When we tell people that we offer tours to Iran we usually get two comments – I didn’t know that Americans could visit Iran. And, is it safe to go there? In reality, Iran is probably about the safest country that you could visit today. There is virtually no crime there and terrorism is next to nonexistent.
And, if the question is whether or not Americans can visit Iran the answer is this – there are ABSOLUTELY no travel restrictions on the part of the U.S. government as far as American tourists visiting Iran are concerned.
Perhaps the greatest misconception about Iran is that Americans are in danger there. The truth is that foreigners, and Americans in particular, are extremely popular in Iran. I myself have never been in a country where I felt so welcomed or so popular.
Another misconception about Iran is that there is no decent tourist infrastructure. This is not the case. Iran actually has some of the most beautiful hotels to be seen anywhere in the world. However, there are not as many of them compared to some other places and this makes it necessary to book your tour well ahead of time, especially if you are going during the prime tourism times of spring and fall. There are also divided 4-lane highways all over the country, making inter-city travel by road quite easy and safe.
Is it true that you have to conform to certain rules and regulations while you are in Iran? Yes. But these rules are not very onerous for most people. Women need to cover the front part of their heads with a scarf when out in public. Both men and women need to dress “modestly”, which means no shorts for men or women and no revealing clothing for women. You may not like this but it is not too hard to go along for the short length of your tour.
Also, you cannot drink alcohol while you are in Iran. Those are the only thing I can think of.
You do need a visa to visit Iran but it is not very hard to get, just a matter of filling in some paperwork and waiting a few weeks.
On the other hand, if you are willing to follow the rules you will find that Iran is one of the most interesting places in the world to visit, with 20 Unesco World Heritage sites, including Persepolis and the great square in Isfahan.
Iran Luxury Travel specializes in private tours to Iran and these tours are often less expensive than other organizations charge for large group tours.