Iran is a country most people know only through headlines and warnings. I knew better than that, but still I felt uneasy stepping into the unknown.
And soon my trip to Iran became more than just a trip to a new country.
It became a mix of long desert drives, unexpected kindness from locals, and my unfortunate illness, which turned the whole trip from an enjoyable experience into a new challenge.
1. Tehran, a city full of chaos
As I landed at IKIA and got through immigration smoothly, Tehran was my first taste of Iran.
Out of all the places I visited, it stuck with me in an unexpected way, as I am somebody who likes big and crowded cities.
Tehran fits this description perfectly as it is home to approximately 9.73 million people, or 14-15 million if we count the metropolitan area.
Another thing that makes Tehran stand out is how the Alborz Mountains stretch right over the city’s horizon. You see them from almost every street or road, and that’s the kind of view you don’t forget.
2. Isfahan — the place I’d return to first
If Tehran was intense, Isfahan was perfectly balanced. Not too crowded, not too empty. I felt at peace walking through Naqsh-e Jahan Square and still remember the exact atmosphere that day: everything was calm, people were walking outside, kids playing, couples sitting on grass, nothing like what people told me before about this place.
Long drives through the desert
One thing people forget is just how beautiful Iran is between the cities. Hours on the road did not feel boring to me, you’re watching endless desert, small villages, and mountains rising up, and then there were the unexpected moments: a man driving with a whole bed tied to the roof of his car, random vendors selling pomegranates in the middle of the road, scenes you just don’t see anywhere else.
The flu that hit me at the worst moment
I’ll be real; the only bad part of this trip was getting sick. And it was awful.
It started mild, then got worse every day. The peak came exactly on the day we visited Persepolis… which I didn’t actually get to see. I stayed in the car, feeling the fever hit hard, and as soon as we reached Shiraz, I went straight to the doctor.
Not the memory you want to have, but it’s still part of the story and honestly, the kindness of people responding to my sickness told me more about Iranians than anything else
Shiraz – the city of poetry and gardens
Shiraz was the city where I ended up in the hospital.
Before we even arrived, my fever hit its highest point. Driving through the city gates, everything looked beautiful, but I barely had the energy to keep my eyes open.
Luckily, after visiting the doctor, things changed fast. I started feeling much better, and the next morning I actually woke up fresh, which was perfect timing, because that’s the day we visited the breathtaking Pink Mosque.
And just as we were about to visit the Tomb of Hafez, a 7-year-old boy walked up to me and asked where I was from.
It was a simple moment, but it left a warm impression on me — and on the city itself.
The people of Iran
People talk to you, ask where you’re from, smile, take photos, and genuinely want to know what you think of their country. It’s small interactions like these that make the whole experience. And one of them I’ll remember the longest was when a 6-year-old boy walked up to me and started a conversation in English, or when this Saffron shop owner in Isfahan kept cracking jokes for 2 minutes straight.
Iranian food
As someone who was a picky eater from a very young age, Iranian food surprised me in the best possible way. I sincerely enjoyed their soft rice with a mild scent of high-quality saffron and chicken kebab. The portions were insanely big and cheap, too. Value for money was great.
If I had to describe Iran in one sentence, it would be this:
Beautiful, welcoming, and completely underrated.
It’s a country with some of the most honest people I’ve ever met, some of the best food I’ve ever tasted, and even with a 39°C fever, I still experienced the trip in the best way possible.