Iran Travel Information

Published: December 20, 2019 Last Edit: January 16, 2024

Currency and exchange

Iran’s official currency is Rial. However, you will find out that Toman is used more commonly among people.

Toman is one tenth of Rial. Therefore, when buying something, if someone says the price is 23,000 Tomans (or 23 Tomans), it means 230,000 Rials.

In bazaars, small stores, fast foods or restaurants most of the price tags are written in Toman however the prices written on products (e.g.: mineral water, eggs, biscuits and all those factory productions) are written in Rial. It would be best to ask the shopkeeper if price unit is not clear.

Rial = ریال

Toman = تومان

The tourists who travel to Iran cannot use their American Express/Visa/Master card and other international debit/credit cards to withdraw any cash from ATMs because the banking system is not internationally connected. so, travelers must carry cash during their stay in Iran.

US Dollars & Euros are the most preferred ones and can be exchanged in private exchange offices named Sarāfi. Other currencies can be exchanged as well but US Dollars & Euros are more common.

The Sarāfi offices offer you a better rate of exchange compared to the banks (not all provide this service) and you can find Sarāfis at the airports, bigger cities, and tourist centers.

Important Telephone Numbers

Ambulance 115
Fire & Rescue 125
Police 110 (112 from mobile (cell) phones will also get you through to the local police)
Iranian Red Crescent Society 147

Buying a SIM card in Iran

Buying a SIM card right at the airport is a good idea, the two main cellular mobile network operators in Iran are:

Hamrah-e Avval (MCI) https://www.mci.ir
Irancell (MTN) https://irancell.ir

You can purchase a SIM card from either of them; there is almost no big difference in their coverage.

If communication is very important for you then buy both of them and install the second SIM card on your travel mate's device, later you can use the hotspot feature on your devices to stay connected in case the other one fails.

Don't forget to share your Iranian SIM card number with us. In some cases, we may need to reach you via SMS when no other ways are available or applicable in the altitudes.

Internet in Iran

Internet connection is available almost everywhere in Iran via DSL lines, cellular mobile networks and most recently fiber connections in some areas.

You could find free WiFi in some tourist or public places.

Internet coverage when climbing Mount Damavand

In general, Internet connection is available but please understand this is a mountainous area and the connection might not be high speed or very stable, but in some places up to the 4200m you could get your job done if it is limited to simple emails or text/voice messages or short internet calls.

Camp 1: Both WiFi and Cellular Network is available.
Camp 2: Cellular Network is available but don't expect a very stable or high-speed connection.
Camp 3: Weak Cellular Network coverage but still possible to send and receive data for necessary tasks. (not appropriate for media intensive usage like upload/download of big files)

Internet censorship in Iran

Threads, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, Telegram, TikTok and many other social websites are all blocked inside Iran.

How to stay in touch with your family, friends and colleagues while traveling to Iran?

To access social media and other blocked websites and services you need to use an appropriate VPN connection.

Important: Since Autumn 2022 Internet Censorship in Iran has become highly aggressive, if you purchase one of those ordinary commercial VPNs in your own country and start your trip, you need to know that almost all of them are blocked since then and they won't connect. There is no list of well-known working solutions as they change over time when censorship algorithms change! To overcome this issue, it is recommended to get in touch with people inside Iran they can provide you the latest approved solutions as majority of people are bypassing these restrictions. it is also highly advised to setup the VPN connection before travelling to Iran because once you are there, it won't be that easy to download, install or give instructions when you can't access official Google Play or iOS App store or messaging platforms.

The ban on iOS App Store, Google Play and some other websites and services are applied or lifted unexpectedly, without any kind of prior notice and based on the political conditions of the time.

The Iranian website I'm trying to visit does not load, why and what to do?

Some websites (mostly state-owned ones) that are hosted inside Iran might not be accessible to the users residing in other countries due to security concerns. The workaround for this kind of problem is also an appropriate VPN connection or getting help from people inside Iran.

Does GPS receivers work in Iran?

The short answer is Yes, but don't count on that. even GPS signals are intentionally disrupted temporarily or permanently in some areas. In this condition your device will show your location somewhere else or moving in some weird patterns; hiring an experienced local guide is very important to don't get lost in harsh weather conditions or encounter wild animals.

Calendar

Iranians have their own calendar. The Iranian new year (Nowruz) begins on the first day of spring at the exact time of the vernal equinox.

Spring is the first season of the year and each month corresponds to a zodiac sign.

بهار	bahâr	spring
فروردین	Farvardin (31 days)	Aries
اردیبهشت	Ordibehesht (31 days)	Taurus
خرداد	Khordâd (31 days)	Gemini
تابستان	tâbestân	summer
تیر	Tir (31 days)	Cancer
مرداد	Mordâd (31 days)	Leo
شهریور	Shahrivar (31 days)	Virgo
پاییز	pâyiz	fall
مهر	Mehr (30 days)	Libra
آبان	Âbân (30 days)	Scorpio
آذر	Âzar (30 days)	Sagittarius
زمستان	zemestân	winter
دی	Dey (30 days)	Capricorn
بهمن	Bahman (30 days)	Aquarius
اسفند	Esfand (29/30 days)	Pisces

Days of the Week

In Iran, the week begins on Saturday and ends with Friday. So, Thursdays and Fridays are considered as weekend.

Persian	Pronunciation	English
شنبه	shanbe	Saturday
یکشنبه	yekshanbe	Sunday
دوشنبه	doshanbe	Monday
سه‌شنبه	seshanbe	Tuesday
چهارشنبه	chahârshanbe	Wednesday
پنجشنبه	panjshanbe	Thursday
جمعه	jomøe	Friday
آدینه	âdine	Friday (literary)