Iran

Travel in Iran

Iran is my personal favorite country in the world to visit. The unbridled hospitality of locals, the opulence of the cuisine coupled with the unbelievable wealth of history and culture will irrefutably warm the heart of any traveler lucky enough to visit Iran.

Located on the outskirts of the Middle East lies the Islamic Republic of Iran; 31 provinces, 26 national parks, 24 UNESCO world heritage sites, one pink lake and an impressive bioluminescent bay squeezed into the fifth largest country in Asia. The amount of attractions in Iran to see runs well into the thousands.

The ideal Iran itinerary gives you at least 2 full weeks to see the main sights in the country. Land in Tehran and slowly make your way down south to Shiraz, stopping along the way in Kashan, Esfahan and Yazd.

Tips for visiting Iran for the first time

Is Iran safe? Yes – In fact I have rarely felt more safe traveling alone with a female friend than in Iran. Sadly the media has created a very skewed perspective of Iran which is simply not true.

Can I travel Iran without the help of a local tour agency? Yes, however, it will not be that easy. In all transparency, we had help from a local travel agency that made the trip run smoothly.

Booking accommodations: Traditional platforms used by travelers do not work (think booking.com or Airbnb). Email or call the hotels directly to book instead.

Payment methods: Foreign (credit) cards and Paypal are not accepted. Get yourself a prepaid tourist credit card upon arrival. We used Daricpay who delivered the card to our hotel.

Transportation in Iran: Busses in Iran are comfortable and will take you around everywhere. Tickets can be bought easily at the bus terminal.

Being a vegetarian in Iran: Iranian cuisine is one of the many highlights of a trip to Iran. The mixture of spices used is quintessentially exotic. As a vegetarian I lived off eggplant – cooked in all sorts of different tasty manners.