Darband is the mountain trail neighbourhood at the northern edge of Tehran — the point where the city ends and the Alborz begins. A pedestrianised stone-paved lane climbs steeply from the metro terminus, flanked by tea houses, restaurants, and juice stalls, before narrowing into a proper mountain trail that eventually reaches Tochal. On weekday mornings it is tranquil; on Friday afternoons (the Iranian weekend) it is one of Tehran's great public spaces, packed with families, couples, and hikers.
The tea houses along the lower trail are the draw for many Tehranis who come not to hike but to sit beside the mountain stream, drink tea, eat watermelon, and watch the city recede below them. In winter they are heated by wood fires. In spring the cherry blossom along the lower path is extraordinary. The trail to Tochal summit takes about four hours each way; the cable car from higher up the mountain cuts that considerably.