Gonbad-e Kavus is an urban sprawl famous for Turkmen horse racing and a Unesco-listed Mil-e Gonbad tower.
Mashhad is Iran’s holiest and second-largest city. Its main sight is the beautiful, massive and ever-growing shrine of Imam Reza.
Booming Semnan city is well placed to give swift access to both the Alborz Mountains and the vast Dasht-e Kavir desert.
Located an attractive location where the green Alborz Mountains meet the northeastern steppe, Gorgan is an appealing city.
The sprawling capital of Mazandaran, Sari, is a key connecting point if you’re trying to reach Badab-e Surt by public transport.
The city of Qa’en or Ghayen is one of the larger desert towns on the Mashhad – Zahedan corridor.
Between Mashhad and Kerman via the Kaluts, Birjand is the capital of South Khorasan province.
Kerman is something of a cultural melting pot, blending Persians with the more subcontinental Baluchis, who dominate areas east of here.
The utterly picturesque port town of Kong, a mere 5km east of Bandar-e Lengeh, has remained so far off the tourist radar!