Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
West Africa djembe
Benin • 13 days, 12 nights
NEW - Rhythms & Rituals: West Africa's Spiritual Traditions
from
Oaxaca Mexico tamales
Mexico • 7 days, 6 nights
Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals
from
View all trips
Upcoming Experiences
View All Experiences »
Members Only
Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: The Albatwitch
Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders
Members Only
Accidental Discoveries
Members Only
Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Frankenstein
Members Only
Antiques and Their Afterlives: Holiday Gift Guide
Upcoming Courses
View All Courses »
Cosmic Life: Astrobiology & the Search for Extraterrestrial Life With Dr. Graham Lau
Tree Communication With Annie Novak
Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt With Aaron Sanders Head
Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcón
Bee-licious: Taste Honey Like a Sommelier With C. Marina Marchese
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Conwy Suspension Bridge
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
John Denver Sanctuary
Patan Dhoka
Argyll and Bute Hospital
Argyll and Bute Hospital
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Chef Boyardee Statue
Cevapčići at Sarajevo ‘84
Sarajevo ‘84
In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. 
Thai-Islam Phochana
With fat chunks of crab meat swimming in a lush coconut milk curry, it's no wonder this dish is so popular.
Raya
Meet boba tea's ancestral cousin.
Kanomwaan Pakee
Recent Stories
All Stories Puzzles Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Inside Sacré-Coeur Hospital lies an unassuming lab that peers into the mysteries of our sleeping minds.
Inside Montréal’s ‘Dream and Nightmare Laboratory’
Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
5 Stories for Native American Heritage Month
The sophisticated club sandwich combines ham, pineapple, bacon, peanut butter, and avocado.
This Book Contains a Century of Historical Sandwiches
Each fall, amorous male tarantulas prowl the Colorado plains in search of mates, who may or may not kill them.
Why Did the Spider Cross the Road?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Iran

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Iran

52 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Iran

Updated September 12, 2023

Email

Cities

Top Cities
Shah Cheragh
Shiraz
Isfahan
Ebrat Museum
Tehran
The ruins of Persepolis
Fars Province
The Tower of Silence in Yazd
Yazd
Inside the tunnels of Kariz-e-Kish.
Kish
All Cities
  1. Fars Province
  2. Hamedan
  3. Isfahan
  4. Kish
  5. Shiraz
  6. Tabriz
  7. Tehran
  8. Yazd
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Iran

Shah Cheragh

Shiraz, Iran

Shah Cheragh

Mirrors and glass shards cover every inch of this arrestingly beautiful mosque.
Badab-e Surt.

Orost, Iran

Badab-e Surt

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.
The ruins of Persepolis

Fars Province, Iran

The Ruins of Persepolis

The palace of the King of Kings, burned by Alexander the Great.
The Pink Mosque.

Shiraz, Iran

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.
Yakhchāl in Yazd, Iran

Meybod, Iran

Yakhchāls

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.
The entrance to the underground city

Nushabad, Iran

Nushabad Underground City

A 1,500-year-old, 3-story subterranean city where ancient Persians took refuge in times of war.
Alamut Castle.

Roudbar Alamout, Iran

Alamut Castle

This ruined fortress was the stronghold for a persecuted medieval leader and his infamous Assassins.
The Tower of Silence in Yazd

Yazd, Iran

Zoroastrian Towers of Silence

Putrefaction plateaus in Iran, where the dead were sent for decontamination before going to their final resting place.
See All 52 Things To Do in Iran

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Iran

Yakhchāl in Yazd, Iran

Meybod, Iran

Yakhchāls

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Iran

Architecture 16
Ecosystems 8
Ancient 8
Sacred Spaces 8
History 7
Architectural Oddities 7
Geology 6
Caves 6
Religion 5
Tombs 5
Color 5
Engineering 4

Iran Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for Max Cortesi
    Max Cortesi
    6
  2. Avatar image for ahvenas
    ahvenas
    5
  3. Avatar image for mariellen
    mariellen
    3
  4. Avatar image for robinrocket
    robinrocket
    3
  5. Avatar image for Aksel
    Aksel
    2

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for vasilisapremudra
    vasilisapremudra
    17
  2. S
    soheilmamani
    9
  3. Avatar image for ahvenas
    ahvenas
    6
  4. T
    Tawsam
    5
  5. A
    aribrown
    5

Places Visited

  1. E
    ersy007
    33
  2. N
    nickfranssen
    28
  3. Avatar image for ahvenas
    ahvenas
    25
  4. M
    mtavakolig
    25
  5. E
    eltjovanwijk
    24

Recent Iran Activity

  • M

    melissam1423

    wants to go to Yakhchāls

  • S

    sheherazadehenrion

    wants to go to Tehran Aerospace Exhibition Center

  • Avatar image for claracecile

    claracecile

    wants to go to Kharānaq

  • Y

    ymach15

    wants to go to Tomb of Esther and Mordechai

  • A

    aditisggupta45ag

    wants to go to Tomb of Hafez

Stories About Iran

Mali Mahalingam amid the dunes of Central Nambia.

Accessible Independent Travel Is for All Ages and Abilities

See the world “any which way” you can, says a seasoned traveler in her 70s.
by Gemma Tarlach
August 24, 2023

Podcast: Songs of Ice

How to appreciate ice without getting all that cold, with the Atlas Obscura Places Team.
by The Podcast Team
January 17, 2023

Podcast: Pigeon Towers of Iran

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 25, 2022
Cloves and apples make a simple but meaningful memento.

Reviving the Romance of the Kurdish Clove Apple

These fragrant fruits are deeply symbolic.
by Ramsha Zubairi
June 1, 2022
For 17 days in Scotland's remote Cairngorms mountains, British traveler Elise Wortley retraced the journey of early-20th-century writer Nan Shepherd.

Returning to the Valley of the Assassins in the Footsteps of Explorer Freya Stark

British adventurer Elise Wortley is about to retrace a historic journey through Iran.
by Sarah Durn
March 14, 2022
Bread made with dots of sooragh shows off Hormuz's vibrant gelak soil.

Eating the Red Soil of Rainbow Island

The landscapes on Hormuz, Iran, are striking—and edible.
by Tia Rotolo
January 19, 2022
Geologist and guide Lior Enmar among Malcham's delicate salt structures.

The Friendly Rivalry—Between Israel and Iran—Over the World’s Longest Salt Cave

Spectacular Malcham Cave, at more than six miles, currently holds the title.
by Gitit Ginat
August 11, 2021
Striking from above, Hormuz Island rewards a closer look.

A Glimpse of Iran's 'Rainbow Island' From Above

It's easy to see why the island attracts artists and geology lovers.
by Winnie Lee
November 13, 2020

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Puzzles
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ
  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2024 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.