Iran travel for US Citizens

Thanks for letting us know. Maybe they already asked to be taken off the list, as I don't currently see those names on it.

If the logistics work for you, perhaps you can book with SRM Tours. They've recently started tours to Iran but have operated Rick's Turkey tours for years. Tour starts from Istanbul. I recently booked with them for a 2017 departure they offered to RS guides.

tt,

I don't know if they have any special rules for U.S. citizens, but you could also have a look at G ADVENTURES Iran tours. I attended one of their presentations last week, and I had a favourable impression of their tours. I believe you'll need to carry mostly cash, as your credit cards won't be accepted there.

I assume you've read the U.S. State Department warnings regarding travel of U.S. citizens to Iran. The warnings on the Canadian and U.K. government sites are somewhat similar.

Thanks to both of you above for suggestions, ideas. We are pretty familiar with the cash, visa and US visitor issues and were just ready to buy tickets. US visitors need booked (or purchased. not quite sure how permanent) arrival and departure flights from Iran prior to getting visa, and the other visa requirements are onerous - but we've been through visa hassles before so we are not intimidated. Info from Zagros travel owner said that Iran had recently instituted new requirements for US citizens requiring presence of an Iran security person/approved guide for ALL of he time, said things had changed recently and they were no long willing to deal with requirements. We assume true but don't know.

A large number of tours are taking US citizens so it's not that you can't go...our problem is that this group changed their mind at the last minute. Without elaborating,I can understand why they may have done that. Nevertheless it still stranded us, having committed to this trip for 6 months and turning down other alternatives for the same October time-slot.

I hope you do get to go to Iran. I went in the year 2000 and I think it is the most Interesting and exotic country I have ever been to. We found the people to be very sweet and welcoming. Our guide was a playwright and spoke excellent English, a very gentle man with a wry sense of humour. We were mostly Canadians in the group with a few Americans, who usually claimed to be Canadian in casual encounters with Iranians.

We occasionally claim to be "Canadian" just on general principles ;-)