Iran or Turkey?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 10 415
UNESCO listings among them 6 23
Cost level Budget Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups April September
Currency Iranian rial (IRR) Turkish lira (TRY)
Plugs and voltage C, F - 230 V C, F - 230 V
Everyday languages Persian Turkish
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Southern Asia Western Asia
Capital Tehran Ankara
Iran
Hospitality is an art form; expect invitations from strangers and the elaborate courtesy dance of taarof.
What we have written up
- Golestan Palace palace
- Isfahan and Naqsh-e Jahan Square monument
- Kandovan old town
- Kashan Historic Houses old town
- Nasir al-Mulk Mosque monument
- Persepolis archaeological site
Worth knowing before you go
- Foreign bank cards do not work - bring euros or dollars in cash, or arrange a local tourist debit card
- The weekend is Thursday and Friday; bazaars and offices close on Friday
- Prices are quoted in tomans but notes are in rials - one toman is ten rials
Turkey
Hospitality is an honour system - tea appears everywhere and refusing all of it is rude.
What we have written up
- Adana Kebab dish
- Adana Stone Bridge bridge
- Adatepe village
- Adrasan bay
- Afyon Castle fortress
- Agora of Smyrna archaeological site
Worth knowing before you go
- The lira is volatile - check rates fresh, pay small things in cash
- Tipping is 5-10% in restaurants, cash preferred even when paying by card
- Dolmus shared minibuses are the cheap local transport everywhere
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.