Best Way to Travel to Iran

Best Way to Travel to Iran

Many travel to Iran to experience the delights of the ancient Persian Empire yet are unaware of the limitations faced by the rules and regulations of what is now the strict Islamic Republic.

As travel warnings persist and diplomatic relations with other countries continue with varying degrees of existence, many are confused about how to go about entering Iran and travelling in Iran safely, efficiently, and within the boundaries set by the current regime.

Travel to Iran

Getting a visa to travel to Iran is quite possibly the most stressful and challenging part of your entire trip. You first need to know if you are eligible and what limitations you may face.

For countries like the UK, which have strained and little to no diplomatic relations with Iran, you may find that you cannot even get an Iran visa in your country because there is no Iranian embassy. British travel to Iran means a little more legwork, where you may also have to travel elsewhere, like Dublin or Paris for example, to obtain the visa since there is no Iran embassy in the UK.

However, solo travel in Iran is happening, and it is safe, it’s just a little more challenging than usual, which can, in itself, be pretty exhilarating.

Using Plane to Travel to Iran

Iran is a mesmerizing land with epic natural sceneries, countless cultural wonders, and extraordinary historical monuments. Besides those, the open-hearted nation welcomes you with warm hugs. Overlanding to this country takes you out of the guidebooks and encounters you with the unveiled image of life in Iran. Passing through lofty Alborz Mountains and enigmatic Hyrcanian Forests in the north, taking the route to the endless deserts in the middle of Iran, or heading to the incomparable beauties of the lands along the Persian Gulf, every single moment while travelling in Iran by car is an unforgettable experience.

The most common way for the tourists to travel to Iran is by booking a flight. Reducing the time spent on the way, plus the comfort and facilities more available to air travelers and those who uses the services of air travelling agencies are some of the reasons as to why tourists are inclined more to travel to Iran in this way as the most popular choice of its kind. The majority of people who purchase the tour packages to travel to Iran, thus choose airway. The package, however, depends on the duration of their visit to the country and the trip plan that the tour manager provides them with. It is possible that in Iran, they travel from a city to city or by the use of other types of means of transport that they may use in their visit to Iran.

Travel to I.R.I alone

For those people who do not want to use the tour packages in Iran and prefer to take a trip to this country individually, it is necessary to let them know that there is almost airports available in every city of Iran. Some of these airports are international and it is possible to go and visit them directly without having to arrive at the capital of Iran, Tehran, first. Regarding the fact that international flights of these airport are limited in terms of both the number of flights made on daily basis, the departure point, and flight hours, we do not recommend that you take this option anyways.

If you are going to travel to Iran, our suggestion to you is to use Tehran’s international airport, Imam Khomeini Airport. Go to Tehran directly and plan the rest of your trip from there. The advantage of choosing Imam Khomeini international airport is having a wider range of options for using various airlines and also more flexibility in the choice of the hour and date of flights.

Borders for Using Car to Travel to Iran

Iran is a wast country with many land and sea borders. If you are about to pass through the borders of Iran and Turkey, you can choose one of the most famous land borders in the northwest, named “Bazargan”. Entering from Azerbaijan, there are different borders to pass through like, “Julfa”, “Astara”, “Savar”,  “Beileh”, and “Poldasht”. If you opt to enter the country from Armenia, “Norduz” is another important land border in East Azerbaijan Province. Transiting your vehicle from northeastern neighbour countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, you should choose “Baajgiran” in Khorasan Shomali Province. For coming from Afghanistan, “Milak” and “Dogharoon” are two of the main borders in the southeast of Iran.

“Mirjaveh” border is the spot where you can pass your car from Pakistan travel to Iran. If you are in the west and plan to pass through Iraq borderlines, “Shalamcheh”, “Mehran”, or “Bashmaq” are your choices. Choosing the southern sea borders of Iran, you should transit your vehicle through the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.

Using Ships to Travel to Iran

There aren’t really that many options for travelling to Iran through sea travel. You will only be able to take some paths and choose some countries as your departure point to get to Iran. Between Iran, in Booshehr harbor, and Kuwait, there are ships commuting. Moreover, from Jordan, too, you can get yourself to the free trade zone, Qeshm Island, in Iran. With regard to the distance between these locations, the travel fees are considered quite high.

Trains for Travelling to Iran

You don’t have a lot of options when it comes to getting to Iran via train. From several of the neighboring countries’ entry points and via international railroads, you can travel to Iran. Even if this kind of transportation takes a lot of time, it might be a good decision depending on your preferences, taste, and circumstances.

You can enter Iran by train from Turkish cities like Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. From Iran to Syria,

there was a railway that traveled between the two nations until relatively recently, when it was stopped due to the civil war and other issues that erupted in this nation. Additionally, you can travel to Iran via train from Nakhjavan. You can travel to Iran’s Mashhad on its railway directly. There are trains that travel between Iran and Baku as well. One of the reasons some people like to use this route for their travel to Iran is the affordable prices for rail travel as well as the bonus of taking in stunning scenery.

Additionally, there is a railroad that runs between Kuwait and Ahwaz, Iran. Remember that these trains only have a limited number of departure times throughout the month, which stresses the value of making travel plans well in advance.

Public Transportation in Iran

Inner-city transport are the things we want to go for them.

Metro

The Metro is available in several cities to travel in Iran, mainly in Tehran; alongside Shiraz, Tabriz, Mashhad and Isfahan. It is the best option to get around in Tehran, and the stations are also easily accessible by taxi and buses.

Bus

You can find buses in every corner of the country. There are two main types of buses in big cities: regular and BRT. BRT buses are red, and because they have designated stations and paths, they are express buses.

Taxi

There are different types of taxis inside the cities:

Shuttle/shared taxis (khatti): It is a way cheaper way to get around the cities. The fares are fixed, and you cannot negotiate.

Private taxis (darbast): It means the driver will not pick any other passengers up and you must negotiate the price before getting on.

Non-registered taxis (shakhsi): These are non-taxi drivers who you would easily spot from the yellow and green cabs.

Uber-like apps: Tap30 and Snapp are the two leading apps that you can easily use on your phone. Bisim Taxi is another option.

Intercity transport

Don’t forget the public transportation in Iran.

Bus

There are two types of buses between the cities in Iran: regular buses (44 people on board) and VIP buses (25 to 35 people on board). You have more legroom on VIP buses, and you can almost lie down on the seats. You can ask a receptionist at the front desk of the hotel, go to a local travel agency or go directly to the bus terminal to buy a bus ticket in Iran.

Train

Using trains is the best and safest option to get around the cities in Iran. There are different types of trains: 4-bed, 6-bed and the so-called ‘bus’ trains. You can also ask if the train you are trying to take is an express train or a regular train. You can book trains through the hotels, local agencies or go directly to the train station.

Private Car

When you travel to Iran, you will have two options to travel within Iran by a private car. You can hire a driver or a licensed driver-guide who can not only drive you from one city to another but show you the sites en route and give you all the information you need in English and other languages. You can find a driver-guide in Iran through TourHQ. You can either go to a taxi company or a local travel agency to hire a driver or a guide.

Domestic Flights

If you do not have much time on your hands and you want to visit the classic route (Tehran, Qom, Kashan, Isfahan, Yazd and Shiraz), it is recommended to take a domestic flight from Tehran to Shiraz. From there, you can continue your travel to Iran by other means of public transportation eventually back to Tehran. You can buy flight tickets from local travel agencies. The price of the flight ticket is approximately 180,000 Tomans ($40), and it takes around 80 minutes.