Here is a secret most visitors never discover: the best thing about Tehran is how quickly you can leave it. No seriously! Drive an hour north and you are among orchards and reservoirs; an hour east and the snow cone of Damavand fills the windscreen; two hours west and you are drinking tea in a Safavid caravanserai. Push on to three hours and you reach some of the finest old cities in Iran.
These are our nine favourite escapes, ordered roughly by how long it takes to get there. Times are by car with clear roads, which in Tehran is a big if. A hired driver for the day is affordable by European standards and saves you the stress of the city’s exits. Whatever you do, leave early: the roads out on a Friday morning, and back in on a Friday evening, can add hours.
1. Lavasan, Latyan and the Jajrud valley (45 minutes north-east). Where north Tehran goes to get away from north Tehran. Have a long lunch beside the Latyan reservoir, walk in the orchards of Afjeh or Barg-e Jahan, or drive on to the waterfalls around Kond-e Olya. It is the easiest half-day trip from the city, and a good one for families. Good to know: weekend traffic on the Lavasan road is notorious, so go on a weekday if you can. See our Lavasan guide.
2. Dizin and Shemshak (1 to 1.5 hours north). From December to March, two of the best ski resorts in the Middle East sit within easy reach of the capital, at prices that would make an Alpine resort blush. Dizin is the bigger and higher of the two, with long, open runs; Shemshak is steeper and closer. Good to know: snow chains are often compulsory on the mountain roads, and the slopes are packed on Fridays. Our guide to skiing and sledging near Tehran covers both, plus the easier slopes for beginners.
3. Damavand (1 to 1.5 hours east). The small town at the foot of Iran’s highest mountain, at over 5,600 metres, packs a lot into a short drive: the mountain lakes of Tar and Havir, the Gorubar waterfalls, the vast Rudafshan cave and a Seljuk-era brick tower. Good to know: the lakes road is unpaved in places and can close after snow. Our Damavand day-trip guide has a full itinerary.
4. Lar National Park (2 hours north-east). A high plateau below the western face of Damavand, carpeted with wild flowers in early summer and crossed by clear trout streams. It feels a world away from the city, and it is one of the few places near Tehran where you may have the view to yourself. Good to know: the park is only open from early summer to early autumn, and you need a permit to fish.
5. Qazvin (2 hours west). The Safavid capital before Isfahan, and one of the most underrated cities in Iran. See the Chehel Sotoun pavilion, the Al-Nabi Mosque and the Friday Mosque, then have tea in the beautifully restored Saad-ol-Saltaneh caravanserai, now full of cafés and craft shops. Good to know: this is the easiest city day trip without a car, as the fast train from Tehran makes it easy; buses run from the western terminal too, see our guide to Tehran’s bus terminals.
6. The Chalus road “Jaddeh Shomal” (2 to 3 hours north). The old road over the Alborz from Karaj to the Caspian is one of the great drives of Iran, climbing through gorges and a tunnel at 2,700 metres before plunging through dense forest towards the sea. Stop at the Karaj dam, eat fresh trout in the riverside restaurants around Gachsar, and turn back at the tunnel, or carry on to the coast if you have time. Good to know: the new Tehran-North Freeway now takes you from north-west Tehran to Pol-e Zanguleh, but every journey still finishes on the old road for now. Our freeway update explains what is open.
7. Alamut (3 hours west). Beyond Qazvin, the Alamut valley hides the ruined mountain fortress of Hassan Sabbah and the medieval sect known in the West as the Assassins. It’s actually where the word comes from, allegedly! The climb to the castle is short but steep, and the views over the valley are tremendous. Good to know: it is possible in a long day with a driver, but it is far better combined with a night in Qazvin. If you are not fit, don’t do this.
8. Kashan (2.5 to 3 hours south). The most rewarding long day trip from Tehran, and the one most people wish they had given more time. Kashan has the UNESCO-listed Fin Garden, magnificent 19th-century merchants’ houses such as the Tabatabaei and Boroujerdi houses, the Sultan Amir Ahmad bathhouse and a lovely old bazaar. If you can stay the night, add the red mud-brick village of Abyaneh in the mountains nearby. Good to know: go by early train or bus to avoid the drive, and see our hostels in Kashan if you decide to stay.
9. Filband (3 hours north-east). A village perched at over 2,000 metres in Mazandaran, famous for the sea of clouds that rolls in below it on the right morning. The drive through the Haraz valley is spectacular, and sunrise or sunset over the clouds is the reward for a very long day. Good to know: the clouds come and go with the weather, so treat them as a bonus, and the last stretch of road is narrow and winding. See our Filband guide.
Before you go. Check road conditions in winter, when the Chalus road and the routes to the ski resorts can close in heavy snow. Carry cash, because cards from outside Iran do not work, and take your passport, as police checkpoints on the main roads may ask for it. For more on getting out of the city, see our guide to transport in Tehran, and for ideas closer to home, our parks, hiking and outdoors guide.
