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Top 20 Best Things to Do
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Top 20 Best Things to Do in Tehran - 2023

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Discover the top attractions, sightseeing spots, activities, landmarks, and unforgettable experiences in Tehran. Plan your perfect itinerary and make the most of your visit to this vibrant destination.
Updated Oct 2023
  • No.1
    4.6/5
    72 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 2003 reviews
    "The Grestan Palace is Tehran's only world heritage site. It was built during the Oga dynasty and has been more than 200 years old. The founding emperor of the Oga dynasty was the only eunuch emperor in the world. But he was clever and the means were poisonous, and finally put him on the throne. The name of the palace is "Gree" is a flower, Stan is the place, so people also called him the Rose Palace. The palace used to have the famous peacock throne, but to protect it, it is now moved to the treasure museum in Tehran. There is also a marble throne and it is very beautiful. The mirror hall is the most gorgeous place in the entire palace and cannot be missed!"
    Tehran
    6.1km from downtown
    Highlights: Golestan Palace is the oldest royal palace in Tehran, also known as the Rose Palace. The Royal Palace is between Khomeini Square and Bazaar, and the transportation is very convenient. It consists of several majestic buildings. The palace has witnessed the glory and extravagance of the rulers of the Qajar dynasty. Marble Throne Hall From the door, along the long pool, you come to the Marble Throne Hall (Ivan-e Takht), a mirrored, front-opening hall with an ornate throne in the middle. The main hall is used for ceremonies, and the throne in the middle is supported by human figures and built from more than 60 pieces of striped marble. After the art gallery leaves the main hall, you will come to the art gallery (NegarKhane), which displays many works of art from the Qajar period. There is also a portrait of the Shah (the title of the ancient emperor in Persian), and the jewelry and crown worn by the characters in the painting can be seen in the National Jewelry Museum. After the Hall of Mirrors, we come to the Hall of Mirrors (Talar-eAyaheh), which is particularly famous in the palace. The Hall of Mirrors was built specifically for the Peacock Throne, and now the Peacock Throne has been moved to the National Jewelry Museum. Immediately upon entering, the Hall of Mirrors is a sight to behold. Treasures from around the world are displayed in the Hall of Mirrors, including a large green malachite vase and more than 10 giant chandeliers. Continuing east from the Hall of Mirrors is the Pool Palace (Howze Khaneh), named for the small pool and fountain in the middle. The interior displays 19th-century European paintings and sculptures. There are not many tourists in the Royal Palace of the Sun Palace, and the quiet courtyard is waiting for the admirers who come here. The spectacular Sun Palace mixes European and Persian architectural traditions. The interior of the palace is a series of mirrored and tiled rooms that house numerous photographs as well as furniture and vases gifted by European monarchs. Four towering wind towers can be seen on the partition for ventilation. Below is the Wind Tower Palace, whose flashy interior decoration is very worth seeing. Come to the old photo gallery (Aks Khaneh) in the basement, where a large number of photos describing the life of the Qajar court are displayed. The Diamond Palace next comes to the small Diamond Palace. In a room with red walls and tiled floors in the Diamond Palace, various decorative arts are displayed, especially the French ceramics of the 18th and 19th centuries, which are very worth seeing. In addition, the charming underground tea room in the Diamond Palace may be more attractive, if you have time, you may wish to check it out. Slowly drink a pot of Iranian black tea here and listen to the centuries-old Persian wind gently blowing through the treetops.
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  • No.2
    4.5/5
    101 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 721 reviews
    "Although the National Museum of Iran is not as good as the Louvre, it is the essence of Persian civilization, the epitome of Iran's ancient and civilized history, it plays an important role in understanding the glorious history of Iran's past, and the rise and fall of various dynasties. The building is the architectural style of the famous palace in the capital of the Sasan Dynasty, the color of the brick is dark red, and it is also the architectural characteristics of the Sasan Dynasty."
    Tehran
    5.2km from downtown
    Highlights: The National Museum of Iran was established in 1916 and exhibits more than 300,000 historical relics, including a large number of treasures left from the ancient Persian Empire. It is the largest archaeological and historical museum in Iran. At present, the museum consists of two single buildings, one is the Ancient Iran Museum, which opened in 1938. The collections here are mainly cultural relics before the Islamic era, which are of great ornamental value. There is also an exhibition area dedicated to displaying important cultural relics of Persepolis. Unmissable Exhibits One of the highlights of the Museum of Ancient Iran's exhibits is a copy of Hammurabi's Codex, the original now in the collection of Paris. In addition, the masterpieces that cannot be missed in the museum are the pure gold horn-shaped wine glass of Darius I, the statue of the Parthian warrior and the stigma head of Persepolis. Another building of the National Museum is the Museum of Islamic History opened in 1996. The exhibits include 13 parts including cultural relics, stamps, coins, research results related to the history of Iranian art, other cultural research results and photographic works related to Islamic history.
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  • No.3
    4.4/5
    90 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 846 reviews
    "The Freedom Monument, also known as Azadi Tower, was built in 1971 by the Pahlavi dynasty to celebrate the creation of the Persian Empire in 2,500 years, designed by Iranian architects, and made of 2,500 marble from the local Iranian area. Originally the tower was open to traffic, now not open to traffic, only as a attraction open. You can buy tickets to climb the tower, I don't have enough time to go up. It is the sign of Tehran!"
    Tehran
    4.8km from downtown
    Highlights: This inverted "Y"-shaped building is translated into Chinese as Banay Azadi, and it is a monument built to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire. The building materials used 2,500 marbles from Isfahan, which also symbolized the 2,500-year-old Persian Empire. The entire tower combines ancient Sassanid architectural styles with Islamic architectural styles. Built in 1971, it has witnessed major historical moments in contemporary Iran, including the Islamic Revolution and major anti-American rallies. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Iranians gave the monument a new meaning: symbolizing the coming of the era of freedom and theocracy in Iran. It became a landmark symbol of Tehran. The square is also an important transportation hub in Tehran, with constant traffic flow day and night. After 6 o'clock every night, the lanterns on the tower are very beautiful, and it is recommended to visit after sunset.
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  • No.4
    4.2/5
    35 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 245 reviews
    "A fascinating piece of recent history. The former US Embassy in Tehran. Contrary to what you may read online, it *is* possible to go inside and look around. The grounds are filled with anti-US/Israel propaganda art. A must-see if ever you visit Iran."
    Tehran
    4.2km from downtown
    Highlights: The former US embassy in Tehran has now become a very famous attraction in Tehran. Although it is not open to the public, the characteristic graffiti on the outer wall still attracts many tourists to take pictures. Since Iran and the United States severed diplomatic relations, this place has been transformed into a museum reflecting the hegemony of American imperialism. The room displays the transmitters and communication equipment that could not be destroyed in the future when the American diplomats were evacuated. The movie "Escape from Tehran" has made this place one of the must-see attractions for tourists in Tehran. The bold graffiti on the outer wall attracts tourists to take pictures and take pictures. Not far from here, there is the House of Art, which is a place to display the current art of Iran. If you have time, you may wish to visit it.
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  • No.5
    4.4/5
    56 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 291 reviews
    "Iran's Persian carpet is world-famous and a very important gift. This museum has a lot of precious carpet artifacts, all of which are very exquisite. The museum collection is also very rich. The carpets of different colors are very beautiful."
    Tehran
    1.4km from downtown
    Highlights: The Carpet Museum was designed and built by a queen of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Farah Pahlavi. The Carpet Museum is an outstanding representation of Iranian history, culture and art. The first floor of the museum is a permanent exhibition hall, and the second floor is a temporary exhibition hall. Some modern carpet design exhibitions are held here from time to time. The permanent exhibition hall collects thousands of treasures of carpets produced in Iran from the 16th to the 20th century. These carpet patterns reflect the social life, wars, characters, etc. at that time, and are also very precious cultural relics and historical materials. In addition to displaying a variety of carpets, the museum also displays the dyeing raw materials of carpets, such as pomegranate peel, indigo, walnut shell, potash and sycamore, and tools for weaving carpets, such as crochet hooks, scissors and needle bars, etc. .
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  • No.6
    4.5/5
    41 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 5 reviews
    "The Saad Abad Palace is a summer palace built by Pahlavi in Iran, and the entire palace is located on a hill near the rich district of Tehran. Sad Abad covers a large area and has many palaces, which are now converted into museums. The most important and worth visiting is the Green Palace and the White House. When you enter the gate, you can start to go uphill. You can choose to take the electric frequency car to the Green Palace. The walls of the green palace are very elegant green, and it is said that this is the true color of a marble of Iranian origin, made by the old Barlev, where he worked and lived. The White House is where Pak Levi works and lives, and there is a pair of broken bronze legs at the door, which is said to have been sawed off by the Islamic Revolution."
    Tehran
    10.8km from downtown
    Highlights: The Sad Abad Palace was once a summer retreat for the Iranian royal family, with not only beautifully decorated palaces, but also swimming pools, gardens and stadiums. The Sad Abad Palace is located on a hill in the north of Tehran. It is a very large complex with 14 palaces in total. Surrounded by forests, gardens and lawns, the entire palace has fresh air and a beautiful environment. Palace Overview Saad Abad Palace After the Islamic Revolution, the government turned 7 of the palaces into museums and exhibition halls and opened them to the public. The seven palaces are mainly composed of the White House, the Green Palace, the Mother Palace, the Military Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Miniature Painting Museum, and the Archaeological Museum. Due to the size of the Abad Palace, the distance between each palace is very long. The Saad Abad Palace is a romantic place, the entrance to the palace is surrounded by lush plane trees. If you come here in autumn, the sycamore trees in the garden will fall on the grass and roads, like a golden carpet, creating a romantic atmosphere in the garden. There are also many statues and stone statues in the garden, including people and animals. After entering the park, you can walk to the White House for about 15 minutes. There is a pair of large bronze boot sculptures standing at the entrance of the White House. It is said that it is the sculpture of King Reza Shah Pahlavi, the owner of the palace, but it was pushed down during the Islamic Revolution. , only the boots remain. The exterior of the White House has a German palace style, and the interior is Persian style. The palace is worth seeing for its interior. Today's White House mainly displays the items used by the king in those days. When entering the White House, the palace basically retains exquisite decorations and gorgeous furnishings. You can visit the reception hall, reception room, banquet hall and playroom, etc. Each room is covered with expensive and exquisite Persian carpets, elegant decoration style and exquisite wall lamps, showing the extremely exquisite life scene of the royal family. Go upstairs to visit, there is a carpet of about 143 square meters in the auditorium upstairs, which is relatively rare. Don't miss the stainless steel staircase behind the ground floor, which spirals down to the National Gallery in the basement. The Green Palace The Green Palace is located at the end of the upward slope in the palace. It is open to tourists as a palace for displaying the palace, and it looks more classic in shape. The design of the Green Palace is very gorgeous, and the most famous one is the Hall of Mirrors, which is truly full of mirrors, dazzling and gorgeous. Other museums Royal Automobile Museum (RoyalAutomobileMuseum): Inside the museum displays Rolls-Royce, Cadillac and armed Mercedes-Benz 600. The huge Museum of FineArts, housed in a building near the front door, was the seat of the court from 1968 to 1979, and now houses modern and older furniture and paintings by Iranian artists. Royal Dishware Museum (Royal Dishware Museum): This is an imitation French building, in which you can see those gorgeous plates. Military Museum (MilitaryMuseum): In another palace belonging to Shah's nephew, you can see military-related exhibits such as helicopters here.
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  • No.7
    4.2/5
    33 Reviews
    Free
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 1311 reviews
    "The Grand Bazaar is a very good place for shopping in Tehran. The Grand Bazaar is also a very important place. The Grand Bazaar can buy a lot of popular items. The carpet is also quite a lot. It is a very fun place in Iran. [Fun] Very interesting little things"
    Tehran
    6.9km from downtown
    Highlights: The Grand Bazaar has a history of more than 200 years, and you can buy souvenirs such as carpets, handicrafts, etc. here.
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  • No.8
    4.5/5
    19 Reviews
    Free
    "Khomeini's tomb covers a very large area, the whole cemetery is a very luxurious kind of existence, the cemetery construction area is equivalent to several football fields, security measures are very strict, is a spiritual leader's cemetery."
    Tehran
    19.6km from downtown
    Highlights: Construction of this memorial hall began after Khomeini's death in 1989, and now houses the remains of Khomeini and his second son. This is not only a place where Iranians cherish the memory of their founding father, it has also become a religious place for Shiites in Iran. After the death of Iran's founding father Khomeini in 1989, the construction of this memorial hall began and has not been completed until today. Inside a small green house are buried Khomeini himself and his second son, Ahmed Khomeini, who died in 1995. There are four minarets on all sides of the building. The tower is 91 meters high, symbolizing Khomeini's death at the age of 91. The golden central dome is decorated with 72 tulips, symbolizing the 72 who died in the battle with Imam Hussein in Karbala. martyr. Now it has become a major religious site for Shiites in Iran, and millions of followers of Khomeini come here every year from all over the country to pay their respects to him. Not far from Khomeini's tomb is a larger cemetery in Iran, where 200,000 soldiers who died in the Iran-Iraq war are buried.
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  • No.9
    4.2/5
    23 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 1194 reviews
    "Awesome place. There are Fontanes and plenty of light, beautiful day and night. Some activities start at 5pm, such as zipline, bridge, secret room escape, virtual reality and so on. There is also a dolphinarium nearby, but it takes a while to get there. The tower is tall and has a number of museums inside, with tickets available for telescopes."
    Tehran
    2.3km from downtown
    Highlights: The Maud Tower is an iconic building in Tehran, with a tower height of 435 meters, making it the sixth tallest tower in the world. As a TV tower, its height is second only to China's Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The top of the tower is the commanding height of Tehran, not only overlooking the city, but also the snow-capped mountains on the back. There are 12 floors at the top of the tower, and the roof is 315 meters. Its interior is a restaurant, a hotel, a conference center, a world trade center and a technology and innovation area. The top of the tower is a good place to overlook the whole city of Tehran, and the night view is better. It is recommended to go when the weather is good.
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  • No.10
    4.2/5
    13 Reviews
    Free
    "From the city to Khomeini Airport, the side of the road, the scale can be compared to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. There is also a week of buildings on the outside, and the Grand Bazaar Hotel is complete."
    Tehran
    6.5km from downtown
    Highlights: The Imam Khomeini Mosque is located in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. It is one of the busy mosques in Tehran. It is always full of traffic every day. Every time of worship, people from all directions enter the mosque from the Bazaar to perform their sacred rituals in the day. Visitors can enter the mosque to watch, but do not take pictures, speak, and pay attention to dress.
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  • No.11
    4.1/5
    19 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 116 reviews
    "Iran Cinema Museum is one of the museums of Tehran province. In this treasure trove of photos, documents and old cinema tools and equipment of movie characters such as stuntmen and filmmakers as well as behind the scenes of big movies, posters and other things related to cinema are displayed. This museum includes 9 permanent exhibitions"
    Tehran
    9.4km from downtown
    Highlights: Located in the northwest of Tehran, the Film Museum has a unique overall atmosphere and is a paradise for literary and artistic youth. If you like movies, especially Iranian movies, don't miss this place. Here you can learn about the development of Iranian film history, and there are very literary shops and very comfortable western restaurants and cafes nearby. After enjoying the exhibits and buying souvenirs around the film, you can also eat something around. , take a break and spend a pleasant time.
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  • No.12
    Business Suspended
    4.4/5
    14 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 296 reviews
    "The Glass and Ceramic Museum (Glassware and Ceramic Museum), also known as the Abidjan Museum (Abgine Museum), was the residence of Ghavam Al Saltaneh. In this beautiful building, you can find glass and ceramic crafts from Neishabour, Kashan, Rey and Gorgan. Iranians have long since started using glass, so you can find the 2000 BC items here. Hans Holling (Hans Hollein), a famous Austrian architect who designed part of the museum, was inspired by the Persian Polis pillars. My favorite item is "ashkdan". In Persian, it means "tear container". Legend has it that these swan-neck bottles are used to hold the tears of women whose husbands are out to war. It is a 10-minute walk from the National Museum to the Abikin Museum. You can visit them on the same day."
    Tehran
    4.6km from downtown
    Highlights: The museum is located in a century-old European-style mansion. The interior of the mansion is luxurious and chic, and every piece of furniture has a sense of beauty given by time. The external garden is even more beautiful and unusual, and it was listed as a national cultural heritage of Iran in 1998. The upper and lower floors of the ancient mansion of the museum are connected by a gorgeous wooden circular staircase. The museum is divided into 8 exhibition areas. The exhibits are all rare glass and porcelain crafts in Iran. The collection of exhibits covers from the 19th century to BC European glassware from the 1st century, among which the exhibits from the 9th to 10th and 12th to 13th centuries are mostly porcelain.
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  • No.13
    4.5/5
    15 Reviews
    "The Green Palace is also a very important ancient building in Tehran, and the green appearance structure is also very fun. The visit here needs to pay attention to the local cultural customs, especially foreign female tourists, pay attention to the clothes."
    Tehran
    11km from downtown
  • No.14
    4.6/5
    19 Reviews
    "The Niyavalang Palace is the last decade of the Pahlavi dynasty. It was the royal residence before the 1979 Iranian Revolution and is therefore well preserved because of its close age. It has basically completely restored its original appearance and is considered one of the most beautiful of the three palaces in Delhiland."
    Tehran
    12.7km from downtown
    Highlights: This palace is located in the north of Tehran, the main hall was built in 1968. It is not far from the Abad Palace and can be visited together. This palace is the place where the last emperor of the Pahlavi Dynasty lived in the later period. After the Islamic Revolution, it was open to visit. The treasures in the museum and the gorgeous decorations in the palace can make tourists imagine the reckless life of the royal family. The venues open to tourists today are: NiavaranPalaceMuseum, AhmadShahiPavilion, SahebqaraniyehPalace, JahanNamamuseum and the King's Private Library. Other cultural and historic sites include BlueHall, Private Cinema, JahanNama Gallery and Niavaran Garden.
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  • No.15
    4.2/5
    17 Reviews
    Free
    "Damavande Mountain is a very unique mountain peak, you can see very sacred things here, the snow-capped mountains of Wande Mountain are also very beautiful, the climate and scenery here are very good, a good place to enjoy and take pictures."
    Tehran
    71.6km from downtown
    Highlights: The highest point of Damavand Mountain is 5,610 meters above sea level. It is the highest peak in Iran and a very high mountain in the Middle East. It is known as the "Roof of the Middle East" and is a good place for Iranians to spend their summers. Mount Damavand is a dormant volcano and is a stratiform volcano. The top is covered with snow all year round and has glaciers. The famous summer resort in the southern foothills is called Damavand. Tourists can only charter a car to come here from the urban area. In winter, they can also ski and soak in hot springs. If you want to climb this Middle Eastern mountain, try to come from June to September, of which August is a very good time. Climbing trips generally take 3 days.
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  • No.16
    No comments yet
    Tehran
    2.7km from downtown
  • No.17
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 8 reviews
    Tehran
    9.7km from downtown
  • No.18
    No comments yet
    Tehran
    8km from downtown
  • No.19
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 13 reviews
    Tehran
    15.3km from downtown
  • No.20
    4.4/5
    19 Reviews
    taCommentScoreUrlbased on 122 reviews
    "The Abbas Museum is also a very unique building. This museum also houses a lot of ancient fossils. The depths of the museum are also quite meaningful. You can understand some of the natural history of this country. [Fun] Very interesting"
    Tehran
    6.1km from downtown
    Highlights: The Reza Abbas Museum is named after the great artist of the Safavid period. There are not only the works of the master painter, but also a rich collection of other collections, covering art treasures from the prehistoric era to the end of the Qajar dynasty in the 20th century. Including pottery, iron, silk fabrics in the pre-Islamic era, and paintings and calligraphy in the Islamic period, it shows the development of Iranian art in a comprehensive and continuous manner, which is difficult to see in other Iranian museums.
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FAQ

What are some Best Things to Do in Tehran?
Some Best Things to Do in Tehran include:Golestan Palace|National Museum of Iran|Azadi Tower|US Den of Espionage|Carpet Museum of Iran
What are some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Tehran?
Some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Tehran include:Golestan Palace:4.6|National Museum of Iran:4.5|Azadi Tower:4.4|US Den of Espionage:4.2|Carpet Museum of Iran:4.4
At what locations in Tehran can Best Things to Do in Tehran be found?
The Best Things to Do in Tehran are mainly located in:Golestan Palace:Tehran|National Museum of Iran:Tehran|Azadi Tower:Tehran|US Den of Espionage:Tehran|Carpet Museum of Iran:Tehran