Iran

To explore Iran you need way more than just a week. Ideally you should stay in the country for at least 14 days as the inland distances between cities and regions are huge. Nature lovers in Iran will find several nature parks (in the northwest and in the center of the country), fans of mountain hiking and trekking will fall in love with the mountains in northwest and north of the capital. The same goes for winter sport lovers. Speleologists will be delighted by the interesting locations around Kermanshah where they may explore the Ali Sadr caves. History fans will have the "hardest" time. After enjoying a variety of museums in Tehran, seeing the Shah's palaces, and especially the treasury of incalculable value, they are faced with a decision in which direction to take afterwards. Should they head west they will have the chance to find out how the humankind dencrypted the behustin incription and the cuneiform. The southern route will take you to Ziggurat's Chogha Zanbil where you will learn about the Elamites whose knowledge was way superior to that of ancient Greece. Alternatively you may explore what remained in the east where an earthquake shook the beautiful city of Bam and see the Prince's Gardens in Mahan and the pilgrimage of Mashad. Explore how the people around the Caspian Sea north of Tehran live today, or fly to the hot island of Kish where it is only a short distance to Dubai. Most of our clients opt for the southern route to enjoy classical Persia in the cities of Kashan, to listen to the ancient Parthian language in the village of Abyaneh, to explore the fascinating architectonical genuie of the Yazd wind towers / "refrigerators" and to enjoy the hospitality of the typical local houses. There is so much to admire in Iran, e.g. the magnificent glory of Isfahan city, Persopolis, the valley of Persian kings in Naqsht Rostam and the lyrical atmosphere of Shiraz. There is nothing better than to end your stay in a typical tea house with local musicians and storytellers. Iranians are very laid back, hospitable and welcoming nation.

While the magnificent Persian Empire ranged from Central Asia to the Mediterranean Sea today's smaller and still proud Iran is a country forming an imaginary line between the Middle East and Central Asia. In this breathtaking country a true traveler will find everything his or her heart desires, from arid deserts to green areas, from sunny beaches to ski resorts. The capital city of Tehran is located in the northern part of the country near the Caspian Sea. In the south you will find the fabulous city of Shiraz, the mythical Persopolis, the Valley of the Persian Kings, the rich Isfahan and the Persian Gulf. The country has a total area of 1 648 195 km². Iran neighbours 13 countries and it is therefore difficult to imagine the immense cultural diversity.

flight tickets including business class seats
transfers by road or air
top-notch luxury hotels
local tours and experiences
tailored holiday packages with the possibility of combining your stay with visit to other destinations
VIP airport lounges prior to and after your flights
multilingual assistance throughout your stay
team-building programes
event tickets
concierge services

Iran is located between 44 degrees and 63 degrees east longitude and 25 degrees and 40 degrees north latitude - that's an area of truly diverse climate. In the north around the Caspian Sea there is a fertile strip of land. North of Tehran rises the highest Iranian mountain Damavand which is 5 611 m high above sea level. The northwestern mountainous part is covered with snow in winter whilst in summer the local weather can be very pleasant. In fact it is so nice that back in the ancient times the Persian nobelty used to come here after spending time in Sous and Persopolis. The south and much of the eastern areas are deserts accounting for almost 21% of the country's land area. Summers are very hot and winters dry and cold, the southwest of the country has an almost tropical climate. The climate, palm trees and beaches of Kish Island resemble nearby Dubai. The best time to visit most of Iran is between April and May and also in October.

The following table shows the average daily air temperatures in Iran:

	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
Average maximum	7	10	15	22	28	34	37	35	32	24	17	10
Average minimum	-1	1	5	11	16	21	24	23	19	13	7	1

Area:	1 648 195 km²
Population:	71 208 000
Capital:	Tehran
Government:	islamic republic
Head of state:	president
Currency:	iranian rial (sometimes you may hear of toman however 1 toman = 10 rials), 1 CZK= 1 800 IRR (12.3.2020). Due to rising inflation in the current years we advise to keep checking the current situation or talk to us. Foreign currency exchange is no problem however it can be done only in banks. Opening hours are from 8:30 AM to 4 PM excecpt Friday when they are closed. On Saturday banks close already at 11:30. You may be asked for a passport and we recommend keeping a receipt of your transaction.
Payment methods:	Although at some places you may use American Express, Visa or Thomas Cook it is recommended to carry cash. Due to political situation most governmental bodies only accept Euro.
Time zone:	+2,5 hours
Language:	The offical language is Persian which belongs to a group of Indo-European languages. Given the use of Arabic script in Iran, many mistakenly believe that Iranians routinely speak Arabic, and it is common for many Westerners to mistaken Persian for Arabic and to call the Persians Arabs. Nearly half of the population speaks Persian, the rest of the population speaks Armenian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, Turkmen, Tajik, Baluchic and Pashto in the east. The young generation speaks English and tries to communicate with foreigners in this language. Bilingual inscriptions in Persian and English are common in important places.
Religion:	Nearly one hundred percent of Iran's population is declared to be Shia Muslim with Islam being declared the country's official religion. However, unlike other Gulf countries, the Iranian constitution also recognizes other religions such as zoroastreism, Judaism and Christianity.
Emergency:	ambulance 123, firemen 125, police 110, road accidents 197
Vaccination:	none is required however we do recommend vaccination against hepatidis
Transportation:	car rental by foreigners is possible with a local driver, otherwise it is possible to use either luxurious or cheap network of buses, trains and domestic airlines. In Tehran you can also take a beautiful local metro (www.tehran-metro.com) where some of trains are only for women. Big LCD information screens are common in most railway stations and large transport hubs, some long-distance trains are also equipped with TVs and it is no exception that mobile phone chargers are available at railway stations. As far as the airport is concerned, the older Tehran airport now serves mainly domestic flights, while the new Imam Khomeini which is about 30 minutes away from Tehran is intended for international flights. Older types of aircrafts are being used on domestic routes as a result of the US embargo.
Electricity:	Electricity usually has a voltage of 220 V altough some hotels still have a voltage of 110 V. Electricity sockets have two rounded holes. In the event of an unexpected power outage it is recommended to have spare batteries as they are quite expensive in Iran. Hotels are usually equipped with their own generators.

Visa to Iran

Visa is required and its issue is a rather complex process. For this very reason it is necessary to start preparing the journey on time, at least 4 weeks in advance, taking into account the number of possible holidays. The visa is handled by us and the client must provide a scanned passport, photo and other personal data for the relevant Iranian authorities. For local embassy in Prague another 2 forms in english are required as well as aditional photos (women must wear a head scarf on the photo). Subsequently the client is asked directly by the embassy for a personal interview and payment of relevant fees by bank transfer.

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Visa to Iran

In UNESCO's Footsteps

Classical Iran

My Own Trip Through Iran