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Travelling to Iran during Nowruz
Travelling to Iran during Nowruz
Do you want to travel to Iran during Nowruz? If so, you may have heard Nowruz as the greatest Iranian holiday which coincides with March, one of the best months for Iran Travel, is both highly recommend and also warned; but why?
Iranian New Year, Nowruz, begins exactly at the start of spring. The beauty of spring and its pleasant weather make it one of the best seasons to visit most regions. It is also Iranian national holiday during which schools are closed for almost 2 weeks and everyone would travel. Some would choose foreign countries, however majority of people will travel within Iran, making it high travel season. Places that many locals visit are the same as places that foreign travelers are interested in.
Also Nowruz is mostly a family time and there would be few special events you can participate in. It is highly recommended to have an Iranian family as your host, rather than visiting main tourist attractions as main sites would be overcrowded. The celebration will be held inside people’s house, they get together for the New Year, visit family and friends and travel. So it would be fun if you mingle with locals.
Being high season make it difficult to book train and flight tickets for major destinations and also find suitable accommodations in these places. Also the Prices for Nowruz jump a fair bit. Our suggestion is to book transportation tickets (especially flight and train tickets) as well as accommodation in advance. If you are not interested in overcrowded places, we would also suggest to stay far enough from main tourist cities at least for the first week of Nowruz. Tourist sites and historical places are not closed during Nowruz but some bazaars might be closed in the first days.
If you are still interested to visit Iran during Nowruz and mingle with locals or it is the only available option you have for your Iran travel, Nowruz is the best time to fully embrace local traditions and life. Here are our recommendations to enjoy it the most:
Don’t miss the Nowruz markets and related things in days leading to Nowruz. Colorful markets and watching people trying to make everything new and looking for Haft Sin ingredients is really interesting. Haft Sin is a set of seven ingredients, each beginning with the letter that sounds “s” and each symbolize positive concepts for Iranians in order to celebrate beginning of New Year.
Our most advised destination for Nowruz is Tehran for sure. The polluted, overcrowded and ugly city becomes interestingly beautiful and almost empty during Nowruz, especially in the first week. Holiday season would bring people out of Tehran to spend some quality family time. Invite yourself to a tour of Tehran museums, parks and historical places in Nowruz, you will definitely enjoy it more than any time else. Municipality of Tehran will also arrange festivals in the main parks, public places and Milad Tower.
Our other suggestion for spending a great time in Iran during Nowruz is Kurdistan. In most village, local people would celebrate Nowruz with gathering together around a huge fire and dancing. Apart from these celebrations, you will definitely enjoy being hosted by Kurd people; their hospitality, colorful clothes and joyous gatherings will make your travel even more memorable.
Finally our last suggestion is to find a public park and mingle with Iranian families in Sizdah Bedar. It is a national day to celebrate nature and emphasis its preserving (although it works the other way for some people) in which people would camp outdoor, spend time with friends and play till evening.
All in all, travelling to Iran during Nowruz is totally a different atmosphere and your personal tastes and preferences will determine if you enjoy this different aspect of Iran or not.
