Iran is a breathtaking nation with a lot to offer, including deserts, stunning mosques, Persepolis' age-old ruins, and much more. This is a very magnificent place, and the strength of its incredibly welcoming population only serves to enhance its awesomeness.
Iran travel right now: Is it safe? Most travelers who desire to pick Iran as their vacation location consider this to be one of their primary concerns. We'll address the well-known query that everyone has while considering a trip to Iran in this post. Is Iran safe to visit in 2023? Let's learn more about the legislation in Iran regarding foreign visitors.
You should be aware of some of the major risks and precautions when visiting this stunning nation, just as if you should be in any other destination. There is a ton of subjects that we will be discussing. We have information on everything, including whether it is safe for female tourists to visit Iran alone and if you should drive there:
There is no war in Iran, and Iran is a completely secure place to visit, despite what the American media reports and what is happening in many other parts of the Middle East. There is no evidence to support certain media reports that Iran is home to some terrorist activity. Contrary to its neighbors Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran is not currently involved in any ongoing conflicts, making the country safe for travel throughout.
In reality, since 2013, Iran's tourism sector has grown in both numbers of visitors and revenue.
Some may think there are terrorist attacks happening in Iran frequently like some of the other middle eastern countries, especially Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. However, the mainstream media is actually misleading their citizens. Although it is important to note that there had been only a few bombings before in the southeasterly province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which is bordered by Pakistan and Afghanistan, that had been thought to be the work of Wahhabi extremist groups. Other than that, there have been no other dangerous acts around the nation, so don’t worry about this issue at all.
When it comes to violent crime, Iran is generally a safe place with a low rate of crime. However, it’s important to note that here in Iran, just like in any other country, there may be some occurrences of petty theft in the nation's downtown city centers, particularly in crowded bazaars, and bus and railway terminals.
Use only legitimate cabs, and don't ever allow phony officials to check you without first asking for identification, just in case. But once again, there’s no need to worry about crimes and dangers when visiting Iran.
Iranians have protested against the infringements on their fundamental rights and called for freedom, economical issues and democracy ever since the beginning of 1980.
In this delicate scenario, tourists should refrain from participating in the protests, supporting them in any manner, taking and sharing images and videos of them, and even staying at Iranians' homes. As long as these guidelines are followed, there won't be any issues for any foreigners for no apparent cause.
Since Tehran, Sanandaj, and Zahedan saw the majority of these protests, our advice is to avoid visiting Sanandaj and Zahedan for the time being. Foreign tourists won't encounter any issues during the day in Tehran, especially in historical and cultural sites.
There have been much fewer protests in other popular tourist destinations including Kashan, Isfahan, Yazd, Shiraz, Qom, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Kerman, so much so that often even the residents of these cities are oblivious to them and everyday life continues as usual. At all other cases, the historical sites are absolutely secure, and many tourists are visiting the city without any issues. Special viewings are only permitted with prior invitation, which is typically given in colleges.
There are no protests on islands like Qeshm, Hormuz, and Kish, and travel is entirely safe in these areas as well.
In Iran, women may and do travel by themselves. Most people say they had a good time and had no problems, and Iran has a long history of being welcoming. Locals will give you a kind welcome and treat you with respect.
Traveling women can experience unwanted attention or harassment. They were shockingly uncomfortable and unpleasant, yet they never felt threatened or frightened. Traveler violence is rather rare. If you're traveling, sit with other women. On occasion, the bus driver would ask passengers to exchange seats so a woman is not sitting next to an unknown male.
Iranian women start wearing a headscarf and a manteau, a trench coat worn over jeans, from age seven to fifteen. You may expose your hair under the scarf. Iranian women are often stylish and well-dressed. It is unacceptable to show a lot of flesh when wearing tight clothing.
Iran has expansive, magnificent landscapes that are ideal for driving across. The stunning coastline, unexplored hamlets, and meandering mountain roads provide for some AMAZING driving routes. You'll need to have a lot of bravery to drive in Iran. Sometimes, drivers might be rather erratic. They regularly drive at high speeds and some show no regard for other drivers. You might need to tell the person driving you around to slow down now and again, even if they are! Although, it's not as horrible as you presumably believe. The number of road deaths in Iran has drastically decreased during the last three years. Today, things are getting better. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to travel to Iran (www.tappersia.com) with some basic traffic safety knowledge.
To sum it all up, you're probably going to be pretty safe when driving in Iran. Tourists have expressed their astonishment at how sleek and well-kept the public transportation was.
Women CAN drive, yet, strangely, they can not drive motorcycles.
So in general, we would advise taking the train, taxi or bus unless you really want to drive or you have some expertise in doing so.
The safest way to travel around a new nation is by public transit. Public transportation in Iranian cities is generally good. Small cities, however, do not experience the same situation.
Women have a designated spot at the bottom of the bus, and they have access to a separate subway carriage, but they can be in other areas of these public transportation vehicles as well. Therefore, it’s mainly optional.
Try to rent taxis from agencies or hotels if you like to use one. Ask about the payment before riding as the majority of taxis lack meters.
Almost everything in the country has a bus service between cities and communities. Use the "VIP bus," which has roomier, more comfortable seats. They are therefore appropriate for journeys lasting a day or a considerable distance. While rail travel is constrained, it is still dependable and pleasant. You can interact with people while traveling safely and explore Iran by using the public transportation system!
Out of 173 nations, Iran is ranked as the 62nd safest nation in the world by the world risk index in terms of the danger of natural disasters.
Iran is a nation with active earthquakes, nevertheless. As a result, despite the fact that there are several earthquakes every day, we never experience even one.
The Iranian rainy season is also quite cyclical. Also uncommon in Iran are floods.
As a result, there is no need for anxiety regarding natural disasters. In order to be resistant to earthquakes and flooding, all of the hotels and hostels were constructed in a contemporary manner. We are aware that there is very little chance of it occurring, though.
All of the foods are generally safe to consume unless you have a food allergy or a sensitive stomach. In traditional Persian cuisine, all the meat is well done; there is no such thing as medium or rare meat. In addition, Persian culture encourages cleanliness. Naturally, just like anywhere else in the world, home-cooked meals are the ones you can mostly depend on to be 100 percent nutritious. All meals are, nevertheless, completely safe to consume.
Bloomberg published an article about the healthcare systems of the greatest and worst nations in 2018. In that rating, Iran was placed above both Brazil and the United States.
Iran is a center for health tourism in the middle east because of its qualified medical staff and top-notch facilities. 600,000 health tourists visited Iran during the course of a four-month period, according to the deputy president of the Iranian association for promoting health tourism. So if you required medical treatment while visiting Iran, it wouldn't be your concern.
Iran is typically associated with scorching-hot deserts in the global mainstream media. However, a deeper study reveals that this is far from the complete picture and that Iran's climate is far more varied and occasionally harsh.
Iran has warm summers and chilly winters, making it a real four-season country, and also one of the few countries that have four-season fruits. Iran is a large nation, thus there are significant differences in the weather depending on the season and the region. Temperature changes throughout the winter might reach 50 degrees Celsius.
Iran is classified into three main climatic zones: the majority of the nation experiences dry and semi-arid weather. While the mountainous region has a chilly, dry climate, the northern region around the Caspian Sea enjoys weather that is similar to that of the Mediterranean. Summertime is when it gets the hottest, and wintertime is when it gets the coldest. The rainiest is November through March in the area north of the Alborz Mountains and close to the Caspian Sea.
Iran has a wealth of natural characteristics since it is a country of extremes and contrasts. The Alborz and Zagros Mountains, two prominent mountain ranges, are situated on the Iranian plains, and they cover half of the country. It's the ideal place for skiing because many peaks remain covered with snow far into the spring.
The Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf are Iran's two largest waters, in addition to a number of deserts that make up one-fourth of the nation.
Because of this, certain areas might be consistently colder or warmer than others throughout the year, regardless of the season. The majority of the country's south and east are semi-desert regions, thus there is sunshine there. Summertime temperatures can be exceedingly high, and there are relatively few raindrops every year—far fewer than 300 mm. It makes sense that the desert of Lut, which is recognized by UNESCO, is where the highest temperature on earth has been measured.
On the other hand, the northwest has frequent heavy snowfalls and extremely frigid winter temperatures that can easily drop below zero degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Iran was -36 degrees Celsius in the Kurdish city of Saqqez in 1969. Iran occasionally sees floods, avalanches, blowing snow, and other significant natural catastrophes as a result of its harsh climatic conditions.
With such a wide range of climates, Iran is home to a diverse range of plants and animals, including indigenous species and migratory birds that use Iran as a haven for a portion of the year. Iran has a wide range of natural viewing opportunities all year long, which is a real chance for biodiversity and a chance for tourists to explore the nation from a fresh angle.
Even though most tourists visit Iran in the spring to enjoy the sunny weather, each season has its unique charms to offer. For instance, the north is a well-liked summer resort even though it may be rather frigid in winter. In fact, the little region near the Caspian Sea enjoys temperate and cool weather while the majority of the country suffers from heat.
We believe that Iran may be a safe location if you go wisely. In some ways, it is unfairly demonized. Although it is undoubtedly a threat to international peace in Western views, countries' divergent positions on global issues account for the majority of this. The degree of political freedom in Iran is undoubtedly one of the worrying aspects of the country. However, Iran is safe for travelling. Crime rates are low, regardless of whether this is because of strong regulations. Surprisingly, Iran does fairly well for women compared to many other nations in the area, at least in terms of safety. In terms of freedom, we're not so sure. It's a really fascinating location. Because many of us only knew it (mistakenly) as a demonic place under the oppressive dominion of Islam, it ends up being an interesting visit, similar to other "no-go" places.
You might need to dress modestly. In Ramadan, eating in public is not permitted. Talking to police and government authorities requires caution. However, despite their rigorous regulations, nations like Singapore and Indonesia weren't excluded from the list. Iran is a distinct nation. We mean, the weekend is actually different! That is definitely unique. Additionally, as tourists, we should value diversity. So, come right away to see what all the hype is about and we hope you enjoy your stay like the other foreign tourists before you!
