I am thinking of travelling to Iran for 7-10 days in November/December with my girlfriend and was wondering if it's a wise idea. Unfortunately I know very little about the customs but I have been to Pakistan a few times (without girlfriend) and while loving every minute of it I found the conservative middle of the Punjab (Multan) not the ideal place for women travellers.
Do you know if the following would apply to Iran:
- separation on public transport (e.g. busses, mini-bus, hopefully not trains)
- separation in restaurants (in Pakistan women never mixed with men but families went straight to private sections, away from the action and the fun)
- would it be better and safer to pretend to be married
- not being married would most likely not get me any room with a girlfriend but if we say we're married, will they ask for proof (as some Islamic countries ask for marriage certificate etc.)
- how would it go down with locals/officials if the woman was Christian but the man Muslim
Any advice is appreciated!
Hi -- I was in Iran for 2 weeks in June with my girlfriend. It's a great idea, not just to visit Iran, but to take your girlfriend. I went once without my girlfriend about 18 months ago and the second trip was much more fun.
The further away you go from the main cities in Iran, the more like Deliverance it becomes. Ha. I jest because I love the place. But seriously, there's no reason why you should worry. If anyone asked we were husband and wife.
- separation on public transport (e.g. busses, mini-bus, hopefully not trains)
There is some. On a coach, you could sit together. On a train, everyone is crammed together, especially on the Tehran underground. On public buses, you'd have to sit separate, but why would you bother on a city-centre bus? Get a shared taxi or motorbike taxi (we did!).
- separation in restaurants
You must be joking? Iranians are some of the most sociable people in the world, how would they gossip if half their group was on the other side of the room?
- would it be better and safer to pretend to be married
Iranians (no matter how little English they speak) want to know 6 things: where you're wrong, what you do, what you think of Iran, which football team you support, how much you earn and whether you're married. Just say you're married. Iranian women keep their maiden names, so nobody will be suspicious.
- not being married would most likely not get me any room
This is Iran not Saudi Arabia! Plus you're a tourist. You can do what you want. In all the Iranian hotels I've stayed in, not once was I asked whether my girlfriend was my wife. Nobody cares.
- how would it go down with locals/officials if the woman was Christian but the man Muslim
This wouldn't be a problem. If it were a Christian man and a Muslim woman, they might care, but since you're not an Iranian citizen, they're not interested.
Iran is an awesome country to visit. The people are lovely, it's safe for tourists and it's cheap and easy to get around. Just don't eat the falafel because it tastes (intentionally) like crap.
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your excellent response and all the tips!
Did you apply for individual visas and check the "single" box on the visa application or did you apply together with your "wife"?
From your explanations given I guess it really doesn't matter as you could just get your individual visas and no official would ask/question you..
I would love to get the 7 day visa at the airport as it seems to be the least hassle but was looking at the itinerary for the desert route Esfahan to Kerman as outlined in the 2004 Lonely Planet guide, which might require a few more days. I don't intend to spend much time in Teheran at all.
It does sound very promising indeed!
Thanks again
hi.
good comments by 'Mitch23'.
well, you don't have to tell anyone that you are a muslim? are you? I must say that some cheap motels in smaller, more religious provincial towns (not major cities) may -- just may -- think twice before giving you and your gf a room together if they know you two are not married or related, or in fact one of you is not christian. That is why i think, as you wondered, it is 'better and safer to pretend to be married' because one of the things iranians always crave to find out about others, is if someone is married or not. By the way, this is a culture in which the concept of unmarried couples traveling together while staying in the same room (let alone living together or having sex) is both non-existent and 'illegal'. But I think you should be fine in Iran though. good luck. Take care.
We were only asked once for a marriage certificate when we checked into a hotel, however that was a government hotel in Tehtan of all places, the most cosmopolitan city!
I suppose I wore a ring on my "marriage finger" because we found that it was just simpler to say we were married initally, except with close friends. The only reason was that curiosity made people ask lots of questions when they found out we were not married...but I was never looked down upon. One old lady even gave me a "go you good thing!" type naughty smile.
So it is certainly tolerated but we just found it easier to say we were shohar and zan (and I got to play nagging wife!)
As for the religion thing we were assumed to be christian but 'secular" is a good answer to give if you aren't religions, especially in rural areas.
And there is no separation in restaurants. I actually remembered seeing more of this "separation" in Dubai! It's funny to see all of the women standing at the back of the bus though. I would say that in areas which are much more enclosed eg: movie theatres you would find it a more common occurance...but I can't be sure on that.
Nevertheless, Iran was one of the coolest places I have ever visited!
I had no problem with the "Where are you from? What do you do? and Do you like Iran?". However, I could never understand the second question -- words I hadn't learned. Finally I realized: working and traveling solo, the second most important question was: "Where is your family, wife and children?" It's just social curiosity. Persia has a long cultural history of diversity; the present fundamentalist roots do not all run deep.
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