Mount Damavand (5,609 m) is the highest peak in Iran and the Middle East and the highest volcano in Asia, a lone snow-capped cone in the Alborz range about 66 km north-east of Tehran, between the capital and the Caspian Sea. With roughly 4,660 m of prominence it is one of the most prominent mountains on Earth, and as Asia's entry in the Volcanic Seven Summits it draws climbers collecting the highest volcano of every continent. It has not erupted for about 7,000 years, but sulphur fumaroles still smoke near the summit crater.
No other mountain matters as much to Iranians. In Persian myth the tyrant Zahhak is chained inside Damavand until the end of the world, and the archer Arash shot the arrow that fixed Iran's border from its slopes. Every summer thousands of Iranians walk up the south route from the village of Polour: a non-technical but long ascent with about 2,600 m of gain from the road end, a high hut at 4,250 m and a summit day that ends in the smell of sulphur.
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Damavand is a record holder several times over. It is the highest summit of Iran and of the Middle East (Western Asia), the highest volcano in Asia and, after Kilimanjaro and Elbrus, the third highest volcano of the Eastern Hemisphere. Its prominence of about 4,667 m ranks it 12th in the world: the cone rises some 1.5 km above the surrounding Alborz ridges and is visible from Tehran on clear days. The mountain is a dormant stratovolcano built mainly of trachyte and andesite lava over the last 600,000 years; its last eruption is dated to about 5,300 BC.
The height depends on whom you ask. We use 5,609 m; most international lists give 5,610 m, Iranian mapping has spot heights of 5,626–5,628 m on the crater rim, and many Iranian guides and older publications still quote 5,671 m. German sources add 5,604 m. Whatever the figure, nothing in the Middle East is higher, although Elbrus would take the Asian title if the Caucasus were counted as Asia.
In Zoroastrian tradition the three-headed dragon Aži Dahāka was chained inside Damavand until the end of time. In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh the hero Fereydun overthrows the thousand-year rule of the tyrant Zahhak and nails him in a cave of the mountain, so that he will live long in pain. The legend of Arash the archer, as told by Bal'ami, places the hero on Damavand when he shot the arrow that settled the border between Iran and Turan. The smoke from the summit vents was explained as the breath of the imprisoned demon. Mohammad-Taqi Bahar's poem Damavand opens with "O white giant with feet in chains, O dome of the world, O Damavand", and the mountain appears on the reverse of the 10,000-rial banknote. Since 2008, 13 Tir (2–4 July), the day of the Tirgan festival, has been Damavand National Day, marking the mountain's registration as Iran's first national natural heritage site.
The mountain stands in Amol County of Mazandaran province, in the middle of the Alborz between the Iranian plateau and the Caspian coast. The south route starts from Polour on the Haraz road, which links Tehran with the Caspian: about 80 km from Tehran and 1.5–2 hours by car, depending on traffic. Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport is the usual arrival point. From Polour a road of just under 18 km (11.3 km paved, 6.4 km gravel) climbs in about an hour to the road end at Gosfandsara; a 4x4 is strongly recommended for the gravel, and in winter and early spring it may be impassable. Weekend traffic on the Haraz road is heavy: the Iranian weekend is Thursday and Friday, so guides recommend starting on a Saturday.
The south route is the classic line, with steps worn into the scree and huts on the way. In summer it is a walk-up graded F (YDS class 2): no climbing, but about 2,600–2,670 m of gain from the road end and a summit at an altitude where acclimatisation decides everything.
Most itineraries spend a night or two at Camp 3, with an acclimatisation walk towards 4,700–5,000 m, before the summit. Summit day gains about 1,450 m on a zigzag path of loose scree and rock: 5–7 hours up, 3–4 hours down. Higher up the trail passes a frozen waterfall at about 5,100 m, the Abshar Yakhi, and above 5,400 m it crosses sandy slopes pocked with small holes that breathe out sulphur gas; there are fumaroles at about 5,550 m. The summit is the rim of a small crater, roughly 400 m across, stained yellow with sulphur, and from the top the view runs north to the Caspian plain and south towards the central Iranian deserts. The local guides advise starting at first light rather than walking through the night, and keeping at least 20 m away from the main vent near the top.
A typical guided programme lasts 3–5 days from Tehran: drive to Polour and Gosfandsara, walk to Camp 3, acclimatise, summit and descend.
Damavand has at least 16 known routes; four are in common use, each with a shelter at around 4,000 m. The west route starts near Polour and climbs to the two-storey Simorgh shelter (about 4,100–4,200 m), then follows the west ridge past glaciers and sulphur-rich ground; it is known for sunset views. The north-east route from the village of Nandal is the longest, usually two days to the top, with a night at Takht-e Fereydoun (about 4,300–4,380 m), a stone shelter built by Tehran University climbers in 1976. The north face is the steepest, with a metal shelter at about 4,000 m on an exposed ridge and the highest refuge on the mountain at about 4,620 m. In winter, from about mid-October to mid-May, every route is a serious mountaineering ascent, and Damavand is also a ski-touring objective, best in March and April.
All foreign climbers need a climbing permit from the Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation, whatever the route or season. The fee was US$50 per person as of 2022; independent climbers pay the federation's representative at the Polour camp, while agencies usually include it in the package. Check the current amount before you go. Booking the Camp 3 hut is in practice done through Iranian operators; tent pitches are free and need no booking. Local operators advertise three-day summer group tours from around €480 and private tours from about €880 (2026).
A visa is required for most nationalities. As of October 2026 the UK government advises against all travel to Iran and warns that British nationals face a risk of detention; it also notes that British citizens can obtain a visa only as part of an organised tour or with a sponsor in Iran. Travel insurance may be invalid if you go against your government's advice. International bank cards do not work in Iran, so bring cash; Nowruz (around 21 March to early April) closes many businesses and fills the roads.
The summer season runs from mid-June to mid-September, when the south route is usually free of snow; in August you may reach the top without touching snow at all, although a snowfield near the summit is normal. Even in summer the summit is far below freezing at night, and winds above 100 km/h are common. In early July the weather is less stable but the mountain is quieter. The peak of the season comes during Iranian school holidays (about 20 June to 23 September), and the busiest days fall around early August and on Thursdays and Fridays; less than a fifth of climbers are foreigners. From mid-October to mid-May the mountain is cold, windy and avalanche-prone, with temperatures above 4,000 m dropping to −40 °C or lower in winter.
Water is available on the south route but has to be carried on summit day. Polour has tap water and shops; at Gosfandsara some water, food and drinks are sold in summer, but supplies are not reliable. At Camp 3 the new hut has running water in the summer season and sells some food and drinks; above it there is no water, so leave with at least 2–3 litres for a 9–11 hour day, and keep bottles inside your pack, as they freeze easily. Bring purification tablets or a filter. On the north-east route there are two snowmelt points on the way to Takht-e Fereydoun and a small spring near the shelter in summer; on the north route water is scarce and must be carried.
The Polour camp has Wi-Fi and good mobile reception, and Reyneh and Gosfandsara have mobile coverage. At Camp 3 a signal is available only in certain spots, and the hut has no landline. On the north-east route there is mobile service between Takht-e Fereydoun and the starting point at Gardaneh-Sar. Some websites and social networks are blocked in Iran. In an emergency call 115 for an ambulance or 110 for the police; rescue teams operate mainly on the south route.
Damavand is technically easy in summer but physically comparable with Kilimanjaro, and acute mountain sickness is the main reason people turn back. Climb gradually, sleep at Camp 3 at least one extra night and do not race from Tehran to the summit. Sulphur gas above 5,400 m can make breathing hard, especially in still air. On the west and north sides falling stones are a real hazard along the edge of the Yakhar glacier. Weather changes fast: whiteouts, cold and strong wind turn the easy-angled upper slopes into a serious place. In winter the ascent is a full mountaineering expedition that local guides compare with a 7,000 m peak.
The name is usually explained as "the mountain containing vapour", a fitting name for a smoking volcano. An early ascent is credited to Abu Dolaf Mis'ar ibn Muhalhil around AD 905; the first European ascent is attributed to W. T. Thomson in 1837. The Austrian botanist Theodor Kotschy climbed it in 1843 and, by his estimate, put it at only about 4,400 m. On 29 July 1860 the Prussian consul-general Julius von Minutoli reached the top from the south, found the floor of a sulphur cave too hot to sit on and measured the boiling point of water at 83.6 °C, from which he calculated a height of about 5,650 m. The Swedish explorer Sven Hedin wrote his 1892 doctoral dissertation on Damavand. Reinhold Messner failed in a winter attempt in 1970 because of the weather, and in 2014 the German unicyclist Lutz Eichholz rode the whole mountain down on one wheel, a world record for the highest unicycle descent.
How high is Mount Damavand? 5,609 m in our data; most lists give 5,610 m, Iranian maps up to 5,628 m and many Iranian sources 5,671 m. It is the highest peak in Iran and the Middle East and the highest volcano in Asia.
How long does it take to climb Damavand? Plan 3–5 days from Tehran by the south route: a day to drive and walk to Camp 3 (4,250 m), one or two days there for acclimatisation, then 5–7 hours to the summit and 3–4 hours back.
How difficult is it? In summer the south route is a non-technical walk-up (grade F), but long and high: about 1,450 m of gain on summit day, in thin air and sulphur fumes. Winter ascents are serious mountaineering.
Do foreigners need a permit? Yes. The Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation issues a climbing permit to every foreign climber; the fee was US$50 in 2022 and is paid at the Polour camp or through an agency. Most nationalities also need a visa, and some governments advise against travel to Iran.
Is there water on the route? Yes, at Polour, sometimes at Gosfandsara and at the Camp 3 hut in summer. There is none above Camp 3, so carry 2–3 litres on summit day and treat water from taps and snowmelt.
Is there mobile phone coverage? Good at Polour (with Wi-Fi) and at Gosfandsara, patchy at Camp 3. Emergency numbers are 115 (ambulance) and 110 (police).
When is the best time to climb Damavand? From mid-June to mid-September. Start midweek and avoid the Iranian school holidays' peak in early August if you want quieter huts.
Is the volcano active? It is dormant: the last eruption was around 5,300 BC, but fumaroles, hot springs and sulphur deposits show that it is not extinct.
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