Is Iran Safe for Travelers?

Opposed to general misconception Iran is a relatively safe country for tourists & travelers. However, like everywhere else in the world, It is good to take some general precautions. Despite what you may hear in News Iran is not a dangerous place and against many threats that surround the country it has stood its ground and there haven’t been any major internal conflicts for a long time in its boarders. People are mostly friendly and always ready to help with any questions you may have despite some language barriers.

Iran’s situation has changed a lot in recent years. like many other countries Iran has been shown in a negative light by many major medias and this has contributed to the assumptions many have about Iran. Nearly 3 pages of our old site (in 2006) was dedicated to this explanation. But now with a bit of searching in the vast medium that is the Internet you can read the opinion of hundreds of travelers from around the world. Many references are available for interested travelers that can be just a click away.

Another reliable source can be the many guidebooks in the world. You can find one in every language and in every one of them a page dedicated to the safety of the country can be found. Here you can read the first lines of page 332 of the latest edition of Lonely Planet (2017):

Iran is generally a very safe place to travel, so much so that many travelers describe it as the ‘safest country I’ve ever been to’, or ‘much safer than traveling in Europe’.

All countries base on their political views and stands deem a part of Iran or Iran in general as a unsafe place. but when travelling, what can be more reliable than real people who have traveled this routes or guidebooks that have been a good source for many years?

This does not mean that accidents can’t happen. Pickpocketing might happen so watch your wallet and valuable goods. Travelers have hitchhiked across deserts, stayed in the homes of strangers and left bags in restaurants and cafes without any problem. Tourists are advised to avoid boarder to Afghanistan as some routes are used for drug trafficking. But there are no issues along the main tourist trails.

The biggest threats you may face involve scamming and traffic accidents. These two are sadly among the common dangers of Iran, with drivers requesting large amounts of money (in Iran a Taxi meter is not conventional) and reckless driving by most people you may encounter These in your trip. But using apps like Snapp and Tap30 (two of the most famous taxi apps in Iran) will solve most of these problems for you.

We, as one of the most active tour operators of Iran, have done many tours in non touristic, of the beaten path or yellow or red regions of Iran. From Sistan and Baluchistan to the region of Kurdistan there are hundreds of pictures and videos you can watch to decide for yourself. We consider the safety of our travelers in high regards and it is our duty to let our travelers know if the situation of the region they are going to travel in changes or become unsafe for them, not just for our credit but for the reputation of our country.