CONTACT US FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

Consultation
Main img

FOUNDED BY HISTORIANS

Historians
 

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: IRAN

Passport & Visas

A full ten year passport together with an Iranian Visa are required by British and US citizens to enter Iran. Tourist visas must be obtained prior to departure from the nearest Iranian Consulate. To obtain a visa it is necessary to first have your application pre-approved by Corinthian Travel. The process is time consuming but need not be difficult. For this reason we regret that we cannot accept a booking within two months of your intended departure date. Passports must have a minimum of 6 months validity from your return date and have at least two free pages.

Accommodation

We use the best hotels available in Iran. That having been said, it should be noted that there has been little or no investment in hotels since 1979, and even the best hotels often look tired and dated. In the major cities the standards of the best hotels generally approximate to a 4 to 3 star standard in International terms. In secondary and more out of the way places the standard ranges from 3 to 1 star. Where swimming pools exist they are have different hours for the sexes or are restricted exclusively for the use of men. As hotel ratings can vary widely across the globe, to avoid confusion the star ratings given on this website are our own, and approximate to those found in the UK.

Transportation

All transportation is on a private basis and is chauffeur driven. The type of transportation used will depend on the size of your party. For groups of 2 to 4 we will typically use a Toyota Hi-Ace minivan with 7 seats. These vehicles are all equipped with air-conditioning, heating and proper safety facilities. They can comfortably accommodate 1 piece of checked luggage and 1 piece of hand luggage per person. If you think you will be travelling with more luggage, please let us know at the time of booking so that we can arrange the most appropriate vehicle size for you. As driving standards in Iran are not the same as in the UK, we make sure that all of our drivers are experienced, and used to local road conditions.

Dress

Take light loose clothing with head covers for the summer months, wrap up much more warmly in the winter and anticipate rain in winter and Spring. It is not necessary to wear black, coloured garments are acceptable. Dress for men in Iran is simple and casual. Shorts should not be worn, but short sleeved shirts and t-shirts are perfectly acceptable. Ladies are required to conform to the Islamic dress laws at all times when outside a hotel room. This does not mean wearing the all enveloping black chador. Modern women in Iran wear a headscarf (hijab) combined with a garment known as a manteaux. This is a long thin coat which goes down to the knees, and covers the arms. The garment should not be figure hugging. The hijab can be tied under the chin, but many Iranian women wrap shawls around their head which may seem more stylish. A manteaux can easily be purchased on arrival in Iran and is relatively inexpensive. A acceptable alternative to an manteaux, and an item which is relatively easy to find in the U.K, is to wear a Pakistani-style Shalwar Kahmeez combined with a headscarf, or a long sleeved tunic over loose trousers.

Departure Tax

Departure tax is included in your airline ticket. There is no departure tax to pay at the airport on departure from Iran.

Walking

Many of the sites in Iran are quite spread out and our tours consequently necessitate a reasonable amount of walking. Whilst the walking is normally easy going, a full-day sightseeing can be quite tiring and sometimes strenuous. Much of the ground in ancient sites such as Persepolis is uneven.

Guides

To enhance the enjoyment of your tour a full time expert guide will accompany you on all pre-arranged sightseeing. This will enable you to benefit from a continuity of delivery as you journey through Iran and will enable the information to be tuned to your particular interests. Please note that the guide will be a separate person from your driver.

Language

The official language of Iran is Farsi (Persian). Arabic, Azeri, Baluchi, Kudish, and Pushto are also spoken in various parts of the country. Limited English is generally spoken in tourist areas.

Electricity

The electricity supply is 220v. Plugs are European style with two circular pins so adapters are required for British and US appliances. Visitors from the US will require a transformer.

Mobile telephones / Internet

Iran has a GSM 900 network. Unless your mobile phone provider has an agreement with the Iranian Telecommunications Company (ITC) your mobile will not work in Iran. Many International mobiles DO NOT WORK in Iran. We urge you to check with your phone company in advance. Most hotels in Iran offer internet connections or internet access.

Time

Iran is GMT + 3.5. The time in Iran is thus generally 3.5 hours ahead of that in the UK, 8.5 hours ahead of EST, and 10.5 hours ahead of PST.

Religion

Most Iranians are Muslims; most belong to the Shi’a branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 8 to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining 2% are non-Muslim religious minorities including Bahais, Mandeans, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians.

Ramadan

We do not recommend visiting Iran at this time. Ramadan is a the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, and the month in which the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed. It is also the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims do not drink anything from dawn until sunset. The fasting is meant to teach patience, sacrifice and humility. During this month it is very impolite to eat, drink or smoke in-front of practicing Muslims. Restaurants are closed during the day. Concentration spans are shorter this period. Some disruption may continue into the three-day Eid ul-Fitr festival that follows Ramadan.

2012 21 Jul - 19 Aug
2013 9 Jul - 7 Aug
TTA Logo

Your Financial Protection: The air holiday packages offered by Corinthian Travel are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL T7335. Where flights are not included your holiday is protected through our membership of the Travel Trust Association. We hold TTA membership number U6485. Please see Financial Protection or our booking Terms & Conditions for further information.