The best Iranian souvenirs are artisanal handicrafts unique to each city and made traditionally with passion. But the huge variety of souvenirs can leave you confused if you don’t know what you’re looking at. Arriving with some basic knowledge can save you time and money.
The best Iranian souvenirs are artisanal handicrafts unique to each city and made traditionally with passion. But the huge variety of souvenirs can leave you confused if you don’t know what you’re looking at. Arriving with some basic knowledge can save you time and money.
Apart from handicrafts and art works there are a whole lot more Iranian souvenirs. Take home edible souvenirs that will spark memories of your gastronomic adventure in Iran with every bite. Besides making great gifts, these delectable mementos are ripe with authentic local flavor. Here are the food goodies to stuff your suitcases with before you go home.
1. Pistachio’s
As a leader in the pistachio market, what better place than Iran to pick up the real deal? Pistachios come in different sizes and can be fresh, dried or salted. Try the ones roasted in lemon juice for a kick of tangy flavor. The fresh ones are seasonal, so if you visit Iran during autumn or by the end of summer, make sure you get your hands on a handful of these. For most foreigners, it’s the first time they will see fresh pistachios.
The best place to buy: Rafsanjan and Damghan (Also available in all Iranian bazaars)
2. Saffron
To add some exotic Persian flavors to your cooking, look out for saffron. The red gold, as it’s often called, is used extensively in Persian cooking as it is believed to make you calm and happy. It is used in many ways, such as making tea, ice cream, sweets, nabat (a saffron-infused rock candy used as tea sweetener), and obviously for making saffron rice.
The best place to buy: Mashad (Also available in all Iranian bazaars)
3. Baklava
Iran is heaven for those with a sweet tooth. Iranians have their own Baklava which tends to be less sweet than those found in Turkey or in Arab countries. Small in size and dusted with powdered sugar, they are a staple dessert served at numerous Iranian festivities and celebrations.
The best place to buy: Yazd and Kashan
4. Qotab
Qottab is a traditional Iranian sweet consisting of soft wheat dough wrapped around almond or walnut fillings. They are usually generously spiced with cinnamon, rose water, cardamom and orange blossom, then shaped into round or crescent forms.
The best place to buy: Yazd
5. Pashmak
Iranians have their own version of cotton candy; one that is sweeter and containing sesame, mostly accompanied by the bitterness of Persian tea.
The best place to buy: Yazd and Kashan
6. Is it safe for women to travel to Iran?
Those who have a sweet tooth will want to take home the buttery and brittle Sohan. It is prepared with a base of wheat sprout, flour, egg yolks, rose water, sugar, butter, saffron and cardamon topped with pistachio slices. This sweet, crispy candy is often altered with the addition of various flavorings, other nuts, or flavored honey.
The best place to buy: Qom
7. Gaz, the tasty Persian nougat
This sweet, soft finger food is the most well-known Isfahan souvenir among all national travelers. It is a combination of egg whites, sugar, rose water, pistachios, and almonds. It goes perfectly with a cup of brewed tea.
The best place to buy: Isfahan
8. Polaki
Polaki is the second most famous Isfahan confectionary. Very popular among the locals, this candy is prepared with different shapes and tastes, from chocolate and saffron to pistachio and sesame.
The best place to buy: Isfahan
9. Dates
Dates are one of the most famous and popular snack foods in the southern provinces. When it comes to quality, what comes to mind are Bam dates, the best example in the country due to the southern climate for high quality palms.
The best place to buy: Bam, Southern cities (Also available in all Iranian bazaars)
10. Lavashak
Lavashak, or Persian style fruit leather, is an easily made-in-the-oven snack of dried fruit. Healthy, tasty and vegan, Lavashaks are dream snacks for kids and adults alike. Lavashaks are fruit rolls made from many fruits and range from sweet to sour.
The best place to buy: available in all Iranian markets.
11. Rosewater
Another essential ingredient, particularly for Iranian desserts, is rosewater from the fragrant Mohammadi roses. Its delicate taste and smell make it the perfect ingredient for ice cream, sweets, tea and some traditional foods. If you happen to be in Kashan between mid-April and mid-May, make sure to join the crowd at the beautiful Gulab Giri (rose water production) ceremony.
The best place to buy: Kashan
12. Herbal distillates
Besides rosewater, Iranians use a lot of special herbal distillates such as thyme, orange blossom, willow and fennel. Each of them is useful for particular ailments. For example, thyme distillate is believed to be calmative and anti-inflammatory, and can help to relieve head colds.
The best place to buy: Kashan
13. Herbs
Iranians love herbal infusions. They are on the menus of restaurants and coffee shops. Lavender, chamomile, rose petal and bitter orange blossom are some of our favorites. You only have to steam them with water and you’re good to go. Not to mention that each of them comes with its own medicinal benefits.
The best place to buy: Shiraz, Tehran (Also available in all Iranian bazars)
14. Barberries
A sprinkle of barberries will give your rice a slightly sour taste. Barberries are a prominent ingredient of Persian cuisine and can be brought fresh or dried so they can be used year-round.
The best place to buy: Mashhad (Also available in all Iranian bazars)
15. Persian spices
If you are a foodie you will like the wide variety of spices and seasonings which our Persian food is flavored with. The most common spices in Iranian foods are:
Turmeric (Zardchoobe), Cinnamon (Darchin), Sumac (Somagh), Cardamom (Hel), Angelica (Golpar), Cumin (Zireh), Mixed Persian spices (Advieh)
You can buy these Persian souvenirs pre-packaged from grocery stores, or get them from Bazaars in Iran.
The best place to buy: Shiraz (Also available in all Iranian bazars)
Whether you’re a shopping addict or not, it won’t make any difference during your trip to Iran; it will be hard to resist the temptation of buying beautiful souvenirs as the country overflows with authentic and eye-catching handicrafts. You can find them everywhere from the colorful stalls of the bazaars to specialized shops and workshops. From spices to fabrics and copper, there is a huge variety of souvenirs to take back home with you.
My wife and I flew back to our home from Persia last May where we spent eleven wonderful days! We had an amazing trip by car with our private guide Moein Gholami throughout this vast country filled with a rich culture, ancient architecture, traditional Persian cuisine, unique and colorful bazaars in every city and so much more. We were able to discover a beautiful land of contrasts where the people are very friendly and eager to meet foreign visitors. We were delighted to have our friend guide Moein driving us around and bring us to many of our favorite places and monuments in small towns or big cities and help us with our shopping and choice of menus! He was always very punctual and saluted us with a big smile! MAMMUN Moein!"
My husband and I spent two weeks last September in Iran and we had a fantastic time with Moein. He was our guide/driver and he arranged our trip according to our wishes and our needs. He speaks perfect English so we didn't have any problem understanding each other and he told us a lot of interesting things about the attractions we visited and about Iranian culture and habits. Everything in our trip was great: hotels, restaurants and all arrangements. We had also enough time for visiting everything we desired and we never felt to be in a hurry: so we also had the opportunity to speak with a lot of Iranians and discover their thinking. This is why we strongly recommend Moein and be sure you'll have a great experience in Iran.
My husband and I spent 12 days in Iran between December and January. It was an unplanned trip; on the way to the airport I consulted some forums and came across Moein. He proved to be a very prepared and competent guide who did not bore us with long redundant explanations, drove carefully in the chaos of the cities and introduced the country in a very calm and conscious way. In addition to the fact that Moein speaks perfect English (he was also an English teacher) and has a sense of humor, a special point about him is his perceptiveness; he understood immediately what kind of travelers we are and what things we like best during our trips. In other words, he was very flexible in satisfying our requests and he included some spontaneous unscheduled plans that proved to be the best moments of the trip. If I had to recommend a trip to Iran to friends, I would have no doubt in suggesting Moein, because I am sure that much of the success of the trip was because of him!
We are travellers from Australia and have just spent thirteen days with Moein doing a tailored made route from Tehran to Shiraz with several stops. We spent some time online with him agreeing the detail of the itinerary and accommodation, and always found Moein to be helpful, cooperative, and full of useful advice on how to make the trip and itinerary better. Before committing, we spoke via WhatsApp and found him to be polite, constructive, and responsive to our comments. When we met him in person all those characteristics continued for the journey, and we truly enjoyed his company. He speaks excellent English, is interesting to talk to, and is committed to giving his guests a great experience of Iran. We based our decision to go with Moein largely on Tripadvisor reviews, plus the quality of his responses when we were negotiating a possible itinerary. He exceeded our expectations, as did Iran.
To arrange our trip in Iran we checked a lot of travel reviews, read many touristic guides, books and magazines. We came across some travel reviews referring to a local guide Moein Gholami. We visited his Internet site and sent him a short inquiry mail. His answer was fast and punctual: our itinerary draft and related quotation request soon turned into a travel proposal, very detailed with reference to places to visit, hotels and timings. Moein was immediately available to follow our requests and give us suggestions on eventual alternatives. He brought us to eat in traditional Iranian restaurants, explaining how dishes were made encouraging us to taste a lot of typical dishes that we could not even have been able to know (and to order) without him (dishes on the Menu were written in Farsi). Our trip to Iran turned out to be above our expectations and our friendly guide and driver certainly made a big contribution to a very pleasant trip.
We had the pleasure of a 15-day tour of Iran with Moein in August of this year. I first contacted Moein after reading TripAdvisor reviews and visiting his Persia Passenger website. Between us we organised a very full tour, covering all the usual destinations and a few not so populated locations. Moein is very experienced and knowledgeable on all things Iran, and for us was the perfect choice as our tour driver/guide - he is a very safe driver, a necessity on Iran’s roads! The accommodation he suggested and booked for us was faultless, sometimes amazing (the caravanserai in Marand was exceptional) and always comfortable after a long day of travel and sight-seeing. Moein was always on time and flexible and there was no expectation that we should stick with the plan if something off the itinerary came up. Most of all though, we had some great conversations and Moein’s sharp sense of humour made the tour good fun! We would like to travel to Iran for a second tour to see more of the incredible places that time prevented, and if we are lucky enough to do so we will definitely look to enjoy Moein’s company again. Cheers Moein!
We decided to go to Iran with a local certified tourist guide; almost by chance, we got in contact with Moein Gholami and we could not have made a better choice. He was very helpful and always available to reply to our questions and we decided together the tour stops. When we arrived in Iran, he very well organized everything: the organization of the days, times for car journeys, times for visiting and for have a break and/or lunch. He left nothing to chance. The holels he choose for us were amazing: we slept in caravanserais, in traditional hotels and in an hotel in the rocks (in Kandovan). The service, the cleanliness and the breakfasts of the hotels were always very good. Moein drove for long but he was always a careful and a precise driver. During the time spent in the car we had the chance to talk, asks questions about the country and sometimes to laugh to tears! y look to enjoy Moein’s company again. Cheers Moein!
My brother and I completed an 8 day private tour of Iran from Shiraz to Tehran and fell in love with the country. To anyone that is still not 100% decided on visiting Iran, I urge you to just book it and you will not be disappointed. The people, the food, the culture and sights are amazing. We even tried cancelling our further travels so we could stay in Iran for longer. We did our private tailor made tour with Moein and had the best time. Very knowledgeable, did everything he could to make our time the best possible and helped us to engage with as many local people as possible. It felt like we were travelling with a good friend to which he now is. I cannot recommend Moein anymore, he is by far the best guide I have ever had. For weeks prior to our arrival in Iran, we were in constant communication with Moein about what our interests are so Moein could suggest the appropriate routes and highlights. We are now already planning when we will be able to visit Iran again (hopefully next year) and we will be travelling with Moein again.
We are two females and decided to arrange our own itinerary. We were very fortunate to come across the website of Moeim Gholami. Definitely the best find of our Iran trip. Moein's extensive knowledge and deep love of his country made every site visit a rich experience. He was much more than a driver/guide. He became a friend and went way beyond the remit of a guide to help us out with hotel bookings, advice on routes and Persian cuisine and customs. Moein is a graduate with an English major and speaks English so well he can express his sense of humour with frequent jokes. I recommend Moeim without reservation. He is an excellent example of all the best qualities of the Iranian people and will add quality to your Persian experience.
After reading some reviews on Tripadvisor we found the guide who we think was ideal for us, Moein. We contacted him by e-mail and he answered almost immediately. He's been very kind and helpful to answer all our questions about the trip by email and WhatsApp. We're a couple very interested on history, arts, architecture, culture and lifestyle of every country we visit and we asked to Moein to set us a trip with a focus to these features. He organized for us a wonderful 12 day tour touching the beautiful and different cities of central Iran responding completely to our needs. He managed everything professionally, from hotel bookings to the attraction's entrance and led us to discover Iran explaining everything in a perfect English, moreover he gave us the possibility to customize the plan to our will. Moein with his calm and patience made us feel always at ease, he reflects the character of Iranian people: kindness, politeness and willingness. Thanks to him we learned a lot about Iranian history and lifestyle.
We spent 11 days in central Iran during Easter holidays and our trip has been organized very well by Moein. He took care of everything: transport, hotel, ticket entrance. He is a good driver, a good guide as well, he speaks a very good English, he is absolutely reliable and he is available to satisfy our requests and helped us with his valuable advices. We hope to come back to Iran and to travel with Moein again.
I've spent half of August in Iran with my parents and I'd say it has been a great vacation! Moein brought us not just in famous cities, but also in very peculiar villages and little towns. We enjoyed sharing our culture with our guide and compare Iranian traditions with the Italian ones. The primary concern of Moein is to build a friendship with his clients, not just being your guide. He likes to have lunch or dinner in your company and having nice conversations with you. Iran was a different vacation, I felt very involved in its population, surely I will come back in future.
My husband and I, after listening and reading about the wonders of Iran and its people, decided to leave but not having much time and not loving organized trips, we opted for a private guide / driver. We started last May 4th and returned on May 12th. Reading on the web we also came across the Persia Passenger agency that we contacted. Moein, who is an official guide, responded promptly and with him we agreed on the stages and travel arrangements. Moein, who speaks perfect English has been our driver and guide and was without doubt an added value to this trip. He has booked our hotels, many of them in incredible historical residences and has organized visits to historic cultural and natural sites. Our lunches and dinners have always been real experiences, in typical but never "touristic" places. Moein was always attentive to our needs but never intrusive and introduced us to many aspects of true Iran that we could hardly have learned by traveling independently, he was also a prudent driver even in the chaos of big cities, making us feel safe and secure in his car, we also spent a wonderful evening at his home where we met his family.
My wife and I organized a 13-day trip with Moein between October-November 2019 which proved to be one of the most beautiful of recent times. Iran it is a simply fantastic country and the Iranians are the kindest and most helpful people on average that you can meet. Although traveling to Iran on your own is feasible, however relying on a guide makes life much, much easier. Moein arranged everything especially booking all the hotels and the domestic flight which is kind of difficult to do before arrival. The tour was discussed and agreed with various emails and WhatsApp messages and the price was reasonable in relation to what he offered. Moein’s guiding was exemplary; he knows the places perfectly and explains them to you in remarkable English. He also drives in a very prudent and careful way, which is essential in Iranian cities where if I drove I would crash after 10 minutes! All in all, we are really happy to have chosen this solution. Moein proved to be a nice, helpful, reliable and flexible guide and also our good photographer who portrayed us in all poses.
We stayed in Iran 7 days right at the beginning of the year. I had contacted Moein via email at the end of October and I discussed our itinerary with him to discover this wonderful country. The choice proved to be a winning one, he immediately proved very helpful and prepared. The hotels in which we stayed turned to be above our expectations and also the local restaurants that we tried! Thanks to his support, we were able to plan the tour quickly (from Tehran to Shiraz with several stops) which were quite difficult given limited time we had. The merit of a tailor made tour is having a guide who is so prepared and kind to follow you every day especially if the time is short considering the long distances. I highly recommend anyone to visit this country, it is definitely worth the trip. Obviously you should do it with Moein, a highly recommended guide.