The Best Guided Tours in Tehran, Iran

Discover a place most locals don’t even know about with this tour of one of Tehran’s oldest and most fascinating streets, the cobblestone 30 Tir. A popular evening hangout these days thanks to its food trucks, this unique street is where a synagogue, church, and Zoroastrian fire temple coexist in peaceful harmony. In this well-organized, half-day walking tour, you’ll visit each of these religious institutions, uncover the story behind them, and find out how this street took shape.

If museums are your thing, you’ll want to book this tour. Lasting approximately five hours, it’ll take you through some of Tehran’s most famous museums. The National Museum houses an impressive collection spanning 30,000 years of history, while the Glass and Ceramics Museum takes you through a chronological history dating back to the 4th millennium BCE. The National Jewelry Treasury with its dazzling array of priceless gems, the Carpet Museum, and Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art are other highlights.

If your travel plans are flexible and you want to add some adventure to your holiday, this mixed package tour may be a good fit. In this six-day journey, you’ll first trek to the summit of Mt. Damavand, the highest peak in Iran at 5,671 meters (18,606 feet), before returning to the capital city to explore some of the most notable sites, including Tajrish Bazaar, Sa’ad Abad Palace, and Milad Tower, among others.

This half-day walking tour explains the formation of the capital city by taking visitors through the oldest neighborhood in Tehran, Oudlajan. In addition to coming across phenomena rarely seen in Tehran (such as windcatchers and bathhouse rooftops), you’ll tour historical buildings, a synagogue, and the first bank in Tehran in this once predominantly Jewish neighborhood.

Those who don’t plan to spend much time in Tehran can still hit the highlights with this day-long tour that focuses on the northern part of the city. Included are Sa’ad Abad Palace, the luxurious summer residence of the Pahlavi dynasty, and Niavaran Palace, the main residence of the former Shah and his family during the last decade of their rule. The bustling Tajrish Bazaar and multi-award winning Tabiat Bridge are also stops along this tour.

If you are visiting Tehran in the winter, you can make a quick getaway just north of the city and immerse yourself in some tranquility. This tour includes a night at a ski resort hotel and a full day of skiing or snowboarding at one of Iran’s premier ski locations, Tochal, at 3,944 meters (12,940 feet) above sea level.

About 30 minutes outside the hustle and bustle of Tehran is the quiet Khojir National Park, a protected 10,013-hectare area. While much of the park is a base for migratory birds, diverse flora and fauna as well as spectacular views of Mt. Damavand can also be found here. This tour provides a perfect opportunity to discover a different side of Iran and its biodiversity.