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PCR test for travelers to Iran 2022

PCR test for travelers to Iran 2022

With COVID-19 going on longer than expected, the tourism industry has suffered much damage in Iran as well as every other country throughout the tiring and difficult period. In many countries, tourism restraints have been lifted by now and the borders are open once again, welcoming tourists and thankfully Iran is one of them. After 20 months of lockdown and suspension, tourists from other nationalities have finally been able to apply for tourist visas since October 2021 and tourists have been able to travel to Iran in great numbers ever since. Air borders and land borders alike, are currently open and accessible for Iranians and other nationalities.

But of course, with re-opening of the borders came new rules and regulations to ensure the safety of travelers against the lethal (and fortunately disappearing) virus. It’s important to fully follow and respect the regulations to avoid endangering ourselves and the others in order to have an enjoyable time during our vacation and refrain from committing acts to cause distress for ourselves and others dear to us.

The regulations set by Islamic Republic of Iran regarding COVID-19 safety are discussed in this article.

  • Passengers over 12 years of age who are traveling to Iran are required to be fully vaccinated with the second dose of the two shots or the single shot of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine taken at least 14 days prior to their arrival at the airport. A third booster shot is also highly advisable. The passengers must also provide a negative PCR test or quarantine in Iran for 14 days as an alternative. The PCR test results are valid for four days (96 hours) and must be approved by an Iranian consulate.

For the test to be acceptable, the PCR test should come with a travel certificate. If your result is negative, you will receive an international travel certificate valid for the next 72 hours. The travel certificate is in the English language and internationally approved and will be sent to you by e-mail which you can print out before starting your journey.

For those travelling to Isfahan the certificate must include a QR code for passengers over 12 years of age who don’t have Iranian nationality.

All passengers must fill out and complete a COVID-19 self-declaration form before their arrival which is usually provided by airline operators either before or during the flights and the forms should later be handed over to agents of the airline.

  • There is a chance for newly-arrived passengers to go under health screening and in case any symptoms are detected they might have to be quarantined in governmental facilities.

Foreign tourists might even be prevented from entering the country if symptoms of COVID-19 (namely higher than normal fever and excessive coughs) are present despite having a negative PCR test and vaccine cards and be returned to their own country.

  • After entering the country, if PCR test results are positive, the tourists are obliged to be quarantined at accommodation centers at their own expense and will only be free to traffic in the city and public spaces after having received a negative PCR test in 14 days.

In coordination with the ministry of tourism, conditions can be provided in which tourists who catch COVID-19 during the time of their stay in Iran can return to their countries in case they are unable or unwilling to go through the 14-day quarantine period.

  • Every passenger of two years of age and older arriving to Iran is obliged to wear a mask on the airplane and at the airport and other indoor public spaces the whole time and it is strongly advised for them to get travel insurance with COVID coverage before they are issued with their visas in order to cover all overseas medical costs, if need. The whole cost of PCR COVID testing and other measures of quarantine are paid by the tourist through the insurance coverage.

Get updated with your vaccines before travelling and if you’re not, and may have issues accessing healthcare, you can postpone your trip to Iran until the problem is solved.

You can see the list of vaccines approved for travelers to Iran in the following:

  • AstraZeneca (SK Bioscience)
  • AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria)
  • Moderna (Spikevax)
  • Sinopharm
  • Sinovac
  • Janssen
  • Covidshield
  • Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)
  • Sputnik V

The idea of having to deal with sickness and diseases whether the person affected is you or someone close to you is admittedly not ideal. particularly during a vacation which is initially supposed to lift your mood and distract you from your mundane life. This is why both the passengers and those working within tourism and hospitality industry try their best for everyone to stay healthy and take on the responsibility to stop the COVID-19 virus from spreading any further as well as they can.

Thankfully the healthcare system in Iran is highly educated, adaptable and fully equipped and has been presenting marvelous effort and admirable results during the peak of COVID-19 and in case you are affected during your time in Iran, you can be sure that you are in good, professional hands.

Make sure to stay safe during your trip to Iran so you can fully enjoy the numerous astonishing historic monuments and the eye-catching landscapes without stressful events to spoil the fun for you.

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Travel to Iran from Australia 2023

Travel to Iran from Australia 2023

Have you ever wondered how would it be to travel to Iran from Australia and explore Iran’s wonderful nature and historical places? We are here to assure you that as a tourist, you will absolutely enjoy Iran’s unique nature alongside its spectacular historic sites and other wonderful features that annually, absorb tourists from all around the world to the country.

As a matter of fact, just like Australia, Iran is a country with four seasons which may not be considered as a remarkable phenomenon for Australian tourists who travel to Iran from Australia since Aussies are familiar with the idea and pleasure of living in a four-season land. This is why visiting Iran’s ancient historic sites and magnificent tourist attractions together with exploring Iran’s nature and getting familiar with Iran’s culture and ethnic groups has always made Australian explorers to take a trip to Iran. Keep in mind, there are so many reasons to travel to Iran and the mentioned ones are only a few of them. Also, if you wonder when is the best time to travel to Iran from Australia, we suggest you to visit best time to visit Iran.

As a tour and travel agency, we feel obligated to help Australian tourists who travel to Iran from Australia in case of anything that comes in mind while planning a trip to Iran. In the following article we are going to talk about airways from which you can book flights to travel to Iran from Australia, visa requirements, accommodation and so forth. We hope this article may guide you so that you can have a nice trip.

  • Which airways can I use to book a flight to travel to Iran from Australia?

Even though currently there are no direct flights from Australia to Iran, there is no need to take this seriously since there are flight with only one or in some cases two stops that can be of service to you in order to travel to Iran from Australia.

Currently, the most popular airways that offer flights to Iran from Australia, making a travel to Iran from Australia much easier are Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

Qatar Airways | Offering flights to travel to Iran from Australia:

Qatar Airways offers flights to Iran from Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and many other cities in Australia which land in Tehran, the capital city of Iran; so, if you are interested in traveling to Iran and wondered if you could get a flight from your hometown or a city near to you so as to travel to Iran from Australia, there you go! Qatar Airways has made this much easier for you.

Browsing through flights you will notice that flights from Sydney, which take off from Kingsford Smith Airport, can have only one stop in Doha and take almost 20 hours to get to Tehran (Imam Khomeini International Airport) or, have two stops in Australian cities such as Melbourne or Brisbane and take about 22 hours. These flights can cost you about 4000-6000 AUD if you intend to book return tickets to travel to Iran from Australia.

In case you intend to book a flight taking off from Melbourne (Melbourne International Airport) to travel to Iran from Australia, flights which Qatar Airways offers to you are also various ones taking from almost 10 hours with only one stop in Doha to the ones that take almost 23 hours with two stops both in Doha and Sydney or Perth, costing you 3500-6000 AUD for a return ticket which can be options to travel to Iran from Australia.

Despite the mentioned flights, flights taking off from Canberra (Canberra Airport) all have two stops along the way, one in Doha and the other in one of the Australian cities. It seems that the most expensive of these flights can cost about 6000 AUD in exchange for a return ticket which are flights that can take almost 28 hours in total making a travel to Iran from Australia a little bit harder for some people.

Tourists who intend to travel to Iran from Australia and are living in Adelaide must know that Qatar Airways’ flights taking off from Adelaide have two stops as well, one in Doha before flying towards Tehran and the other one mostly in Melbourne or Indonesia, taking almost 22 hours to complete the journey, and can cost up to 8000 AUD for a return ticket.

Note that flights taking from Brisbane are mostly same as above with a few unnoticeable changes in details while flights taking off from Perth might have a stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fees and flight durations might differ briefly. In case you aim to travel to Iran from Australia and Perth or Brisbane or unmentioned cities are the starting points of you journey, we recommend you to visit Qatar Airlines website.

Besides Tehran, Qatar Airways also offers flights which land in other major cities of Iran such as Isfahan (taking almost 37 hours with one or two stops along the way and the same fees), Mashhad (taking 37 to 56 hours with one or stops), Shiraz (taking almost 20 to 37 hours) and there might be flights landing in other cities of Iran as well.

Please note that these fees are subject to change according to the time of your trip and may be higher or lower.

Remember, in case of planning a travel to Iran from Australia, check Qatar Airways for flight suggestions since there are so many to choose from.

Malaysia Airlines | The other Asian airways offering flights to travel to Iran from Australia

One important thing to keep in mind about Malaysia Airlines’ flights is that Malaysia Airlines only offers flights landing in Tehran. These flights take off from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Hence, in case you intend to travel to Iran from Australia through Malaysia Airlines, you must know that your only destination is Tehran.

Moreover, browsing through flights in Malaysia Airlines’ websites it seems that flight options are more limited than the ones offered by Qatar Airways meaning the number of flights offered by Malaysia Airlines are less.

Flights taking off from Sydney have two stops, one in Kuala Lumpur and one in Doha and take 21 to 36 hours depending on the option that is more suitable for your trip schedule when you travel to Iran from Australia. Fees are various and can cost you about 2500-7000 AUD.

Assuming that you are planning to travel to Iran from Australia and you live in Melbourne, flights that Malaysia Airlines offers to you can take 23 to 34 hours to get to Tehran and have two stops, one in Kuala Lumpur and the other in Doha and may cost you almost 5000 AUD or higher.

For tourists who want to travel to Iran from Australia, the city of Brisbane, Malaysia Airlines has some offers too. Offered flights can take 24 to 36 hours with two stops same as above and fees are same as other cities with a few changes in accordance with date of your travel to Iran from Australia.

If you intend to travel to Iran from Australia, the city of Adelaide or Perth, one information that might come in handy is that flight options taking off from these two cities may be a bit more limited, therefore, we recommend you to book your flights way sooner in order to avoid any problems. As other flights, these flights have two stops, duration of the flights are almost the same and the fees may be a little bit higher.

We cannot stress this enough that these fees are subject to change according to the time of your trip and may be higher or lower.

Thus, as an explorer who intends to travel to Iran from Australia, we suggest you to check Malaysia Airlines’ website in order to find your desired flight.

Turkish Airlines | One other airways company offering flights to travel to Iran from Australia

Booking a flight from Turkish Airlines is another option for tourists who want to travel to Iran from Australia. Turkish Airlines offer flights that take off from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and so forth.

Duration of the flights taking off from Sydney offered by Turkish Airlines are noticeably longer than the other two airways mentioned above since seemingly, they take almost 40 hours or more to travel to Iran from Australia and get to Tehran and they all have two stops along the way, one is always Istanbul, obviously, and the other can be Singapore, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur. The fact that these flights take so long to get to Tehran is not always bad due to the fact that layovers can be up to 20 hours which may give a little bit of time to tourists who travel to Iran from Australia to explore the city. Also, Fees are not so much different than the other airways.

Turkish Airlines’ flight taking off from Brisbane can take 32 to more than 40 hours to travel to Iran from Australia and they all have two stops and fees may be a bit cheaper.

In case you want to travel to Iran from Australia, the city of Melbourne, there are options for you that can take 27 hours to more than 40 to get to Tehran, having two stops along the way as well.

Also, flights taking off from Perth can take less than 30 hours, too.

Moreover, Turkish Airlines offers flights that land in cities other than Tehran such as Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz and Tabriz. Therefore, in case you plan to travel to Iran from Australia and land in one of the mentioned cities, Turkish Airlines can be a good option for you, as well.

In case you plan a travel to Iran from Australia and have chosen Turkish Airlines, we recommend you to browse through their website to find your favorite flight.

Generally speaking, if you desire to travel to Iran from Australia and get to Tehran as soon as possible, Qatar Airways is the best option for you since they offer flights with only one stop and the flight duration can be under 20 hours. In case your destination is a city other than Tehran, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have scheduled flights to offer you so that you can travel to Iran from Australia easily. All in all, we assure you that all tourists who plan to travel to Iran from Australia are able to find the best flight suitable for their schedule and plans browsing through airways’ websites.

  • Accommodation in Iran for tourists who travel to Iran from Australia

Iran, just as any other touristic country, has different kinds of hotels for tourists who travel to Iran from Australia or any other nation to book in advance. In order to get more information regarding the matter, visit Iran hotels.

  • What are visa requirements for Australian citizens who intend to travel to Iran from Australia?

Do note of the fact that in order to travel to Iran from Australia, you must apply for a visa and that you cannot apply for an Iran visa if your passport is expiring under six months. To apply for a visa, tourists who intend to travel to Iran from Australia, must fill an online application form though the following link https://evisatraveller.mfa.ir/en/request. We recommend you to apply for your visa application through one of the travel agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and so forth. As an Australian having plans to travel to Iran from Australia, make sure that at the time of filling out your application form, you have chosen the Iranian embassy located in Canberra as the place to receive your visa grant notice. In case of making the wrong choice, the process of your visa application may face delay. Furthermore, in order to submit documents, you do not need to attend the embassy.

Once you submit your application, a Visa Submission Notice will be sent to your email so, make sure you have a valid email address.

Also, you better pay attention to the fact that a Tourist Visa for tourists who travel to Iran from Australia is valid for 90 days meaning that from the day of issuance of your visa, you have 90 days to enter Iran. And upon arriving to Iran, you can stay in the country for 45 days.

It is better for you to send your documents one month before the date you intend to travel to Iran from Australia.

As a Tour and Travel Agency we are here to guide you so, in case you desire to travel to Iran from Australia, you can contact our specialists through emailing Info@zhivar.Net and we will help you as far as we can.

Moreover, for more information regarding documents needed to obtain an Iran visa in order to travel to Iran from Australia, you can visit www.australia.mfa.gov.ir .

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Can Americans Travel to Iran?

Can Americans Travel to Iran?

Many citizens of the US might wonder if they are legally allowed to travel to Iran from the US and spend the holidays surrounded by the unique nature of Iran while having the chance to take a look at the famous historical remains and Persian architectural constructions as well as meeting up with the local folks and enjoy being exposed to such friendly culture. A good number might come up with the wrong idea that a travel to Iran from the US as a citizen of the United States has to be either impossible or overly complicated and stressful and end up rejecting the idea which is why we are going to answer to the following question: “Is it even possible for an American to travel to Iran from the US as a tourist?”

The short answer is yes, they absolutely can! No one should be robbed of visiting such astonishing tourism destination at least once in their life time and everybody, including US citizens must be able to travel to Iran from the US if they desire to. But they are going to have to plan things beforehand to enjoy the journey without any worries. Also, there’s a longer answer to come since the visa process is a little bit different for Americans who intend to travel to Iran from the US.

Contrary to the popular belief, American globetrotters have been traveling to Iran for years. In fact, many famous and well-known tour operators in the US have been offering cultural tours to Iran for a while now in order to pave the way for Americans to travel to Iran from the US. Iran has also been a temporary host to many famous faces and curious artists of the United States such as the gifted chef and writer, Anthony Bourdain and the Oscar-winning actor, Sean Penn.

While many travelers can obtain visa on arrival, unfortunately due to political tensions, the US citizens, while they travel to Iran from the US, along with citizens of a few other countries are exceptions and must be aware of the visa process and the general situation beforehand to be able to adjust their plans accordingly so that they can have a nice time during a travel to Iran from the US. The Iran visa process can be a bit of a hassle considering the relatively long wait but the Iranian authorities have made sure the waiting time is reduced in the past few years in order to make a travel to Iran from the US much easier.

Americans who travel to Iran from the US need to be granted visas and they would need to purchase tours from tour operators or traveling agencies or book private tour guides since it’s necessary for them to be accompanied by an Iranian national tour guide the whole time during their stay in Iran which admittedly could be a little disheartening for the American tourists who travel to Iran from the US.

It is vital for tourists who have plans to travel to Iran from the US to know that the visa should be applied for at least three months prior to the date of entry to the country, and for Americans who intend to travel to Iran from the US on average, it takes about 6 to 8 weeks from the time of applying until the visas are ready. The visas are valid for three months and can be used for a maximum of 30 days for tourists who travel to Iran from the US. If you’re looking for more information on the matter, you can contact info@zhivar.net and be thoroughly guided through the process by specialists.

Sadly, Iran is often portrayed as a violent or unsafe travel destination which cannot be any further from the truth. With thirty years of experience on the matter under our belt we assure you that just like any other nationalities, the Americans who travel to Iran from the US have never faced any form of unease or harm either from locals or from the law enforcement officers by getting in touch with proper tour guides and tour agencies which is what makes us say with confidence that a travel to Iran from the US can be an unforgettable experience.

Of course, there are certain things you need to keep in mind to avoid running into trouble while you travel to Iran from the US, which as you can probably guess includes the following activities:

  • As mentioned before, it’s important that the US citizens who plan to travel to Iran from the US have a tour guide to accompany them at all times. The tour operators can fortunately help you with booking flights too, considering many major American airlines don’t offer flights to Iran due to sanctions and the tension between the two countries.
  • In time of a travel to Iran from the US, avoid trying to enter the restricted areas or photographing military sites as it can cause serious issues between you and the authorities. You won’t need to worry about photography otherwise, as if it’s not permitted in an area, it would be indicated by using signs in English as well as Farsi.
  • In case you intend to travel to Iran from the US, it is good for you to know that you better avoid engaging in political conversations even if you’re asked to present your opinion on the topic. Triggering locals with political motivations and insulting the regime and political figures might result in legal prosecutions.
  • Just like political topics, religious topics are very tricky in Iran and best to be avoided at all cost during a travel to Iran from the US. Even if the locals involved in the conversations encourage you to join them and even if you’re within a circle of people you trust, you’d better not engage in such conversations and advertisement of all religions but Islam is against the law and could possibly get you in trouble.
  • Do pay attention to the dress code for both men and women and make sure to follow and respect it to avoid unpleasant encounters with the people or the morality officers. Although even if you happen to break the dress code without wanting to when you travel to Iran from the US, you will most likely be let off with a warning and won’t face serious reactions. If you put some little effort into it, you probably won’t end up having a problem as foreign tourists usually are not reacted to in equal measure as locals.
  • If you ever decide to travel to Iran from the US, make sure to decline any offerings of alcohol or recreational drugs as possessing either is against the law and drinking alcoholic beverage in public could lead to some problems. Also, it’s better to keep in mind that home-brewed alcoholic beverage could be harmful for your body considering they don’t rise up to the universal standards of production at all which is an important matter to keep in mind at the time of a travel to Iran from the US.
  • As a tourist who intends to travel to Iran from the US, you must make note of the fact the you might get rejected if you have already traveled to Israel due to the conflicts between the countries. If both countries are on your visiting checklist you might want to visit Iran first to avoid rejection. Although Israel most of the time doesn’t stamp passports anymore, and even if you’re found out to have traveled to Israel for tourism purposes only at least 4 years prior to your visa application, you might still be issued with an Iran visa meaning there won’t be a problem and you can travel to Iran from the US easily. It’s important to know that Jews and followers of Judaism are welcomed to travel to Iran from the US or any other nation through the country as long as they are not citizens of Israel and do not support Zionism. The country is not anti-Jew and there are thousands of Iranian Jews living in Iran in peace alongside Muslims and other religious minorities.

Fortunately, tourists who travel to Iran from the US by tours and with the company of tour guides never run into such problems as long as they are respectful of the laws, even though they might seem a little restricting to them. All in all, a travel to Iran from the US might be a little more complicated for citizens of the US or the UK and the visa process would typically take a longer time which needs to be taken into consideration ahead of time, but other than that, there’s not much to worry about. The rest of the process usually moves forward smoothly with no trouble especially because tourists who travel to Iran from the US are mostly relying on the tourism agencies to guide them through step by step.

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Reasons to travel to Iran

Reasons to travel to Iran

If you are not familiar with Iran beyond what media offers you, then you might wonder what brings a huge number of tourists to the country annually and you might want to know about the reasons to travel to Iran. Each country possesses unique features and qualities that bring in many people from different parts of the world to seek something new, and Iran is no exception to that, therefore, presenting countless reasons to travel to Iran is our task in this article.

Now, what are those qualities unique to Iran and are they worth the flight? Is Iran a suitable travel destination? What are the reasons to travel to Iran? Continue reading to get a general idea of the qualities you can expect while traveling to Iran as a tourist and find reasons to travel to Iran.

Ancient history and historical sites |one of the main reasons to travel to Iran:

Iran is consistent of ancient lands with archeological remains and historic monuments dating back to thousands of years ago. The country has been home to tens of empires carrying the civilization throughout years up until now. One must be lucky to be a witness to all that has remained of urban settlements from 7000 BC and everything coming after that. Numerous historical sites having passed the test of time and still standing despite many years of decay make Iran a place worthy of a visit, in particular for those who are interested in history, archeology and such and are looking for reasons to travel to Iran.

The doors are always open for travelers to visit Persepolis, the main royal residence for the Achaemenid empire, in all its might and glory. Also, Pasargadae, Susa, Shahr-e Sukhte and Bam citadel are some of the popular sites among ones with love for history in their hearts who find these places to be one of the reasons to travel to Iran.

Iranian Architecture | reasons to travel to Iran for architecture buffs:

Architecture has always been considered as one of the oldest and most prominent forms of art practiced in Iran. The repeated invasions and attacks from participants of other cultures have turned Iran into a melting pot of cultures from other civilizations in addition to the initially Iranian one which had already been there and never faded away as a result of significant historical events. Quite the contrary, they inspired and diversified art within the Iranian territory, making Iranian architecture one of the prominent reasons to travel to Iran.

In general, the ancient architecture style in Iran has followed different concepts depending on the era of the construction but most Persian architectural monuments have a few things in common; monuments which are one of the most important reasons to travel to Iran. Vaults, domes, gardens and fountains, use of calligraphy, muqranas, symmetrical structures, the turquois and cobalt blue colors to name a few.

Examples of fine architecture in Iran would be Chel Sotun, Shah Mosque, Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque, Golestan Palace and many more which are marked as touristic sites and are open to public. An architecture enthusiast traveler would probably never run out of places to visit in Iran. In fact, many of them find it to be one of the initial reasons to travel to Iran.

Various museums | more reasons to travel to Iran:

Museums are highly educational places, teaching us a great deal about art, culture and history amongst other things and are among many reasons to travel to Iran. There are various museums located all over the country with a good range of contents and items, showcasing pieces of Iranian history, culture and many other things.

Some of the museums in Iran are universally unmatched and essential to visit, namely the national jewelry treasury, Sa’d abad Complex, the National Museum of Iran, Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran, Yazd Water Museum and Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) visiting which makes reasons to travel to Iran more delightful. Very much the architectural sites, there is an abundance of museums in Iran, you are unlikely to have enough time on your hand to visit them all. An interesting fact about the museums is that they are usually placed around other tourist attractions to save you the trouble of unnecessary treks around the city.

Landscapes and natural resources of Iran | lesser-known reasons to travel to Iran:

Although Iran is generally most famous for vast deserts when it comes to natural resources, the four-season country has even more to offer. Ragged mountains are drawn all across the north and western regions of the country creating nice opportunities for hiking and skiing as well as a breath-taking view to take in which can be enjoyable reasons to travel to Iran for some nature lovers.

Of course, in close proximity of fertile lands of northern Iran sits the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water, moderating the weather and granting access to the diverse marine life within it. Down the southern borders of Iran, the Persian Gulf is spread wide with a stunning view of the ocean and one of the huge reasons to travel to Iran preferably during the colder seasons.

After all, as you would expect, the deserts are also pieces of Iranian natural beauty, one of the prominent reasons to travel to Iran as the travelers often claim, home to golden dunes of sand and hosting many touristic activities such as sandboarding, camel riding and quad biking. There are also many suitable rocky beaches for adrenaline junkies to dive off of, as well as caves and forests unique to the geographical location of Iran.

Ecotourism, although a relatively new industry in Iran, is doing wonders by attracting foreign and domestic tourists placing ecotourism between dominant reasons to travel to Iran.

Hospitable and warm locals | other reasons to travel to Iran:

The wonderful feeling of being attended to by warm, friendly guest-loving Iranian hosts is a shared experience amongst the majority of travelers in Iran which can be considered as reasons to travel to Iran since having great hosts can make your trip much better. Hospitality is and always has been a great part of Iranian culture, often catching others by surprise, who might be expecting to see intolerant or even violent behaviors due to misconceptions caused by media. Fortunately, that is not the case as Iranians love hosting guests and often do their best to make sure the guest is having a great time.

Generally, locals would be quite delighted to have friendly interactions with people of other nationalities and the chances are, they would offer you tea even if you are just a stranger who has just shown up!

In conclusion the warm-hearted and welcomed smiles can solely become reasons to travel to Iran.

Iranian food | delicious reasons to travel to Iran:

Iranian food is a great source of pride for the whole nation, as diverse as it is, accustomed to different geographical regions and their resources. The Iranian cuisine fairly carries the essence of Iranian culture. Not to mention the hundreds of different desserts and sweets, all colorful and strongly fragrant, adding up to reasons to travel to Iran.

Rice, different types of meat as well as herbs and vegetables make up various healthy food. And let’s not forget about the various different forms of kebabs! Of course, every food tastes better in its place of origin, and tasting Iranian food in Iran is an experience that should not be missed. Food tourism is now becoming more popular and has become one of the reasons to travel to Iran.

Low prices | financial reasons to travel to Iran:

One of the pros of traveling to Iran is that it is entirely possible to have a wonderful time there with a reasonable price, so if you are looking to travel on a lower budget but also enjoying high quality services, accommodation, transportation and attractions, Iran should definitely be considered as one of your options. You would be able to buy handcrafts, food, and enjoy touristic and recreational centers with a comparatively lower price than you’d think, just adding up to the reasons to travel to Iran.

There are certainly numerous other reasons as to why traveling to Iran is a great idea with the potential to make unforgettable memories, some of which you need to discover by yourself. If you are looking for more reasons to travel to Iran, you’d better take the journey and find out along the way.

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Is it safe to travel to Iran?

Iran safe to travel 

When you think of traveling to Iran as a tourist, questions regarding the safety might be the first to pop up. Despite the stigma surrounding Iran and Iranians, many of the tourists having already visited Iran, go as far as calling it one of the safest countries in the middle east, and even, the world!

Iranian people are often described as warm, friendly, hospitable with a natural curiosity towards other cultures that makes them out to be great company. The locals will always be open to a conversation and willing to chat you up and offer you help, if needed. It is likely they’d offer you tea and insist you join them for a meal too.

Are there terrorist attacks happening in Iran? Are Iranians terrorists?

Nowadays, because of the way the media portrays the middle east and Iran and due to some political tensions, unfortunately Iran is sometimes negatively associated with terrorism which is almost entirely a myth. A terrorist attack is not any more likely to happen in Iran than any European country, therefore if you are planning a trip to Iran, this is not at all something you need to worry about. Also, the rate of street crimes is low in Iran and men and women can enjoy a trip to Iran solo or in groups since it totally is a safe country.

Are Iranians extremist Muslims and hateful towards other beliefs?

That seems to be a common misconception about Iranians, especially among people of the west which is absolutely not true. While in some parts of Iran people tend to be more religious than the others, Iranians are generally flexible and accepting of different cultures and religions and respect those who respect them. They find cultural exchange quite exciting and are on board with it. Christians, Zoroastrians, and Jewish people are totally welcome in the country, as well as the others. There are even people living in Iran with different religions and have absolutely no problem.

Will you be able to use the internet and electronics?

Some might assume that the use of technology and electronics might be restricted in Iran and they would be cut off from the rest of the world the whole time they are traveling in Iran which is utterly untrue. Please do not feel unsafe in that sense as you can easily access electronics and connect to the world in Iran as a part of the modern world. You can use your phone in public as well as private areas and cheap and affordable internet is accessible for everyone. You can also simply reach out to banned websites like Twitter and YouTube with the use of a VPN or proxies and it is not going to be a serious issue. You are also free to take photographs and record videos as long as you have the permission of all the people included in the frame and with the exception of government and military sites.

Islamic laws and modest clothing – will you get in trouble for violating the dress code?

It would do well to be a responsible traveler and do research ahead before entering a country. You need to be aware of some of the laws and regulations in order to travel safely and not offend the locals or the authorities.

Keep in mind that women are expected by law to follow a modest dress code which concludes a headwear, a long top down to the mid-thigh and pants that cover up the leg down to ankles. Men are also obliged to cover their legs and wear tops with at least short sleeves. Public display of affection and physical intimacy between people of the opposite gender is not socially or legally acceptable.

Make note of the gender separation on public transportations to avoid running into trouble with people on your ride.

Alcohol and drugs are prohibited and not legally sold or served within the borders of Iran and it is best to turn down any offering of those to stay on the safe side and out of trouble.

Naturally, since Iran is an Islamic country, even if you find yourself listening to Iranians criticizing politics or religion, remember not to be vocal about your political or religious point of view as it could cause security issues and you are seriously advised to avoid engaging in any political activities. Stay as possibly away from any sensitive topic that might be brought up by others during your stay.

If you follow these steps, you shouldn’t encounter any problems and can easily blend in with the locals without causing any offense or attracting unwanted attention from the authorities.

  • Climate and Healthcare

If you are not naturally accustomed to hot weather (50 C / 122 F or higher in some places) there is a risk of heat-strokes or other lethal injuries caused by the heat so make sure to either travel to Iran in colder months or check the weather forecast of the regions you are planning to visit. Bear in mind that the temperature can be drastically differ in each region of the country. Iran is not called the four season country for no reason! In order to know more about different climates of Iran, visit best time to visit Iran.

Public and private healthcare is widespread across the whole country. The healthcare centers are up-to-date and fully-equipped and financially accessible. You can always call 115 in case of medical emergency and receive immediate professional help.

  • The money problem – will you be able to carry your money safely around the country?

You unfortunately cannot use your credit card in Iran due to a lack of connection between the Iranian banking system and the international banking system. You can either use Iran tourist cards or travel around with cash at all times.

Admittedly the latter option sounds a bit alarming even considering how safe Iran is. If possible, avoid carrying too much cash in overcrowded spots like public transports where pickpockets might potentially operate and let your most valuable assets remain in your place of staying.

As mentioned earlier if you feel unsafe to carry cash with you, you can also consider the alternative option of tourist cards. At the end of the day, you do not need to feel intimidated by the money situation while you travel to Iran.

As a rule of thumb, you need to take the necessary steps towards basic precaution as you would in any other country. In particular if you are traveling solo, but reassuringly, Iran is not known to have high crime rates in general and tourists are rarely ever faced with any xenophobic behavior or violent crimes.

Sadly, due to political problems citizens of the US, UK and Canada are not allowed to enter or travel within Iran without the presence of a tour guide or an already stablished host and they need to apply for a visa through a travel agency, but don’t let that put you off of the amazing journey awaiting you in Iran.

All in all, the tourism industry is growing rapidly in Iran thanks to word of the mouth from other travelers you can find easily on social medias. Despite things getting delayed for about two years because of covid-19, Iran is once again accepting two-times vaccinated tourists and the borders are open to travelers. Although there are somewhat heavy restrictions at hand, they don’t apply to tourists as heavily as citizens. Travelers who only stay for a few days or weeks can simply obey the law and enjoy the astonishing touristic sites and natural landscapes without stressing out about anything else.

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