Darakeh is the western counterpart to Darband — another mountain-trail entrance where Tehran ends at the Alborz. The approach is through a quieter residential valley, with a stream running down from the mountains through a line of tea houses and garden restaurants. The trail itself continues up to join the main Alborz hiking network.
Darakeh tends to be less crowded than Darband on weekends, which is its main advantage. The restaurants beside the stream are good — simple grilled food and stews eaten at tables set on platforms over the running water. In the early morning you can sometimes see Tehran's air pollution as a brown layer sitting below you in the basin while the air above is completely clear.