• Do men also have clothing limitations?
• Do women have to dress in Chador?

Everybody has to obey the Islamic clothing rules in Iran, no matter where one is from, or what religion one has, however the rules are less strict for tourists. Not only women have to stick to the rules, but men also have certain rules to stick to: Short trousers are prohibited. It is not forbidden to wear a tie or a bow-tie. Women have to cover their hair in public (restaurants and hotel lobbies are public places too). According to the law, it is best for a woman to wear a headscarf to cover the hair and a coat or light weight suit to cover the body. Revealing clothes should not be worn. The color of the scarf and the clothing does not matter, and one is free to wear any color. It is not necessary to wear a chador if one wants to visit a holy mosque or shrine. Wherever the chador is a must, one will be given a chador.

• Is it possible to enjoy alcoholic beverages?
• Is it possible to bring alcoholic beverages to Iran?

According to Islam, it is totally forbidden to enjoy alcohol no matter in what form. It is forbidden to have alcoholic food or beverages, to trade with alcohol, and to serve alcohol. Entering Iran after enjoying alcohol is also forbidden. It is possible to get non-alcoholic beverages almost all over the country.

• Is it safe to drink the water from the tap?
• Is it safe to have meat?
• What kind of vegetarian food is available in Iran?
• Is there coffee in Iran?
• What kind of bread do the Iranians have?
• Is there a lot of garlic in Iranian food?
• Is it safe to have meal on the road?

Iranian food is of great variety; however, there is not much choice in the menus of the restaurants. If traveling alone, the menu will be the same in most of the restaurants: Kebab, Chicken Kebab, Fish Kebab... . Having a guided trip makes it easier to have different sorts of food, as the guide can order a specific kind of food before arriving at the restaurant. The Iranian main dish usually includes rice, meat or some kind of sauce with meat, with additional bread, yogurt, soup, and vegetables. Iranians prepare the rice in a way other than other Asian countries. The yogurt is not sweet, but most of the time sugar can be added to sweeten it. There are different kinds of soup available, but mostly there is barley or chicken soup served. The vegetables served are a mixture of different herbs. Iranian bread is flat, and of great variety. Different sorts of flat bread, baked in traditional ways, are available as well as rolls and baguettes . Most of Iranian dishes do not contain garlic. Vegetarians can order specially prepared food. There are always Cola, Fanta, soda, mineral water and non-alcoholic beer available. The tap-water is drinkable though mineral water is recommended. Tea and coffee are popular. Although in certain places such as villages, it might not be possible to get coffee. Mostly, there is instant coffee available. One is recommended to buy a bottle of instant coffee when leaving for small cities.

• What is the Iranian currency?
• Where can I exchange money?
• How to find out about the exchange rates?
• Is it possible to pay by a credit card?
• Which currencies can be exchanged?

The Iranian official currency is the Rial. Rials are available in coins (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 250 Rls.) and notes (100, 200, 500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000 and 20.000 Rls.). Coins are marked in Persian and English script and numerals. It is possible to exchange money at the airport 24 hours a day. The exchange rates may change quite often, but it is possible to find out the exchange rates at any bank, but only special banks do exchange money. It is possible to exchange US Dollars and Euro at the banks. In some places, it is possible to pay by credit cards. Master Card and Visa are also accepted.

Q: How can I obtain my visa?
A: You need an invitation letter from an Iranian citizen. Ecotour/EcoEx will invite you or handle the visa application for all applicants.

Q: How can I get more information on your tours?
A: Contact us via E-mail info@ecotour-iran.com

Q: How are the hotels and accommodation in Iran?
A: In major cities 3, 4, and 5-star hotels and in smaller cities, the best available

Q: What are some of the Iranian custom rules?
A: On arrival: Declare personal belongings such as cameras, handy camera, or personal computers, etc. Having narcotics, alcoholic beverages, guns, ammunition, aerial photographic cameras (air-survey camera), transmitter-receiver apparatus, vulgar films, unpleasant records, indecent photographs, or any kind of fashion magazine is strongly prohibited. 

On departure: you will be allowed to take with you 6 square meters of Persian carpet, or 3kg of silver, and 125 grams of gold, but there is no limitation concerning handicraft. In case of further information, Ecotour/EcoEx will provide you with necessary details.

Q: How can I make reservation and get ticket to Iran?
A: You can fly to Iran with any airline having international flights to or via Iran, such as Iran Air , Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Swiss Air, Aeroflot, Alitalia, etc. Ecotour/EcoEx can also make reservations for you on inquiry.

Q: Which languages are spoken in Iran?
A: The main language in Iran is Farsi or Persian, but some people can speak English. Other languages spoken in Iran are Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and many dialects.

Q: Who will accompany me during my journey?
A: We have professional and experienced guides who are specialists in different fields. They speak English or your language.

Q: How can I find your agents upon arrival?
A: They will have your name on a big placard upon your arrival to welcome you.