1.Hospitality is the #1 character of Iranians

It’s prevailing– from shy smiles, to curious questions about where you’re from- Iranians are very welcoming visitors and are generally happy to see travelers coming to their country.

In traditional hotels and houses, they’ll treat you like the family and you might even be invited for a homemade meal, just from a person on the street!

2. Iranians Care about Their Country’s Image Abroad  

Most Iranian’s feel sad about the image of Iran abroad. On news, the information they get is an always biased, but they are hopeful that you as a traveler to Iran will then tell everyone how great different you saw Iran. Iran is located in an unstable region, but it’s one of the safest countries in the Asia.

3. Iran Is a Safe Travel Destination

No matter what your nationality or religion is; you’ll be perfectly fine. Don’t cause conflicts and follow the local rules and you have nothing to worry about.

4. You don’t need a great budget to travel around Iran

Iran is really affordable for visitors from the western world. Even the high inflation and out dated prices in guidebooks (Lonely Planet should issue a new edition in 2016). Prices are still relatively low as the conversion rate of other currencies is so high compare to Iranian Rials.

5. Iran includes so many different ethnicities!

There are many ethnic groups living in Iran. You can see representatives of nomadic tribes and of the neighboring countries who have become Iranians. You’ll be amazed by the bright blue or green eyes and even light blond hair of some ethnics in some areas.

6. Iran Is the No. 1 Nation for Picnics

It’s amazing... any area of grass, or even a concrete sidewalk, is an ideal picnic spot for Iranians. People roll out a Persian carpet, get out flasks with tea and some snacks and their favorite pastime is on! Some even bring gas stoves and actually cook their meals. If you’re in Esfahan, walk around the Imam Square in late afternoon, you’ll see many locals sitting down for a picnic with family or friends. You might even get invited to someone’s house.

7. Iranians are very family friendly

Love of family stems from Iranians like from no other nations. You can often encounter parents or grandparents cuddling their babies and it really seems like family is in the center of the universe for them.

8. When you have to pay

As part of the politeness and the culture, “tarof” is embedded in Iranian culture and can be a tricky one for visitors. While there are many different forms, the one traveler will definitely be exposed to be the phrase “ghabel nadare”, which implies that you do not have to pay. You will hear this every time you pay for something, from taxis to restaurants, and everything in between. However, you should always pay.
If you compliment an Iranian on a possession of theirs, they will also say “ghabel nadare” and insist you take it. Under no circumstances should you accept no matter how much they insist.