Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Hudson Bay Heritage Grain Elevator
The Apple II historic site includes model structures built to study the effects of a nuclear detonation on a population center.
Nevada National Security Site
Mummified crocodiles
Crocodile Museum
Cat Caffe Zagreb
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cat Caffe Zagreb
Akureyri Domino’s Pizza
Site of the Original Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop
Neuhaus Chocolate Shop
Caesar Salad being prepared table side
Caesar’s Restaurant Bar
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Jane August poses in front of the painting, “The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882,” by John Singer Sargent at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Visiting every museum in New York City
Welcome to The Obscura Society
Taking advantage of Florida’s never-ending summer, Sajoma has a spacious outdoor eating area.
Pedro Rodriguez Is on a Quest for Freshness
Edison’s laboratory
Inside Thomas Edison’s Botanical Laboratory

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Iran

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Iran

54 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Iran

Updated November 21, 2025
Email

Cities

Top Cities
Shah Cheragh
Shiraz
Ebrat Museum
Tehran
Isfahan
The ruins of Persepolis
Fars Province
The Tower of Silence in Yazd
Yazd
Inside the tunnels of Kariz-e-Kish.
Kish
All Cities
  1. Fars Province
  2. Hamedan
  3. Isfahan
  4. Kish
  5. Shiraz
  6. Tabriz
  7. Tehran
  8. Yazd
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Iran

Shah Cheragh

Shiraz, Iran

Shah Cheragh

Mirrors and glass shards cover every inch of this arrestingly beautiful mosque.
Badab-e Surt.

Orost, Iran

Badab-e Surt

Iran's colorful terraces are a rare geological masterpiece.
The ruins of Persepolis

Fars Province, Iran

The Ruins of Persepolis

The palace of the King of Kings, burned by Alexander the Great.
Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

The Pink Mosque.

Shiraz, Iran

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

A spectacular rainbow of stained glass makes the "Pink Mosque" one of the most beautiful in Iran.
Yakhchāl in Yazd, Iran

Meybod, Iran

Yakhchāls

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.
The entrance to the underground city

Nushabad, Iran

Nushabad Underground City

A 1,500-year-old, 3-story subterranean city where ancient Persians took refuge in times of war.
Alamut Castle.

Roudbar Alamout, Iran

Alamut Castle

This ruined fortress was the stronghold for a persecuted medieval leader and his infamous Assassins.
See All 54 Things To Do in Iran

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Iran

Yakhchāl in Yazd, Iran

Meybod, Iran

Yakhchāls

Ancient structures used to make and preserve ice in the deserts of Persia.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Iran

Architecture 18
Sacred Spaces 8
Ancient 8
Ecosystems 8
History 7
Architectural Oddities 7
Caves 6
Religion 6
Geology 6
Temples 5
Color 5
Nature 5
Tombs 5
Outsider Architecture 4
Islam 4
Art 4
Engineering 4
Natural Wonders 4
Archaeology 4
Water 4

Iran Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Max Cortesi
    6
  2. ahvenas
    5
  3. mariellen
    3
  4. robinrocket
    3
  5. atimian
    2

Places Edited

  1. vasilisapremudra
    17
  2. soheilmamani
    9
  3. ahvenas
    6
  4. aribrown
    5
  5. Tawsam
    5

Places Visited

  1. ersy007
    33
  2. nickfranssen
    28
  3. mtavakolig
    25
  4. ahvenas
    25
  5. eltjovanwijk
    24

Recent Iran Activity

  • sami 979056e9

    wants to go to Troglodyte Village of Kandovan

  • sami 979056e9

    wants to go to Kariz-e-Kish

  • sami 979056e9

    wants to go to Eram Garden

  • sami 979056e9

    wants to go to Shah Cheragh

  • sami 979056e9

    wants to go to Maymand

Stories About Iran

Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.

How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire

Donning heavy wool skirts and hobnail boots, this intrepid explorer retraces the steps of legendary women adventurers.
by The Podcast Team
June 16, 2025
Mali Mahalingam amid the dunes of Central Nambia.

Accessible Independent Travel Is for All Ages and Abilities

See the world “any which way” you can, says a seasoned traveler in her 70s.
by Gemma Tarlach
August 24, 2023

Podcast: Songs of Ice

How to appreciate ice without getting all that cold, with the Atlas Obscura Places Team.
by The Podcast Team
January 17, 2023

Podcast: Pigeon Towers of Iran

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 25, 2022
Cloves and apples make a simple but meaningful memento.

Reviving the Romance of the Kurdish Clove Apple

These fragrant fruits are deeply symbolic.
by Ramsha Zubairi
June 1, 2022
For 17 days in Scotland’s remote Cairngorms mountains, British traveler Elise Wortley retraced the journey of early-20th-century writer Nan Shepherd.

Returning to the Valley of the Assassins in the Footsteps of Explorer Freya Stark

British adventurer Elise Wortley is about to retrace a historic journey through Iran.
by Sarah Durn
March 14, 2022
Bread made with dots of sooragh shows off Hormuz’s vibrant gelak soil.

Eating the Red Soil of Rainbow Island

The landscapes on Hormuz, Iran, are striking—and edible.
by Tia Rotolo
January 19, 2022
Geologist and guide Lior Enmar among Malcham’s delicate salt structures.

The Friendly Rivalry—Between Israel and Iran—Over the World’s Longest Salt Cave

Spectacular Malcham Cave, at more than six miles, currently holds the title.
by Gitit Ginat
August 11, 2021
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.