Going to Iran - any tips?

S

Shiraz

Registered User
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Hi,

I'm going to Iran for about 3 weeks in Oct.

Since I'm going on my own, I've decided to do an organised tour for 2 weeks, and then have about a week on my own.

Does anyone have any general tips?
e.g.
- How strict is the dress code for girls? I know I'll have to wear a headscarf and long shirt/jacket, but can you have exposed wrists and can you wear light colours?
- In Tehran airport, are there official taxis to take you to the centre?
- Is is ok to walk around as a girl on your own (i.e. you dont need a man with you?)
- what currency is best to bring, or are there ATMs?
- any tips on day trips from Tehran (already planning to go in the cable car up the mountains)
- any other tips you can think of!

Thanks,
Shiraz
 
I would go onto tripadvisor for some specific information on this....
 
based on my own three month stay in tehran -probably before you were born- plus recent reports from travel agency clients....

-people are as friendly as you found them when you went to Syria recently
-airport is horribly far from town -90 mins maybe moe in heavy traffic. taxi 20 dollars. Bus one dollar and is torture. (based,I say, on reports)
-ATMS . None or frustratingly broken.
- cash . Dollars, surprisingly, o.k. as Euros and Pounds.
(P.S. Make sure you find out from your bank here which is their correspondent bank in iran)
- single woman. If you're a fat ugly old woman,preferably swarthy, then you'll be O.K. but bluntly - if you're the opposite of each of those attributes then you may have problems ,except possibly in Northern Tehran.
- dark colours, sombre appearance - and don't reveal that sexually taunting hair which Moslems evidently think drive men mad with sexual excitment -or at least thats what the morality police on their periodic crackdowns seem to believe.
Actually in North tehran especially the hilly suburbs one is rarely bothered except by pleasant young people dying to chat to you.

Frankly, if you were not going on that two week tour beforehand I'd hesitate recommending a female client to travel around Iran on her own. However after two weeks you should know how to dress and behave.
(As long as you don't end up buried up to your shoulders with stones being thrown at you for being too friendly with that nice Iranian guy that you didnt realise was married. And, yes that does sometimes happen, though usually in the country side. In Tehran you'll just get a flogging.)

finally ... does the name Shiraz mean you have a connection already with Iran ?
 
Hi,
Thanks for all the advice! I’ve registered with the DFA now. I’ve just booked my flights, so too late for avoiding non-essential travel!
Oldnick – thanks for all the tips. Your three months in Iran must have been interesting – was the Shah in power then? That’s good to know dollars are ok – I’ll bring a mix of currencies just in case. Yes, I thought I’d do the organised trip first, to get into the swing of things, since then I’ll feel safer when I’m on my own (and I might meet other people during the trip).
I’m laughing at the swarthy woman comment! Yes, it will be a fine line between wanting to talk to locals, and unwittingly breaking some moral code. I think I’ll try to talk to women more than men!
I’m hoping its one of those destinations which seem daunting before you go, but are fine once you’re there.
No, I’ve no connection with Iran – I just picked Shiraz since I’ve always wanted to go there, and because its my favourite wine!! (hic) J
 
By the way, for anyone else thinking of going the flights are really reasonable - €265 plus €187 taxes from Dublin via Heathrow.
 
Shiraz said:
By the way, for anyone else thinking of going the flights are really reasonable - €265 plus €187 taxes from Dublin via Heathrow.
Click to expand...

Reckon that there is an abundance of people wanting to go at those prices. Is that the one way price, as personally I wouldn't be that keen on booking a return flight unless I was full sure that I could get home/out. For myself, as I'm boring, I think I'll stay with the Hills and the Valleys of Connemara. Have a safe journey.
 
Shiraz -you have my admiration. If I wasn't busy I'd book a flight now and offer to escort you in the third week (you know, sad old man sugar-daddy-cum-guide).
Yes, was in Iran in so-called swinging sixties -sort of gap-year between school drop out and college failure - and I've just remembered one lovely trip from Tehran. Can be done in day but two is better.

If your tour doesnt do the Caspian coast then take a bus from tehran to Chalus on the coast crossing the high Elburz range. The contrast between hot dusty plains outside Tehran and green Alpine scenery in a few hours is amazing - and then you end up on the shores of the Caspian sea at Chalus. I gather that the trip can now be done in four hours but check that. You could, if crazy, go a bit further along the coast to mahmudabad and go back to Tehran on another mountain pass road.

Good luck. Don't ask for Shiraz wine in Shiraz, or any sort of wine anywhere in Iran.

Please advise me before your planned trip to Afghanistan !
 
What a fantastic trip you have ahead of you. It is a great pity there are not more real travellers like yourself who are not terrified of every shadow and brainwashed into prejudice against destinations such as this. Iran must be one of great travel destinations of the world considering its incredible history and the number of civilisations and different empires who have contributed to its rich culture over countless centuries. Imagine vegetating on a beach in the Canaries and missing this!

I found this to be equally true of Syria when I travelled there earlier this year, a truly great experience, my only disappointment being that I could not find anyone daring enough or interested enough to go with me so I went anyway - and of course as is always the case travelling alone is when you meet up with the most memorable of people, natives and fellow travellers alike. I was inspired by your own advice on this site to visit the exquisite Iranian Mosque while in Damascus, which I might have missed otherwise. It was noticeable that large numbers of Iranians, mostly pilgrims I guess, are in Damascus. I hear this is because Syria is one of the few destinations that welcome Iranians, but also because of the country's wealth of religious shrines. As a secular state Syria is probably somewhat different from Iran which obviously isn't, however I have heard that the people in Iran are if anything even more friendly than the Syrians, and if that is true then you are in for a real welcome. I met up with a French traveller afterwards in Lebanon, who had spent a month travelling in Iran. He found Tehran itself a quite ugly place dominated by traffic, but the rest of the country mesmerizing. Apparently many young Iranian girls now dress in a western way though behaviour is still governed by modesty and morality as would be expected in what is a traditional society.

I had initially planned to go to Iran and opted for Syria instead after the violence flared up over the whole Ahmedinijad election which was (supposedly? ) rigged (can we know this for sure?). I plan to go next year now, so please let us know how it goes. My only fear now is that the country will suffer a military strike from Israel, acting as it does consistently outside the bounds of all international law and immune as it is to all sanctions. This action when it happens, as is always the case with Israeli actions, will have the backing of the USA and will provoke an unholy proxy war that will destroy everything.
 
Hi,

Just an idea. Are there any Iranian cultural exchanges possible? Maybe you could meet some women online who would be willing to show you the sites.

Esfahan is meant to be amazing.

I've heard that the ski resorts are excellent too.

I found the below link

[broken link removed]

Please post about your experiences when you get back.

I am guessing risks would be

1) Israel response to Bushehr
2) Medical, e.g. malaria in South East Iran
3) Border areas unstable to east and west.
4) Large population of drug addicts so possibility of minor crime.

In saying that, it is meant to be a relatively safe country to visit. I'd love to see the stats comparing crime in Iran and the Irish holiday favourite South Africa.

I'd like to see Iran but not sure about an unmarried couple travelling together! My partner has been to Lebanon and is interested in Iran. The old B&B fake ring trick might be needed.

The other question is whether by visiting you're supporting the plain people of the country or lending tacit support to the ruling clique. I don't think a visit is out of order if it helps build bridges and clear misconceptions.

Fascinating country. The real history of 79-80 still to be written. What really happened between the end of the Shah and Khomeini arriving.

If you get in trouble contact Ross Perot. US Army tried to liberate embassy personnel in 1979 and it ended in disaster. Electronic Data Systems had hundreds there. Ross flew in a Boeing 747, landed on the main motorway, collected his staff, turned around and flew right out again. Impressive!
 
khairabar said:
as is always the case with Israeli actions, will have the backing of the USA and will provoke an unholy proxy war that will destroy everything.
Click to expand...

What ?? So it is OK for the Iranians to say blow Israel off the face of the Earth, but for the Israelis to defend itself is unjust. Pretty pathetic if you don't mind my saying.
 
iran

Can we focus on the practicalities of a single woman's holiday and leave the politics out of this; either pro-Israeli or pro-Iranian?

Likewise the Bateman post was pretty unhelpful and unenlightening.

I'm interested in this topic because I'd like to see the history, the cultures, and the natural wonders for myself. I'd be concerned about some aspects of Iran, specifically human rights, but try to go in with an open-mind.
 
Hey OP - I went 7 years ago to Israel and Gaza, as a girl, on my own, same way as you're planning now to go to Iran. As some people here posted already, I'd too would be concerned about some aspects but try to go in with an open-mind. Mind your own business and be watchful. I always made sure that I was back in the hotel before sunset and found that pretty "save". As you've already pointed out, I too mainly spoke to women and kept a low profile.

If you respect their way of living (and showing such) then you're going to have a fantastic time. Enjoy the food and scenery!

Let us know how you got on when you're back.
 
Thanks everyone for all the tips!

Yes, it should be a very interesting trip. Going there could be seen as supporting the ruling clique (and I’m certainly against many of their policies), but I’d like to get the chance to talk to normal people on the street. I’ll try to learn some basic Farsi before I go. The suggestion of looking for a cultural exchange is a good one.

I like the idea of a trip to the Caspian coast – the scenery is supposed to be amazing on the journey there. It’s such a big country, I’m only going to get to see a fraction of it.

The ski resorts are supposed to be good too, but in Oct they won’t be open unfortunately. Supposedly, even during the summer, a nice family day out is to take the cable car up the mountains for a picnic.

I hear unmarried couples cannot share rooms – but I think there are ways around that with fake wedding ring / documents. (I recommend a book called “Honeymoon in Purdah” about an unmarried couple who pretended they were on honeymoon on a trip to Iran!)

Yes, I‘ve read that in northern Tehran that some young girls dress in tight jeans, makeup, hair on show etc (but still with the long coat and headscarf). It’ll be interesting to see the difference between that, and the dress style in the rural countryside.

I’ll report back after the trip with how I got on!!
 
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