children; These little angels of heaven. We love them no matter what. They make our lives meaningful and more colorful until we take them on a trip. That’s when everything starts to get out of hand. Only if they find out that the destination is an exotic unknown country called Iran with lots of deserts where women are forced to wear a Hijab, that’s when we regret traveling with children to anywhere. Our little cute innocent kids suddenly become devoted minions of Satan poised to spread evil. We just want to close our eyes until the madness stops!

More and more, travelers are seeking a less trodden path. Following the Nuclear Deal, negotiated primarily between Iran’s President Rouhani and President Obama in 2015, adventurous travelers started to see Iran as a viable and safe tourist destination. In the wake of this international trade deal, many travelers (including myself) took the opportunity to visit Iran for the first time. As it were, I was not alone, between 2015 and 2019 Iran saw a steady increase in foreign tourists, with a 50% increase in inbound tourists in 2018.

Backpacking is defined as low cost, independent travel. Backpacking in Iran is defined as extremely low cost, intrepid adventure with everything from modern art galleries to 4,000 year old archaeological sites. In this post, I give you the scoop on a backpack’s guide to Iran (on a budget!).