Varzaneh

Varzaneh stands at the tail end of the Zayanderud where the river once ran into the Gavkhouni marsh, and the town is unusual for a detail of dress: women here wear white chadors rather than black, a local custom that predates and sits apart from national convention. Beyond the town the desert begins immediately, with a field of sand dunes a few kilometres out that is the main reason visitors come, reached by four-wheel-drive for sunset and used for camel rides, sandboarding and camping. Beyond the dunes lies the Gavkhouni salt marsh, now largely dry because the river no longer reaches it. The town itself has a Safavid bridge, a pigeon tower and a caravanserai, and several guesthouses run desert trips.

What you actually see

• The dune field - sand a few kilometres from the town, used for sunset trips.
• White chadors - the local dress custom that differs from the national norm.
• The Gavkhouni salt flat - the dried marsh the Zayanderud once fed.
• Pigeon towers and a Safavid bridge - the town's older structures.

When to go

March to May and October to November; summer is extremely hot and winter nights are cold. A day, or overnight to camp in the dunes, which is what most visitors come for. Sunset is the hour.

Honest expectations

The river is dry and the marsh gone, which is a loss the town feels. Desert trips are arranged through guesthouses and prices vary; agree everything first. There is no shade in the dunes. The town has limited restaurants and facilities.

Nearby

Isfahan is west; the Dasht-e Kavir opens out to the east.