Iran

Why It Is Difficult

Status, May 2026: Geopolitical tension with the West, periodic regional flare-ups; US and UK travel advisories warn dual nationals against travel due to detention risk. Inside Iran day-to-day life and tourism functioning normally; foreign tourists generally welcomed. Mahsa Amini-era unrest has subsided but morality-police enforcement of dress code remains.

Why It Is Worth Visiting

Isfahan (Naqsh-e Jahan Square, one of the largest public squares on earth), Persepolis, Yazd’s desert architecture and qanat system, Shiraz gardens and the Pink Mosque, Tehran’s contemporary art scene, the Lut Desert, the rose festival in Kashan, ski resorts in the Alborz, and a hospitality culture (taarof) that is genuinely uncommon elsewhere.

Practical Travel Notes

Connectivity: VPN essential. Most Western social media and many news sites blocked. Download multiple VPN apps before arrival. SIM: Irancell or MCI at IKA airport; cheap. Dress: women must wear hijab; men avoid shorts in public. Alcohol: prohibited. Photography: avoid military, oil installations, anti-regime imagery.

Access And Logistics

Tehran IKA: Turkish Airlines (IST), Qatar (DOH), Emirates (DXB), Lufthansa (FRA), Pegasus (SAW), Aeroflot (SVO), Air France (CDG), Mahan and Iran Air domestically and regionally. Overland: Turkey (Dogubayazt-Bazargan), Armenia (Meghri-Norduz), Azerbaijan (Astara), Turkmenistan (Sarakhs), Pakistan (Mirjaveh-Taftan, with security caveats), and Iraq (Sulaymaniyah and Kermanshah crossings). Money - the critical point No Western credit/debit cards work in Iran. Sanctions block international banking. Plan accordingly: Bring USD or EUR cash in clean, post-2013 bills. Exchange in Ferdowsi Square (Tehran) or at any sarafi (money-changer) - they give a far better rate than banks. 1 USD 60,000+ toman (heavily fluctuating). Iran uses two currencies in conversation: rials (official) and tomans (= rials 10). Confirm which is meant before you pay. Tourist cards (Mah Card, Daric) are prepaid rial cards you load with foreign currency on arrival - useful if carrying USD around makes you uncomfortable. Working out a sane daily budget: USD 50-80/day mid-range, less budget, more for guide-required nationalities. Sample 15-day itinerary Tehran (2) - Tabriz (2) - Kashan (1) - Isfahan (3) - Yazd (2) - Shiraz/Persepolis (2) - Kerman/Bam/Lut Desert (2) - fly back to Tehran (1).

Safety Considerations

Treat security as the core planning constraint. Avoid improvising routes, keep a conservative schedule, and re-check local conditions immediately before travel.

Visa Or Permit Notes

E-visa available at evisatraveller.mfa.ir for most nationalities - USD 75, requires LOI from an Iranian agency (typically USD 25-35). US, UK and Canadian passport holders must travel with a guide for the whole trip and apply via a registered agency; cost is significantly higher. Visa-on-arrival is possible at IKA airport for many EU passports with a pre-arranged LOI. NB: Iran is not stamped if you ask the immigration officer at the start (“no stamp please”). The e-visa is still recorded electronically; many travellers prefer this for onward US/Israel visa applications. Guides and operators (from the archive) Against the Compass and Untamed Borders both run dedicated Iran group tours (the visa-required nationalities prefer these). Caravan Sahra, Iran Doostan and Pasargad are large Tehran-based agencies that handle LOIs and full itineraries.

Obfuscated Contact Leads

These archive leads are intentionally not clickable and not clean-copy formatted. Re-type them manually if a lead is relevant, and verify independently before relying on anyone.