Iran is a true hidden gem and home to truly stunning sights, scenery and things to do! Making sure to visit the famous landmarks but before that it would be great to know some practical information about Iran.
The largest language group consists of the speakers of Indo-Iranian languages, who in 1986 comprised about 70 percent of the population. The speakers of Indo-Iranian languages are not, however, a homogeneous group. They include speakers of Persian, the official language of the country, and its various dialects; speakers of Kirmanji, the term for related dialects spoken by the Kurds who live in the cities, towns, and villages of western Iran and adjacent areas of Iraq and Turkey; speakers of Luri, the language of the Bakhtiaris and Lurs who live in the Zagros; and Baluchi, the language the people who live in southeastern Iran. Approximately 28 percent of the population speaks various dialects of Turkish.
Islam is practiced by the majority of Iranians and governs their personal, political, economic and legal lives. During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day. Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing. Expatriates are not required to fast; however, they must not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in public.
Most visitors are pleasantly surprised by the transport system in Iran. Once you accept that the driving is more imaginative than what you’re used to at home, you’ll appreciate that services on most forms of public transport are frequent, fairly punctual and very cheap. For planes and trains it’s worth booking ahead if you’re travelling on a weekend or any public holiday.
To get a taxi in Iran you can either go to the closest taxi station or just stand in the street and hail for one. You just need to look interested and you’ll have cars stopping at your feet without blinking an eye. But the tricky part is to know what kind of Taxi to look for. Two common types are Darbast and Snapp. Darbast means ‘closed door’. In the Persian transportation dictionary, it means hiring a private taxi. You could be standing anywhere in the city and getting a Darbast. Snapp is Iran’s Uber which is doing perfectly great and everyone seems to be extremely happy with it. Especially since they are way cheaper than Darbast or a Telephone Taxi. The app is available in English but it could be a little difficult if the driver doesn’t speak English and is not able to locate you on his map.
Many prospective travelers that want to visit Iran, worry about the dress code here. In general, as a tourist lady you can stay as stylish as you wish in all cities or towns of Iran as long as most of the hair is covered and the clothing is not too short or tight. You can also wear your usual make up in Iran.
Taarof is a system of politeness that includes both verbal and non-verbal communication. In adherence to taarof, if you are ever offered something, like a tea or sweet, even if you want it, at first decline it until their insistence becomes greater.
There are three main operators in Iran: Hamrah-e-aval, MTN Irancell, RighTel. All three companies mentioned, have prepaid sim cards you can buy easily. For purchasing a sim card, a registration process must be done so, showing your passport and Iranian visa to the authorized centers belonging to the mentioned companies is necessary. Visitor SIM card enables you to make domestic and International calls, send SMS and enjoy the fastest 4G Internet in Iran.
Iran uses electrical sockets similar to Europe (two round prongs), so if you are coming from the US, the UK, or Canada, you’ll probably need an electronics adapter.
The official currency is Iranian Rial (IRR) and all notes are printed in Iranian Rial. But in daily life, locals almost always talk about Toman. Don’t get confused. Toman is just another way to tell the price of goods and services, but there are no actual bank notes in Toman. Whatever it is in Iranian Rial, delete one zero of the amount and you have the price in Toman and vice versa.
