The enormous, ancient metropolis of Tehran resides just below the Caspian Sea in the northern part of Iran. While Persia has maintained countless currencies over multiple millennia, the modern legal tender of Iran is known as the “Rial,” a word deriving from the Portuguese “real,” meaning “royal.” So with the abundance of dining options, historical attractions, and cultural activities that this great city has to offer, let’s see what the savvy traveler can squeeze into their Tehran itinerary on 100 rials a day!

What?? 0.000037 cents?? How’s that even possible? Oh… Well this is awkward. Perhaps we didn’t research this idea as thoroughly as we should have. Never-the-less, let’s see what we can come up with…

Dining

Well, we did have a list tasty street vendors and affordable local kebab shops worth checking out, but that’s out the window. Hmm… Oh wait, check this out. According to PressOfAtlanticCity.com, if American tourists want a cheap meal in Tehran, they need look no further than Azadi Tower, which, standing at 45 meters tall, should be easy enough to spot. The Press of Atlantic City correspondent, describing her visit to the tower, states, “When I told [the waitress] I was from America she became very excited, and didn’t even charge me for my food.” So, there you go. Fool-proof plan. Best part? In addition to that full belly, you’ll still have the entire 0.0037 cents burning a hole your pocket.

Walk Around…?

Clearly, you will not be renting car or even taking public transportation during your stay in Tehran. Why not kill two birds with 100 Rials and use your legs to provide a breath-taking walking tour around this historic Persian capital. Head due south from Azadi Tower and take a leisurely stroll over to the Mausoleum of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Not only will you behold the largest tomb you’ll probably ever see (free of charge), but thanks to the surrounding market place, you can take those 100 Rials and do all the window-shopping your heart desires. Side note: it should go without saying, but, by no means follow the advice of this book.

Museums

Lastly, a fitting activity on your 100-Rials-a-Day venture through this bustling, Eastern megalopolis would be to make at a stop at the Tehran Money Museum. Here, one can observe a stunning collection of currency dating back to the Achaemenid Empire, over 2,500 years ago. Learn how and from what coins were crafted throughout the centuries, all the way up to the modern-day Rial, what we now know is the world’s least valued currency. Unfortunately, Sauntyr was unable to find out the exact cost of admission for the Tehran Money Museum. Hopefully, it’s free. If not, and you are refused admission, simply look the security guard directly in the eye, raise one eyebrow, and say, “perhaps this’ll change your mind…” and slip him those 100 Rials. That will be, without a doubt, the funniest thing he’s heard all day and he will, in all likelihood, wave you through with a pat on the back.