Iran overland border entry with USA passport

[bamboo]

Hi,

As a part of my Silk Road expedition, I'm planning to travel to Iran by train from Turkey (still looking for a tour agency that can accompany me at the border). However, a guide in Iran told me that I can't travel to Iran via train from the border. I must arrive by airplane and arrive in the airport . Any fellow American ever traveled to Iran without flying to Tehran first?

[steven]

I would say: double-check that with 2 other agencies. If they also tell you the same, then you can assume it's true. If not, then, the game starts, trying to judge who is right and who is wrong. Been there many times.

[bamboo]

I would say: double-check that with 2 other agencies. If they also tell you the same, then you can assume it's true. If not, then, the game starts, trying to judge who is right and who is wrong. Been there many times.

Yes! I did check with 2 other agencies and they both confirmed that Americans can cross overland border!

[steven]

In that case, my guess is that the guide who told you you could not cross is wrong, since I had also never heard of that rule.

[nikagoes]

As an American, were you able to get the visa for Iran right now?

[Nikopol]

As an American, were you able to get the visa for Iran right now?

Right now tourist visas are suspended. IMO 90prc they will resume issuing them prior to Nowruz (thats when most money of tourism is made) as by then vax will be widely avaliable and / or vast majority of citizenry will go through COVID the 'hard way'.

As for Americans, usual rule of "you need a guide" applies. Which, since its IRI, can be BS'ed through by finding agency whose guide will gladly take the money for just staying home and doing nothing.

[Hound_Dog]

Not adhering to the rules is an option....until something goes wrong. As anyone who has been there knows the Iranian authorities are EXTREMELY paranoid and can be exceedingly difficult to deal with. Foreigners, especially westerners, are treated with great suspicion by them and you could quickly find yourself in deep shit at one of the many roadblocks should you come up against the wrong guy. Including finding yourself in jail.

[Koen]

Evin prison is not to bad compared to other countries worst prisons.
it got even a 2.3 star rating on google maps.☺

[steven]

The thing with agencies offering this kind of "guided tour without a guide" for Americans is that they don't tend to last long. I remember some agencies being recommended by bloggers. They disappeared in less than a year. Doesn't mean that you can't find anyone, but it's not a sustainable strategy from the perspective of the guide.

[Itsjustme]

Not adhering to the rules is an option....until something goes wrong. As anyone who has been there knows the Iranian authorities are EXTREMELY paranoid and can be exceedingly difficult to deal with. Foreigners, especially westerners, are treated with great suspicion by them and you could quickly find yourself in deep shit at one of the many roadblocks should you come up against the wrong guy. Including finding yourself in jail.

This cannot be stressed enough. Especially if you want to travel to less "touristic" areas. It is one thing to travel to Teheran, Isfahan, Shiraz etc., where they are more used to tourists (but still have different "Agency employees" in the thousands constantly roaming around and reporting every little detail) and lets say the city of Ilam, where they are not used to "backpacking tourists" at all.