Tehran to Shanghai Flights

  About Tehran

The capital city of Iran and one of the busiest ones in Taiwan, too. It set against a stunning backdrop of the Alborz Mountains. Tehran is home to over 10 million Iranians and is not the most popular holiday destination. However, it is a place that must make it to your travel list. You will not regret visiting the city one bit. The city has over 60 museums, and yes, that's quite the number! No matter how many of these museums you cover in one trip, you will be equally amazed at every museum you visit. It will only make you want to come back for more. The Alborz Mountain is not just a great view to wake up to from your hotel room but is also the hub of all adventurous activities. Skiing, hiking, snowboarding, you name it, and you can try it. Tehran also has the most beautiful parks you will ever come across. The beauty and serenity of this place cannot be described with any sort of adjectives. In addition to the majestic mountain and myriad gardens, you will also come across a lot of palaces in the city. Tehran also has the cutest cafes and restaurants that will leave you impressed with their cuisine and service. Not just museums but Tehran also houses a lot of art galleries.

Best Time to Visit Tehran

March to May is the high season in Tehran and the spring season, too. The weather is perfect to go sightseeing or on a hike. However, since it is high season, make sure you book your hotel in Tehran several weeks in advance. If you book early, you might also come across interesting flight deals to Tehran online. Spring begins with Nowruz celebrations in the city, and this is the best time to be in Tehran. The temperature ranges from 12 to 23 degree Celsius in spring. Make sure you pack your fanciest clothes for the trip in case you are planning on attending any or more events/ festivals in the city. Summer is a low tourist season in Tehran, and the temperature ranges from 22 to 36 degree Celsius. There are chances that you will get cheap flight tickets to Tehran during this time since the demand drops. However, a few tourist spots will not be accessible during summer. The warm season is perfect for a nice trek or a hike. If you don't mind the heat, this won't be the worst time for you to head to Tehran, but it does give its travellers a thrill. Make sure you are well-hydrated and carry an extra sunblock with you.

September and October are the autumn season in the city, and the temperature ranges from 10 to 19 degree Celsius. You can enjoy the desert tours and dunes in Iran in October. Since this is a shoulder season for Tehran, you will still get a good deal on flights to Tehran and cheaper hotel accommodations. The only tourists in the city during winter, from November to February, are the adventure enthusiasts who want to go skiing or snowboarding at the mountain ranges. Make sure you pack all of your warm clothes if you are planning a trip to Tehran in winter. It is also the best time for travellers who are on a budget. You won't spend as much as you would have during the spring season. Make sure you also head to the city where you find something better than anyone else does.

Places to Visit in Tehran

Grand Bazaar is in the heart of the city and a highly recommended market for all tourists. It is about 10 km long, and you will find everything from jewellery to pots to food items here. You can also head to the Jomeh Bazaar nearby if you want to purchase antiques. If you are not a fan of crowded markets, you can shop at Tajrish Bazaar and Imamzadeh Saleh. It is small, pretty and does not have a lot of crowds but it is slightly expensive as compared to the Grand Bazaar. The National Museum of Iran is notably one of the 60 museums in Tehran that showcases a variety of objects and treasures from 30,000 years of human habitation in the Iranian plateau. Interesting, isn't it? You'll also get to know more about Iran's history here. Milad Tower is an iconic landmark in Tehran and is about 435 metres tall. It is the sixth tallest tower in the world, and it is not very expensive to get in here.

You can also head to the Azadi Tower that was built in 1971. It was built to celebrate 2500 years of Persian monarchy. It translates to Freedom Tower. If you are an art lover, you must visit the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Parke Jamshidieh, which is in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains, is a popular place for you to go hiking. Golestan Palace is just a few minutes away from Grand Bazaar and was built in the 19th century. Every nook and corner of the palace will leave you in awe of it.

Things to do in Tehran

It is pretty obvious by now that Tehran is the best place to go to if you want to ski and shop but also be entertained. You can go on a sightseeing tour of the city and try to cover all of the major tourist attractions. Since there are 60 museums in the city, you can try and cover as many as you can and maybe keep a record of it. Apart from the Alborz Mountains, there are quite a few other places in the vicinity, too, where you can go skiing or take part in other winter sports activities. While you might not find a vegetarian restaurant very easily in the city, the Iranian delicacies will leave you impressed. You can even join a cooking class and learn how to make a few authentic Irani foods. Iran is also the perfect place to challenge the photographer in you. There are beautiful frames for your picture everywhere you go. You can take loads of pictures of the city. It is something a lot of travellers love doing. If you don't feel like indulging in any activities as such, but you also don't want to spend your vacation sitting in your room all day, you can just get out for a stroll and explore the city on foot. It is far more rewarding than you will give it credit for.

Foods and Restaurants in Tehran

Tehran is known for its Persian and Iranian foods. The food here will certainly leave you spellbound and for all the right reasons. However, you will find cuisines from all over the world here. Biz is a very popular restaurant that serves middle eastern and Californian cuisine. You will love the grilled salmon, avocado and creme fraiche on crispy potato pancakes here. Cafe Shemroon is a very quiet and charming cafe, known for its delicious breakfast menu. The cafe also serves the best cakes in all of Tehran, according to the locals. Alborz and Tamasha are two other restaurants that you must try on your vacation here. Head over to Divan if you want to enjoy authentic Persian food. Oven-roasted quail in a lemon marinade is a popular dish here, and it is served with couscous. Leon is a romantic restaurant that serves authentic Italian food. Make sure you order the beef carpaccio with olive oil, parmesan and lemon here. Monsoon is one of the most popular eateries in Tehran that has been in business for over 15 years. You will get lip-smacking Asian food at this restaurant. If you love interacting, make sure you interact with the locals, too, and get to know more about their life and culture. It will only add a friend in your life along with new experiences.

How to reach Tehran

Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport is the main international airport of Tehran, which is the capital of Iran. The airport is about 30 km from southwest Tehran. The flight connectivity to Tehran from India is limited. Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airline, IndiGo, Air India, Vistara have frequent flights to Tehran from India with layovers at Istanbul, New Delhi and Dubai. If you book in advance, you might come across great flight deals to Tehran from India. Keep a lookout for cheap flight tickets to Tehran, especially if you are travelling during the offseason. Tehran Airport also has accommodation facilities that you can avail at discounted prices, in case there are any last-minute changes to your plans. The airport is well-equipped with WiFi, Children's play area, prayer area, ATMs, currency exchange, information desk, smoking area and so on. You can also get the airport staff to help you get a cab, in case the airport is crowded and you are in a hurry. If you have an early flight to catch, you can book a hotel in Tehran that is closer to the airport to avoid the commute and board the flight on time.

  About Shanghai

Shanghai is one city that believes in 'Change is the only constant' and actually implements it. If the old restaurants in the city aren't changing their decor or remodelling, they get replaced by a new store. Shanghai is a city that has been developing rapidly. It is one of the most dynamic cities in China and has a vibrant nightlife. You will also find a lot of tall buildings and skyscrapers in the city. Shanghai is also known for its rich history, trendy architecture and several Michelin star restaurants. There is very little chance of you finding vegetarian food in the city, but otherwise, the culinary experience here is stunning. Even if you are not an art lover, you will find yourself appreciating the art museums and galleries in the city. Shanghai also has a lot of water towns in the city, which offer a tranquil getaway. Shanghai has a lot of towns that represent places like Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Spain and Sweden. The city is also well-connected to other cities in China if you are planning to explore them.

Best Time to Visit Shanghai

Autumn is the peak tourist season for Shanghai. April and May is the spring season in the city with the temperature ranging from 10 to 23 degree Celsius. There are several national festivals celebrated in the city during this time, which means there will be a surge in hotel prices. Make sure you book your hotel in Shanghai well in advance if you are planning to visit during these months. You must also book your flight tickets to Shanghai well in advance. However, it is advisable to not plan your trip to Shanghai in April or May. You can attend events like the Qingming Festival and Youth Day. It's also May Day or Labor Day on 1st May. This is not the busiest time for the city, but you will get to witness beautiful blossoms in the parks in the city.

June to September is the peak travel season in Shanghai and the busiest time for the city. The temperature ranges from 20 to 31 degree Celsius, and the weather is not very pleasant. The room rates are quite high, and you will find a lot of tourists in the city, too. There are also possibilities of typhoons in the city during late summer. It also rains quite a lot in the city during this time. You can attend events like the Dragon Boat Festival and Army's Day. The city also celebrates International Children's Day on 1st June. Since this is peak tourist time, hotels will be completely booked. Make sure you book your hotel in Shanghai several weeks in advance, so you get a decent deal and for a low price. There are slim chances that you will get cheap flight tickets to Shanghai during this season.

The fall season begins in October and lasts till November. The temperature ranges from 8 to 22 degree Celsius and hotel prices drop considerably. While the days are warmer, the nights are quite chilly, so make sure that you pack a couple of warm clothes, too. The weather provides quite a relief from the scorching summer heat. The rainfalls also reduce quite a lot in the fall season. The first week of October attracts a lot of Chinese tourists, owing to the public holiday. December to March is the winter season in Shanghai. It doesn't get as cold as it does in Beijing, but it is still not the best time to visit the city. With Chinese New Year in January/February, the hotel prices and flight tickets to Shanghai witness a surge. The temperature ranges from 0 to 13 degree Celsius. It is best to avoid travelling to Shanghai during this time since there will be a lot of traffic and it will be difficult to enjoy a vacation in Shanghai during this time. It goes without saying that you will also find it difficult to get good flight deals to Shanghai in winter.

Places to Visit in Shanghai

While Shanghai seems like it is just a concrete jungle, but it has quite a lot of sightseeing options in store for you. The Bund is a very attractive building in Shanghai. While it is a very common site for the locals, if you are visiting the city for the first time, you will be completely blown over. Try to visit the building at sunrise for the best experience. You will find a lot of pensioners flying kites and practice tai chi. The Propaganda Poster Art Centre is an art museum that you can visit even if you are not interested in art and history a lot. Eight ancient water towns surround Shanghai. You can either visit them all, or you can just stop at Qibao to experience it all. It is known for its delicious street food, and you can also go on a shopping spree here without burning a hole in your pocket. Fuxing Park is another popular spot in the city. It was one of the largest parks in the city and is a common hangout spot for the senior citizens in the locality. M50 is an architectural landmark which is short for Moganshan 50. It is a very hip and happening contemporary art district. You will find some of the best art galleries in the neighbourhood.

Caojiadu Flower and Bird Market is another popular place where you can go on a shopping spree. While the first floor has a lot of outdoor plants, herbs, birds, turtles and other animals, you can shop for wedding supplies and home decor items on the second floor. You can also head to Shanghai Disneyland. The speciality of the amusement park is that the rides have been modified to cater to the Chinese audience. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is dedicated to nature, earth, robotics, space travel and is a popular place to visit. You can also head over to the Longhua Temple. You will find a lot of peace here. Chongming Island is another popular tourist attraction in the city that is worth visiting. If you want to go on a shopping spree, you can also head to Xintiandi, a very popular mall in the city. You cannot leave Shanghai without checking out the Shanghai Circus World.

Things to do in Shanghai

You can opt for a sightseeing tour of the city or explore it on your own. However, it is advisable that you hire a tour guide to get to know the city better. The city has a lot of museums that you can head to whether or not you love art and history. If you love science, you must definitely head to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Zhujiajiao is like the Venice of Shanghai and is worth a visit. Shanghai is also known for its unique cuisines. You can either sign up for a food tour or join a cooking class to learn how to make a few Chinese cuisines. If you want a spiritual experience, you can head over to Longhua Temple. You can also offer your prayers as you learn more about Buddhism. Catch an acrobatics show at the Shanghai Circus World.

Food and Restaurants in Shanghai

Local street food is highly recommended if you are visiting Shanghai for the first time. However, you will also find a lot of fine dining, Michelin star restaurants in the city. It might be a tad expensive, but completely worth it. It will be quite difficult to find vegetarian food on the menu here or at local food joints. However, if you love meat or seafood, you can try the Xiaolongbao here or Liang pi. While the street food here is quite famous, a lot of locals prefer it for breakfast only. Aura Lounge and Jazz Bar at The Ritz-Carlton is a popular place to head to for dinner. The ambience and service here are impeccable. You can also head to The Roof for a couple of drinks and delicious food. Jin Xuan Chinese Restaurant is another restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton where you will find a variety of Chinese and Asian food. Yi Cafe at Pudong Shangri-La is another popular place to try seafood and Asian cuisine. Sakemate is another restaurant that you must try. The menu includes Japanese, Peruvian, Latin and Asian cuisines.

How to reach Shanghai (Transportation)

Shanghai Pudong International Airport serves the city. The flight connectivity to Shanghai from India is excellent. Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways have frequent flights to Shanghai from India with layovers at Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Hong Kong. If you travel during the offseason, you might get cheap flight tickets to Shanghai. You will get taxis or car rental services from the airport quite easily to your hotel. However, it is best that you book your tickets and hotel in advance so you don't end up paying a high price and make the most of the deals you might find online.