Esra Savaş Iran is often talked about as dangerous, but I advise you not to heed such warnings. On a trip without a guide with my two girlfriends, we encountered no problems in Kashan and Isfahan. Traveling without a guide allowed us to communicate directly with the locals and enjoy a more affordable trip. The Iranian people, known for their hospitality, always try to help you with everything. In fact, when they hear that you are from Turkey, they start using the Turkish words they know, and they talk about celebrities and Istanbul.
From Tehran to Kashan
I started our 3-night, 4-day trip by plane because we found cheap tickets. We landed at Tehran Airport in the early morning. We handled our currency exchange and SIM card needs at the airport, which we recommend future travelers do as well. The reason for handling currency exchange at the airport is that you can’t find Iranian rials/toman in Turkey. You need to convert your money to dollars in Turkey and then exchange it in Iran. You can exchange money at the airport or with people walking around with money in the streets, but as mentioned earlier, the airport is more reliable. While street exchangers might offer better rates, there’s a high risk of receiving counterfeit money.
After getting a SIM card, we left the airport. Due to our limited time and the experiences shared by other travelers, we chose to skip Tehran and move on to other cities since there’s not much to see in Tehran. If you also have limited time, it’s better to visit places like Kashan, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Yazd. We took a taxi from the airport and asked the driver to take us to the nearest terminal. Throughout our trip (except for some intercity travel), we used taxis exclusively because gas is very cheap in Iran, making taxi fares very low. Before going to Iran, we downloaded an app called “Snapp,” which we used for all our taxi needs. You can think of it as similar to Getir Taksi in Turkey. After getting off at the nearest terminal, we bought bus tickets to Kashan.
A Day in Kashan
Kashan… The journey from Tehran to Kashan took 4-5 hours, and the bus ticket was reasonably priced at around 90-100 TL. We arrived in Kashan around noon, took a taxi from the terminal, and wanted to go to a hotel we had researched beforehand. However, the taxi driver told us that it was expensive and took us to a hotel he preferred :).
Taxi drivers often insist on places to visit or stay because they know the city well or have agreements with certain places. While this can sometimes be good, if you are sure about where you want to go, you should firmly state your preference. We liked the hotel the taxi driver took us to because, as he said, it was both more affordable and more centrally located. If you are not going to a very luxurious hotel, the average price of hotels in October and November is about 7-8 dollars per person.
By the way, if you can’t exchange your money, dollars are accepted in most places. In fact, we sometimes preferred to shop with dollars because we got a lower exchange rate when exchanging our money. So, you can keep both currencies with you. Additionally, everyone, including the hotel owners, is hospitable and offers various suggestions for food and places to visit. We took their advice, left our belongings at the hotel, and after having breakfast (which is included in the hotel price), we went to our first stop, Fin Garden.
Places to Visit
This garden, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is a beautiful place where Iranian architecture meets Iran’s famous gardens. If you visit during the blooming season, you will find it particularly enchanting. After spending an hour here, we went to Kashan’s historic bazaar. However, since we arrived around 3-4 PM, some shops were closed. When we asked why, they explained something, but we couldn’t quite understand :). Since the bazaar stays open until 10-11 PM, visiting it after dinner might be a good idea for future travelers. Additionally, checking the map and walking to nearby places is a great way to explore the city. We also visited various architectural structures and mosques around the market. Later, we went to the Tabatabai House and one of Kashan’s famous mosques, Agha Bozorg Mosque.
The mosque’s atmosphere, the call to prayer, and the sight of small children running around the inner courtyard create a beautiful setting, making Kashan reminiscent of old madrassas. Afterward, we went to a restaurant and tried some of Iran’s famous dishes. Generally, the dining areas are very charming and traditional, but the food might be a bit heavy for those who don’t like meat. However, don’t worry about going hungry because the street food is also popular, and you can satisfy your hunger with various snacks from the streets.
Farewell to Kashan, Ready to Return
At the end of the day, we returned to our hotel and set out for Isfahan the next day. Since our time was limited, we decided to spend one day in Kashan and two days in Isfahan, and if we had extra time, we would do a safari in Kashan before returning. One day in Kashan was definitely not enough.
