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Iran Middle East

Welcome to what could be the friendliest country on earth. Iran is the jewel in Islam's crown, combining glorious architecture with a warm-hearted welcome.

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Beaches

Where to find the best scuba diving sites in the Middle East

Apr 17, 2019 • 5 Min read

With a dazzling bounty of underwater attractions to explore and improved access to key diving hubs, there has arguably never been a better time to strap…

Art
Ten 'lost' Picasso paintings have been found in Iran after forty years
Aug 11, 2018 • 2 Min read
It’s incredible what you might find cleaning out your basement. One museum, for example, just discovered a series of lost Picasso paintings they didn’t…
Art
Awe-inspiring ancient sites of wild western Iran
Apr 3, 2018 • 7 Min read
Leave the bright lights and tourist delights of Esfahan and Shiraz far behind to track down astonishing millennia-old relics among the dusty wilds of…
Art
Off the beaten track: Iran's best kept secrets
Oct 10, 2017 • 5 Min read
Despite its rich history stretching back thousands of years, Iran still lies off the beaten track for most travellers. The joy of travelling in one of the…
Wildlife & Nature
Lonely Planet founder looks back on the hippie trail and the dawn of backpacking at event in London
Nov 24, 2016 • 2 Min read
The ‘hippie trail’ that saw young travellers cross the world in the 1960s and 70s and led directly to the birth of Lonely Planet is the subject of an…
Story
Iran's top destinations for first-time travellers
Jul 17, 2015 • 2 Min read
Iran has a huge amount to offer adventurous travellers.
Romance
Don't skip Tehran's unmissable sights
Aug 6, 2014 • 5 Min read
Tehran is the city travellers love to hate, with many avoiding a stay here altogether en route to Iran's more popular tourist destinations. But as Mike…