Update – January 2020: The Canadian government has a travel advisory for Iran. Obviously, there is a lot of tension in the region right now and you might want to consider that during your planning. This is especially true for dual Iran/Canadian citizens. If you are an Iranian “dual” citizen, understand that Iran does not recognize dual citizenship and will consider you a citizen of Iran only. The same holds true for Iranians who hold U.S. citizenship.
Because of the tensions in the region, and because we’re not experts on Iran, we don’t feel comfortable advising you on whether or not you should visit. This post is for informational purposes only.
When you’re in Iran, chances are, you’ll be confined to the major cities as an American or Canadian. When I was there, I visited Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kashan, and Yazd with a side trip to Abyaneh, a small, red mountain village Between Isfahan and Kashan.
Generally-speaking (and depending on the length of your trip) you’ll visit the main cities. If you’re staying longer than a couple of weeks, you’ll probably get out into the countryside more than I did.
Here, I’ll tell you about the things to see and do in the cities that you’ll almost certainly encounter on your trip.