Contact your cellular telephone provider to determine if your phone operates on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and what, if any, activation may be required.
The hotels in Iran have Internet access; however, it may not be reliable or up to the standards you are accustomed to at home. Please be aware some websites are not accessible in Iran. Currently blocked sites include, but are not limited to, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and news sites, such as CNN.
Unless you are shooting a crowded public scene it is considered courteous to ask permission before taking pictures of local people, especially women and children. Please be respectful of residents who do not care to be photographed
Photography is not permitted at some locations which may include government buildings, museums, art galleries, private houses and more. These areas are usually clearly marked. If in doubt, please ask. Doing so will avoid having your camera confiscated or having potentially severe criminal charges brought against you. Flash photography is prohibited in some situations.
The import, possession or consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden in Iran.
A 15% service charge is usually included in the hotel bill. It is customary, however, to tip the junior staff and cleaners, who are often underpaid. A service charge is generally added to a restaurant bill, but it is common practice to leave the change, or to add as much as 100000 IR as a personal gratuity. Tipping a tour guide is a matter of personal choice, but certainly tips are always welcomed! Attendants at service and gas stations expect to be allowed to keep the change. Tip attendants in those religious and historical monuments for which no entrance fee is charged. For toilet attendants, if any 20000 IR is enough.
As elsewhere in the Middle East, bargaining is a way of life in Iran. However, for a first-timr visitor it can be hard to know when it is appropriate to bargain and when it is not. Here are a few quick tips:
If all you want is a loaf of bread or a pair of shoelaces, pick them up, pay for them and depart wordlessly as you normally do in the West.
But if you matter concerns a carpet, jewelry, or other valuable items, only lengthy negotiations will secure a deal, and one struck, it must be honored. Generally prices for handicrafts, clothes, every items in the bazaar, room prices in guesthouse and mid-range hotels, as well as fares for private taxis are always negotiable. Foodstuffs, restaurant prices, prices in top-end hotels, and fares for public transport (including shared taxis) are not.
There is no need to arrive in Iran weighed down with foodstuff and toiletries. Most essentials can be easily found in larger cities, and can be bought at reasonable prices.
Consider bringing an electrical plug adaptor, sink plugs, a flashlight, and a medical kit (including an adequate supply of any prescribed drug). Woman may bring feminine sanitary products. Do not forget sunglasses, a lip salve, a high-protection sunscreen and after sun lotion, and an insect repellent. You may also find a GPS or a compass, as well as a Swiss Army knife, in dispensable. Bring several books or a Walkman to help you get through the long, free evenings. You may also want to bring small souvenirs for your Iranian friends. Drivers may consider bringing spare parts for their cars.
The best times to visit Iran are late winter whole spring and early autumn. However, every season gives the country a touch of its own beauty. Summers are hot, but are not ordinarily unbearable. Winters are generally moderate, but can be bitterly cold at some points located at higher elevations.
The only time it is reasonable to avoid major tourist sites in Iran is during Nouruz, which lasts (except during leap years, when there is a slight shift) from March 21 to April 2. During this time, prices are at their highest, and many popular sites can be so crowded that you will have to queue to visit them.
Some tourists try to steer clear of visiting Iran during the month of Ramazan, though there are few reasons to avoid the trip at that time. Iranians seldom travel during this month, except for business purposes. For this reason, hotel prices are at their lowest, and hotel managers are willing to bargain over them. Restaurants in all hotels are open, so you are unlikely to be left hungry. On the drawback side is the fact that in towns, others are fasting, and you should not eat, drink, and smoke in front of them. However, along the road it is just fine, since the presumption is that travelers cannot fast. If you plan a visit to a smaller town or rural area, consider bringing a picnic lunch or other meal.
Iran is a beautiful country and many tourists like to take beautiful drone shots. But is it legal to take drone shots.
For taking drone shots you need to get permission from the Ministry of Culture and the police department. And you have to clarify when and where you are going to use it. you will be able to get a permission if it can be classified as “for entertainment purposes”
You have to specify:
– The weight of the drone.
– The maximum altitude.
– The flight radius.
– The maximum flight time.
It’s essential to have this written permission and without it, whatever you do is considered illegal and there would be certain consequences. You should be careful because the punishment might range from a mere fine to actual jail time.
The unofficial answer is, if you’re in the middle of the desert it’s not noticeable. But whatever you want to do though: do not fly over Tehran or near military bases. This is just asking for trouble!
