When I Go Persia invited me to visit Iran I was jumping with happiness, I’ve met a few travelers lately have been there and I’ve heard nothing but great things about it.

Many things have crossed my mind at the beginning, the beauty of the mosques and nature, the food and the cultural differences, and particularly that, as a woman I would have to wear a headscarf everywhere, in this article I will be sharing all you need to know before your first trip to Iran.

 

Iran Travel Tips to know before your trip

We all know these days Iran is suffering from a bad reputation and I will not talk about politics in this article but I will share my own experience traveling the country for 13 days with IgoPersia so you can make your own idea about it and perhaps help you to plan your next trip.

The biggest mind-changing thing to me was seeing that Iran is one of the easiest places to travel, it’s safe and the most: the people are extremely nice and helpful!

Some tips that will help you to travel to Iran better:

Iran Visa

It’s now easier to travel to Iran as they have the option for several countries to apply through an E-visa.

You should register at least two days before your trip through an agency or individually if your nationality is eligible.

Upon arrival, they will approve the visa and you will do the payment at the airport. I couldn’t find the official fees for each country, but for my German and French friends was 75€ and for me, Chilean 120€.

 

Some countries are exempted from applying for a visa to enter Iran, including the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Georgia, Armenia, Venezuela, Egypt, Malaysia, and China. Others, like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, India, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, USA, and the UK must apply at the Embassy.

Citizens of the US can apply for a visa, but it must be done at least two months prior to the trip in an Embassy and costs 80€ for them.

 

Dressing code

It was one of the most difficult parts of my trip, as according to law,  Compulsory hijab was re-instated for Iranian state employees after the Islamic revolution in 1979, followed by law for requiring the wearing of hijab in all public spaces in 1983

The typical attire has been gradually evolving from the standard black chador to a simple headscarf that can be as colorful as you like, combined with other colorful elements of clothing.

They are not as strict on how you can wear it, and most women in major cities are using it while still showing some hair and it looks very stylish!

It was a new thing to wear it the whole day, I had to wear it in Turkey or India when entering a mosque or a temple, but the experience of having it almost 24/7 was interesting, especially when it was almost 40°C outside.

Not only the hair must be covered, but also your forearms and legs until the ankles.

In winter this is not a big issue, but in summer is a bit more complicated when you want to be outdoors. You can wear a coat, a wide long tunic or blouse with long sleeves.

For men, the dressing code is a bit less strict, they are not allowed to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts in public.

 

 

No Alcohol, no dancing, no fun?

Despite wine having a large presence in the former Persian culture, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979 consuming and selling alcohol in Iran is forbidden.

Be careful when packing or making that stop at the duty-free on your way to Iran, you are not allowed to have alcohol in your suitcase.

I’m sure you have heard about Syrah wine and thought this was produced in Iran. I’m sorry to disappoint but apparently, there is no connection between the name and the grapes more than the name.

Having no alcohol, nightclubs or dancing doesn’t mean Iranians are boring and they don’t go out at night, at the contrary, they love to spend time out and sharing with their friends, it’s just it will be more probably around cups of chai, juices or an alcohol-free beer.

Yes, dancing in public is also not allowed, as well as playing a certain kind of music. These strict laws related to dancing are based on the one saying women are not allowed to dance in the presence of men not being their immediate family members.

 

Internet

Access to the Internet in Iran is not an issue. You will find Wifi in most of the restaurants, hotels, cafes and touristic places and you can also purchase a SIM card at the airport at very affordable prices. You can get 5GB for about 460.000 rials what was at the time I was there less than $5usd.

There’s a blockage for certain social media and websites in Iran, so accessing Facebook, Twitter and other websites can be hard.

What most people do is using a VPN to be able to access some of these websites, you should sign up with a VPN provider registered and approved by the government.

Language

The most important fact to keep in mind is Iranians are not Arabs, they are Persians and the official language is Persian/Farsi.

Many younger generations will speak English and also many signs will be in the western alphabet, in most restaurants and street signs you will only see Farsi, after some days you start getting used a bit but it’s totally different to what we are used to as English or Spanish speaker.

Of course, there are other languages spoken in the country like Armenian, Kurdish, Arabian, and Turkish.

 

Currency

This is perhaps the most confusing topic while traveling in Iran.

The official currency is the Rial.

When you go to a shop or a restaurant you will not see the prices in Rials, you will actually see them in Tomans, the former currency that everyone is still used to have in everything, that is the amount in rials plus a zero.

The official rates for money exchange are totally different to what’s the real exchange rate meaning you can’t really use any currency converter as you are used to doing when traveling, you got to calculate it mentally…or old style with a calculator

For example, I have exchanged 50€ and that was according to the official rate around 2.000.000 IRR, but what I’ve got was 7.000.000 IRR!! That was enough to buy some extra snacks and a few souvenirs during my trip.

You will not be able to use your foreign credit card. There is a Your dollars will not be liked, so bring Euros to be sure you can have cash as soon as you arrive at the airport but try to exchange money once you are out in the city or talk to your tour guide or hotel.

 

Booking Hotels in Iran

Traveling in Iran might be tricky when one is already used to book everything previously online from your phone.

Not only, for this reason, I consider traveling Iran with the help of a travel agent might be a good idea for the first time, but it will also make everything so much easier!

For example, my favorite hotel of the trip was in Tehran where I stayed the first and last night. Hanna Hotel is a  beautiful boutique hotel in the business district in Tehran. The decoration is modern, simple and stylish and it was a perfect place to start the trip. The rooms are beautifully decorated, with a home-style decoration. The bathroom is following the new trend with glass walls, something cool to have when you are alone, but if I’m sharing the room, I love to have some privacy there.

They serve breakfast in the restaurant with 3 main options, off course I went for the Tehran breakfast and it was over the top!!! One of the best I had in a long time and the flavors gave me a very happy moment on my first morning.

Can’t wait to try more Iranian food!

 

Iranian Food

As the large variety of ethnic groups and the neighboring culture’s influence in the Iranian culture, the food in Iran is directly reflecting this with a mix of products resulting in a unique flavor.

Combining dried fruits like raisins, apricots and prunes with herbs, cinnamon, dried lime, and the omnipresent saffron, the result is often a rich and home tasting food.

There’s something a bit funny as you spend more days in the country you will find yourself saying: I don’t want any other Kebab, please!

The thing is Iranians use to cook and eat mostly at home, and the times they go out they will eat the things they don’t prepare at home because you need special items, and this is mostly: KEBAB.

Keep this in mind and whenever they have something different in the menu, try it. There are several delicious preparations to try and you will always find Kebab with a mountain of rice in 80% of the restaurants, but a delicious Abgoosht Or Dizi or a Pichagh Gheymeh will melt your mouth and maybe you are brave enough to try one of their favorite desserts, the Khoreshte Mast, a chicken, and saffron based sweet preparation I was not sure I would eat a whole bowl.

During the day you will drink cay (tea) several times per day and breakfast is usually a whole setup of different bites with fresh bread and eggs.

Also, they love to snack, and you will find lots of dry fruits, salted sunflower seeds, and the delicious Lavoshak, fruit leather that has some addicts in our group.

What’s Taarof?

You are eating in a restaurant and before you start your friend insist on you are trying her dish first. You are a little confused and say ‘sure, that looks amazing!’…and you can see the disappointment on her face. This is the unwritten custom of Taarofing, the Iranian shape of politeness and it will make things easier once you know about it.

It’s applicable to different situations, like the one I’ve just mentioned, she would insist one or two times until she finally can eat her meal. Or you are in a shop and the vendor insist on not accepting your money when you are on about to pay. They are expecting you to insist one or two times and, of course, most probably pay at the end.

People

After been traveling for more than 20 years I must admit I have never seen before such a huge overall friendliness in a country. Iranians are fun and kind people and they are genuinely interested to know more about you and your culture.

Don’t think is weird when they invite you to their house for a tea and feel safe to accept these invitations, they will be a good memory and you might make new friends on the way.

My most valued memory from this trip was inside a real nomad’s tent drinking tea and eating bread with the women of the family. It was not something prepared nor a touristic place and it was a genuine invitation to share a moment.

Conclusion

Perhaps every time I write about a destination the first idea that comes into my mind is…I’ve been dreaming with this place forever! And is true, my wanderlust is serious, and I believe every country has a lot to show in its own unique way.

Iran was a destination on my radar since I went to India for the first time and I’ve met a solo woman who was just coming back from a month trip to Iran and she was telling me amazing things about it. Then I’ve decided I will go to Iran sooner than later.

 

Before traveling to Iran I’ve had as many doubts as many of you are probably having.

I’m so happy to have experienced for 13 days a glimpse of what Iran has to offer to tourism and to have seen firsthand the beauty of its nature.

 

Have you already been traveling in Iran?