Planning Your First Trip to Iran: Essential Tips and Tour Recommendations
Essential Tips for Your First Visit to Iran: What You Need to Know
Iran has so much to offer to travelers. It’s a land of four seasons, with vast deserts and snowy mountains, with an ancient culture and history, amazing people and tasty food. Yet, sometimes travelers planning a first trip to Iran get confused and a little bit worried. Indeed, it’s not easy to get reliable information about Iran and mainstream medias aren’t always showing the brightest side of the country. But don’t worry! At SURFIRAN, we got you covered!
Whether you’re a solo adventurer or you want to travel with a group, in this article you will find all the essential tips and recommendations for a smooth and unforgettable first trip to Iran.
Contents
The First Step: Get Your Visa to Iran
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Iran Tourist visa
Before travelling to Iran, you first need to arrange your tourist visa. Whether you choose to collect it in an Iranian embassy or on arrival at the airport in Iran doesn’t exempt you from the fact of applying in advance for a tourist visa.
Indeed, many travelers mistakenly think that it is still possible to get a visa on arrival once in Iran, but this requires a pre-approval (called Visa Grant Notice) without which most airlines will refuse to let you onboard. Tourist visas are now granted for a duration up to 90 days, that can be extended twice. Since 2023, the citizens of 28 countries are also exempted from visa (see the list here). Also note that the procedure is different for American, British and Canadian citizens who are obliged to travel with a guide.
While it’s still possible to apply on your own via the e-visa website of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you have a very high chance of rejection if you do it without the services of an approved travel agency, such as SURFIRAN.
However, with an agency your visa will be approved in most case in just 5 to 7 business days. All you need is a scan of your passport (with at least 6-months validity) and an id photo. The visa fee depends on your nationality and the method of collection you’ve choose. Also, keep in mind that it is mandatory for travelers to have a travel insurance that covers Iran.
Safety in Iran
When it comes to Iran, many travelers’ first concern is safety. Over the past years, political tensions between Iran and Western countries have led a dark light on the country, which may wrongly have led to think that Iran is unsafe. That couldn’t be further away from the truth! Despite the way medias have depicted Iran for decades, any travelers who have visited the country shared the same opinion: it’s probably one of the safest places to travel.
The same goes for solo women travelers and American travelers: you can find many testimonies of these two categories of travelers across the web, showing how safe Iran is. Crime rate is indeed low in Iran, in particular for crimes such as assault and robbery which may target travelers elsewhere. Besides, what makes Iran so safe is the kindness of its people, always willing to help foreigners without even waiting for being asked.
Money in Iran
One of the most important things to figure out before and during your first trip to Iran is money. Indeed, you will need to evaluate your budget first in order to bring enough cash to Iran. Unfortunately, due to international sanctions, it is impossible to pay with international credit cards in Iran and you will thus have to bring cash (euros and dollars are the most convenient currencies to exchange). You can still choose to use this cash via a tourist card, making it easier than carrying a lot of banknotes, but in most cases this card will have to be charged upon arrival to Iran.
Once in Iran, you can easily change your money in exchange offices. Do not do it in the streets, as it’s illegal and you may not get a favorable rate. Changing money in big cities like Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz is easy, but it may be more complicated in small cities and rural areas, so always make sure to have some money in advance; keep in mind that exchange offices are closed during weekends and holidays. By all means, having euros or dollars will always allow you to sort out any situation. But our best advice would be to change your money in two or three times during your trip, so that you don’t need to do it too often, but also don’t keep Iranian Rials at the end of your stay, which you will have to exchange before leaving the country. For more information, read our Comprehensive Guide on Money Exchange in Iran.
Besides money exchange, you will have to get familiar with the Iranian currency for your first trip. It’s usually confusing for travelers as the official currency is the Iranian Rial, while people use Tomans in everyday life. Yet, it’s pretty simple: one toman is equivalent to ten rials. So whenever you want to pay, if the price is announced in tomans, you simply need to add a zero and look for the corresponding banknote!
Internet in Iran
IRAN 4G SIM Card
When traveling to Iran, unfortunately expect a poor internet connection. The first thing you need to do is to buy a local sim card, to have internet on your phone anytime and not to rely on hotels’ WiFi. Internet and phone calls fees is pretty cheap in Iran. If you stay more than one month in Iran, you will also have to register your mobile phone, a procedure that can be costly and a bit complicated. Once you have internet on your phone, you will also need to install a VPN in order to access applications such as Instagram, Whatsapp, and others that are blocked in Iran. There are no worries to have about this, as most Iranians use VPN.
How to Dress in Iran
As a Muslim majority country and an Islamic Republic, Iran has some specific rules regarding clothing that travelers are invited to respect. As a foreigner, you may not encounter specific issues if you don’t strictly stick to the dress code, but you may offend locals in some areas and even cause problems to the people around you (your guide, the places’ owners, etc). For men, the dress code is pretty simple: the only thing you can’t wear are short pants (with the exception of the islands of South of Iran, where it is tolerated). Of course, men can’t go out in public topless, but besides that there are no other specific restrictions.
As for women, wearing the veil (“hijab”) is mandatory. However, it doesn’t have to be very strict and can be loose enough to show the hair. You should also dress modestly, which generally means wearing loose and long clothes covering the bottom and arm (up to the elbow). Joyful colors, opened shows and else are perfectly fine! Read more about Iran Dress Code for Tourists.
Do and Don’t in Iran
Iran has a rich culture which in many ways differs from Western and neighboring Arab cultures. While people are extremely hospitable, it’s important to get familiar with the specific culture of Iran, in order to avoid faux-pas. One of the main aspects of the Persian culture is taarof. While it is difficult to explain to a foreigner, it consists in various polite manners that are not always to be taken for granted. For instance, when paying for a service, the person who provided it will first refuse to take your money. This is taarof. You must then insist as long as necessary until the person accept the payment (which he or she expects). Same goes for a dinner invitation: always make sure the invitation is sincere by refusing a couple of time. And if you’re lucky to attend a Persian dinner, don’t forget to remove your shoes before entering the house! Iranians never walk home with outside shoes.
Remember that in Iran, many places are segregated. It goes like this for the metro, the bus, and some services like swimming pools and gyms. Please, always respect this separation to avoid troubles and offending some people. You may also be aware that Iran is an alcohol-free country. However, smoking cigarettes, even in public, is not a problem at all. Eventually, avoid sign of affection in public such as kissing on the lips, and rather replace it by hugs.
The Best Tours and Itineraries to Iran
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Travelers visiting Iran for the first time usually travel around what is called “the classic road”, that shows must of the country’s highlights. This road includes the capital city Tehran, the rosewater city of Kashan, Isfahan (“half of the world”), the desert city of Yazd and Shiraz, the city of gardens and poets, including the ancient city of Persepolis. Visiting these places will leave an unforgettable mark on your memory, while experimenting the kindness of Iranians and tasting the classical Persian food.
This itinerary can usually be done on 10 to 15 days. Many travelers also make a worthy detour to Kerman, in order to explore the Lut Desert and its strange formations. Outside of this classic itinerary, the islands of the south of Iran, Hormuz and Qeshm, are a must-sees for travelers visiting Iran in winter, while regions such as Kurdistan, Gilan, Khuzestan, Khorassan and many others also offer an incredible diversity of landscapes and cultures… that’s why many travelers who came once to Iran, come back again!
As Iran is a safe country, you can easily travel by your own, by public transportation. However, for better insights and experiences, choosing a tour package for small groups or private tours, is the guarantee of making the best of your first trip to Iran!
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