Travel service
Drivers & Transfers
Fixed-price airport pickups at IKA and every domestic airport, plus private cars with professional drivers — or licensed driver-guides — for city days and intercity legs. The realistic alternative to self-driving in Iran.
Many international flights reach Tehran IKA in the small hours — and you land with no working bank card, no rials yet, filtered internet, and a taxi line that knows all of that. A pre-booked transfer removes the whole problem: a driver meets you at arrivals with a name sign, tracks your flight number for delays, the price is fixed and settled with us in advance from abroad, and the car is matched to your group and luggage. We cover IKA and domestic airports, hotel-to-station runs, and the popular direct IKA-Kashan leg so you can start the classic route without backtracking through Tehran traffic.
Beyond the airport, renting a car in Iran sounds like freedom until you read the fine print: an International Driving Permit, a cash deposit that varies widely, traffic even Iranians describe as lawless, and patchy GPS and signage outside the cities. The forum consensus for a first visit is blunt — don't self-drive. A private car with a professional driver removes every one of those problems and costs less than most people expect; a driver-guide — a licensed guide who also drives — combines transport and guiding in one person and one daily rate, and for US, UK and Canadian travelers it can satisfy the mandatory-accompaniment requirement. Day trips, one-way legs such as Yazd to Shiraz via Persepolis, or a full multi-week loop are all bookable — and the trip builder on this site prices the car and driver per day as you plan.
What’s included
- Meet-and-greet with a name sign at arrivals — built for middle-of-the-night landings; driver tracks your flight
- Fixed transfer prices agreed and paid in advance from abroad — no cash haggling on arrival
- IKA-Tehran, direct IKA-Kashan, all domestic airports and train stations
- Private car + professional driver per day — skips the rental trap (IDP, deposits, lawless traffic)
- Driver-guide option: one licensed person drives AND guides — for US/UK/CA it can double as the mandatory guide
- From-price is a fixed transfer leg; day-hire priced per car class in the trip builder
Questions travelers ask
What are the actual risks of traveling in Iran day to day?
Traffic, above everything. Iranian roads are genuinely chaotic, and crossing streets or long road journeys are where tourists most often face real danger — use trusted drivers rather than self-driving on a first visit. Everyday crime is low by international standards. The trouble travelers actually get into is almost always avoidable: photographing military, police or official sites; approaching border regions; lingering near demonstrations; or breaking clear rules such as the dress code and the alcohol ban. Whatever your nationality, stay away from those and follow local advice, and the day-to-day experience is calm.
Can I rent a car and drive myself around Iran?
Honestly: you can, but almost nobody should on a first visit. Rental agencies ask for your passport, usually an International Driving Permit, and a refundable cash deposit that varies widely — from a few hundred euros for a basic car to far more, depending on the vehicle and agency, and travelers have reported being quoted much steeper sums. Driving itself is the bigger issue — Iranian traffic is genuinely chaotic and is the main day-to-day hazard travelers face, and GPS and data coverage get patchy outside the cities. US, UK and Canadian citizens can't self-drive independently in any case, since they must be accompanied by a licensed guide. Most first-timers of every nationality take a private car with a driver or driver-guide instead: the same freedom, none of the stress.
How do I get from Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA) to the city — or straight to Kashan?
This is one of the most-asked logistics questions, because IKA sits well outside Tehran. Taxis are available at the airport — agree the route and fare before you get in, and since fares shift with the currency, check a current price when you book rather than relying on old forum figures. A metro link toward the city exists but runs limited daytime hours, which is no help for the middle-of-the-night arrivals most international flights make. Many travelers skip Tehran at first and transfer directly to Kashan, the first stop on the classic route south, which avoids doubling back through Tehran traffic. The lowest-stress option is a pre-booked private transfer; whoever arranges your trip can have a driver waiting at arrivals.
What's the best way to get around inside Tehran and other Iranian cities?
Tehran has a metro, and it's the sane way to cross a city whose traffic — not crime — is the everyday hazard travelers actually report in Iran. Beyond the metro, taxis with trusted drivers are the default; let your hotel or guide call one rather than negotiating at the curb. One nationality note: US, UK and Canadian citizens are accompanied by their licensed guide whenever they are outside the hotel, so in-city transport is effectively organized for them. EU and most other nationalities move around freely on their own.