Azadi Sports Stadium

Lonely Planet review

Iran's favourite sport is football (soccer), which is played at several smaller stadiums and the giant-sized, 100,000-capacity Azadi Sports Stadium. Matches are normally played on Thursdays and Fridays but to find out where, your best bet is to ask a man working in your hotel. If you can make it to the big Tehran derby between Esteqlal and Persepolis, do - assuming you are not a woman, that is.

The Azadi complex also stages wrestling and even motor racing - though for the latter you could save your time and money and just sit in the middle of any Tehran traffic circle. Most other sports are played behind high walls in small stadia around the city.