In September and October of 2019, I went with my Iranian friend, Soroush, on a month-long Iran road trip which spanned 6,400 kilometers (nearly 4,000 miles).

Looking back, that month was perhaps the most emotional, unforgettable, and educational experience of my entire life.

The whole trip was spent with my new Iranian friend, Soroush, who was also my tour guide. I can honestly say that throughout our time together, I felt like Soroush and I were living inside of a surreal, life-altering, Iranian/American buddy comedy film. Our epic journey was filled, day and night, with laughs, lessons, and uncontrollable tears.

How big was it? This big

Obviously, one blog post can’t do justice to an experience like that. But, to put things into perspective, here are a few numbers from our Iran road trip:

We drove 6,400 kilometers (nearly 4,000 miles)

I wrote 7,000+ words in my journal

I took 1,500+ pictures and videos

We bought and ate 8+ bags of roadside food as snacks in the car

The first 10 stories and experiences

Admittedly, there are some stories that will have to stay between Soroush and I. But you came here for some stories, so get ready! To be clear, this is definitely not my ‘Top 10 List’. Rather, these are the first 10 stories and experiences that I’ll share with you. Enjoy!

NOTE: Click any picture to enlarge it.

1. The US Embassy is now a museum

Today, the official name of the US Embassy in Tehran is a museum named the “US Den of Espionage”.

But why do they call it that? That’s because, in 1953, the CIA and MI6 conspired and orchestrated a coup in Iran called “Operation Ajax”. As part of the plot, the American and British governments have since confessed to, among several other international crimes:

Overthrowing Iran’s democratically elected leader

Choosing and installing a new dictator

Murdering hundreds of innocent people using false flag terrorist attacks inside Iran

Consequently, Operation Ajax was part of the inspiration behind the Islamic Revolution, which included the storming of the US Embassy in 1979.

Since I’m a pro-peace American, while I was planning the itinerary for our Iran road trip, the historic US Embassy in Tehran was probably the most important site that I wanted to include on my journey.

When I arrived at the museum, I told an employee that I’m an American. To my surprise, the employee was very nice and friendly to me. He showed me around the entire museum, gave historical context, and answered all of my questions.

Considering what he does for a living, you may not believe what he told me, but it’s true. He said:

“When Iranians meet foreigners visiting our country, we give them a warm welcome. But when we meet Americans visiting our country, we go above-and-beyond to give them an extra special warm welcome. We want to show Americans that we know the difference between Americans and the American government.”

I can honestly say, after touring Iran for a month, I experienced that man’s quote more times than I can count.

2. Masuleh – the best proof Iran isn’t just one big desert?

Many people are shocked to hear that Iran has a diverse landscape, but it’s true!

There are plenty of lakes, beaches, and snow-filled mountains in Iran. While we didn’t go skiing, white water rafting, or swimming at a beach during our Iran road trip, we did visit a beautiful, small village called Masuleh.

Without a doubt, the entire town is one, entertaining, scenic tourist attraction! Everywhere we went, Iranians were enjoying their vacations, just like me. We walked past plenty of touristy places like book stores, gift shops, and an abundance of local people cooking local foods.

Even more, there are a few nearby places for short treks, as well as challenging hikes. To top it all off, Mesuleh even has a small, but very beautiful waterfall! And it’s conveniently located right next to the street going in and out of town.

3. Grab a Daric Card and pay with plastic everywhere

As you’ve probably already heard, the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations have placed strict sanctions on Iran for decades.

Obviously, the bulk of Iranians woes can be placed at the feet of their corrupt, socialist government. On the other hand, it’s hard to overstate the negative effects of the widespread, international sanctions.

Undeniably, not being able to use your credit card is one of the biggest impacts on tourists. Due to the sanctions, Visa, Master Card, Discover, and all other credit cards and debit cards familiar to the outside world will not work in Iran.

However, you’ll be glad to know that the sanctions haven’t halted commerce in Iran. Nearly every vendor accepts debit cards, as long as they’re connected to Iranian banks. To my extreme shock and amazement, even the farmers selling fruits and vegetables on the side of the road accepted plastic.

Another experience that shocked me: vendors often didn’t have change for small bills. As a result, vendors usually preferred that I pay with a card rather than cash, even for purchases for under $1!

Before all of this could happen, my tour agent set me up with a friendly guy named Arya from Daric Card. Arya helped me load my money on to my Daric Card, which is a pre-paid debit card. Then, I was able to use my Daric Card at any ATM and with almost any vendor. In case you’re wondering, yes, I even used my Daric Card to pay those roadside vendors who were selling fruits and vegetables!

4. No shortage of beautiful mosques everywhere

You don’t have to be a Muslim to appreciate the incredibly beautiful, artistic, detailed architecture of an Iranian mosque.

During our Iran road trip, every town had at least one meticulously sculpted mosque. You can find them in the bazaars, in the schools, and as standalone buildings. Indeed, they seem to be everywhere you look!

But mosques are not all created equally! Among the most breath-taking that we saw were:

The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Esfahan (sometimes spelled ‘Isfahan’)

The Kabud Mosque (also known as ‘The Blue Mosque’) in Tabriz

And the Nasir al Molk mosque in Shiraz (also known as ‘The Pink Mosque’).

5. …and no shortage of unique bazaars, either

In America, we have (or had) giant shopping malls. Comparatively, in Iran, they have bazaars!

With this in mind, I was glad to check out one bonafide Iranian bazaar after another! To me, the bazaars were always a great place to meet warm-hearted locals and their happy families.

While we traveled Iran, Soroush explained to me that some bazaars are known for having a specialty, like offering the best Persian carpets, various foods, and exotic spices. In some cases, bazaars have different sections; a shoe section, tableware section, produce section, and so on. In other cases, you’ll walk past a very diverse row of vendors, like in the Kermanshah Bazaar.

6. Wow 😲 Margoon Waterfall

Easily one of my fondest memories from our Iran road trip was at the gigantic Margoon Waterfall near Yasuj.

As Soroush and I walked closer to the mountainous waterfall, I could tell this was going to be a special moment. When we got there, I took my time gazing at the majestic scenery.

After I’d admired the landscape enough, I crossed the river and explored the other side of the waterfall. Once there, I noticed many other smaller waterfalls popping up around the corner! When I came back from my mini-expedition, Soroush was there to meet me.

Then, something caught our attention. Next to the waterfall was a perfectly placed platform, naturally carved out of the mountain. To illustrate how to get to the platform, a person would have to brave the ice cold water raining down, scale the slippery moss, and go through a small hole in the mountain.

Even though we agreed the platform seemed unreachable, I gave it a shot. I handed my things to Soroush, took one last look at the task in front of me, and stood under the hole as the freezing cold water rained down upon me.

So, I put one foot here, the other foot there, and reached up. To my surprise, my hand landed on a hidden, perfectly placed notch! Instantly, my mission became a lot easier. I pulled myself up through the hole and onto the platform. After we celebrated for a moment, I extended my hand to Soroush and helped him join me. At that point, we were exhilarated to conquer the platform together!

From our new perch, Soroush and I looked down on the dozens of other, ordinary tourists and basked in our glory!

7. Happy kids make me smile 😀

I must confess, when I was younger, the only kids that really had a positive effect on me were my niece and nephew. As I’ve aged, I’ve learned to appreciate kids more.

If I had to place the true source of this shift, it would probably be the thousands of incredibly happy, smiling Vietnamese kids I saw during my 14 months in their country. Their smiles were infectious. And you don’t need a degree in child psychology to know that happy kids are almost always the product of a good, stable, loving family.

After visiting Iran for a month, I feel the same way about Iranian kids and their families.

Case in point, while visiting the Anzali Lagoon near Rasht, I noticed some happy kids walking around. Then, I saw their dad acting goofy with a giant lotus leaf on his head. We talked for a bit, I asked the family for a picture, and they agreed.

Obviously, there are things that separate the different cultures of the world. Yet, there are things that bring us together, too. Supportive, joyful families that spend quality time together will almost always produce good, happy kids – in every culture.

8. The national past time of Iran is…

Throughout our Iran road trip, I witnessed Iranians finding pleasure in something that has been mostly forgotten in American culture: picnics! It seemed everywhere I looked, somebody was having a picnic!

Some examples of places where I saw Iranians enjoying a picnic:

Parks

Next to a river, lake, or waterfall

Outside of a cave

In a massive, beautiful garden

Even inside of enormous, spectacular roundabouts! In case you didn’t already know, I love roundabouts!

Anyplace is a good place for a picnic!

Evidently, it seems that all Iranians are fond of a relaxing picnic! To that end, I saw them all over – in small towns, large cities, and across the countryside. Large families, young and old couples, groups of guys, groups of girls, and everybody else, too. Usually, the picnics I saw were packed with hot tea, water, grilled chicken, roasted tomatoes, bread, and various home cooked foods, like soup.

If you visit Iran on a good weather day, look around. I promise you’ll see happy Iranians enjoying a good picnic!

9. Persepolis and the dozens of major historical sites in Iran

You didn’t think I’d forget about the #1 tourist attraction in Iran, did you?! No way!

You can find historical sites all over the nation. In fact, Iran has 24 UNESCO Heritage Sites, and counting! Among those sites, the most famous location is definitely, the one and only, Persepolis, located near Shiraz.

Other notable, historical attractions include:

All that history must cost a lot to visit, right? Nope! At the current exchange rates, the cost of admission to each of the places we visited in Iran was less than $3! Even the mighty Persepolis has an admission price of under $2!

10. Surprise – Support for America is widespread

Nothing surprised me more than to see and hear people advocating in favor of America, time after time, all over Iran.

It didn’t matter where we went, I felt support for the United States.

Plenty of Iranians told me they liked Obama and/or Trump

For sale in bazaars and shops were Military-style pants, hats, and jackets with “U.S. ARMY” stitched into the fabric

I saw the American flag printed on all sorts of merchandise – socks, shirts, helmets, and even yoga pants!

If you visit Iran, I’m sure you’ll experience the same thing, too!

Now, it’s your turn to create a legendary Iran road trip

Everywhere we went, Iranians were glad to meet me, especially after they found out I’m an American.

To illustrate this, complete strangers constantly gave me gifts: chains, necklaces, coffee, tea, walnuts, peaches, and even a drawing that must’ve taken the artist days to make! Because the people of Iran made me feel so welcome, I didn’t want to leave! After I visited Iran for a month, I felt like I’d lived there for a year.

Additionally, the entire tour was incredibly packed with interesting locations, exciting entertainment, and helpful information from my tour guide – a man who became a true friend for life!

Whether you’re American or not, you can start your research by answering your visa-related questions on the Friendly Iran visa page. I chose Friendly Iran and I endorse them 100%!

No matter which Iran tour company you choose, I’m sure your expectations will be far exceeded. I know mine were! In the end, I can honestly say that visiting Iran was a life-changing experience. And someday, I expect to return for a second trip to Iran!