Tehran

Tehran (also spelled Teheran) (Persian: تهران), is the capital city of Iran. A bustling metropolis of 14 million people, it sits at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain range. Tehran is a cosmopolitan city, with great museums, parks, restaurants, and warm friendly people. It deserves at least a few days of your Iranian itinerary.

Understand


The city can be roughly divided into two parts - north and south. The northern districts of Tehran are more prosperous, modern, cosmopolitan and expensive while southern parts are less attractive but cheaper.

At the time of the Zand dynasty, it was a little town that was significant from a strategic point of view. The first of the Qajar kings, Agha Mohammed Khan, named Tehran as the country's capital in 1778, and most of its growth started during the reign of a subsequent Qajar monarch, Fath-Ali Shah. The castle which Agha Mohammed Khan had built was to contain the new majestic buildings.

At the same time, the city's population doubled. Due to the increasing significance of the city, gates, squares and mosques were built and it was at the time of Nassereddin Shah that the city's master sketch was prepared and modern streets were constructed. Later, huge central squares like Toopkhaneh square (now Imam Khomeini) and quite a few military buildings were built. Even though the Qajar dynasty was in a period of decline, Tehran soon took the shape of a modern city. The structure of large government buildings, new streets, recreation centres, urban service organizations, and academic and methodical centres were started, even as most of the old gates and buildings were destroyed and the city's old architectural fabric replaced by a contemporary one.

Tehran has also earned itself an unenviable reputation as a smog-filled, traffic-clogged and featureless sprawl of concrete bursting at the seams with 14 million residents. But you can also find an endless number of nice and cosy places in and around the city - if you know where to look. Tehran is a city of more than 800 parks, all well-kept. The city is nearly a mile high above sea level and as a result is cooler than other cities in the Middle East. Still, summer temperatures are very hot, averaging 33°C (91°F) in July and frequently exceeding 38°C (100°F). The air tends to be very dry.

A combination of factors make Tehran a pleasant place to visit: the dry climate which is cool in the evenings, the proximity of the mountains, the parks and gardens where flowers blossom all through the year, the alleys of trees in the avenues or even smaller streets, and even the water that runs down from the upper city along deep and wide gutters which look like small rivers during spring. The Alborz range on the north of Tehran, which hosts the highest peak in Iran, provides fantastic conditions for ski lovers in the winter. In winter, the mountain hotels and ski clubs at Shemshak, and Dizine are very busy. There is some world-class skiing to be done in the resorts just north of Tehran.

Get in
For information on Iranian visas please refer the Iran page.

By plane


Getting there and away:
 * By metro – The easiest way to reach city center. Line number 8 connects Airport Terminal A with Metro Line 1 (red line) (75,000 rials, that can be used for the full network, Mar 2019). Runs irregularly: 06:50, 08:10, 09:30, 10:50, 12:10, 13:30, 14:50, 16:10, 17:30, 18:50, 20:10. For Metro Line 1 (red) there is a metro from IKA to Tehran durin daytime—the trains run hourly (Sep 2017).
 * By bus – To and from the city (e.g. Haram Metro station) every 30-60 min 07:00-23:00. They leave right in front of the main exit and cost 20,000-30,000 rial. There are unconfirmed reports of a shuttle bus operating between IKIA and Mehrabad Airport every 4–5 hours.
 * By taxi – They cost a fixed rate of 800,000 rials (or US$25 or €20 as of Oct 2017), ask at the taxi counter. The drive to/from the city center takes 45 minutes without traffic, but can take upwards of 90 minutes with traffic. There is a booth organizing taxis right outside the arrivals hall. You can also bargain with taxis dropping off passengers at the arrivals hall because otherwise they would have to go back to Tehran empty. Taxis to the nearest metro station (Haram-e-Motahhar) cost 500,000 rials.
 * Shuttle taxis and green minibuses operate between the airport and Shahed Station on the red line of the metro. This can be a convenient option going to the airport from town, but finding the shuttle taxis at the airport will be difficult as many don't stop there. At 7,000 rials for a metro ticket and 40,000 rials for a shuttle taxi (they will try to rip you off or charge for bringing in luggage even if there is space, so make sure to only occupy one seat if you don't want to pay extra), it is probably the cheapest option from town that doesn't require waiting a long time for the bus (shuttle taxis leave when full). At Shahed station, get out to the parking area (there is only one exit and you can't miss it) and on the very left you will see green minibuses. It takes about 30-40 min from there to the airport. Last one departs around 21:30.

Despite the warnings in some travel guides, there is no exit fee for foreign travellers, neither in Mehrabad nor in Imam Khomeini Airport. The exit fee applies to foreign travellers only when leaving Iran on land or by sea.



By train
There is at least one train per day (some overnight) from the Iranian cities such as Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz, Kerman, Yazd, Sari, Gorgan, Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas. Domestic tickets can be bought at any station, from travel agencies or online from various train operator websites, such as Raja, Fadak, BonRail, Joopar, and Behtarinsafar. You could also use one of Iranian OTAs to buy your tickets online.

An international train from Ankara, the Transasia Express, runs twice per week. There is an additional international train from Van via Tabriz as well.



By car
Traffic is very congested but has improved with the completion of several new tunnels and highways (referred to as autobahns by the locals) across the city. You can drive in from Turkey and the southern parts of Iran fairly easily. Although Iran has always had a reputation for a high number of driving accidents, the police have cracked down on accidents and driving is now safer than before. It is possible to rent a car at IKA airport, Mehrabad and in the city.

If you are going to use roads and ground transportation, there's a website maintained by the government's Ministry of Transportation and Urban Development available here or here that publishes roads' statuses. You might need to use Google Translate to understand the text when navigating through the pages.

By bus
Almost every city and far-flung village in Iran has bus services to Tehran-- hundreds of buses that pour in and out of the capital each day. Most buses arrive at one of four major bus terminals:



Get around
Getting around traffic-clogged, sprawling Tehran is a true test of patience. While taxis are your best bet, they are pricier here than the rest of the country. A large local bus network will also take you almost anywhere you need to go, as long you can make sense of the routes and Persian line numbers. The true star of Tehran's transport system, however, is the metro.

By bus
Tehran has an inexpensive but confusing bus network. Some require prepaid contactless card (min 5,000 rials), which can be bought from booths beside the bus stops and metro stations used when you get off the bus, and some should be paid by cash (ranging from 1,000-4,000 rials). The buses are partitioned in two sections, men-only (the front section) and women-only (the back section).

In the BRT lines, the women-only section is at the front. Also, the fee is paid on the station, using the prepaid contactless card (shared with Metro), or paying to the guard.

Since bus numbers, route descriptions and other information are in Persian, your best bet is to look confused at a bus terminal; a local will surely stop to help. Each bus line has a certain and almost invariable path but only people know exactly which bus stations exist for a certain road. You shouldn't expect a map or guides even in Persian showing the bus network or bus stations. Even asking the bus driver wouldn't be a great help for you to find your way either. If you get in a bus and looking for a certain station to alight, ask one to help you - you will find many people wish to help you to find your way, most of the time.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
The BRT buses are colored in red. BRTs has special lines and travels very quickly from Azadi square (west of Tehran) directly to the East (Terminal-e-Shargh). Railway square (south of Tehran) directly to the north (Tajrish square). Azadi square to free university (northwest). Azadi Square to South Terminal and parkway bridge (north of Tehran) to jomhuri square. Costs 1,000-3,000 rials. In high-traffic hours (07:00-09:00 & 16:00-20:00), it is the best way to traveling. BRT has many stations near main streets. Although you may not find an empty seat on the bus because of the crowds, people give their place to you if they know you are a tourist. The women's and men's seats and queues are separate.

By metro


Tehran's metro system has seven lines that will whisk you quickly from one end of the city to the other without having to deal with the noise, pollution and chaos of Tehrani traffic. However, many residents have decided to leave their cars and commute by metro, so expect huge crowds during rush hours.

There are seven lines but the two most useful are lines 1 (north to south- from Tajrish Station to Haram-e-Motahar Station) and 2 (east to west) which connect at the central Imam Khomeini station. All stations have signs in Persian and English. Trains run every 10 minutes or less on rush hours (15 minutes on Fridays and holidays) from around 05:30 to 23:00 every day.

Line 6 (the pink line) was opened in Apr 2019 from Shohada Square on line 4 to Dowlat Abad. One intermediate station is open. The rest of the line and its stations are still under construction.

Tickets are valid for 1 or 2 trips (including change of lines) and cost 10,000 rials for a single (Mar 2019). There are ticket booths at every station. You can also buy a contactless fare card which is the best option if you are going to use metro a lot, or want to have less hassle by paying 50,000 rials for a card and use it on metro and some city buses (if you use this card, you usually pay less than any other tickets, since they charge for the longest trip on the network). There are two dedicated women-only carriages at each end of the train. Women can anyway choose to travel aboard the other carriages but rarely do.

There are a few apps for Android and iOS devices to assist passengers on using the metro. You can try downloading the Tehran Metro app which is made for foreign travellers. First you can find yourself on a Google map (with stations marked on it) and your destination to decide which station you can get in and to which you want to arrive. After that you can select them on the stations map to get a textual explanation on taking directions and line changes along with a travel time estimation.

By taxi


As with the rest of the country private and shared taxis are abound in Tehran, although you may find flagging down a shared taxi more difficult amid the traffic and chaos, while private taxis are more expensive than in the smaller cities. See the Get Around information on Iran for details on flagging a taxi. If you want to get around by shared taxi, your best bet is to hop from square to square, as drivers will be reluctant to pick you up if your shouted destination deviates too far from their route. In each square you will find certain places where the private taxis are lined up in a queue and drivers call for passengers to a destination. (mostly happening during the times when the number of waiting taxis exceeds the number of passengers). In this case, they would wait until the car gets full of passengers (mostly one person at front and 3 people at back, excluding the driver). Otherwise the people have to line up in a queue waiting for the taxis to come. This is the case during rush hours (approximately 07:00-08:00 and 17:00-20:00). All these depend upon finding their regular station in the square. You can also ask them to alight sooner than your destination wherever you like but you have to pay their total fee up to destination. The cost of such a ride from Azadi Square to Vanak Square is around 10,000 rials for each person. Most drivers are very poor at English though. Snapp is the Iranian version of Uber in Tehran. It is fairly cheap and the price is calculated in advance. You need to have a local SIM and to install an app, available in English and French. Although the drivers may not be good English speakers, the support line speaks English well and can handle the communication problems between you and the driver.

Motorcycle taxis are common. You'll see plenty of these drivers standing at the side of the road calling "motor" at all who pass by. Motor taxi operators can seem even more suicidal than the average Tehran driver. Agree on a price before you take off and expect to pay slightly less than with a private taxi.

Historic sites






Museums






Murals
A1one (aka Alonewriter, tanha) graffiti and street art works are a feature of Tehran's urban space. A famous local graffiti artist is at the centre of controversy about whether his work is art or vandalism, and you can see his early works on the Tehran-Karaj Expressway, on the southern side walls UP in Ekbatan and Apadana districts. A more recent work of stencil art is found at the entrance of the Saba Art Institute. - Kolahstudio-an Art Basement, Iranian Underground Arts.

Parks and recreation

 * There are also two alternative ways of hiking up the mountain:
 * There are also two alternative ways of hiking up the mountain:



Learn



 * Loghatnameh Dehkhoda Institute & International Center for Persian Studies is the only school which offers Persian courses and can arrange student visas for foreigners. Consult the timetable at their website and apply at least 3 months before. People with tourist visas are not allowed to attend classes.

Work
It is easy to find work in Tehran, but you must have a university diploma to be applicable for good jobs. Although there is some inflation, many of the people in Tehran have good and well paying jobs. Like every other big developing world city, there's a big difference between poor and rich.

Money exchange
For information on Iranian currency see Iran.

You can exchange your currency in most banks after filling out between two and five forms, but the exchange rate in exchange offices (sarraafis) is always better than what is offered by banks. It is much advisable to go to one of these (close to Jewels Museum). Such offices can also be found in other parts of the city, but are far more scattered. Ask them to show you a copy of their license, issued by the Central Bank of the country and/or the local guild. A list of licensed sarraafis of the whole country, in Persian (Farsi), can be found here. This list includes phone numbers and addresses as well as license numbers and dates.

Also, most exchange offices in Tehran don't exchange before 09:00, when the daily rate gets fixed.

Do not exchange your money with one of the many individuals offering to exchange along Ferdosi St. It is much riskier and illegal. They might be criminals offering counterfeit money.

As for March 2019, exchange offices in Tehran were not exchanging, and they announced lower rate than at the airport. The best rate was (surprisingly) at the airport, and higher than stated at XE Currency Exchange. Accommodation can be paid in euros, so you do not need to exchange all the money for the trip. In March 2019, they were changing 151,000-153,000 rials for €1; 170,000-173,000 rials for £1; 139,000 rials for US$1 (dollar rate as of 26 Apr 2019) - at the airport, first floor (departures).

Bazaars and shopping malls
Visit the Bazaar, very appropriate for shopping. It ranges from cheap things to very expensive luxury things. You can find almost anything in the Bazaar, from clothing to carpets, kitchen accessories, decorations, jewellery....

There are also numerous shopping malls in the city. Valiasr Street and Tajrish Square (also includes a traditional bazaar) are two of the many locations full of shopping centres in Tehran.



Computer software
Due to Iran's refusal to sign the Berne Convention, the sale of pirated software is legal in the country. However, bringing the software home is likely to be illegal and may carry large fines or jail sentences if caught. The software might also not include the correct ID keys and therefore might not work on your computer. Buyer beware!

Places where pirated software is for sale include the bazaar at the corner of Vali-e-Asr Avenue and Enghelab Avenue, Bazar-e-Reza, Bazar-e-Iran, and the "Paytakht Computer Complex", a modern complex of seven storeys filled with computer equipment at the intersection of Vali-e-Asr and Mirdamad. The prices at the "Bazaar Reza" (at Charrah-e-Vali-e-Asr) are usually cheaper. Some of the computer equipment that is sold in Iran are cheap knockoffs.



Jewellery & gold
Jewellery & gold boutiques in Geisha, Milade Noor, Karim Khaan St. Golds, gems, and diamonds.

Bags & shoes
Designer bags and shoes such as Gucci, Versace, Dior, Armani in Golestan shopping centre & Milade noor.

Eat
Prices quoted on the menu may exclude an 8% tax, a 10-15% service charge, and a 10% tip. Be prepared to add as much as 1/3 to the prices quoted on the menu.

Budget
You'll find cheap & good enough abgoosht stew in any of the places they call ghahvekhuneh (قهوه‌خانه) which you can find in any non-strictly-residential area. Just ask for a ghahvekhuneh or get this قهوه‌خانه printed and show it. Nice traditional working class ambience as a rule.

You can find several food courts around Tehran with a variety of cuisines from Thailand, India, Italy, China and Turkey.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.
 * Sharafol-eslam is a restaurant in the Bazaar. It is famous for its kebabs and chicken. It gets really crowded though, which requires some patience.

Drink
For information on popular drinks in Iran, see Iran. Alcoholic beverages are illegal in Iran, other than some allowances for ritual use by Jews and Christians.

Coffee shops
Coffee shops are a great place for people watching as well as drinking.


 * There is a string of coffee shops on the south side of Jomhuriyeh Eslami Ave, a couple of hundred metres west of Ferdosi St. You can stock up on coffee beans and related paraphernalia, or even sample a cup for 4,000 rials.
 * Cafe Naderi - serves coffee, tea and pastries to a mix of Tehran's intelligentsia and bohemian elite. It's a great place to sit and watch hip young guys eyeing gossiping girls while old men reminisce about the "good ol' days" under the Shah.
 * Crystal Coffeeshop (at the top of the Borj-e Sefid Hotel) along Pasdaran Ave, Definitely worth a visit if in the area for the relaxing drink and view.
 * Crystal Coffeeshop (at the top of the Borj-e Sefid Hotel) along Pasdaran Ave, Definitely worth a visit if in the area for the relaxing drink and view.

Tea houses

 * Azari Traditional Tea House - Just north of the train station. A bit far from the center but worth the trek. The atmosphere here is unique, from the moment you enter from the beaded doorway. This is a popular hangout for people of all ages. Features an eclectic collection of water pipes and tea pots.
 * Gandhi Shopping centre. For trendy cafes filled with liberal Iranians. You will find about ten coffeeshops as well as a few very good restaurants, including Monsoon.
 * Gandhi Shopping centre. For trendy cafes filled with liberal Iranians. You will find about ten coffeeshops as well as a few very good restaurants, including Monsoon.

Juice bars

 * In many places you can find fresh sickly-sweet carrot juice - as well as some other juices - for just 30,000 rials a cup.
 * By most main bazaar in Tehran you can get a drink of blended honeydew melon with ice and sugar. It's delicious and extremely refreshing on a hot day. In the summer, you can try Khakshir a locally made amazing drink which is refreshing.

Sleep
The old-styled Mosaferkhanehs and budget hotels are often low quality and overpriced. The reason is that Iran has had very limited exposure to the outside world. In many low budget places there are no European toilets or even no toilet paper and staff can be rather unfriendly with no English-speaking ability. However, a couple of modern hostels have opened in Tehran.

Connect
For information on mobile phone operators and using the internet in Iran, see Iran

You need to use a proxy server, VPN or a software like Freegate or Psiphon to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and some websites; otherwise, you might see this page which shows that the site you want to access is filtered and blocked by the judiciary system. You also need to use Freegate to check your bank account balance; otherwise, your account might get blocked due to the sanctions against Iran.

Internet cafés
In addition to the above cafes, there are many others in all parts of the city.
 * Ferdosi Coffee Net - Enghelab Ave, (a few doors east of Ferdosi Square) is hard to find (look for the small sign plastered to a building) has two banks of computers.
 * Pars Net - one of south Tehran's hottest coffee nets, dishing up reasonable speed. It is on the eastern side of Ferdosi St, between Jomhuiyeh Eslami Ave and Enghelab Ave, across from the British embassy. They also provide fax and long-distance phone services.
 * Coffee Net Firouzeh - In Tehran's south in the nice and very friendly Firouzeh Hotel
 * Iranian Trade Centre - around Valiasr Square offers several Internet cafes (coffee nets).

3G and 4G internet connections
With a copy of the information page of your passport and a copy of the page with Iranian entrance seal and also, your visa, you can buy SIM cards and access the internet with GPRS, EDGE, 3G and 4G technologies. SIM cards are available in places like post and government e-services offices (Persian: singular: Daftar-e Pishkhan-e Khadamat-e Dowlat دفتر پیشخوان خدمات دولت; plural: Dafater-e Pishkhan-e Khadamat-e Dowlat دفاتر پیشخوان خدمات دولت), in big shops and at the Imam Khomeini airport. At least some shops refuse to sell SIM cards to British nationals.

3G
Mobile Communications of Iran (IR-MCI) or Hamrahe Avval همراه اول is a cellular phone company that provides SIM cards with 3G technology. You need to activate special packages to access the internet with less cost. This company has the largest cellular phones network subscribers and its numbers begin with 091. IR-MCI SIM cards have better signal coverage on roads. Irancell is another company that provides 3G service along with the other cellular phone services. Its SIM card numbers begin with 093 and 090. RighTel (رایتل) is anothe company providing reliable 3G internet connections.

4G
Irancel, Rightel, MCI all have 4G coverage in big cities.

Wireless portable internet connection
Irancell Wimax is one of the wireless internet networks available. MobinNet ISP Company is another service provider which provides wireless portable internet connection.

Stay safe

 * See also the warnings at Iran.

Considering that the population of Tehran is around 15 million, it is still one of the safer cities to visit in global terms. Violent crime is rare and exercising common sense and taking the usual precautions against pickpockets in crowded areas should ensure a hassle-free visit. Most areas are safe even late at night, although it is not advisable to take a private taxi at 02:00 for example (but the lack of public nightlife means that few tourists would be out at that time in the first place). South Tehran (or the areas south of the Tehran Bazaar) is the only area that should really be avoided after dark, as some of the more deprived neighborhoods are there.

Traffic in Tehran is very dangerous and should be considered to be among the worst in the world. Even though crossing the street might at first seem impossible, drivers usually do a very good job avoiding pedestrians. Still, try to cross the street when the locals do as there is safety in numbers. The rate of traffic accidents is disturbingly high, so faith should not be put on drivers' skills alone.



The fake police that have traditionally targeted tourists in Esfahan have also found their way to Tehran. These are usually uniformed men in unmarked cars flashing fake IDs and requesting to see your passport or to search through your luggage. You should ignore such requests and head to the nearest police station ("kalantari") if you feel unsafe. However, it can be somewhat hard for the untrained eye to tell these apart from real police.

If you decide to smoke the qalyan (waterpipe or hubble-bubble), make sure that you are not unintentionally smoking opium or any other kind of drug. Although drugs and alcohol are illegal in Iran, it is not impossible to get them, especially in Tehran. Obviously, you should not try to obtain or consume either, as the consequences can be very dire should you get caught. The government has banned smoking qalyan and cigarettes in public places, so finding a good place to smoke can be a challenge. If you really want to try the qalyan, do it only at a qahvekhane recommended by a Western guidebook or travel website.

Emergency services phone numbers

 * Police: 110 (has English-speaking operators)
 * Fire department: 125
 * EMS: 115
 * Road EMS: 115 or 112
 * Road Status Information: 141

Cope
The traffic in Tehran is horrendous. To get a break from it, head to the parks in the north of the city.

Go next

 * If the hustle and bustle of Tehran becomes too much, it's possible to go to the Caspian Sea for a day or two. The holiday town of Ramsar is about five hours away, and the drive across the Alborz Mountains is spectacular. A taxi round-trip for a day shouldn't set you back more than 500,000 rials (ask for taxis near Azadi Square).
 * Qom &mdash; about 2 hours away southwest of Tehran by bus and one hour by car (120 km) is the most religious city of Iran followed by Mashhad
 * Qom &mdash; about 2 hours away southwest of Tehran by bus and one hour by car (120 km) is the most religious city of Iran followed by Mashhad