Travel expenses to Iran

Travel expenses to Iran are closely related to your lifestyle and type of travel. Do you like to carry your backpack on your shoulder and travel to Iran to see different lifestyles and different cultures, or do you prefer to spend your honeymoon in the most luxurious hotels and tourist areas of Iran? Fully in line with your travel goals, moods and personality traits, you will have to pay different costs for your trip to Iran.

Keep in mind that if you buy a tour to travel to Iran, you will not have to worry about Iran’s expenses and you will pay all your expenses to the tour organizer through the package you buy. However, if you want to travel to Iran individually and without attending the tour, it is better to be with us until the end of this article. In general, travel expenses to Iran include the following:

 

Accommodation costs

Accommodation in Iranian hotels usually costs more. For example, you can never find a four star hotel for less than $ 100 per person per night. If you are looking for cheap and safe accommodation, we suggest you stay in eco-lodges. These homes are licensed and provide good welfare services for you. However, they cost less than most hotels. Normally, you should consider about $ 10 to $ 30 per person per night in Iran. This fee often includes breakfast and internet.

Of course, there are people who prefer to try Couchsurfing in Iran. If you know a family who wants to host you during your stay and you can make the necessary arrangements with them for your trip, be sure to do so so that you can get up close and personal with a unique phenomenon called Iranian hosting culture. , Get acquainted and make the most beautiful memories for yourself during your trip to Iran. Keep in mind that there is no official institution in charge of this style of travel for Iran and you have to find the host family yourself.

 

Shipping costs

Transportation in Iran is divided into two main categories: suburban transportation and intra-city transportation. The best option for suburban transportation and travel from one city to another is the bus. There are two types of buses in Iran. Regular buses and VIP or special buses. If you plan to travel long distances by bus, we suggest you use VIP buses. These buses have more features and their seats can be turned into beds. For shorter distances, regular buses seem more appropriate due to their lower cost.

 

Here we have collected the cost of some popular tourist routes for you to have a clearer view of transportation costs in Iran:

Tehran – Isfahan VIP buses: 8 dollars (350,000 Rials)

Tehran – Shiraz VIP buses: 18 dollars (650,000 Rials)

VIP buses Tehran – Bandar Abbas: $ 20 (750,000 Rials)

Ordinary buses may not be very comfortable, but they cost about $ 6 to $ 7 less than special types.

Many Iranian tourists prefer to use the plane to get from one city to another. Domestic flights

It is more expensive than bus transportation. For example, you have to pay $ 60 to $ 80 to fly from Tehran to Shiraz and $ 50 to $ 60 to fly from Tehran to Isfahan. Keep in mind that in Iran, the price of a plane ticket varies according to the flight time, the airline providing the service, as well as the seasons.

 

Trains are another option that you can use to go from one city to another in Iran. Trains are very comfortable to travel and their biggest advantage is having a toilet as well as a bed in the compartments. The train costs about the same as a VIP bus.

Intra-city transportation costs in Iranian cities are relatively cheap. There are taxis in all cities that cost an average of half a dollar per passenger (in Iran, taxis start with 4 passengers). Some cities, such as Tehran, have subways. You can get subway tickets from subway or bus stations. High-speed buses also operate in many metropolitan areas.

Fee and food costs

On average, you should spend about $ 4 to $ 6 per meal. However, you may also find much cheaper foods. For example, for half to one dollar you can eat samosas or falafel. Keep in mind that cafeterias, which are traditional Iranian restaurants, cost more and you should consider about $ 30 to $ 40 per person for full service. You also have to pay between $ 5 and $ 9 for fast food.

 

Ticket price for visiting tourist attractions

On average, you have to pay between $ 1 and $ 5 to visit any tourist attraction in Iran. Of course, there are more expensive attractions that are very few in number. For example, to visit Ali Sadr Cave, you have to pay about $ 18. Keep in mind that in Iran you can visit some attractions for free. For example, Khajoo Bridge and 33 bridges in Isfahan or Amirchakhmaq Square in Yazd or all traditional markets in all cities.

 

Cost to buy souvenirs and memorabilia

Iranians have a famous proverb that says that the more money you owe, the more you eat. Accordingly, the more you spend to buy souvenirs and souvenirs from Iran, the more luxurious and original gifts you can get. At a minimum, you can buy an Iranian memorial for about $ 10. You have to spend a lot of money to make luxurious and expensive memorabilia such as gold and silver jewelry as well as silk carpets and rugs.

 

Unforeseen costs

Setting a budget for unforeseen expenses is one of the things that you should definitely consider in planning your trip. Unforeseen expenses include possible expenses for receiving medical services, expenses for watching theater or attending a concert, expenses for preparing a gift for a friend you may find in Iran, and the like. Consider a fee for these items as well. Maybe $ 100 to $ 200 is a good amount. If you do not spend this amount, it will be returned to your pocket.

Have enough money with you

Iran is not connected to the world currency system. So you can not count on your credit cards and savings account. So there is only one way and that is to bring as much money as you need. At Iran International Airports, there is an exchange office to convert your money. In addition, in all cities and some hotels there are exchange offices to convert your money into Iranian currency. (Currently, according to the Central Bank, exchange offices are not allowed to buy and sell currency). Note that in Iran’s international airports, it is possible A tourist credit card is provided for foreign guests. Three banks, Mellat, Melli and Tourism, are in charge of issuing tourism credit cards. These cards are connected to the national banking network of Iran and you can receive cash from all ATMs in the country using your credit card. In fact, tourism credit cards are a good alternative to your cash. Rechargeable tourism credit cards.

 

What are the costs of a European couple traveling to Iran?

With the recent exchange rate changes, now if one intends to travel to Iran, one will experience a very low cost trip. Now the question is, for example, if a European travels to Iran these days, what percentage of his salary should he spend on a full and two-week trip to Iran?

To do this, you must first start with the ticket price, the price of a round-trip flight to cities such as Paris, Frankfurt or Rome is currently around 350 euros per person. After the flight price, now that the passengers are at Imam Khomeini Airport, they have to pay 100,000 Tomans to go to the hotel they have booked to reach their destination by a special airport taxi.

 

The price of a two-person room in a 4-star hotel in Tehran is about 400,000 tomans per night, for which 1,600,000 tomans must be paid for 4 nights. To tour and see the attractions of Tehran during these 4 days, a maximum of 150 thousand tomans per day is spent, and finally for the cost of food per meal for one person should be considered about 50 thousand tomans. So in these four days in Tehran and the first part of the travel expenses of a European couple to Iran 2 million and 700 thousand tomans and at the rate of 15 thousand tomans per euro these days, the equivalent of 170 euros must be considered.

 

Now, we will examine the costs of a 5-day trip to Isfahan, which starts from the cost of going back and forth to this city, which costs a maximum of 300,000 Tomans per person by plane and 40,000 Tomans per person by bus. If the cost of staying in a 4-star hotel is considered 300,000 per night, one million and 500 thousand tomans should be set aside for hotel accommodation. For travel expenses and sightseeing in the city, 350 thousand Tomans and each meal should be considered 40 thousand Tomans per person, which in total for these 5 days, including bus travel, is about 2 million 330 thousand Tomans, equivalent to 150 Euro will be the cost of travel to Isfahan.

 

In the third city, if the destination is Shiraz, the costs for a 5-day stay are as follows: 80,000 Tomans The cost of traveling by bus to Shiraz, 400,000 Tomans per night hotel, 40,000 Tomans per meal for one person, travel expenses and visits From the tourist attractions of Shiraz, about 300 thousand Tomans and 300 thousand Tomans, the cost of a plane ticket from Shiraz to Tehran for each person, which is a total of 3 million and four hundred, equivalent to 215 Euros, the cost of this 5-day trip and the last part of a European couple Will be in Shiraz.

 

So the cost of a European couple’s trip to Iran, including the above costs, will be a total of 885 euros, but the minimum wage, for example, the salary of a simple worker in a European country starts from around 1000 euros, so the cost of a couple’s trip For two weeks, one person is paid less than one month.

Memoirs of a foreign tourist from a trip to Iran

He introduced himself as a travel enthusiast. Recently, he had a 2-week trip to Iran and described his travel experiences as follows:

 

I returned a few weeks before my trip to Iran and I am still excited to write about it. The trip was unique, and since Iran is not the number one destination for many, it was almost impossible to find accurate information from more than one source (LONELY PLANET).

If you, like me, have a two-week trip to Iran, my trip description can help you.

My flight was to Tehran. I did not inquire much about this when buying a ticket, and then I realized that I could travel by plane to other cities like Shiraz and save more time.

 

The first stop on the trip: Isfahan

My friends and I arranged to go to Isfahan immediately after the meeting in Tehran. My backpack was transferred from Dubai on time and my first encounter with the Iranian authorities was completely positive and I can not complain about it.

8 hours later, after receiving my backpack, we went to the bus terminal in Tehran and bought a ticket for 12:30, just before the bus left. On the Lonely Planet site, it is suggested that tickets to Isfahan be purchased in advance, so I can not say that this was our luck or that ticket reservations are not really necessary. Our bus was VIP and had very comfortable seats. The price was also very cheap, only 80 thousand tomans per person. After arriving in Isfahan, we went to the Iran Hotel, which I had previously booked via email. This was our only planned stay. The owner of the hotel helped us a lot and explained to us where each place is located and also gave us suggestions about restaurants. The hotel environment was pleasant for us.

We stayed in Isfahan for three nights and spent most of our time in Imam Square or Naghsh Jahan. At all hours of the day there is all the hustle and bustle of the city, except in the hottest part of the day. Families squat everywhere for picnics, younger people play volleyball, everyone eats ice cream, and carts pass by with horses. Also, many Isfahanis speak to you and know English well. Some of them have no specific intentions but others want you to take a look at their shops. Of course you do not have to buy anything, fortunately they do not insist too much!

 

The second stop in the trip: Yazd

Our trip to Yazd was easy. Our ticket was provided by Iran Hotel. This time we traveled by regular buses and we were surprised that our trip lasted only 4 hours because VIP buses cover this distance in 6 hours.

Termeh Hotel in Yazd was wonderful. The hotel was set up in a traditional house and run by women. We loved this hotel the most. They received us very well and their always smiling faces made the day brighter for everyone.

Yazd is usually a city that is abandoned because everyone wants to go to Shiraz, but I think Yazd was much more beautiful. We were in Yazd for three nights and could not see everywhere. The reason was partly our very comfortable hotel.

Seeing the sights of Yazd can take two full days. But we wanted to see more places and spent half the day visiting Chuck Chuck, Khoranagh and Meybod. It was a journey into history and very valuable to us. It was difficult for me to cope with the heat, but our wonderful driver brought us watermelon, which changed our day completely!

 

The third stop in the trip: Shiraz

We had heard that there are many sights in Shiraz and we planned for 4 nights. But now I think since our flight was on the evening of the fourth day, we could have stayed one day shorter.

We came to Shiraz with a VIP bus provided by Termeh Hotel and at the same time we booked another traditional hotel called Parhami Hotel. The hotel was located in a narrow alley near one of the main streets of the city. The location of the hotel was good but we suddenly found ourselves in a relatively large city that was full of markets and chaos. In my opinion, Shiraz was much more chaotic than other cities such as Isfahan and Yazd. Getting used to Shiraz was not easy and it was only in the last days that it affected us.

Everyone goes to Shiraz to see Persepolis and we were no exception to this rule. We planned the second day to see Persepolis and it was wonderful! Definitely a must see!

We saw the sights of Shiraz and realized that they are not so many. After a somewhat disappointing visit to Karim Khan Citadel, which cost us as much as the whole of Persepolis, we stopped seeing some other antiquities for financial reasons.

We were looking for sights around Shiraz when Mr. Parhami suggested Qalat, a small village near Shiraz. It was a great idea, not only because of the small waterfalls of Qalat or the mesmerizing views of the surrounding trails, but also because of our very good driver, a young woman nicknamed Lily.

 

Last stop in the trip: Tehran

The hustle and bustle of a metropolis like Tehran was really overwhelming. Especially since our flight from Shiraz was delayed by three hours and we were at the airport until one o’clock in the morning. Our hotel in Tehran was very ordinary and our most expensive hotel in the whole trip and there was no toilet in it!

In Tehran, you have to be really prepared to deal with the crowd, especially if you want to use the subway. If you are a woman, I highly recommend getting on the train wagons for women.

Tehran was great, but we did not have enough time to get along with the city. One of my friends stayed in Tehran for one more day and his trip was more exciting. If you only have two days, you should hurry to see the main parts and you do not have time to stop and explore the city. When it comes to quiet places, Tehran is really exceptional and it would be great if we could talk more with young people and Tehranians.

Be prepared to spend more money in Tehran. Usually in a set of buildings you have to buy a ticket for each building separately. For example, if you want to see the whole Golestan Palace, you have to pay a lot of money. (If you are not Iranian

 

Overall our trip was fantastic and we included many programs in two weeks. In terms of distances, for example, the distance between Yazd and Shiraz seems insignificant on the map, but it easily takes you 6 hours by bus, after which your day is practically gone.

If we had come to Iran at any time other than August, we could have seen the desert and maybe camel riding. This should stay on our list for next time!

This is a brief overview of our trip, the difficulties of which were just before the trip but had a very good end. You know, I’m not a big fan of planning.

Day 1: Travel to Isfahan

Day 2: Isfahan

Day 3: Isfahan

Day 4: Travel to Yazd

Day 5: Yazd

Day 6: Yazd: Travel to Chuck Chuck + Khoranagh + Meybod

Day 7: Travel to Shiraz

Day 8: Shiraz

Day 9: Shiraz: Persepolis + Naghsh-e Rostam

Day 10: Shiraz: Travel to Qalat

Day 11: Shiraz: Flight to Tehran

Day 12: Tehran

Day 13: Tehran

And many of you asked me how much did I spend in Iran? My expenses included accommodation, land travel, a domestic flight, sightseeing, food and souvenirs, which cost a total of $ 500! Very cheap!