Tehran Prices

« Tehran is a very large city with gigantic proportions. The fastest way to get from one point to another is by metro. A metro ticket costs around 3000 tomans, which is approximately 7 cents. There are three types of cars: for men, for women, and mixed. One section of the car is designated for men, the second for women, and these two sections are separated by partitions. During the ride, vendors come through: at that time, you can buy things like snacks, drinks, children's toys, and even selfie sticks! Sometimes, men who are selling things break the rules and enter the cars for women!

We traveled to the northern part of the city, which is considered the most prestigious and significantly differs from the city center, where we stayed. Here, there are traffic lights, and the streets are much cleaner, with some fancy green buildings. This area is famous for being the summer residence of the Shah before the Islamic revolution! We headed there! This residence has a vast territory, with several impressive palaces, which include a kitchen (equipped with the latest technology from the late 70s) and a garage that houses a collection of cars, motorcycles, and snowmobiles from the era of the Shah.

The Shah amassed his riches over many centuries, but after the Islamic revolution, all that wealth ended up in the national treasury of Iran. Unfortunately, you cannot take photographs there; all bags and phones must be handed in and checked through metal detectors. The entrance is limited from 2 PM to 4:30 PM, which meant we had to plan our day around its operating hours. But it’s worth it for such an abundance of historical treasures that are hard to find anywhere else. The Shah even had a big golden globe, oceans, and seas made from emeralds, with the continents crafted from rubies, adorned with diamonds!

The next destination was the city of Shiraz, located in the southern part of the country. »

« Iran 🇮🇷 is not Rio de Janeiro 🌴🌊, but palm trees are still present here too 🌞. This country has gifted me my beloved partner 💖 and truly good friends 👥, who, in turn, surprised me yesterday with a wonderful birthday celebration! 🎉🤗💝 Even though there wasn’t any champagne (it costs around $150 here 🥂🥂🥂), the atmosphere was remarkable, with all the favorite people gathered in one place, and when everything started to get lively, my partner brought out a cake, reminding me just how much I’ve been cherished 🎂🧑‍🎤. »

« The price of one dish is about the same as my round-trip airfare to Tehran. »

« My trip to Iran happened on a whim - I was virtually hooked to the TV watching Gordon Ramsay gallivant across India, savoring all the flavors of Indian cuisine. That sparked a desire for some exotic encounters in me. So, I bought a ticket and off I flew! The flight was Almaty-Tehran.

Upon arrival, I had to secure a visa, which cost me $85 or €75. It wasn't a dreadfully long wait, just an hour, and there was no queue - just a pair of Spaniards and myself. For a moment there, I was harboring thoughts of deportation - Iran isn't exactly old hat at hosting tourists, you see.

Traveling from the airport to downtown Tehran covers a distance of around 40-50 kms. A taxi ride would cost about $20, and that's pretty much the only means of transportation available. Apparently, a subway system seems to be on the horizon in about six months.

The local currency utilized here is the Iranian rial (1$ - 30,000 Rial). Currency exchange facilities are conveniently at hand right at the port with exchange rates that are pretty much on par with what you'd get in the city (although, finding a money exchange service in the city can be quite the task).

One pro tip, credit cards, neither Visa nor MasterCard, are accepted here. Make sure to bring only cash with you - either Euros or Dollars.
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« The weekends in Iran are Thursday and Friday, but today is some kind of holiday, and no one is working. In the evening, I ventured out for a walk in the park. Every ten meters, there’s a picnic setup. People spread blankets on the grass and relax. Interestingly, half of them spread their mats right on the granite tiles and sit there for hours. I would be sore after just a minute!

Nowhere in Iran do they accept credit cards. Tourists can only rely on cash. It’s not possible to withdraw money from ATMs with cards; only local bank cards are accepted. Honestly, when you arrive in Tehran, be ready for a lot of confusion. The pricing system is a real mess. The official currency is the rial, but some prices are listed in "tomans." A toman is a rial without one zero. When you see a price for a can of Pepsi at 12,000, it’s impossible to know upfront what the actual price is. As a tourist, you’ll likely be told that this is in tomans, meaning you’ll end up paying 120,000 rials ($3.50). I believe locals pay 12,000. And let me tell you, that’s incredibly frustrating.

The best way to handle it is simply to avoid buying from places where the price isn’t displayed or where it’s unclear what the pricing unit is. If they do have a price tag, you’ll need some time to figure out whether it’s expensive or not before deciding to buy. »

« The bazaar in Tehran has everything your heart desires!!! And saying "everything" is no exaggeration. "Everything": food, cosmetics, clothing, GOLD, dishes, furniture, bicycles, RUGS, shoes, textiles, accessories, animals, and so on. And I must say, the prices are quite reasonable. »

« An Iranian handmade carpet is very beautiful and quite expensive. 1 square meter of wool costs $750, while silk goes for $2,750. »

« The cost of 1 square meter of machine-made wool carpet is significantly higher than 1 gram of gold - $40-45. »