Tehran

Tehran became Iran's capital under the Qajar dynasty in 1779. Golestan Palace — the city's only UNESCO World Heritage Site — remains the clearest window into that era, spanning seventeen sections including the Marble Throne hall and the ornately tiled Shams-ol-Emareh mansion. Si Tir Street was renamed to commemorate the popular uprising of 30 Tir 1952 against the British-backed coup; its cobblestoned length still reflects the city's turbulent 20th-century political history.

Valiasr Street, at nearly 18 kilometres the longest street in the Middle East, traces the city's growth from old town to modern metropolis. Milad Tower (435m), the tallest structure in Iran, offers a rotating restaurant and panoramic observation deck. Tabiat (Nature) Bridge — Iran's largest pedestrian bridge — links two parks and has become a symbol of the capital's urban design ambitions. Tajrish Square anchors the north, with Sa'dabad's palace complex just above it in the foothills.

The Crown Jewels vault holds the Darya-ye Noor, the largest pink diamond in existence, alongside centuries of royal regalia. Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art holds one of the most significant collections of Western modern art outside Europe — Picasso, Warhol, Van Gogh — assembled before 1979. The Adrian Zoroastrian Fire Temple, Saint Sarkis Cathedral and a historic synagogue on Si Tir Street reflect Tehran's religious diversity. The Grand Bazaar remains the commercial heart of Iran, organised into specialist timchehs (covered arcades) for booksellers, jewellers and carpet traders.

Darband and Darakeh, at the foot of the Alborz range, offer teahouses alongside mountain streams and trails up toward Mount Tochal — accessible by chairlift or telecabin for casual visitors. Sa'dabad complex in the northern foothills holds multiple Qajar and Pahlavi-era palaces spread across forested grounds. The Reza Abbasi Museum traces Persian art from the 2nd millennium BCE to the Qajar era. Chitgar Lake in the west provides a peaceful waterfront escape from the city's pace.

Iran's capital packs in far more than most travellers expect. Golestan Palace, the city's only UNESCO site, dazzles with Qajar mirror halls and the Marble Throne. The National Museum of Iran holds artifacts spanning prehistory to the Islamic era, while the Treasury of National Jewels displays the astonishing Peacock Throne and Daria-i-Noor diamond (open afternoons only). The Sa'dabad and Niavaran palace complexes, set in northern gardens, preserve the last royal dynasties' residences. Modern Tehran shines at the award-winning Tabiat Bridge, best at night, and the Grand Bazaar's labyrinth of corridors. For mountain air, take the trailheads at Darband and Darakeh or the Tochal gondola straight from the city.