Tehran

For everyday street safety — yes, surprisingly so. Petty crime is uncommon and foreigners are routinely welcomed. The real risks are political rather than criminal: occasional demonstrations, very dangerous traffic, and a serious arbitrary-detention risk for dual nationals and US/UK/Canadian passport holders. Most independent travelers from Europe, Asia, and Australasia visit without incident, but everyone should follow the local dress code and avoid political conversation in public.

Three to five nights is the sweet spot. Two nights is enough to see Golestan Palace, the National Museum, and the Grand Bazaar but you'll skip the mountain side of the city entirely. Five nights lets you fold in Darband, the Tochal cable car, the Holy Defense Museum, and a slow café afternoon in Iranshahr. Anything more than a week and most travelers start looking at day trips out to Lavasan, Karaj, or the ski resorts.

Mid-April to late May, and late September to early November. These shoulder windows give you 18–25°C days, clear mountain views, and almost no rain. Summer (June–August) regularly hits 38°C with thick afternoon smog trapped against the Alborz. Winter is cold (-5 to 5°C), occasionally snowy, and pollution inversions can close schools — though it's the best time for the nearby Dizin and Shemshak ski resorts.

Cheap by international standards thanks to the sanctions-distorted rial. Budget travelers manage on around $37 a day, mid-range trips average $89, and even luxury stays rarely exceed $200 per day including driver and guide. The real cost is getting there — flights from Europe run $400–700 round-trip and from the US closer to $1,200 with a long routing through Doha, Istanbul, or Dubai.

Tehran is Iran's political and cultural capital — known for its Qajar and Pahlavi palaces (Golestan, Niavaran, Sa'dabad), the Grand Bazaar, world-class museums of pre-Islamic and Islamic Persian art, and a strikingly modern café and gallery scene in its central districts. It's also famous for its setting: the Alborz Mountains rise straight out of the city, putting ski slopes and 3,900m summits within an hour of downtown.

Cash — and only cash brought from outside Iran. Foreign Visa, Mastercard, and Amex do not work anywhere in the country because of US sanctions, and there is no workaround at ATMs. Bring euros or US dollars in clean, undamaged bills and exchange them at a Ferdowsi Street sarafi (money changer) on arrival. Some agencies now offer prepaid 'tourist cards' (Mah Card, Daric Pay) you can load before arrival for hotel and restaurant use.

IKA is 50km southwest of the city and the transfer takes 45–90 minutes depending on traffic. The cheapest option is the metro Line 1 extension (about $1) which runs to the airport but only every 30–60 minutes. Most travelers use Snapp or TAPSI from the arrivals hall (around $8–12 to the center) or pre-book a hotel transfer. Avoid the unmarked taxi touts in the terminal.

The Alborz Mountains dominate every shortlist. Tochal's cable car runs from the city limits to 3,750m. Darband and Darakeh are riverside hiking villages 30 minutes from the center. Lavasan offers lakes and resort-style restaurants an hour out. In winter, Dizin and Shemshak ski resorts are 2–3 hours away. Further afield, Qazvin and the Alamut Valley castles make a long day trip for fortress and landscape fans.

First-time visitors should base in District 12 or Iranshahr (District 6) — both walkable to the major museums, palaces, and the Grand Bazaar, and well connected by metro. Travelers prioritizing cleaner air and mountain access should pick Tajrish, Velenjak, or Niavaran in the north. The trade-off is real: north Tehran is calmer and prettier but a 45-minute metro ride from the historic core.

Visit both if you can. Tehran is the modern, museum-heavy, café-driven capital with mountains on its doorstep — it's where you understand contemporary Iran. Isfahan is the masterpiece, built around Naqsh-e Jahan Square with the Imam Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah, and the historic bridges; it's where you understand Persian art and architecture. Most itineraries spend 3 nights in Tehran and 3–4 in Isfahan, connected by a 7-hour drive or 90-minute flight.

Yes, but only on a pre-approved guided tour. US citizens cannot travel independently in Iran — you must book through a licensed Iranian agency, be accompanied by a government-approved guide at all times, and apply for the visa in advance through an Iranian Interest Section (currently via the Pakistani embassy in Washington). The US State Department maintains a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisory citing risk of arbitrary arrest.

By law, all women — Iranian and foreign — must cover their hair with a loose headscarf and wear clothing that covers arms, legs, and the shape of the body. A long tunic or manteau over leggings and a scarf is the standard tourist outfit. Enforcement has been uneven since 2022 and many young Tehrani women push the limits, but visitors should comply on arrival and in any official setting. Tight or transparent fabrics are not appropriate.

Yes — it's clean, cheap (around $0.20 a ride), and the fastest way across the city given the surface traffic. Signs are in Persian and English, announcements are bilingual on the major lines, and there are women-only carriages at each end of every train if preferred. Trains run 5am to 10:30pm. Buy a rechargeable Tehran Card at any station for convenience.

Start with chelo kabab koobideh (minced lamb skewers with saffron rice) at Moslem near the Grand Bazaar, dizi (a slow-cooked lamb and chickpea stew) in a Darband teahouse, and tahchin (a saffron rice cake layered with chicken) anywhere serious. For something regional, Little Khoshbin specializes in Gilaki food from the Caspian coast. Finish with bastani sonati — saffron and rosewater ice cream — from a stand on Vali Asr Street.

Americans, Britons, and Canadians legally do. Other nationalities don't, and the city is navigable on Snapp and the metro with translation apps. But a half-day guided walk through the Grand Bazaar and Golestan Palace pays off — the layers of history are easy to miss otherwise. Many travelers self-guide most days and book one guided day for context.

No. Alcohol is illegal under Iranian law for residents and visitors alike, and there are no bars, clubs, or licensed restaurants serving it. Penalties for foreigners caught drinking are usually a fine and deportation rather than imprisonment, but it's not worth testing. Iran does have an excellent non-alcoholic café and tea culture — the saffron-cardamom mocktails and fresh fruit juices are genuinely good.

Many sites are blocked, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and at various times WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram. Most Tehranis use a VPN constantly. Install one before arrival — the Iranian government blocks VPN provider websites from inside Iran, so you can't download one once you've landed. Hotel Wi-Fi is generally available but slow and filtered.