Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trekking
There's plenty of good trekking in Iran, but information is hard to come by. Nader's de-
scriptions of various routes on
www.summitpost.org
are probably the best place to start,
while for something more organised see the boxed text (
Click here
)
for listings of com-
panies.
Solo trekking is possible but taking a guide is a good idea as much for his translation
skills and friends along the route as the actual navigation. In remote regions, especially
near borders, you may stumble across military/police/security areas; an Iranian guide or a
few phrases of Farsi should hopefully smooth over any misunderstandings. Drinking wa-
ter is often scarce, so take your own supplies in desert regions, and purification tablets or
water filters elsewhere.
One and two-day walks are possible in many areas, particularly the northwest and
around Tehran. For Tehran, nearby Tochal and Darband are a good start. Further afield,
Kelardasht, Masuleh and Takht-e Soleiman make good launch pads for mountain walks.
Day and overnight desert treks can be easily arranged from Yazd.
But perhaps the most popular and rewarding route (in spring and summer) is through
the historic Alamut area, once home to the Assassins, including the trek taking you across
the Alborz Mountains and down to the Caspian detailed on
Click here
.
Business Hours
Opening and closing times can be erratic, but you can rely on most businesses closing
Thursday afternoons and Friday (the Iranian weekend). Sights, especially government-op-
erated museums and landmarks, open for longer during the warmer months.
The opening hours of many sights and business change between No Ruz (March 21)
and September 21, when many closing times are pushed back by an hour. In hotter areas
many business close their doors from about noon until 4pm - along the blistering Persian
Gulf coast doors stay shut until about 5pm - but businesses then operate in the relative
cool of evening until about 8pm or 9pm.
In this topic hours will generally accord (more or less) with the following list unless
stated otherwise.
Banks
8am to 2pm Saturday to Wednesday, 8am to noon Thursday.
Government offices
8am to 2pm Saturday to Wednesday, 8am to noon Thursday.
Museums
9am to 6pm summer, 4pm or 5pm winter, closed on Monday.
Post offices
7.30am to 3pm Saturday to Thursday, some main offices open later.
