Travel service
Licensed Private Guide
A government-licensed, English-speaking private guide for your whole trip — legally mandatory for US, UK and Canadian passport holders, and 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 full package is priced per day, not per person, which is why many travelers share one — ask for a current quote rather than trusting forum numbers. 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. We match you with a licensed guide suited to your route and interests.
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
- Priced per day, not per person — see the shared-guide option to split the cost
- The MFA itinerary-approval paperwork is handled as part of the service
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.
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.