Lonely Planet Iran

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781786575418
• eBook ISBN: 9781786575364

Lonely Planet Iran is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Hike among the Castles of the Assassins in Alamut Valley, Lose yourself in Esfahan's historic bazaar, or ski in the Alborz Mountains -all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Iran and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet Iran Travel Guide: Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - festivals, cuisine, religion, history, architecture, literature, music, crafts, environment Over 50 maps Covers Tehran, Esfahan, Yazd, Shiraz, Persepolis, Kashan, Choqa Zanbil, Takht-e Soleiman, Tabriz, Masuleh, Mashhad, Garmeh, Alamut Valley, Alborz Mountains, Kaluts, Qeshm Island and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Iran, our most comprehensive guide to Iran, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet Middle East guide. About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. The world awaits! Lonely Planet guides have won the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Western Iran ايران غربی

Bazargan

Maku & Around

Khoy

Orumiyeh

Maraqeh

Tabriz

Kandovan

Jolfa

Aras River Valley

Kaleybar

Ardabil

Khal Khal

Zanjan

Soltaniyeh

Takab

Rasht

Around Rasht

Ramsar

Kelardasht

Qazvin

Alamut Valley

Garmarud

Sanandaj

Howraman

Paveh

Kermanshah

Bisotun

Hamadan

Bijar

Marivan

Dorud

The DorudAndimeshk Railway

Andimeshk

Shush

Shushtar

Ahvaz

Khorramabad

Western Iran ايران غربی

Why Go?

A land of wild extremes and wilder history, Western Iran is the independent traveller's adventure playground. From the fecund Caspian coast to the stark, mountainous northern borders and the crumbling desert ruins of the southern plains, the region hosts everything from paddy fields to blizzards to the original Garden of Eden. Bordering Mesopotamia, Ottoman Turkey and Czarist Russia, its fortunes have oscillated with the rise and fall of many great empires. This deeply historic, starkly beautiful and incredibly hospitable place is also home to almost half of Iran's Unesco sites.

The region is a linguistic and cultural patchwork: Kurds predominate in Kordestan and Kermanshah; Lors in Ilam and Lorestan; Arabs inhabit southern Khuzestan; Talesh and Gilaki are the traditional languages of Gilan; and Azeris, whose language is more Turkish than Persian, predominate in the northwest. In remote regions, and in Kurdish towns, traditional dress is still worn.

When to Go

The craggy peaks of the Zagros Mountains from Hamadan northwards see snow arrive early and leave late – falls are from about November to March, while the sweltering lowlands around Shush begin to boil in June.

To make the most of the region, try visiting for the spring flowers, which bloom in April or May, or the autumn harvest of juicy grapes and delicious mulberries in September or early October.

The crisp, clear air an...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Iran
• Iran's Top 16
• Need to Know
• First Time Iran
• If You Like
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Visas & Planning
• Regions at a Glance
• Tehran
• Western Iran
• Central Iran
• Persian Gulf
• Southeastern Iran
• Northeastern Iran
• Understand Iran
• Iran Today
• History
• People
• Daily Life
• Iranian Cuisine
• Faith in Iran
• Architecture
• Carpets, Arts & Crafts
• Literature, Music & Cinema
• Natural Environments
• Safe Travel
• Directory AZ
• Transport
• Health
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers