To the West of Persia: Exploring Western Iran

 

During a trip to Iran, you'll frequently come across large bundles of rial banknotes, as high denominations are common in everyday transactions. 

The Road to a Little-known Small Town in the West. As soon as I crossed the border at Astara, I needed to find a currency exchange. Without exchanging money, I couldn't do anything. 

There's a similarity between Iranian and Spanish cultures. During the hot summer afternoons, most stores close their doors and take a rest. Many restaurants closed their doors right after lunch hours and only reopened in the evening. 

Small convenience stores and cafes did the same. I arrived at the currency exchange location that I had memorized before crossing the border, but unfortunately, the exchange office was locked with a padlock, along with an open-ended note saying they would return and open later. 

It wasn't easy walking aimlessly in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees while carrying a checked luggage bag, a carry-on bag, and a backpack, but fortunately, I was able to find a travel agency where I could exchange currency. 

 The total amount of money I brought here was $3,000, intended for a 3-month stay. Although I roughly knew the exchange rate here, it was also a big adventure for me who couldn't even properly read Iranian numbers. 

No one knew what exchange rate this small currency exchange shop would offer me... So I decided to exchange just $300 first, and I handed them $300 and some Azerbaijani money.

Zam Zam is one of Iran’s most iconic soft drink brands, known for its bold red and white logo. This close-up shot shows the distinct label design that represents a piece of Iranian beverage culture. i thought it was 991😁😂

Sorry, I don't have money. Only enough for $200 worth.' As I later found out, they exchanged money for me at a better rate than in big cities, and the amount I received for $200 was so much that it wouldn't even fit in my bag. 

In the photo, there were several more bundles of 100 notes next to that money. 

I didn't know how to count it, so I just thanked them and somehow stuffed it into my bag. It was an unbearably heavy weight, but next, I went to buy a phone SIM card. In the hot weather, my patience had run out, and unable to read Iranian words and numbers, I just bowed my head and handed them a bundle of money. 

And I said: 'One month please, and good internet' They took about $3.5 and gave me a SIM card with about 10 gigabytes of internet that could be used for a month, and they even helped with installing and connecting to a free VPN to use the internet

I did the same at the mart when buying drinks, handing over a bundle of money, and as I found out later, they took exactly what they needed and gave me back all the rest. Partly due to my exhausted patience, I also wanted to test my fate. 

The people here were as mysterious to me as North Koreans, and I thought it might be okay to be deceived once, but they were extremely honest. At that time, the official exchange rate was roughly 400,000 rials per dollar (I don't remember exactly, but somewhere in the mid-400,000 rials), and the unofficial rate was 570,000 rials per dollar. 

And usually, people here are more familiar with using the unit 'toman' rather than 'rial', and the ratio of toman to rial was 1:10. In other words, the money I exchanged for $200 was 11.4 million tomans. 

Those green bills are 100,000 rials (10,000 tomans) each, and the blue bills are 1,000,000 rials (100,000 tomans). Only after the internet was activated could I look up the route to eastern Iran. The question was how to get to eastern Iran. 

It wasn't easy to find transportation without the help of locals, and even if locals wanted to help, it was very difficult for them to know transportation options for other regions. That's how disconnected Iran is from the outside world.

This screenshot shows a completed ride using Snapp,  Iran’s most popular ride-hailing app. If you are curious about this snap app, please click the link below
how to use snapp  

Journey to Astara's Bus Terminal. When I called a taxi using the app, a female taxi driver wearing a hijab arrived. 

To avoid making her uncomfortable, I sat in the back seat, and it took about 10 minutes. The fare was 310,000 rials -> approximately $0.6. 

 Since taxi apps are much cheaper than hailing a taxi directly, the longer the distance, the higher the chance that the driver will cancel. 

At first, I tried to call an intercity taxi to move directly to another city, but since all taxi drivers refused, I had no choice but to go to the bus terminal. 

 The problem was there were no buses at the terminal... It was just a very small building, hardly deserving to be called a bus terminal. 

Just a small station with few buses, smaller than an apartment shopping complex.. When I asked an employee there, they said there were no buses to the city I wanted and that I might have to wait several days.

Since more meaningful conversation seemed impossible, I had no choice but to go outside the bus terminal and sit on the steps, smoking a cigarette while wondering 'what do I do now'

Two taxi drivers approached me. When they asked where I was going, I declined saying 'no thank you,' but then I thought that if there were no buses, I would have to spend the night here and lose that much in accommodation costs, so I just wanted to ask how much the taxi would cost. 

So, pointing to Google Maps, I asked how much it would cost to go to the city of 'Zanjan,' and after exchanging some conversation between themselves, they offered 2.5 million tomans (about $42 at the exchange rate then). 

When I asked my friend living in Iran, they said it wasn't a bad price, and I accepted the offer. There was nothing to negotiate.

google map Asatra to zanjan

The 370km journey began. Google Maps indicated it would take about 7 hours to Zanjan, but in reality, it took about 9 hours including time for dinner and rest breaks. After spending the night at a hotel in Zanjan

Google map from Astara to Sanadaj

Upon arriving in Sanandaj, the plan was to go to a small town called Marivan near the eastern border, and from there to a very small rural village on a hillside called Uraman Takht. Since the plan was to arrive there in 2 days, I got into the taxi, praying that everything would go well.

Captured during a road trip from Astara to Zanjan, this shot offers a glimpse of Iran’s lush roadside scenery, with rolling hills and thick greenery passing by.

driving from Astara to Zanjan

As the sun began to set during our drive, the soft colors of the sky painted a beautiful contrast to the rugged mountains and open road – a perfect capture of northern Iran’s peaceful landscape

During a road trip from Astara to Zanjan, we passed by a scenic spot where cows wandered freely along the road while locals enjoyed a break on a nearby hill with panoramic mountain views

At first, the familiar scenery of Gangwon Province caught my eye, and after traveling for about 30 minutes through lush vegetation, unfamiliar high plateaus spread out. These were landscapes I had become accustomed to seeing in India. 

And we crossed the center line quite often. Usually, I always fall asleep whenever I get in a car, but thanks to the thrilling driving, I didn't get sleepy. It was a journey that pleased both my eyes and my heart.

As evening fell on the road from Astara to Zanjan, the sky was painted in hues of orange, pink, and deep blue — a perfect end to a scenic journey through the heart of Iran.

There was something that felt more intense as the sun set. Iran's night sky felt truly beautiful. 

In the wide-open night sky, stars began to twinkle one by one, and before I knew it, they were embroidered everywhere like countless raindrops clinging to the eaves, about to fall but not falling, right after the rain stopped. 

The countless starlight in that night sky, viewed through the window, was a sight I hadn't seen in a very long time, not since my military service days.

This delicious bowl of Persian soup, possibly ‘Ash’ or another traditional dish, is beautifully garnished with fresh herbs and dried barberries

Along the way, we stopped at a restaurant and I had dinner with the taxi driver. When I sent a photo of the food, which might have been a regional specialty soup, my friend replied that they weren't sure what kind of soup it was. 

I remember eating soup and kebab (called 'koobideh' here). 

 Iran is a large country, and it's said that various residents flourished and disappeared through its long history. 

After the Persian Empire was conquered by Islam around the 6th century, Iranians accepted Islam, but they still seemed to long for Persian culture and their times of greatness. Just as regional discrimination exists in a small country like Korea, it naturally existed here too, but on the other hand, experiencing the divided traditions and food cultures within Iran was one of the pleasures. 

I wasn't particularly accustomed to lamb and spices, but the lamb here seemed to have less gamey odor compared to food from other countries. 

Later, my friend told me that eliminating the gamey smell from meat is very important in their cooking.

It was summer, so there were many fruits around, and every few hundred meters while driving, watermelon and melon vendors frequently caught my eye. 

A watermelon was marked at 150,000 tomans, though I'm not sure if it was really 150,000 tomans, and in the city where I was staying, I remember paying about $0.7 to $1.4 for a whole watermelon. 

 Tea culture is well developed here, so when people meet each other or welcome guests, they always serve tea. Every mart had paper cups with a tea bag placed next to the cashier, and after purchasing it, you could turn on the hot water dispenser nearby to fill your cup. 

At homes, they served tea with saffron and a piece of sugar, which had a really wonderful aroma. And taxi drivers who drove for long periods would keep a large bag of sunflower seeds beside them and crack them one by one while driving to ward off drowsiness.

A lively night in Iran, with glowing neon signs advertising coffee shops and fast food restaurants. a familiar sight in many Iranian cities after dark

Since we couldn't communicate well, the taxi driver and I remained silent throughout the long drive, but he did his best driving. 

We arrived in Zanjan only in the early dawn, and when I bowed my head and thanked him, he handed me his business card, saying that if I come to Astara again, I should contact him. 

Just in case, I brought that business card back to Korea, and now I keep it in my valuables box. 

If I ever go back there, I would like to have a more fluent conversation than before.

Here is some additional information and precautions

• When entering Iran by land, try to avoid very late night arrivals. If you enter late at night, you won't find any place to exchange money. It's also impossible to activate your mobile phone. 
• As of March 25, 2025, the current exchange rate in Iran is 98000 tomans to 1 dollar. When I traveled there, it was approximately 57000 tomans 2024. 
• Prices are very affordable. I stayed at economy hotels for about $8-20. Although sometimes the toilet had low water pressure, I was generally satisfied, and people were friendly. 
• When activating your phone, be sure to ask if they can install a VPN for you. It will be a great help to you. Never forget this. If the employee is a very nice person, give them a small tip and then look for a paid VPN. Free VPNs are sufficient, but paid VPNs perform very well. 
• The Snapp app is almost essential for travelers. If you have a close local friend, ask for their help. It has all the necessary functions such as delivery, finding accommodation, calling taxis, etc 
•  When calling a taxi with the Snapp app, drivers often cancel for intercity travel because the price is too low. Once a driver accepts your call, try to negotiate paying more with a Persian message. While there are drivers who will take you to your destination at the price suggested by the Snapp app, if you can't get a Snapp taxi for a long time, it wasn't bad to offer about 1.5 times the price via message. Even if you offer a slightly higher price, it is still very reasonable compared to travel in other countries. If all else fails, try finding taxi drivers directly and negotiate the price.