Travel service
Licensed Guides — Private or Shared
Government-licensed, English-speaking guides — private for your group, or shared with other travelers to split the cost. Legally mandatory for US, UK and Canadian passport holders; a door-opener by choice for everyone else.
If you travel on a US, UK or Canadian passport, Iran requires a licensed guide with you at all times outside your hotel, on a fixed itinerary approved by the Foreign Ministry — and the forum threads circle the same worries: is the guide a minder or a companion, how strict is it, what does it cost. The honest answers: a good guide behaves like a well-connected friend, not a guard; the accompaniment rule is real, and guides who let restricted-nationality clients wander alone are breaking the law; and the package is priced per day, not per person. All other nationalities, including the EU, may hire the same guides purely by choice — for the language, the logistics and the doors a local opens.
Because the day rate can double a solo traveler's budget, we also run shared departures: we match travelers with compatible dates and routes into small groups of roughly two to six, so one licensed guide, one MFA-approved itinerary and one vehicle are split across the group instead of billed to one person. You keep the classic route, the same licensed guide, and the legal accompaniment your nationality requires — at a fraction of the private price. Tell us your dates, route and preference, and we match you with the right guide or the closest shared departure.
What’s included
- Mandatory for US / UK / Canada passport holders — accompanied at all times outside the hotel, on an MFA-approved itinerary
- Optional for EU and most other nationalities — independent travel is allowed for them
- All guides are government-licensed and authorized to escort restricted nationalities
- Private: priced per day for your group · Shared: matched departures of ~2-6 split one guide's rate
- The MFA itinerary-approval paperwork is handled as part of the service
- From-price is the shared option per person per day; ask for a private quote for your exact route
Questions travelers ask
Is Iran safe for tourists?
For everyday travel, safer than most visitors expect. Violent street crime is rare, and travelers consistently describe Iranian hospitality as exceptional — many say they felt safer than at home. The risks that keep government advisories elevated are different in kind: arbitrary detention, which falls heaviest on dual nationals, and regional instability — not muggings. As a tourist who follows the rules — stay clear of border areas, demonstrations and military sites, and follow your guide's advice — your most likely daily hazard is chaotic traffic. Nationality shapes the picture: US, UK and Canadian citizens must travel with a licensed guide on an approved itinerary, which in practice also keeps them inside well-understood limits.
Do US, UK and Canadian citizens need a guide to visit Iran?
Yes — and it is a firm government rule, not an operator upsell. Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada must travel with a government-licensed guide, on a fixed itinerary approved in advance by Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and be accompanied whenever they are outside their hotel. Independent travel is not available on these three passports; the guided tour must be arranged before the visa is issued. Travelers on these passports still visit successfully all the time — and a good guide works as a companion and door-opener, not a guard.
Is Iran safe for solo female travelers?
The honest answer: everyday crime is low, and solo women consistently describe Iranian hospitality as exceptional — many say they felt safer than at home. Practical realities: the dress code applies everywhere, the Tehran–Isfahan train has female-only cabins you can request at booking, and the usual rules hold — stay clear of borders, demonstrations and military sites, and treat chaotic traffic as the real daily hazard. Nationality is the fork: US, UK and Canadian women must travel with a licensed guide on an approved itinerary anyway; most other nationalities, including EU citizens, can travel independently. If you'd rather not go alone, we can arrange a licensed guide or place you in a small group.
How strict is the guide accompaniment rule in Iran — can I go out alone?
Strict enough that you should plan around it, not against it. For US, UK and Canadian citizens the rule is a licensed guide with you at all times outside your hotel, following the itinerary approved for your visa. You will read stories of guides letting clients roam alone — those guides are breaking the law and risk serious consequences, so a professional guide won't do it. Inside your hotel you're on your own time, and in practice a good guide feels like a well-connected friend who opens homes, workshops and conversations you'd never reach alone — not a minder.
How much does a mandatory guide in Iran cost — and can I share the cost?
Guide cost is quoted per day, not per person — and that is the lever. A solo traveler on a US, UK or Canadian passport carries the whole daily rate alone, which produces the sticker shock you see on forums; the same guide split among a small group costs each person a fraction. Rates vary with season, route and guide, so ask for a current per-day quote rather than trusting numbers you read online. If you're traveling solo, we can match you into a shared departure so the guide and itinerary costs divide across the group.