Why go
- Capital and largest city of Iran.
- Served by Mehrabad International Airport (THR).
History
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the largest metropolitan area in the Middle East and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world. Greater Tehran includes several municipalities, including Eslamshahr, Shahriar, Qods, Malard, Golestan, Varamin, Pakdasht, Qarchak, Nasimshahr, Parand, Pardis, Andisheh, Fardis, Tajrish, and Rey.
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 5 airlines, 37 direct destinations
- Iran Aseman Airlines EP (Fokker 100, ATR 72) · 29 routes: Abadan, Ahwaz, Ardabil, Bakhtaran, Bam, Bandar Abbas, Bojnourd, Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Dezful, Esfahan, Gachsaran, Gorgan, Ilam, Khalije Fars, Khoy, Mashhad, Noshahr, Parsabad, Ramsar, Rasht, Sabzevar, Sanandaj, Shiraz, Tabriz, Uromiyeh, Yasuj, Yazd, Zahedan
- Iran Air IR (Fokker 100, M82, A320, AB4) · 21 routes: Abadan, Ahwaz, Ardabil, Bakhtaran, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Bushehr, Esfahan, Gorgan, GSM, Kerman, Khorram Abad, Kish Island, Lar, Mashhad, Rasht, Shiraz, Tabriz, Uromiyeh, Yazd, Zahedan
- Air Bangladesh B9 (M82) · 6 routes: Abadan, Ahwaz, Bakhtaran, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz
- Kish Air Y9 (TU3, MD-80) · 5 routes: Ahwaz, Bandar Mahshahr, Kish Island, Mashhad, Tabriz
- Saudi Arabian Airlines SV (74E, AB6) · 1 route: Madinah
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 21 airlines, 43 direct destinations
- Iran Air IR (A320, AB6, 313, 74L) · 22 routes: Amsterdam, Ankara, Baku, Beijing, Beirut, Cologne, Dubai, Frankfurt, Gothenborg, Hamburg, Istanbul, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, London, Milano, Mumbai, Najaf, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Tashkent, Vienna
- Mahan Air W5 (313, AB6) · 12 routes: Alma-ata, Ankara, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Duesseldorf, Erbil, Guangzhou, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Najaf, Shanghai
- Iran Aseman Airlines EP (Fokker 100, 340) · 7 routes: Dubai, Dushanbe, Istanbul, Kabul, Stockholm, Sulaymaniyah, Yerevan
- Turkish Airlines TK (737-800, A321, A330-200, 737-900) · 2 routes: Istanbul, Istanbul
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines SU (A320) · 1 route: Moscow
- Air Arabia G9 (A320) · 1 route: Sharjah
- Alitalia AZ (A320) · 1 route: Rome
- Atlasjet KK (A320) · 1 route: Istanbul
- Austrian Airlines OS (A319, A320) · 1 route: Vienna*
- Azerbaijan Airlines J2 (A319, Embraer 170, Embraer 190) · 1 route: Baku
- Belavia Belarusian Airlines B2 (Embraer 175) · 1 route: Minsk 2
- China Southern Airlines CZ (737-700) · 1 route: Urumqi
- Emirates EK (A330-200, 777-200, 777-300ER) · 1 route: Dubai
- Etihad Airways EY (A320) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi
- Gulf Air Bahrain GF (A320) · 1 route: Bahrain
- Kuwait Airways KU (A320) · 1 route: Kuwait
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A340-300) · 1 route: Frankfurt
- Oman Air WY (Embraer 175) · 1 route: Muscat
- Pegasus Airlines PC (A320, 737-800) · 1 route: Istanbul
- Qatar Airways QR (A320, A321) · 1 route: Doha
- Tajik Air 7J (735) · 1 route: Dushanbe
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Mehrabad International Airport (THR); 16 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: IKA has direct flights to 43 destinations on 21 airlines (incl. Istanbul, Dubai, Ankara, Baku, Dushanbe…).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Tehran. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Trains & rail
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.