Everything you need to know before traveling to Iran

If you are planning to visit Iran, especially if you don’t have any experience traveling to a Middle Eastern country, there are some very important notes you need to know.

In this article, I’m going to explain the 13 most important things you need to know before traveling to this country.

1. Iran visa

With us, getting an visa Is a lot easier than what you think. In general, 180 countries in the world are allowed to get visa and 80 countries can even obtain it at their arrival at the airport. Canadian, US, or UK citizens can ask for an Iran visa through only 15 travel agencies. If you are thinking about traveling to this country and don’t have an visa yet, GapaTour can help you in this manner and do all the paperwork for you.

2. Currency might seem confusing

The national currency of Iran is Rial but the citizens usually refer to another currency called Toman. So, how to exchange Rial to Toman? It’s very simple, every 10 Rials is 1 Toman. Therefore to exchange Rial to Toman you need to omit one zero from the right side of the number.

3. Communicate with locals

People of Iran love to see tourists and get to know their culture and lifestyle. They will treat you like a celebrity and try to take pictures with you. They might invite you to their homes or parties or even give you gifts and free stuff. In my idea, they are the most welcoming kind people in the world and it would be a pity if you don’t use their hospitality.

4. Bring cash

International credit cards don’t work in Iranian banks and shopping centers. If you are a solo traveler and don’t have a native guide accompanying you, I highly recommend you to have cash all the time.

5. Iran dress code

As an Islamic country, all-female travelers must wear Hijab ( a headscarf to cover their hair and long steeve clothes to cover their hands). All male travelers are also not allowed to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts on the streets. Well, of course, you are free to wear whatever you want at home or hotels, this rule only applies to the streets.

6. Iran has it’s own Uber called Snapp

If you are traveling with a travel agency, then your travel guide will take care of all the accommodations for you, but if you are a solo traveler and not interested in Public transportation, you can use snap or tap30. These two applications work exactly the same as Uber. Tap30 is cheaper but a driver will be found more difficult in Tap30.

7. Search for local restaurants and foods

If you are a foodie and in love with trying new dishes like me, this country is one of the best destinations you can travel to. Besides our well-known Kababs, you can try traditional foods like “Ab Goosht”, “Ghormeh Sabzi”, “Tah Chin”, and so on.

8. Make a list of where you want to go and what you want to see

If you choose to travel with one of our tours to Iran, our professional staff will organize the best plan for your limited time to enjoy your travel the Best. But if you are a solo traveler you must know that this country has 24 UNESCO world heritage sites and even more beautiful historical visiting places or luxurious recreations. If you don’t want to get confused and enjoy your trip, it is best to search and plan where you want to go and what you want to experience before starting your memorable trip.

9. Alcohol is Illegal

As a Muslim country, Alcohol drinking is illegal in Iran. Although many international hotels serve alcohol to their foreigner residents, I highly recommend avoiding the offer and not trying it.

10. Female-only carriages on metro

The first two cabins of each train in Metro are exclusively for women and men are not allowed to go in them. The other cabins are free to use by both sexes.

11. Enjoy bargaining in Bazaars

Bargaining is a very old habit of Iranians, as old as it has become a part of our culture now and if you bargain in our bazaars you might get a very good discount.

12. Tap water is drinkable

Unlike many other countries Tap water is clean and drinkable in many big cities like Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Yazd, and etcetera. but if you are traveling to a little village, It is better to ask from your travel guide.

13. Taarof

As mentioned above, people of Iran are very kind and hospitable and this manner has brought Taarof in our culture. Let me explain this phrase by an example, let’s say you are in a restaurant or even shop, you chose what you want to buy and its time for payment. you ask for the price and the seller answers: “You don’t need to pay, consider it free.”, well the seller is actually Taarofing meaning he is too polite to tell you the price the first time you ask him, so you have to ask him again and the next time he will tell you the real price.