2. Table of Contents:
introduction
Parsian Hotel Group
City Breaks
Tour and Travel Styles
Highlight of iran
Iran Discovery
Persian Journey
Ancient Persia
Discover Iran
Treasures of Persia
Iran Encompassed
Iran Adventure
Iran Explorer
Hiking, Climbing & Mountaineering
Winter Ski Tour Packages
Iranian Desert Stands
Nomads of Iran
Bird Watching & Nature Reserves
Persian Gulf Odyssey
Caspian Sea Adventure
Air Tickets - Domestic Bookings
Study in Iran - Farsi & Arabic
Visa Information
El que cal saber sobre l’Iràn abans de viatges
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What to know about Iran
before you go
Language
Persian is the most widely spoken
language in Iran followed by Turkish,
Kurdish and Arabic. While the local
dialects of luri, bakhtiari and balochi
make up a majority of the local
languages. In present day Iran English
and Arabic are taught in middle school
from age 12.
Religion
Most Iranians are Muslims with
about 90% Shi’a and 8% Sunni.
The remaining 2% are non-Muslim
religious minorities including Baha’is,
Mandeans, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians,
Jews and Christians. The latter three
religions are officially recognized and
protected by the Iranian parliament.
Time
Iran is +3.5 GMT which makes it 3.5
hours ahead of London.
Electricity
220 volts AC at 50Hz
Two round pin plugs are used in
electrical outlets.
Public Holidays – Fixed
11 Feb Revolution Day
20 Mar Oil Nationalization Day
21-25 Mar Persian New Year
1 Apr Islamic Republic Day
2 Apr Nature Day
4 Jun Death of Imam Khomeini
5 Jun 15th Khordad Uprising
The weekend is Friday and some
offices and businesses are also closed
on Thursday or Saturday.
Telephone or Mobile
The country code is 98 and the
outgoing intl dial code is 00 or + on
a mobile phone. You can purchase
prepaid mobile SIM cards for about
5USD from anyone selling MTN
Irancell. Prepaid Intl phone cards are
also widely available.
Internet and Wifi
Internet cafes are widely located and
most hotels have installed wifi service
for their guests. Please note that some
social networking sites might not be
available to access if using your smart
phone.
Money
Currency is the Iranian Rial (IR) with
notes of 500,000, 100,000, 5,000,
2,000, 1,000. Smaller coins are also in
circulation.
Exchange rate in 2011 was roughly
1 USD=25,000 Rials
1 EUR = 35,000 Rials
Currency Exchange is available from
Bank Melli which has branches all over
the country. USD or Euro notes.
Bank hours are Sat-Wed 8-4, Thu 8-12.
Travellers Cheques are NOT possible
to exchange.
Credit & Debit cards – It is not possible
to use international credit & debit cards
in Iran as the banking system is not
hooked up to the international system.
Shops who accept credit cards do so
by using a partner or agent in the UAE
to process the transaction for them.
Transportation
Intl and Domestic Airports - Tehran
Imam Khomeini Intl Airport is 35km
south of Tehran and Mehrabad Intl
& Domestic Airport is 10km from the
centre of Tehan. To get from the Intl
Airport into Tehran you can use the
reliable prepaid taxi service outside
of the arrivals halls. Prices are aprox
20-30 USD depending on type of car.
There is also a 24hr hourly bus service
which goes from Iman Khomeini Airport
to Mehrabad Airport via downtown
Tehran. The cost is about 2USD. It is
possible to ask the driver to let you off
at one of the metro stations.
Taxis and Shared Taxis
Taxis are an easy way to get around
Tehran.A private taxi is more expensive
as it will take you door to door while a
shared taxi costs under 1USD and fits
four people. It travels a general route
and people use it to get from north to
south or east to west along the major
roads.
Underground Metro & Buses
Tehran is currently the only city in Iran
with a metro system making it a cheap
and easy way to get around the city.
Tickets are about 20-30 cents a ride
and offers women only cars at the front
and rear carriages. Operation times
are 5:30-22:30. Buses operate along
all the major streets with men seated
in the front and women at the rear and
you pay the driver as you get off.
Travel Insurance
It is strongly recommended to buy
travel insurance while travelling in Iran
for medical emergencies and travel
related accidents.
Clothing Dress Code
Before departing for Iran it is important
to have the appropriate clothing for
both men and women.
Men – Short sleeve shirts and long
pants are fine but shorts are generally
only acceptable at beach resorts.
Women – “Hijab” meaning head
covering and modest dress in general
is required for all women. This means
you will need to bring a few head scarfs
made of light breathable material along
with Indian/Pakistani style long sleeve
tops – (kameez) that cover your body
to mid thigh above the knees. Pants/
jeans need to be past the ankle and
any shoes or sandals are fine. In Iran
the women’s fashion is to wear a type
of cotton overcoat called a manteau
which is easily available locally rather
than trying to find it back home.
It is not necessary to wear a black
kameez/over coat as usually seen in
Iranian pictures.
Food and Drink
Typical Persian main dishes are
combination of rice with meat, lamb,
chicken, or fish and some onion,
vegetables, nuts, and herbs.To achieve
a balanced taste, unique Persian
flavorings such as saffron, dried limes,
cinnamon, and parsley are mixed
delicately and used in some special
dishes.
The consumption of alcohol is strictly
forbidden but you can find many brands
of non alcoholic beer in shops.
Visit our website for tour dossiers and further information at
web: www.aitotours.com
