You are sitting at home planning your next exciting adventure to Iran or your trip is coming up. Either way, I salute you. Iran might be the most misunderstood travel destination out there.
When you tell friends and family that you want to travel to Iran you will probably be met by a storm of reactions and concerns. "Is it safe?" is a question that for sure will come. The perception in the west of a land with flag-burning religious extremists is a great misconception. In fact it couldn't be further from the truth.
Instead you can expect a rich cultural history that has shaped probably the friendliest and most welcoming people on the planet. But it is not all easy peasy lemon squeezy. They do have a regime that is different from what you are used to if you do not reside or originate from this part of the world. It is a muslim country and follows Sharia law. On top of this there are sanctions imposed on the country which gives some logistical challenges.
Therefore, there are some things you need to be aware of, besides the more common and basic preparations, before embarking on your epic journey to this wondrous country. But don't worry. Based on my own experiences I've compiled this practical planning and travel toolkit which will ease up your travel planning.
Important noticeTake extra notice of these important practical challenges:
If you want to cover Iran from north to south, I would recommend going in spring or autumn. The north-west mountains would be cold but you will avoid freezing temperatures and snow. In the more central and southern parts of the country you will not melt away.
If you are only focusing on the mountain regions in the north west, traveling during summer should be ideal for most people.
The winter months are the best time to be at the coast of the Persian Gulf and on the islands nearby. Climate here is very humid though. If you go here in summer time, expect to spend most part of the day in shade unless you have a big heat tolerance - for most of us it would be unbearable.
DestinationsIf you are looking for inspiration on where to go and what to see, you can always buy a guide book, but I was very content with the suggestions from TAP Persia. Their suggestions would fill several months of travel.
Travel agenciesYou can easily do independent and DIY travel in Iran but sometimes you might need assistance on your way. There are two travel agencies which I've only heard good things about. They are:
I only have experience with TAP Persia. They assisted me with the visa application when I got rejected from the official eVisa portal. They are also very helpful when it comes to replying to any questions you have about your travels in Iran. TAP Persia is on Whatsapp and they reply very fast.
Visa application and visa extensionYou probably need a visa to enter the country unless you come from one of the few visa exempt countries. Head over to Wikipedia to see the status for your country.
Citizens from the USA, UK, Canada need to apply for a tourist visa through an Iranian embassy or consulate prior to their arrival in Iran. The visa process can take months to complete and applicants also have to plan and book their trip with a certified local travel agency in Iran. Before the visa can be issued, the agency has to submit the applicant's day-by-day itinerary to the foreign ministry for approval and will be required to be escorted by a government-approved guide at all times.
However, most countries are eligible for eVisa so chances are that this would be your approach.
The eVisa portal is here.
The portal looks user friendly and is easy to navigate. But it is not an eVisa in the strictest sense. You need to pick up your visa in person at a local embassy or consulate. The embassy or consulate doesn't need to be in your home country. You are free to pick the nearest one. You enter the required details and within 10 business days you should have an answer. But the truth is that I only experienced a few people who ever managed to get eVisa through this official channel and they all applied to embassies in Turkey. In many cases, the applications were pending for weeks. Most people I talked to got rejected with a message stating that they should apply through a travel agency.
If you do succeed in getting your eVisa application approved, then you bring the visa grant notice to the place of issue you selected on your application to retrieve your visa.
Perhaps your chances of success on the e-Visa portal are dependent on the embassy where you will pick up your visa or perhaps it is due to your nationality. However, applying for a visa through an agency is a faster and more secure way of getting your visa in due time, but of course you need to pay for this. After getting rejected on the e-Visa portal, I went through an agency called TAP Persia and paid approximately EUR 30 for their service. I got my visa after 4 days from the date of application.
Once the visa application is finalized by the agency, you will get a visa grant notice containing a QR code and a track code. Bring the visa grant notice along with your passport to the confirmed embassy. The visa grant notice is not the actual visa. It is what you show at the embassy or consulate to get the paper visa.
On the visa grant notice there is stated a visa grant validity date which means you need to submit your passport to the relevant embassy or consulate before this date. In my case I was given 60 days. Take this into consideration if you are planning on picking up your visa in another country while traveling - factor in enough time for you to get there.
If you are not going for a visa on arrival or if you are visa exempt, then you will have to pick up your visa at an embassy. The process is different from embassy to embassy. Based on my own experience it was very simple.
I went to the bank before going to the embassy. I went to the Mellat bank in Yerevan and told them I wanted to pay for my visa which was EUR 50. They have the bank details. After paying, the bank gives you a payment confirmation which you have to show to the embassy. I've heard that some embassies accept credit cards at location and others only accept cash in EUR or USD. For me, I had to pay in the bank. I could pay in local AMD currency and Mellat Bank converted it to EUR.
At the embassy I handed over only my passport and the payment confirmation. It took not more than 5 minutes to get the visa. The visa is a printed paper you show at the border. Nothing was added to my passport. I also got an email with the visa as a PDF attachment.
If you are eligible for eVisa then you can also go for a visa on arrival at the airport. You can't get a visa on arrival by crossing land borders. Before arrival make sure you have made an application at least a couple of days in advance via the eVisa portal. Once at the airport you must submit a hardcopy of the submission notice to the Visa-On-Arrival counter at the airport. The submission notice will be available when you have completed the online visa application form.
On the eVisa portal under 'Place of Issue' you can see which airports are eligible for visa on arrival.
However, I would advise you to get your visa before traveling to Iran. Personally it gives me a peace of mind knowing that I don't need to spend time at the airport's visa desk. You might end up waiting for hours or you might get rejected for unforeseen reasons.
The duration of visas are a maximum of 45 days if you apply via the eVisa portal or via an agency. The visa is valid for 90 days so you need to enter the country within this period. The 90 days are counted from the day you pick up your visa at the embassy or consulate. I only had the option to get a single entry visa.
The visa fee varies. It depends on the place of issue and/or on your nationality. You can see the visa fee on the eVisa portal before submitting the application. I paid EUR 50 with the place of issue set to Yerevan (Armenia). Buf if I were to pick it up at the airport or at the embassy in Tbilisi (Georgia), the fee would be EUR 75.
Bear in mind that Iran is not on best terms with Israel. If you have a passport or travel documents containing an Israeli visa or stamp less than 365 days old, you might be denied entry to the country. This might only be an official statement not followed in practice but do check up with your local Iranian embassy if this is the case for you.
The maximum number of days for a tourist visa is 45 days. You should be able to extend the original duration twice. Caravanistan does an excellent job at listing locations together with reports on experiences from other travelers.
Alot of travelers have had good experience extending their visa In Shiraz getting the application approved the same day.
As travel insurance is a requirement to enter Iran, make sure you have given this some consideration before your trip begins. Go to my travel insurance section for help.
Also you might be required to present a hotel booking for your first night's stay before they issue the visa at the embassy and before they let you enter the country. Read my section covering how to book accommodation in Iran.
They did not ask me for hotel booking nor insurance at the embassy.
Perhaps you're already all set on travel insurance or you have decided you don't need one. In all cases, I urge you to read on because Iran can be a bit tricky when it comes to the topic of travel insurance. Many providers don't cover Iran so I'm here to help you out.
The world of travel insurance is a jungle. There seem to be a million insurance providers out there so which one should you pick? If you are a long-term and nomadic traveler you might have certain requirements that your local "regular" insurance providers can't offer.
If you're headed off for some weeks on vacation and if you're in the market for travel insurance, then you might already have cover via your credit card or you might be able to buy affordable cover as an add-on to your current insurance portfolio. Check these options first and then you are welcome to use this toolkit to compare and evaluate against your options.
For most nationalities, travel insurance for Iran is mandatory. If you need a visa, then you need travel insurance. You might have to present your travel insurance when you pick up your visa at the embassy or consulate and again at the land border or airport. But there is a possibility you will be able to cross into Iran without travel insurance if they neglect to check. If you want to take that chance is all up to you. I strongly suggest and personally prefer to play it safe, getting some peace of mind.
Well known insurance companies exclude Iran from their insurance plans due to sanctions against the country. Insurance providers might also limit the cover for Iran all together or for certain regions due to their risk profile assessments. The foreign ministries often publish travel advice and if they advise against all travel then there is a chance the insurance provider will not cover. The insurance plan should therefore explicitly confirm that it covers Iran. You should not assume that it does even if it's valid for world cover. Ask the insurance provider directly, provide them with your itinerary and get them to confirm.
Consider if you want to go with an international insurer or a local Iranian one. If you get travel insurance for Iran from an international company, then make sure it mentions Iran. The immigration officers might not accept it otherwise. Also be aware that, if you are buying the insurance from an international provider while traveling outside of your home country, you might not be eligible. Signing up for travel insurance via a local insurance provider in Iran gets you around this.
Don't worry there is still hope. You also have the option to acquire travel insurance upon arrival at the airport. This is a requirement if you are going for a visa on arrival. They will make you buy insurance (from a company called Bimeh) before giving you the visa.
There is no right answer to this one. You can go cheap and take the bare minimum local one or you might go for the premium tailor made plan by an international company. You'll pick the one that fits your budget and needs the best. But due to sanctions against Iran your options are limited. Insurance providers like "True Traveller", "World Nomads", "SafetyWing", "WorldTrips", "SevenCorners" and "BattleFace" do not offer travel insurance for travels to Iran. However sanctions are subject to constant change so check back with the insurance provider at your time of travel.
I've listed some options below that may help you find travel insurance for Iran.
Insubuy is an insurance provider based out of US. Their Patriot International Lite is a plan with cover for Iran. Travelers outside their country of residence are eligible to sign up. Go get a quote from their webpage, read up on the policy cover and see if it is something for you.
1stQuest acts as a travel agency. They help with trip planning, visa, flight and hotel booking. Besides that they also help out with insurance to Iran. You can book your insurance online from their website and receive it in less than two working days.
Do note that their policy limits are low compared to international insurance plans. So take this into consideration before signing up.
The insurance provider they use is Saman Insurance which is the same as TAP Persia.
TAP Persia is a full-service tourism service provider that also can help out with travel insurance for Iran. The travel insurance is normally issued within 24 hours of your application submission. TAP Persia is available 24/7 for your emergencies and reachable via WhatsApp.
The insurance provider they use is Saman Insurance which is the same as 1stQuest.
The experience of purchasing your Iran travel insurance at the airport may be confusing, frustrating and untimely. Coverage details are not provided at some airports while the text of the coverage is often badly translated. The sign-up kiosks are difficult to navigate. In short, only get the travel insurance at the airport if you are the adventurous type and up for a challenge. If you go for this option, double check that your arrival airport offers travel insurance. The insurance provider on offer should be Bimeh.
How to book accommodation in IranYou may think that booking a hotel on the go from your smartphone is a very simple thing in this digital age. I sure did when planning my trip to Iran. But big booking web pages like Booking.com and AirBnB do not operate in Iran. You may want to make that first booking before entering Iran and pay with your international credit card. Or just know how to go about it once in Iran. It is actually not that difficult once you've read this topic section. Below are a few tips and tricks.
To my big surprise Hostelworld has listings in bigger cities like Teheran, Isfahan, Yazd and Shiraz. They offer dorm style accommodation but also have listings for private rooms.
Homestay is another booking platform that works in Iran. This is a nice alternative if hostels and dorm beds are not your thing or if you want to get a more local feel.
The listings on Hostelworld or Homestay might not suffice to your needs. However, there are local websites with a bigger selection. Note that some of these just work as intermediaries which only collect your booking request and then forwards it to your chosen hotel. My two go-to booking sites are 1stQuest and IranHotels.
These local booking sites are good for several reasons:
Online travel agencies like TAP Persia can also help you if you wish to leave the trouble of booking accommodation to someone else. They have the option to pay with international credit cards.
A small trick I often use is to fetch their phone number from Google Maps and then save it to my phone to see if they are on WhatsApp. If yes, then you most likely can make a reservation by sending them a quick text.
There is also the "old" fashioned way using plain eMail. Yeah, I know, it seems like a distant past with all these booking apps and websites. Look up the email in guidebooks, ask Google or get the email info from forum groups like "See You in Iran" on Facebook.
All of the above works fine when you need to book your first accommodation before you enter the country. They also do work perfectly fine once you are in Iran as long as you have access to mobile data or WiFi and using a VPN.
You might not have access to the internet at all times or perhaps you just want to save the hassle of searching and booking accommodation while in Iran. Then you can use local travel agencies which will happily help you for a small fee. Find them on Google, Facebook or just on the street. True they might get commissions for selecting certain hotels but they are the experts and can help you find the perfect thing for you if you have certain wishes or requirements.
If you get a local SIM card, then even better. You can give the hotel, hostel or guesthouse a call. Not all speak english though but they will usually go out of their way to find you someone who can.
You can also check TripAdvisor to get rated and reviewed accommodation info, then look them up on Google, fetch their phone number and give them a call.
Calling hotels from abroad is too expensive to make it an alternative. So you might think this is only an option once you are in Iran. But you can use a service like Rebtel and for a small fee call international numbers.
If you signed up for the MAH card, which is a tourist debit card, then you can ask them to make the booking and they will withdraw the money from your card. This is done ad-hoc.
Some of the nicest and most charming locally-owned accommodations are not listed on any booking portal or Google Maps. If you are the adventurous type, you can say no to all the conventional booking tools, go to a local cafe or ask around the market. Iranians can be your local friendly travel agent. Then all of the sudden you might get yourself a reservation for that hidden gem nobody else finds. But most likely you would be invited to someone's home instead.
Tourist debit cardsOne very important thing to note before traveling to Iran is that international credit cards do not work in Iran due to sanctions. You need cash! EUR and USD are the best to carry and in many cases USD will get you the best exchange rate. Cash can be exchanged for Rials at exchange booths ready available in most cities. You might be reluctant to carry a lot of cash with you and you might worry about running out of cash once in Iran. Read on and I will present a solution to you.
There is such a thing as a prepaid travel debit card also called a tourist debit card which is designed for tourists or temporary visitors. One company that provides such a debit card is MAHcard. They give you the option to easily transfer money to your card and you get any surplus balance back when leaving the country. MAHcard is accepted most places in Iran.
You order the card here and get it delivered to your hotel or hostel in Iran. The processing time including delivery to bigger cities is approximately 3 days. In my case, I got the card delivered to a hostel before I arrived. This was agreed beforehand with the hostel and they were happy to hold on to the card for me. When you sign up for the card, you can list your WhatsApp number and all further communication can be done via this channel. If you don't have WhatsApp on your smartphone, then I do recommend getting it. It makes your communication with MAHcard very fast and efficient. If you don't have WhatsApp, then you can use their live chat feature on their website.
There is a flat fee of EUR 19 to order the card. You can pay this physically when receiving the card. As an alternative you can have the fee deducted from your first online cash loading or when you deposit local currency to MAHcard's bank account in Iran. Loading cash to your card using the online method carries a transfer fee of 7%. Besides this, there are no further fees when using the card. Before you can start using your card, you need to load it with money.
Your first option is to use an online method to load cash from your overseas bank account to your MAHcard. They will provide you with the bank details. There was an option to load cash via PayPal but this was not available when I tried. This online method of loading cash is perhaps the most flexible solution for you but also the most expensive due to the transfer fee. I chose this option because it allowed me to preload the card with money before I received it. This was also how I paid the flat fee. If you should run out of cash while in Iran, this is a great way to add more travel funds to your stay in the country. At the end of your trip, MAHcard will transfer the amount left on your card to your account overseas, in the same currency you originally loaded your card with - however I believe your current and only options would be EUR and USD.
A second option is to load the card via local bank transfer within Iran. This is a good option if you plan to bring in EUR or USD cash. I do recommend carrying sufficient cash as a backup. You exchange EUR or USD to Rials and deposit them to MAHcard's account in any branch of Ayandeh Bank (ask for account details). You will deposit the money to MAH card's own account and therefore need to send a photo of the bank receipt to MAHcard so they can load your card with the money. You can also pay the flat fee this way. If you already used the overseas bank transfer option to begin with, you will get any surplus amount at the end of your travel returned back to this account.
The last option is to physically hand over cash in EUR or USD to the MAHcard representative once you receive your card and they will exchange the money and load it onto the card. This is only possible in Teheran. If you are flying into Teheran or have this city as a first stop on your itinerary, then this might be a good option for you. It will perhaps also give you some peace of mind if you prefer to hand over your cash in person while receiving the card. If you choose to go with this option only, then a MAHcard representative will meet you at your hotel at the end of your trip and hand over any surplus funds.
Once you have your card and have paid the flat fee, you need to activate it which basically means you contact your MAHcard representative to get the PIN code. This is a nice feature if you have preloaded the card with funds and if it should get into the wrong hands before you receive it.
You can check the MAHcard balance here.
Another tourist debit card provider is DaricPay. I did not personally use this provider so I have no info on the practical use of the card.
A bit off topic but I've heard about a whole different option to get cash from your international credit card while you are in Iran. At the Heritage Hostel in Tehran or Isfahan, you can withdraw cash with your international credit card for a fee of 7%.
Getting the correct exchange rates and exchanging from foreign to local currencyWhen you exchange your foreign currency to Rials (IRR), then be aware that the market rate aka street rate used when exchanging money "on the street" in Iran is very different from the official bank rate like the one you see on Google for example. Going with the official bank rate might get you a really bad deal. To highlight the difference I'll list an example based on 2022 rates.
You can easily look up the official bank rate at XE which you should forget about when traveling Iran. Instead go to Bonbast. Be aware that the rates on Bonbast are listed in Toman which equals 10 Rials. So add a zero to the rates here to get the equal amount in Rials. The street rates will more or less match the rates you see on Bonbast.
Look for places where you can exchange money on the free market which is a more formal way of naming this parallel foreign exchange market that exists in Iran. I assume the sanctions put on Iran is the reason why this free market has flourished and is thriving well as a de facto currency exchange. In bigger cities you can ask for the money exchangers and you will be guided towards a street where they are all very conveniently gathered. If you prefer a more established currency exchange business, there are shops in cities that will exchange your foreign currency. A last option is to exchange money at hotels or hostels which in many cases will gladly help out for a small fee. Please note that smaller cities, towns and villages most likely don't have any money exchange facilities.
Where to get EUR or USDBring foreign currency with you to Iran. USD is best and EUR is second best. Make sure you have clean, fresh and non-crumpled bills. You may get a worse street rate for your worn out dollar bills or in worst case they will not be accepted.
In Tbilisi (Georgia) there are several ATMs where you can withdraw crisp brand new 100 USD bills. The same goes for banks in Yerevan (Armenia). Check the fees first at a couple of places because it may vary greatly. The Bank of Georgia in Tbilisi had the cheapest fee I could find which was a flat fee of 1 USD per withdrawal. Most other ATMs in Tbilisi charged a fee of 2% which also is the case for the banks in Yerevan.
If you know where to get USD and EUR in any of the other countries with border crossings to Iran (Azerbaijan, Turkey etc.), then let me know and I will update this toolkit section.
Budget based on 2022 pricesTraveling in Iran is very cheap. Accommodation and transport will probably be the biggest expenditures in your budget if you travel independently.
A decent hostel in Isfahan will cost you from 6-10 EUR including breakfast. But you will only find hostels in major cities. Budget accommodation with a private room should not cost more than 15 EUR but this might require you to look for good deals in a few places.
A good filling dinner at a local restaurant will be about 5 EUR but you can do this cheaper if you go for fast food places on street corners.
If you are going on guided tours expect to boost your budget a lot. A local guide with a car is about 100 EUR per day. This can be a good option if you are a group and want to travel to remote places.
A weekly budget for a low to mid range traveler without tour guides is around 150 EUR depending on how much you use local transport. Top end restaurants and luxury accommodation will of course set you back a lot. If you are planning to wild camp or camp in city parks, as I did most of my time in Iran, your weekly budget is significantly lower.
VPNRemember that Iran blocks most social media apps including Facebook and Instagram. They also block many other websites and while I was in Iran, I could hardly access anything. Use a VPN to get around these filters. Locals have a wide selection of different VPNs as Iran is blocking more and more VPNs.
NordVPN was rumored to only have a few of their servers working. I found two other VPN providers to work in full:
The VPN situation in Iran is ever changing and it got more scrutinized during and after the demonstrations in 2022. You need a bit of patience finding a working VPN. I experienced that one day a VPN server might work and the next day it didn't. So ask locals and other travelers about their recent experience before entering the country.
SIM cardGetting a SIM card in Iran is straightforward. Irancell is a big provider offering SIM cards to foreigners. Most travelers select Irancell. Irancell has service centers in most cities which can set you up with a SIM card in a matter of 30 minutes. Remember to bring your passport and paper VISA.
Expect a lot of SMS advertising on your Irancell SIM card. As it is all in Farsi it can be hard to tell which ones are valid useful information and which are just advertisements. Check out Phone Travel Wiz if you want to read about other SIM card providers in Iran.
I got a data package valid for several months but your foreign phone will be blocked after 30 days. To lift the block you will need to register your phone and pay a hefty fee based on the value of your phone. I was told they do this to prevent import of foreign phones. TAP Persia has done an excellent article on how to register your phone.
If you read through the very complicated registration process you will probably reach the same conclusion as me which is to give up before even trying. The actual SIM card doesn't get blocked. It only gets blocked for use on a certain IMEI number which basically is your phone's unique ID. As a work around and instead of trying to register your phone, I would advise you to buy a cheap local phone and make a hotspot for your main phone. Remember to have VPN running on the hotspot itself and also on all the devices you connect to the hotspot.
You could also try a small hack. If you have dual SIM slots in your phone you can switch the SIM cards around. That worked and lifted the block for me. Doing this should give you an additional 30 days.
A last option is to get a pocket-sized WiFi router from the provider of the MAH card. I've never seen this in action but you might want to have a look at it and see if it could be a solution for you.
Calling home without internet using RebtelIran sometimes cuts the internet if they want to limit people's ability to communicate. This happened while I was traveling in Iran 2022. I really wanted to be able to get in contact with family and friends back home so I started to do some research and found Rebtel.
Rebtel lets you call international phone numbers using your local SIM card. It can be a bit tricky to get the hang of at first but it's easy once you tried it a couple of times. On the Rebtel website, once logged into your account, you enter the international phone number which then is paired with a local phone number. This local number is just a dummy number created by Rebtel. I save the local dummy number on my phone, naming it with a Rebtel marker so I can distinguish the two contacts.
So let's say you are in Iran and you got a local SIM card. Now you want to call your Mom (which is a very valid use case) but there is no WiFi or mobile data available. But you are connected to the local phone network and can make local phone calls. You now look up the Rebtel dummy number for your Mom which of course was the first thing you created once you got the local SIM card. The Rebtel dummy number you call is a local number and you will pay the fee for calling this local number to your local SIM card provider. Then Rebtel makes the connection between the dummy number and the international number and for this part you pay Rebtel. Check out the Rebtel fees and prices here.
You will have to create local dummy numbers each time you enter a new country and get a local SIM card. That is a bit cumbersome but in exchange you get to call international numbers at a very cheap rate. Just make sure you get minutes on your local SIM card to call local numbers.
I have dual SIM slots in my phone and I travel with my SIM card from back home. I use this as a base number for my Rebtel account. Once I enter a new country and get a local SIM card, I enter the new phone number to my Rebtel account. You can have 5 phone numbers connected to your account at any time. This lets you share your Rebtel credits between the connected numbers. Creating a new account for each number you get while traveling means you lose access to your Rebtel credits.
How to minimize travel risk in IranIranians are one of the friendliest people on earth. Of course, bad incidents happen everywhere and attacks and robberies against foreigners happen, but my impression after one and a half months in Iran, is that the risk is very very low.
However, as a western traveler, dealing with the government and authorities is a different story altogether. They are very sensitive about independent foreign travelers. There are a few things to bear in mind to get you hassle free travels.
Iran is really fussy about drones. If you are an avid drone user I would suggest you pack it down, get it sealed at the border crossing and keep it sealed until you are out of the country. You should only use your drone if given specific permission from the correct authorities. Better yet, you ship it to your next destination so you can travel drone free in Iran.
While we are on the topic, be careful about photos in general. Under no circumstance can you take photos of governmental buildings. This includes any embassy, office or administrative building and of course anything military should never see the front of your photo lens. Cops and mullahs are one of those groups where you should get permission first before snapping any photos. Landscapes and tourist attractions are all good and here you can take as many photos as you'd like.
Any pornographic material is illegal. Don't keep any of it on your electronic devices. Perhaps it's a good idea to tell the buddies back home to refrain themselves from sending girl nudies on a Friday night.
You might be pulled in for questioning and then there is a good chance they will look through all your electronic devices. It happened to me - twice.
Stay away from demonstrations and protests. Most likely the Iranian government will ban any journalist from covering the event and you don't want to be mistaken for one. If there are large gatherings of police and security forces, then leave the immediate vicinity quickly. Also be wary about discussing political topics with locals.
If you are traveling on rural roads, discuss your planned route with the police and hear what they have to say. They might tell you it's not a good idea for various reasons. There might be government and military facilities not marked on the map which you should stay clear off.
Although most of Iran is very safe, some places, however, are not. The area east of Bam and Jask and Sistan-Baluchistan as a whole are notorious for banditry and the main route for drug-traffickers from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The towns of Zahedan, Zabol and Mirjaveh are particularly insecure. Stay well away from the Iran-Afghan border. Asking locals about the safety level is always a good idea but they will often be overly cautious and would advise you against any minor risk. You will meet travelers who travel these areas without any issues but you should always take decisions based on your own risk appetite.
This might seem like a lot of warnings. It certainly was a bit overwhelming for me and I was worried at first. But once you are in it, it actually becomes a natural part of your day. I felt very safe during my travels in Iran and I will definitely return one day.
The biggest danger you face will most likely be crossing the street.
Local laws, customs and dress codeYou are traveling to a muslim country with a conservative government. There are things you need to be aware of if you are not accustomed to local laws and customs. Iran does not follow the strictest interpretation of the Sharia law. Most things that are illegal in your home country are also illegal here. The penalties in Iran are severe compared to that of western countries.
The best part of Iranian culture is taroof. It is hard to explain because it is a complex thing. In all simplicity, it is a way of showing generosity. You will very often be declined when you try to pay for food and snacks. Being invited to a local home to eat or spend the night is also very common. Remember that you should not take the offer at first but decline at least three times. If the locals keep on offering, then you can accept. That is the way of taroof.
It's a muslim country so their weekend coincides with the Friday prayer. Iranian weekend covers Thursday and Friday.
Iranian dress code is conservative. Dress moderately. Shorts are a no go. Wear pants even if it is plus 40 degrees celsius. Local men wear t-shirts so this should be fine but only for men. Women should cover their arms. Women also need to cover their hair and neck with a hijab which is mandatory. Ideally women should wear loose fitting clothes although I didn't see this being followed strictly.
No alcohol consumption. You will need to restore your beer ratio once out of the country.
Unmarried couples are in theory not allowed to share a room. As a western traveler you most likely will not be asked about this when checking into a hotel room. However, it might be a good idea to wear fake wedding rings.
Gay and lesbians can face a very harsh penalty that you would never imagine if you grew up in a western country. So be aware of this.
Food for vegetariansIt's a country where they eat a lot of meat. Kabaabiis, which is the Arabic word for kebab maker, are everywhere. Outside of major cities fast food joints with burgers are a common sight. If you are a vegetarian like me, you have a limited selection of dishes to select from but they are all mouth watering yummy. Here are my favorites.
Omelet is a very typical breakfast or early lunch dish which you can find in even the smallest town. You may think you nailed this one and know exactly what you are going to get. But Iranians apply a twist and make their very own Persian Omelet. It's more like scrambled eggs with tomatoes mixed with the chef's secret red sauce. You eat this with fresh onions and lavash (flat bread) on the side. I've never tried a more delicious omelet in my life so I would highly recommend hanging out in as many omelet places as you can.
Ash is basically just a general term for thick soup. By the looks of it you may think twice about eating it. But don't think twice. Instead you should by pure instinct head straight for the nearest place in town. There is a wide selection of different types of ash and they should all be vegetarian. Ask first to be sure. The ingredients used are reshteh (thin noodles), kashk (a whey-like, fermented dairy product), herbs such as parsley, spinach, dill, spring onion ends and sometimes coriander, chickpeas, black eye beans, lentils, onions, flour, dried mint, garlic and oil. You can eat ash everyday and never grow tired of the almost endless variations.
Ghormeh sabzi is a stew loaded with greens and herbs. The stew is cooked with meat but if you are not a strict vegetarian you can ask to get the meat pieces omitted when ordering it. You eat this with a solid portion of rice.
Yeralma Yumurta is a famous street food from Tabriz. It's a reason in itself to travel to this city. You get mashed potato, boiled egg, a generous portion of butter and herbs all rolled into a big piece of lavash. When you eat this, you will not be hungry again for a while.
Abgoosht is another stew served with meat where you can ask to get it served without the big pieces of meat that are easily taken out. It is also called Dizi which refers to the traditional stoneware crocks it is served in. Abgoosht is usually made with lamb, chickpeas, white beans, onion, potatoes, tomatoes, turmeric, and dried lime. Other variations exist with kidney beans and black-eyed peas. There is a special way to eat this so observe the locals. The trick is to mash the broth with the flatbread. I know this is not to be textbook vegetarian but the vegetarian food selection in Irian is limited so I made some adjustments to my principles.
Wild campingAs a biketourer, wild camping is a natural part of my travels. I did sleep in my tent the major part of my stay in Iran, but I wouldn't call it actual wild camping. Most cities and towns have a city park where you are welcome to pitch your tent. If there is a city park guard, ask for permission, and I can almost promise that you would get a big yes. Most city parks are conveniently equipped with toilets and running water. They are also located close to shops where you can stash up on groceries for dinner. I got so hooked on city park camping that I aimed for one on a daily basis.
If city parks are not your thing (they can be a bit noisy with nearby car traffic and the occasional curious bystander) then there should be plenty of open stunning landscape where you can camp for the night. Get wild camp experience from other travelers who recently visited Iran and which stayed more away from city parks than me.
Border crossingsIran borders several countries. There are land border crossings to Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Caravanistan has a very good resource on border crossings.
I traveled to Iran in 2022 and the world was still dealing with the aftershocks of COVID. Azerbaijan land borders were closed. Turkmenistan was sealed off shut. Options are limited and subject to change so check which border crossings are available.
I crossed into Iran via Armenia from the border towns of Meghri (Armenia) and Norduz (Iran). The border crossing was easy and not busy. Allow time for scanning of your bags on both sides of the border. On the Iranian side I was able to exchange my local Armenian currency.
I left the country from Bandar Abbas by ferry to Sharjah (UAE). It was a 7 hour ferry ride where I easily could fit the bike in their cargo room. The passport control was easy and fast. However, expect a lot of waiting as the ferry is notoriously delayed. It took me a total of 18 hours from the terminal at Bandar Abbas until I had left the ferry port in Sharjah. In Bandar Abbas, a long line of people had lined up each with a couple hundred kg of luggage. One had 300 kg of luggage and it takes a lot of time to check in, pack and load all of that onto the ferry. On the UAE side, you are not allowed to get your bags scanned before they have offloaded all of the luggage and spread it out on the arrival terminal floor. This can be very frustrating if you have no checked in baggage. Perhaps a better option is to take the ferry from Bandar Lengeh which is both a shorter and quicker ferry ride.
If you decide to leave Iran for Pakistan I would advise you to take the southernmost border called Rimdan. If you take the Taftan border you will be forced to get a police escort to Quetta. It's a free ride but it has more checkpoints than you want to endure. I've heard you pass 25 checkpoints where you have to change vehicles every time. To avoid this, hug the coastline from the Rimdan to Karachi (Pakistan) and then head north.
2022-11-26 | blog
The second part of my bike touring blog for Iran. From Isfahan to Bandar Abbas. From sand dunes in vast desert landscapes, under starry skies and rising blood moons to gas station camping and a sudden change in the weather as I arrived on the hu...
2023-01-08 | blog
Taking a break from biketouring in Dubai. Definitely not a paradise for cycling but tailor made for the rich and wealthy going on a beach vacation.
Hi, I am Dani Kainoa. Summer of 2021, I set out on a journey to explore the world on a bicycle. Join my world biketour and follow my travel blog for stories, reviews, guides and more. Visit my photo journal on Instagram to keep up with more of my adventures.