Traveling to Iran as a Solo Woman

It’s told that traveling to the Islamic Republic of Iran as a solo woman is quite frightening, and you should avoid that. But you can see those are just propaganda and there’s no need to be anxious. Relax! You’ll have a perfect time in Iran.

An ideal picture of a country is a kind of fantasy, because wherever you travel, you may face unpleasant surprises. And Iran is not an exception. But if you surf the women’s blogs, you will see that Iran is a completely safe country for solo women to travel in.

But there are points to know and consider before traveling to Iran:

Getting Dressed in Iran

As you probably know, Iran has its dress code. You may have heard of the hijab, scarf, chador, and Manto in Iran. But do not worry and do not mix up the Islamic Republic of Iran with Saudi Arabia. You may have seen a lot of images of women in Iran, wearing a chador, and long black outer cloth, but note that the chador is not compulsory and just a simple scarf is enough for you.

In most of the metropolises of Iran, especially Tehran, you’ll frequently encounter girls and women who wear a loose scarf for fashion! So you should have gotten that the hijab is not such a frightening theme.

Thus, think positively and think of coming to Iran as an opportunity to make a collection of colorful scarves. You can wear quite colorful clothing in Iran.

First, buy a Manto in Iran

It’s better to buy a Manto when you arrive in Iran. Manto is a long coat woman wear over their clothes. Manto and scarf are the most important part of clothes women wear in Iran. Almost all women wear these two. By wearing this trench coat (Manto), you will fit in with other women in the best way possible. It’s better not to expose your arms and use long sleeves. Avoid wearing T-shirts and these kinds of clothes.

Metro and Bus in Iran

It’s common to take a seat in women’s part of buses, but in a metro, you can choose between women-only wagons and shared-part. In women-only wagons, you are free from bad reflections.

If you use intercity buses to travel between the cities of Iran, do not take a seat next to a man. Because it’s not common to a seat next to a non-relative man in Iran, in such circumstances inform attendants to help to change your seat.

Traveling by train in Iran

For experiencing a more comfortable and pleasant trip to Iran, I recommend you use the train. It’s very comfy for solo women because you’ll be given a bed in the women-only carriage, and tell the conductor in the rail station you are alone while buying your ticket. Planes and trains are more comfortable than other vehicles in Iran.

Spending a Night at a Hotel in Iran

In the hotels, you have to reserve a private room, and you are not allowed to book a shared room with men. If you face a dorm with this feature (sharing between men and women), you must find another hotel or mosaferkhaneh (a place where travelers stay and are cheaper than hotels)

Eating alone at a Restaurant

There are places allocated for women and families in some restaurants in Iran, women, and men who are not separated in restaurants. You won’t have any problem with eating as a solo woman, but you can count on finding a bunch of lovely friends at the end of your trip because Iranians are very hospitable.

Have a memorable time in our gorgeous Iran.