Tehran Travel Forum

The consulate in Lahore (where I currently live) told me US nationals need special permission for a visa and must go on an organized/approved tour. This seems to jive with what I've found in the Lonely Planet--so far, so good. I called the number they gave me for the Touranzamin tourist agency and was given a four-city, seven-day itenerary, inlcuding a guide, that will cost 1400 dollars (without flight into the country). Included with the itinerary is a bank account number under the name of the travel agent, bank phone numbers, and routing number, with a request to depost $700 to get the visa permission process rolling. This seems both excessively expensive and rather shady. Do any other US nationals have experience entering the country through set tours?

The Visa costs around $200, I paid that to the interest section of Iran in D.C. to get a visa for my husband, but since his wife (ME!) is Iranian he didn't need to go through a travel agency and ect. but the $700 deposit is just too much! why don't you contact another travel agency in Tehran ,they are dime a dozen! Try this : http://www.park-travel.com

Good Luck,
Azadeh

Americans must book a tour with an Iranian travel agency.
There is no way around this reuiqrment unless you get invited by a government institution, are travelling on business or have Iranian relatives.
The travel will normally require that you pre-pay the tour. Some travel agency offer fied itinerary 7 day tours from around 500 €/$700.

Hi,
first, place the same ad on Lonley Planet web site as well (www.lonelyplanet.com).
second, you should many business deals in iran are rather shady or at least look like that to foreigners who have never lived or worked here. $1400 is not too much for tours to Iran as long as it is a legitimate tour. You would have to do lots of search on the internet and contact many iran-based travel agencies before picking a particular travel agency.
third, you may always bargain for anythign in iran, so no prices for anything are really fixed here.
if you need more help, please send me a VT mail. bye.

hi nathan,
this is amir in tehran,
are you in iran already? and you got visa for just $70? and you are not on a tour? im very curious to know how you did it. take care.bye

My question to posed to Azadeh:
I’m starting to plan a trip to Iran as well. My husband is Persian and I am American. We have been told that will make things very complicated for me. It’s hard to figure out what are the real facts and what is a myth. We have been told that I, as his wife, have to have an Iranian passport and that means converting to Islam.

I don’t mind booking a tour (I want to see the historic sites anyway), if that is a better way to be able to go, independent of him and his passport. After the tour I would just stay on for a week and visit his Mom, brother, or sister. These are “relatives” (not by blood) but are in-laws, does that count?

You said your husband didn’t need to go through a travel agency, how did you arrange that?

Thanks very much for your help.

Marie