A metropolis of 14 million people it is situated at the foot of the towering Alborz range. Tehran is therefore a cosmopolitan city, with great museums, and restaurants, friendly people and the chance to watch the daily life of liberal Tehranis as they challenge, and often ignore, post-Revolution restrictions means it deserves at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary. Tehran has also earned itself the rather unenviable reputation as a smog-filled, traffic-clogged and featureless sprawl of concrete housing bursting at the seams with 15 million residents. But, guided by the right guides, you can find an endless number of nice and cosy places in and around the city. Tehran is also a city of parks and possesses more than 800 well-kept parks.