

- watch the desert sun setting over extraordinary wind-eroded ‘statues’ before sleeping be-neath the stars in the Kaluts (Lut Desert)

- sleep in a troglodyte cave house while learning about traditional shepherd lifestyles in Meymand

- create surreal echoes at Gonbad-e Kavus’ soaring, millennium-old tomb-tower, Mil-e Gon-bad

- share in the emotion of countless pilgrims as you jostle closer to the heart of Mashhad’s magnificent holy shrine, Haram-e Razavi

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