My Trip to Iran as a Backpacker

In 2013, after a long process, I finally got granted a visa for Iran. I got that visa in the city of Trabzon in Turkey. It was a one-month visa so we decided to milk it and stay in Iran for all 30 days that we were legally allowed. This meant we would backpack overland from Gurbulak to Bazargan, where we would arrive in Iran. We started off in the northwest of the country. We backpacked through the Cave Town of Kandogan, while also visiting Osku and Lake Orumiyeh. Next, we spent our time touring the valleys in Gazor Khan and we slept in the cities of Tabriz and Qazvin. After that, we passed through Tehran and Tarjrish on route till that there Mashhad.

In Mashhad, We visited the magnificent Imam Reza Shrine, which is the world's largest mosque. From there a mega night train took us to the desert towns. This was also a fabulous experience. We saw the sunset in Kaluts, a desert Oasis at Kalate Talkh, a camel town in Mesr, salt flats and we whackpacked through Kerman and Yazd.

Next up with academy buses we veered into Shahr e-Kord. This was a marvelous city where we enjoyed the "longest night" - it was a huge Iranian party and feast. Our final locations in Iran were to visit Persepolis, Esfahan, and Shiraz. By that stage, we had seen a lot of mosques, drank a lot of tea, and been impressed by Iranian hospitality.  Read More & More