Clothing: The Islamic Republic Of Iran requires women to wear loose fitting below the knee length garments and a head scarf. Legs and arms must be covered. The 'uniform' can be purchased for 10 to 15 dollars in hotels and shops. Men must wear trousers (No Shorts) and shirt sleeves at to the elbow. No formal clothing is needed. A light woolen sweater may be needed in the cool of dry climate washed clothes dry in a couple of hours. Have a pair of good walking shoes and a hat is advised.
Climate:  Iran is an elevated country, Tehran, Esfahan, Shiraz and Kerman are all at about 5000ft. The climate is dry and the October the temperature will range from 20 to 30 degrees C. Evening are cool.

Purchases: The bazaar at Esfahan and Shiraz offer a great range of quality Persian handicrafts. Fine carpets are reasonably priced (after serious bargaining) and some dealers offer credit ( pay to an external account latter). Persian miniature paintings, Khatam fine inlay work, hand printed materials, unique pottery, tribal rugs and horse and camel trapping plus all manner of antiques will temp the shopper. Film is readily available.

      
   Food: You will experience some new taste sensations in traditional Persian dishes. A lot of rice is served – cooked to a fluffy consistency (Chelo) and this is eaten with Kebabs and stews (Khoroshts) with lamb, chicken or beef and a variety of vegetables and herbs. Persian love sweet deserts and rose water is used to add extra flavour. Persian bread (Nun) comes in flat sheets of various thickness and consistency – it is yummy when straight out of the oven. Water is OK in the cities but there is plenty of bottled water available. No alcohol is permitted in Iran.