General Information
The Iranian people are naturally kind, hospitable and generous. Despite any preconceptions built up by the Western media, Iran is also a very safe country to visit. Tourism is now a well-accepted and welcome industry in Iran and, provided you stick to the local customs and show respect when visiting holy places, you will never be made to feel unwelcome. Although more and more
travellers are visiting Iran each year, foreigners are still a novelty: you'll find that the Iranians are surprisingly interested in you. No cause for alarm - it's only because they genuinely want to talk to you, or practice their English on you. In rural areas non-English speakers will still take a hearty interest in you. Fortunately your guide can always interpret, which makes conversation with the locals possible - and sometimes hilarious. Here it's not unusual for locals to invite you into their homes where you'll suddenly find yourself reclining on a Persian carpet with your smiling hosts, drinking tea and sharing fresh fruit and pistachio nuts - to the intense amusement of their children.
Not to be taken lightly are the three absolute rules regarding alcohol, respect in mosques and 'decency'. Namely:
Emphatically don't take any alcohol into the country nor ask for any when you are there.
Don't forget to remove your shoes before entering mosques (and private houses).
Don't take any magazines or books with pictures of scantily clad women, which, even if you judge otherwise, could be considered offensive.
Time
GMT +3.5 hours (Refer to our travel tools to convert the time)
Money
The currency in Iran is Rials. Ten Rials equals one Touman. You cannot obtain Rials outside of Iran so you will have to change your money on arrival at the airport. Although some places will accept a Master Card (subject to an additional 4% charge) we recommend that you use cash during your visit as it is the most convenient and widely accepted form of payment. If you want to obtain a good exchange rate take clean & new US dollar bills and ask your tour guide to change the money for you. Tipping is the order of the day in Iran so take lots of single $1 notes and be generous! The current exchange rate is approximately $1 =
1,000 Rials (OCT 2008)
How to get there
Iran Air,
British Airways, Lufthansa, Austrian, KLM, Turkish Air and other known airlines fly to Tehran Imam Khomeini Int'l Airport, or other airports within the country.
See a list of arrival flights
When to go
You can visit Iran at any time of the year, but the best times to go are spring and autumn. South Western Iran is always hotter than Central Iran. North West Iran (Azarbaijan province) is about 10 - 15C cooler than the rest of Iran. If you would like to go skiing then you should plan your visit sometime between November and March. If you are planning to take break on the island of Kish then the best time would also be between November and March when the average temperature is 25C. The rose harvest takes place between April and June but if you want to be sure of catching the roses at their best then we suggest you travel during the middle two weeks of May. December - March 10-15C, April 18-25C, May - June 25-30C, July - Sept. 30-45C, Oct. & Nov. 25 -30 C.
Health
Iran is a fairly safe country to travel in as far as health issues are concerned. Food in the hotels and up market restaurants is delicious and well cooked. However, we recommend that you exercise caution when buying food, especially fruit and salads, from street sellers or more basic restaurants. Just use your common sense and you will be fine. Many people have found that if they eat yoghurt with their meals, and this is nearly always available, that this helps keep their digestive system working efficiently. Although the tap water is filtered and drunk by the majority of Iranians, Also bottled water are widely available and very cheap. Remember to take a high factor
sun block.
What
to wear
Men should wear short- or long-sleeved shirts and long trousers. Jeans are fine;
shorts are not. For women the aim is not to draw attention to the shape of your
body nor to have any flesh showing except your face and hands. A headscarf is
compulsory - take lots, the more colourful and cheerful the better. The perfect
outfit would be a loose, long-sleeved shirt worn over jeans/cotton trousers or a
full skirt with knee-high socks and comfortable shoes or sandals. Alternatively
you could wear a thin robe - called a 'roupush' - over the top. (Think maternity
wear meets the queen out on a windy day and you've got the general idea.) The
whole look is a far cry from haute couture but you'll be surprised at how
glamorous many of the Iranian women manage to look within the dress code.
What to buy don't forget to buy the caviar and the pistachios.
Tipping
It is customary to tip the guides and drivers in Iran. If you are on a group tour, this is best dealt with by a joint kitty, organized by a volunteer form the group. Here are some guide lines: you can tip the national guide around $5 per day per person. The local guides around $2 per day per person, and the drivers about the same. $1 will go a long way so take lots of single notes and be generous!
Food & drink
Iranian food is superbly cooked fresh to order for you. The fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables are particularly delicious and much more flavorsome than our pale imitations. Although each province has its local speciality dishes a typical meal might include freshly baked bread, rice served with barbecued lamb, beef or chicken, wonderful fresh yoghurt and bowls of crisp, sweet salad. Dessert might include fresh or dried fruit, nuts, specialty sweets such as sohan - butter, saffron, sugar, wheat sprouts, or gaz - Iranian nougat, and fantastic orange blossom, rose water or cardamom ice cream… If you are a coffee drinker, we suggest you take a jar along with you.
Visit our Persian Food page for further reference
Children
Iran is a very safe country in which to travel and therefore children are very welcome. In fact, you will find that they will be the source of much curiosity and amusement. Nappies and medication are available in the large cities although you may wish to bring your own supplies for babies and young children. Girls under the age of nine years need not wear a headscarf.
Accommodation
We use a variety of hotels ranging from five star in the main cities, to clean, comfortable guesthouses in smaller towns. You will be staying in twin-bedded rooms, unless a single room supplement has been paid, with a bath or shower and toilet en suite. Experienced
travellers will acknowledge that the standard of a five star hotel in Iran is not the same as in Europe or the US. However, all the hotels we use have been carefully selected by ARG-E-JADID Travel and are clean, safe and reliable. It is worth mentioning that, as tourism is only just getting back on its feet in Iran, many of the hotel staff do not speak much English, so please be patient with them. You may not be able to order room service at 3am but we are confident that the friendliness and kindness of the staff in our chosen hotels will more than compensate for any lack of creature comforts you may desire.
Telephone
All hotels offer facilities for international calls either in the lobby or directly from your room. International call charges are very reasonable. Telephone charge cards will not be of any use in Iran.
Electricity
The voltage is generally 220 V, 50 cycles. Power sockets have two circular holes. An international adapter is recommended. You are also advised to take your own hairdryer and electric razor.
See Also
Travel Tools