hoping to travel to iran from england next spring(after their new year)with my husband and 2 teenage boys,was planning to go for a fortnight starting in tehran but not sure where else to head for,so much to see!
have looked into dress code,safety advice,air fares and insurance,and at lots of websights on etiquette and keen to make the most of our time there,any ideas,anyone?
palmer80
1
dave_s
You will enjoy Iran with your family I am sure.
Don't get too caught up on what you can't do there. It can spoil a trip. The main things are to respect the culture. I found Iranians to be more tolerant of our ways than the other way around. Everyone was very respectful.
Two main things. Wear a headscarf if you are female. Try to wear some thing that will cover you from your neckline to below your rear as well. Nothing to heavy, a light material is fine. Having said you can get away with jeans, so long as your bottom is covered with something. Especially true if you want to get into Mosques. Local attire can be bought and make cheaply if you get into a fix. Just hop into a bazaar and they'll make you up something quickly. Men avoid wearing shorts. Long sleeved shirts get you in anywhere. T-shirts are fine, but you might not get favors in visiting very religious places.
Take photos! Just ask before taking one of a woman. And be respectful if anyone declines. This is especially true of close ups.
My for two weeks I would suggest. Tehran 2 days, Esfahan 2-3 days, Shiraz with Persepolis 3 days, Yazd 3-4 days including desert trips. This will give you some extra time play with. If you take internal flight you can visit places further afield, otherwise it will eat into your time. Just be sure to book ahead, most hotels can do that for you.
From my own experience Kerman is not that great a place. And unfortunately Bam is not what it used to be. If you want to see a great mud city head to Kharanaq a day trip from Yazd, through in
Asrobat and you get a ghost town too.
PM me if you would like the details of a good hotel in Yazd for a family. In the meantime you could check out this blog that mentions some of these places.
All the best
Dave
2
rossocarrollkelly
Spend as little time as possible in Tehran. It really isn't a pleasant place to spend any time.
After that, as much time as you have in Shiraz, Esfahan and Yazd. I was there for about 12 days and really enjoyed it. Esfahan is probably the best place just to hang out and visit tea shops.
The place I would love to have gone is Mashad, but it is some distance from the others.
By the way, internal flights in Iran are very good value, so it's worth booking flights.
Pro tip
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