I am hoping to travel from Pakistan to Turkey overland through Iran in late September. Unfortunately, the only passport I have is US, so I will have to book a guided tour to get a visa. I presume I will have to get a personalised/private tour for this to be feasible. I found http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/ which suggests that Iranian tour agencies are sometimes flexible about not staying with Americans every instant (whether or not the law technically requires this), but it does not have recommendations for overland travel. Does anyone know of Iranian tour companies willing to book private tours for travel overland? How much is this likely to cost? Does the tour guide have to come all the way out to Zahedan to meet me, or can they meet me somewhere less remote? Also, is anyone else on this board interested in a similar tour around the same time, so we can split the cost? Thank you.
Even if you could get a tour guide to come all the way out to Zandehan you will be (reasonably) expected to pay a lot for the privledge.
PS The linked aticle is quite wrong in stating the changing money is difficult.
Call the travel agencies, they will work with you and arrange anything you want. You will probably need to be met at the border, but the cost of people's time in Iran (and most of Asia) is very low, so I would bet that it will be cheaper to have someone pick you up from the border than to pay for a flight to a big city.
Changing money in Iran is not straightforward because you need to go through moneychangers or banks, which depending where you are, are not widely available. I found the moneychangers could be dishonest at times and you will get massive bundles of bills, so be careful. Also, changing money on a Friday or a Saturday is pretty much out of the question.
Hi.
I tend to go with No.2.
Late September? 2008? I do not think you have much time since it is very difficult for Americans to secure visa for Iran travel.
Go online and find email contacts for Iran-based travel agencies. Pose your question (same as your topic above) to them and compare prices, schedules, fees, etc. If their answers are positive! Let me know if you need more help. Good luck.
Contact this man. He guided several people on US passports though Iran. Even with their own transportation - he knows the ins and outs and is also aware of the downsides of traveling with a guide.
Good luck!
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