For many tourists, the combination of winter and deserts sounds like the worst possible travel scenario: a miserable union of chilly temperatures and desolate scenery that is most definitely not the typical cure for the winter blues. You’ll quickly understand why it’s one of the best-kept travel secrets in Iran if you visit the desert regions of Iran as the weather cools. These locations have an almost magical beauty in the wintertime light. They are also endlessly fascinating and, best of all, deserted.
When most people visualize the desert, a landscape with a hot and burning sun appears to them, or maybe a caravan of camels without saddles, or cacti growing far apart, dehydration and dry and chapped lips, or alternatively a night full of stars with the occasional meteor and for some the memory of scorching noons and freezing dawns make their bodies quake and tremble. Is this the correct representation of the desert? Can you see these scenes every day in the desert? Which Iranian deserts are the scariest? What season is the best time to travel to the desert? For all its beauty, the desert can be cruel and uncaring. Desert storms and getting lost in the desert can be dangerous for desert travelers who are unfamiliar with a desert. Here we will provide you with our experiences of traveling to the desert and everything you need to know about desert travel. If you are looking for desert tours, make sure to check our best Iran tour packages.
The Desert World
Maybe many people do not have the experience of desert travel. We are always traveling to different cities of the country, the most famous of which are destinations such as northern cities, southern islands, etc. There are several attractions and shopping and entertainment centers that record sweet moments. But we also have a place called the desert, which has no places to see, no shopping malls and resorts, and you are on your own, but you get the experience of traveling, which eventually turns you into an off-road and round desert. Because it is an extremely attractive area with a world of its own. In the desert, you have no internet, virtual networks, recreational facilities, etc., so we have to prepare everything we need and take it with us to start our trip to the desert.
The desert world from earth to the sky is different from the normal trips we have, and we are going to travel to a place where the sky is full of stars, the animals are dangerous and deadly, the paths have no asphalt, and thanks to its constant winds are constantly changing. Even in the desert world, there are places that, until decades ago, no one knew about their existence and were not mentioned on any map. Even when they found out that there was such a place on the planet, everyone who entered it got stuck in the swamps and never came back; that’s why they used to say that there were genies or rather Jinns in the desert.
The Best Time to Travel to the Deserts of Iran
Maybe you can travel to any city and destination you want at any time of the year, even tropical areas like Kish and Qeshm, which host many tourists in the summer season. Still, the conditions are different in the desert. The weather in these areas is so hot that you can’t walk there even for half an hour because, in areas like Kish and Qeshm, where heat is combined with humidity, you still hope for air conditioners.
Deserts are regions with exceptionally small amounts of rainfall. Deserts are frequently described as being empty, dry, and hot. However, these adjectives by no means, fully capture the essence of the region. Although most deserts are extremely hot during the day, with daytime highs of 56°C or 134°F, they can also get extremely cooled during the night with lows of -4°C or 25°F. Furthermore, most deserts are abode to an array of animals, plants, and other living things, far from being lifeless and empty. For millennia, people have developed and acclimatized to life in the desert.
The Best Time to Travel to the Mesr Desert
The Mesr desert is one of the most famous deserts in Iran, which is known as the most attractive and popular desert among off-road riders and desert tourists. The Mesr desert has many places to visit, including Takht Arous, Bayazeh village, the famous Namak Khor lake, Chal Selkanun, etc. Also, the salt lake of the Mesr desert is full of polygons that have given a beautiful face to the region. Apart from its attractive and lovely sights, the Mesr desert is a very beautiful area for desert tourism, and both amateurs and professionals have a special interest in this desert because of its sands, sands, hills, and dangerous and exciting roads. It has made Mesr an attractive area for desert tourism.
Misr Desert is located near Kashan and Isfahan, and its distance to Damghan is 50 km, to Tehran is 600 km, and to Isfahan is 200 km. Thanks to the geographical location and weather conditions of the desert, in the summer season, basically, no one can visit this area unless they are heat-loving people, such as the natives who live in the heat day and night and travel to The desert has nothing to do with them.
When autumn begins, everyone packs their bags and heads to the Mesr desert to enjoy this area to the fullest. In the autumn season, the weather in the region is not as hot as in the summer, and you can explore the desert in the afternoon. Of course, there are people who prefer to explore the desert in the morning and before it gets crowded because the desert gets so crowded that it loses its silence. If the weather is more important to you, the autumn and early spring season will be the best time to travel to the Mesr desert. Still, if you want the weather to be pleasant and secluded, you should definitely travel to the Mesr desert in the winter, but in the winter season. Due to snowfall and rain, as well as dangerous thunderstorms, it may not be a good time to travel to the Mesr desert.
The Best Time to Travel to Maranjab Desert
People from Tehran love Maranjab desert because it is the closest desert to the capital with a distance of 200 km from Tehran, and desert travelers who live in Tehran, who are not few in number, always go to the Maranjab desert when the time comes. Maranjab desert has dangerous swamps and if you are not familiar with the road map, prepare yourself that you are going to get stuck in these swamps. The sights of the Maranjab desert include Dastkandeh well, Kershahi castle, Mesila salt lake, and wandering island. Masileh salt lake has a wonderful view, and the Sargardan (wandering) Island is actually a small island located in the middle of the salt lake; and during the day, when you look at the island, you imagine that the lake is moving, that’s why it is called Wandering.
Maranjab desert is completely deserted in the summer season, and we may see desert travelers there every now and then; and they only come for a few hours and do their desert tour and return. But the summer nights of Maranjab desert are bearable; sometimes, people camp in the heart of the desert and enjoy it until they return before the sun rises.
But summer ends, and we enter autumn, which is the season of desert tourism and the best time to travel to Maranjab desert. Everywhere we see advertisements for desert tours and boys and girls, young and old, single and married, go to Maranjab desert. It is impossible to travel to Maranjab desert in autumn and find a quiet and cozy area. Even if you travel far, you will still see tourists and deserters. In the autumn season, the weather in Maranjab is very attractive and lovely, and the nights are even more pleasant. But since everyone is waiting for autumn to come and go to Maranjab, you can postpone your travel date around Persian new yeartthe o travel to Maranjab desert during quiet and pleasant weather.
Abuzeydabad Desert, is located near Maranjab Desert; to enter this desert, you have to pass through Abuzeydabad Village, and because this village is the closest settlement to this desert, it is named after its desert. have put Most of Iran’s famous deserts have scenic areas, which are either salt lakes, or dangerous and lovely swamps, or even historical monuments in the heart of the desert. Still, in Abuzeydabad desert, there is no mention of these scenic spots, and you only encounter absolute deserts and sand dunes. Abuzeydabad, according to what has been heard from the desert, is an attractive area for amateurs; it is a good place to get to know the secrets of desert trekking and off-roading in the desert, because there are not so many swamps, and its hills and sand fields are both simple and exciting and dangerous.
But the attractive part of Abuzeydabad desert is its solitude. In the fall, when the desert travel season begins, if you don’t have the patience for the crowded Maranjab desert, Abuzeydabad desert is definitely recommended to you; another reason why this desert can be suitable for off-roading is its solitude because it is in the Maranjab desert. There is a possibility of an accident due to a huge flood of off-road riders, while this possibility is significantly reduced in the desert of Abuzeydabad. However, perhaps the best time to travel to Abuzeydabad desert is in the fall season, as many tourists also visit this area in the spring season.
The Best Time to Travel to the Dasht-e Lut
Traveling to the Lut Desert is not for everyone. It is the largest desert in Iran and ranks first among the deserts of Iran in terms of its hazard and risk. Its danger is due to the heat and dozens of other reasons, including the presence of military bases, many bandits in different parts of the desert, and threatening animals. Dasht-e Lut, Death Valley in California, Rub’ al Khali in Saudi Arabia, the Flaming Mountains in China, and the Badlands region in Australia always compete to claim the title of the hottest place on earth. In this competition, Lut Desert has the most history. From 2004 to 2007 plus 2009, it was the hottest place on earth, and the highest temperature recorded in this area was something close to 71 degrees Celsius.
The high temperature of Lut desert even burns the rocks and sands. Therefore, there is a place in this desert known as the burnt sand, and all the stones there are black. It is impossible to visit the Lut desert in the summer; you can enjoy the desert for a few hours in the vicinities of the desert and return, but in the fall, when the weather in the area may be a little more pleasant, there are many places to see here, and they definitely should be visited. Shahdad Klouts, Tang-e Rotayl (Khoshkrud), Chahar Farsakh Olive Trees, Dahane Ser, Burnt Sand, or Roasted Wheat are just some of the sights of Lut Desert. It is not bad to know that the other name of Lut Desert is Shahdad Desert, and the name Lut was chosen because It is the presence of the cursed people of Lut in this area, who eventually turned into stone.
It is true that the Lut desert is considered the hottest place in Iran, and for a while, it held the title of the hottest place on earth, but some parts of this hot desert have beautiful nature, one of which is the village of Sirch, and the weather is pleasant. And it even has a waterfall. More interesting is Mount Pelvar, which has snow on its summit thanks to its height of more than 4,000 meters in this hot region. Shahdad desert is one of the deserts that can be visited in any season of the year except for summer, and the best time to visit the Lut desert is autumn and spring, according to some, and winter, according to others.
The Best Time to Travel to Rig-e Jenn desert
Thanks to the past of Rig-Jenn Desert, this area is known as the scariest desert in Iran, and even in the opinion of many, Rig-Jenn Desert is considered the scariest desert in the world because Jinn (genies) live there, and whoever enters it will never leave. This saying goes back many years when no one knew about the existence of such a desert, and even in the paper maps available at that time, this area was devoid of any name or address. After a long time, in 1900, it was finally decided to discover this area, and a person named Alfons Gabriel (not to be mistaken for Alphonse Gabriel) was able to go near the Rig Jen desert, but the weather was so hot that he could not go further.
The scary story of the Rig-e Jenn desert starts from the place where a child of a resident of a surrounding village goes into the desert and never comes back. When camels go looking after the child in the desert, they never return, so it was said there was jinn in the desert. Even later, when it was possible to enter the desert, sounds like screams were always heard, the roads were always changing, and the possibility of getting lost was very high, so most of them believed in the scaryness of the Rig-e Jen more and more day by day.
Today, however, Rig-e Jen desert is one of the most beautiful deserts in Iran, and it has a lot of interesting and lovely places such as Ashin village, Nakhlak historical mine, Anarak castle, and even in the desert itself, there are beautiful views and beautiful salt lakes that make a trip to this desert obligatory. But because Rig Jen desert is also considered a very hot area, the best time to travel to Rig Jen desert is mid-autumn and many tourists travel to this region in winters as well. Of course, it should be said that there are many eco-tourist lodges near the Rig Jen desert, which are suggested to be chosen instead of camping in the desert.
The Best Time to Travel to Zardgah Desert
If Rig Jen is the scariest desert in Iran, Lut is considered the warmest desert in Iran, and Zardgah desert is the greenest desert in Iran. Yes, you heard it right, Zardgah desert is an area that, despite being a desert, has a green and lovely nature. Unlike other deserts, the best time to travel to the Zardgah desert is not only in autumn, winter, and early spring but also in summer. They travel in this area. The end of the Zardgah desert is located in the South Khorasan province, and thanks to the distance of more than 12 hours from famous cities such as Tehran, few people travel there unless they are residents of Mashhad, Birjand, Tabas, etc.
Zardgah desert, unlike other deserts, does not have attractive sights and salt lakes, etc., but its green nature, palm trees, and gardens distinguish it. Even in some parts of the desert, there are mountains that, during the day and the scorching heat of the region, The sun goes behind them and creates a cool shadow.
The Best Time to Travel to Tabas Halvan Desert
Halvan Tabas desert, as its name suggests, is located near the city of Tabas; although the distance between the desert and Tabas is 85 km, since it is the closest city, the name of Halvan Tabas was chosen for it. Halvan desert is full of lakes and salt marshes, which makes the desert tour one of the biggest and most difficult challenges for off-road riders. Halvan Tabas desert does not have many places to see, but there are some interesting points that you should know about the best time to travel to Halvan Tabas desert.
In autumn, winter and spring, when many people go to the deserts, most of the famous deserts, including Misr, Maranjab, and Abuzeydabad, become crowded. If you want to travel to the Mesr desert to avoid the crowd, you can also take a look at the Halvan desert. Throw it away. This desert is located in the east of the Mesr desert, and its distance from Mesr reaches 200 km. Of course, you should also know that the Tabas Halvan desert is one of the most secluded deserts in Iran, and even on the busiest days of desert tours, you will still see a few off-road riders and desert tourists here.
The Best Time to Travel to the Caracal Desert
In fact, the original name of the Caracal Desert is Sadegh Abad Desert because it is located near Sadegh Abad village. Still, the natives of the region do not call it Sadegh Abad, or Hassan Abad, a village in the north of the desert, and not Caracal, but Daranjir Desert. They know, although Daranjir is a desert in the vicinity of Caracal. But why Caracal? In fact, caracals are a species of cat, and these cats that we see in the streets and alleys, which are extremely attractive and lovely, make them a little bigger make them wilder, draw lines above their eyes, and they become caracals. Although caracals are wild animals, because they have a special grandeur, many people spend tens of thousands of dollars to tame these animals and keep them as pets.
The Caracal desert is the only habitat of these special and rare animals in Iran, which is located in Fars province, east of Yazd and north of Bafaq. From Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, and especially Yazd, many desert trekkers travel to this area to enjoy the desert tour and to see caracals up close. Still, since caracals are wild animals, they do not expect to be able to see them in this area. Approach them and even pet them because caracals are sensitive about their territory, so the desert wanderers always carry a map of the caracals’ territory with them to avoid encroaching on their territory.
Caracal desert has a desert part that is food for desert tourism and off-road riding because it has all the lovely hills, plains, and sands and challenges you. The part where you can see trees and shrubs is the place where caracals live. . Professionals also travel to the Caracal Desert in the summer season. Still, if you are not a professional desert tourer or you have never had the experience of traveling to the Caracal Desert, you should avoid summer because no one likes wild cats that are hungry under the scorching sun. They are also close to them. However, the best time to travel to the Caracal desert is spring and autumn, although few desert travelers go to Caracal during cold winter days.
The Best Time to Travel to Haj Aligholi Desert in Damghan
Haj Aligholi desert is located in the south of Damghan, almost half of which is made of clay. Haj Aligholi Desert is named in honor of Haj Aligholi Herati Sharifabadi, who was engaged in business during the time of Naseeruddin Shah. Haj Aligholi Herati Sharifabadi, who was doing business with his caravan, used to pass through Damghan, Yazd, Ardakan, etc., to reach his destination. Still, because there were many marshes and salt lakes here, camels were always in this marsh. They would get caught, or the caravan had to go around the swamp to make its route longer.
Once they were on their way back, Haj Aligholi Herati Sharifabadi decided to pass through the lake or find a closer route, but everyone opposed him, and he went to the lake alone with three camels. In the end, Haj Aligholi was able to reach his destination earlier than others, and in honor of him, the lake and this area were named Kavir Haj Aligholi. Even though the Haj Aligholi desert is a simple clay desert and beautiful polygons can be seen in some parts of it, entering it with off-road vehicles is not for everyone because it is full of salt marshes, especially when it is closer to the lake. For this reason, many people park their cars in the nearest place and walk part of the way to visit the Haj Aligholi desert and lake.
Since most deserts in Iran have extremely hot weather in the summer season, they travel to the deserts in autumn, winter, and spring, and autumn is always the busiest season for desert tourism. Still, if you are interested in desert tourism, it is the best time. The Ideal Haj Aligholi desert trip is from late autumn to late winter. During these days, the desert has a very pleasant climate, and even from the opinion of many desert travelers, its climate is more pleasant than other deserts in Iran, thanks to its geographical location.
The Best Time to Travel to Varzaneh desert
Varzaneh desert is one of the other popular and lovely deserts in the country, which is more popular among foreign tourists than other deserts. Just as Tehranis love the Maranjab desert, foreigners are interested in the Varzaneh desert. Varzaneh desert has the largest desert recreation site in Iran, and in this site, there are all kinds of off-road vehicles, four-wheel motors, camels, etc. To challenge off-road riding skills. Varzaneh desert is also one of the few deserts whose constant winds constantly change the paths and hills; on the other hand, many places are located in Varzaneh village. These sights are mostly historical, such as the cow well or the camel mill.
The Varzaneh desert entertainment site, which is also known as the oasis desert site, is more than just an entertainment site; it offers things that you will not find in any other desert, including a concert hall with a capacity of over 1800 people, a paintball club, a flight Above the sky of the desert with light planes, zip lines, paragliders, a pantry, and a restaurant, and the most attractive of all, the big observatory that makes it more attractive to observe the stars and the sky.
Varzaneh desert has its own fans in every season of the year, and although autumn and winter are the best time to travel to Varzaneh desert in terms of temperature, in the summer season, the weather in the region is not as hot and scorching as other deserts, and desert travelers Many people travel to the desert these days. Varzaneh desert is located near the village of Varzaneh in Isfahan province, and the distance between the desert and the city of Isfahan reaches more than 100 km. If you also want to travel to the Varzaneh desert and, more importantly, you want to spend the night camping in the heart of the desert, you should know that there are animals living here, such as the sand fox and the greater jerboa rodent (or Pawmeswaki, which only comes out at night, but not if there is any moonlight.
Desert sand dunes are very beautiful, and attractive photos can be taken.
In order to be able to easily have fun on these wonderings, wear a dress without pockets and extra seams and make sure it has sleeves. Otherwise, you will have to remove the sand from your clothes long after you return from the desert. Wear comfortable and light shoes so that you can walk with ease.
Map, compass, GPS: If you are not a professional desert hiker, be sure to join a professional group and travel to these areas with desert tours. Again, we recommend that you bring a compass and GPS.
Canned food: Walking on sand dunes requires a lot of energy. To restore lost energy and reduce your blood sugar, keep non-perishable foods with a long shelf life and dark chocolate in your backpack.
Sunglasses, scarf, and sunscreen: the desert sun is very hot. Use sunscreen to avoid burns. Sunglasses can also protect your eyes. A tip that many desert trekkers recommend is to bring a scarf (handkerchief) to protect your nose and mouth in the event of a sudden sand storm.
Do Not miss the Beauty of Desert Nights
One of the most important goals of traveling to the desert is to spend the night and enjoy the starry sky. In fact, there are two models of overnight stays, one in ecotourism resorts and one in the heart of the desert, and each has its own fans. In most eco-tourism resorts in desert areas, there are always attractive programs for overnight stays. Tourists sit around the fire or the pond in the middle of the residence, and besides enjoying the starry sky, they also witness various programs and celebrations, most of which are local dances. But they never reach the challenges and pleasures of staying at night in the heart of the desert.
If you want to spend the night in the heart of the desert, you need a lot of equipment, and you even have to do things so that the desert animals don’t harm you in the middle of the night and when you sleep. When the desert wanderers want to camp in the heart of the desert and enjoy the night, they start a fire and sit around the fire. Professionals take cameras with them to enjoy the sky, and more professionals use telescopes and special cameras to observe the sky and enjoy this wonderful view that only exists in the heart of the desert or in the middle of the oceans. To take but you have to remember that the nights are scary in the heart of the desert, and if you don’t light a fire, you won’t see anything other than the dark and scary scene.
What equipment should we bring for a trip to the desert?
Although deserts are attractive and lovely places, they can also be dangerous and leave behind irreparable events. There is a list of important and necessary items that you should always carry with you for a trip to the desert to prevent any incidents and make your trip enjoyable.
You may survive in the desert for a few hours or days without food and water. Still, without a friend, companion, or even a desert tour group, it is impossible to travel to these beautiful and dangerous areas. The reason is clear when you want to travel with an off-road vehicle, no matter how equipped your vehicle is, it is enough to get stuck in one of the desert swamps, especially when you are traveling to the desert for the first time and you are not familiar with the location of the swamps there. In these cases, only another car can save you from this threatening situation. Also, the presence of a friend or desert group has other advantages, the most attractive of which are overnight stays and memorable trips; and on the other hand, if someone’s supplies are running out, others will share what they have.
Taking a companion with you to the desert to have more fun is only one side of the story. You have to take all the equipment with you because there is no water or food in the desert, there are no antennas, and even dangerous desert animals and bandits. It may exist in the desert. Of course, when we are going to travel to an area without water and grass, it is obligatory to carry large amounts of water and food. The issue of how much water we should bring depends on the number of days and nights we will be in the desert because each person should consume an average of 4 liters of water per day. For food, many deserter travelers bring ready-made food with them as well as food that needs to be cooked.
This is about water and food. But in the desert, there is no toilet, no lighting, and no one to help us, so what should we do? First of all, because our life depends on technology, it is obligatory to have a power bank with us, which is fully charged before the trip. After that, since we don’t have an antenna in the desert, it will be necessary to carry a locator, although in some areas of the desert, even these locators are not responsive, so it is mandatory to carry a map of the desert roads.
The next issue is sleep. While traveling to the desert, many people choose ecotourism accommodations to stay in, but there are also some who spend the night in the desert. We need a tent to protect us from animals, sand winds, and bitter cold and a sleeping bag to prevent scorpions and small animals from contacting our bodies. Of course, the professionals make attractive moves, one of which is diesel, so you just need to pour some diesel within a one-meter radius of your tent so that no other creature will enter your territory. But when night falls, you are faced with total darkness where you can see many stars in the sky thanks to the absence of light pollution. This desert night sky is perhaps one of the most marvelous sights you can view in Iran Desert Tours.
Meanwhile, if car lights provide the lighting, the car’s battery and the lamp will be damaged, and the last thing we want is our car to get stuck in the desert. If we use the phone’s battery, the battery of the mobile phone and the power bank will run out, so it is useful to have a portable flashlight with you. The most important challenge many people struggle with is the clothes and covering we must wear in the desert. The desert is very hot and scorching during the day and cold and scorching at night. Some people think that during the day, you should wear short and thin summer clothes and at night, you should either wear a jacket or change your clothes and wear a thicker cover. But the best way is short-sleeved clothes because we don’t want sand to enter the body through the sleeves during the day thanks to the winds, and we don’t want the sun to burn our hands in addition to being bitten by insects.
Of course, it is an important issue that you should consider. When we travel to Kish and Qeshm and tropical areas, we put sunscreen on our hands and face, but in the desert, it is recommended to avoid this because, in these areas, the winds blow together with sand, and the combination of sand and Sunscreen is definitely not an attractive thing, so the best combination for walking in the desert during the day is a hat, scarf, thin long-sleeved dress, and sunglasses.
Apart from these, there is also a series of accessories that are worth taking with you. If you want to travel to the desert by car, there are many attractive off-road pieces of equipment that you can take with you, and these include travel refrigerators, coolers, and heaters, mini-fridges, camping tents, electric stoves, barbecues, etc., of course, a car is necessary. Next to the first aid box, there is also a toolbox, and if you want to have an adventure in the desert, be sure to take an air compressor with you to adjust the tire pressure according to the road conditions. Also, if you care about cleanliness, your body will get dirty very quickly in the desert thanks to the sand winds that always blow, so you can carry water bags known as portable showers.
