/trv/ - trv » Thread #1043908

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Visiting Iran as an American

Anonymous Tue 20 Oct 2015 23:04:42 No.1043908 View Reply Report Delete

Definitely not the most popular destination for Americans, I would love to visit Iran. At most 1,500 Americans visit each year.

I have a few close Iranian friends I've met in high school and through college, and I really want to visit their country since they are some of the best people I've ever met. They all want me to come and see what their country is all about which is very misunderstood here in the states.

As a white guy from the United States, I know things are a bit different for me when it comes to visiting Iran compared to people visiting from other countries - mainly the tour guide requirement.

Has anyone on /trv/ ever been? I want to just stay with my friends, but it seems I'd have to hire a private guide and they must stay with you the whole time. Also I heard it's illegal for Iranians to host Americans in their homes.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 00:54:41 No.1043923 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1043956 >>1043992 >>1044375

>>1043908

Lots of people go and say they have a good time.

Though with a tour guide i think it would be different, you wouldn't get that same connection that people get when traveling independently.

Most people say the best parts are meeting the people (they are very friendly and hospitable) as well as just exploring and checking out the numerous areas and villages, there are attractions everywhere and sometimes the best aren't the ones on the map. I get the feeling you would miss out ont his completely with a tour guide, it would be like North Korea style tour.

Shame for Americans, the only other option would be if your a duel citizen to go independent, there's only your government to blame for this mess.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 02:45:34 No.1043956 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1043971 >>1043978

>>1043923

Not even dual citizenship works. Iran doesn't recognize dual citizenship.
They can and will prevent them from coming or not let theme leave.

I can't justify spending money on a guide, nor when I have so many places yet to see. I hope someday things get better between our two countries. We were great allies at one time.

I would go to Kish Island though. It's supposed to be a tourist destination but it's Iranian and you don't need a visa.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 04:30:29 No.1043971 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>1043956
>I would go to Kish Island though
There's nothing to do there for a westerner. Let's just say that a tourist resort and sharia laws don't go hand in hand....

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 06:10:03 No.1043978 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1043994

>>1043956
I feel your pain, brother. Iran is gonna have to remain at the top of my bucket list until I'm allowed to enjoy it freely. Let's hope the situation gets better not worse.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 07:42:28 No.1043992 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1043994

>>1043923
>Shame for Americans

Apparently it's the same deal for Canadians and UK passport holders too. Shit sucks. I really want to go to Iran but there's no way I'm paying USD2500 for a shitty 2-week group tour (with no airfare or lunches/dinners included).

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 08:04:35 No.1043994 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>1043978
>>1043992
I'm about to go there for the third time, feels good to be Australian.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 09:52:54 No.1044011 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1044158

whats the chance my friends could pay off some officials to let me go there with no tour guide?

I hear bribery culture is pretty rampant, especially for the wealthy and for things like alcohol.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 21 Oct 2015 22:07:07 No.1044158 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1044347

>>1044011
Literally zero.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 22 Oct 2015 16:24:04 No.1044347 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>1044158
i figured

sounded like a one way ticket to Iranian jail

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 22 Oct 2015 16:29:20 No.1044349 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>tfw no Iran trip for me in the foreseeable future

My first trip was to Turkey and the surrounding countries, plus the UAE, India, and Kazakhstan. I made friends with a German guy. We took a bus to Tbilisi together from Istanbul. I carried on to Yerevan and flew to Dubai, and he hitchhiked to Abkhazia, dropped down to another city to pick up the Iran visa he ordered, and then had a friend pick him up over the border.

Fucking balls, am I jealous of that trip. He went all over and even to Balochistan. Had the time of his life and was telling me all about how friendly folks are, how cheap hotels were, and how the entire country was amazing. The pictures he posted up on Facebook were incredible, too, especially of the mountains and landscapes.

Fucking want to go so bad but it's just not feasible for an impoverished student like me.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 22 Oct 2015 17:29:33 No.1044375 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1044397

>>1043923
Our fault?

We were not the one to take people in an embassy hostage.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 22 Oct 2015 19:02:37 No.1044397 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>1044375
>implying that is worse than an anti-democracy coup

The existence of a theocratic regime in Iran is literally the fault of US foreign policy.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 22 Oct 2015 19:17:22 No.1044405 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>1044408

OP, you would not be a friend if you stayed with anyone there and put them at risk of colluding with the enemy or whatever accusation you'd face.
Be logical now. It's a stupid idea, and no one of any intelligence would visit. Even people who go and visit their own Grandma are accused of things and bring trouble to their families, as well as trouble to themselves.

You're probably a brokefag that can't buy his way out of trouble, and not even close to the kind of power and money some people who take risks have behind them to get them out of trouble. Talking about bribery? Oh Please. People in the hands of actual terrorists who have families with millions can't help their only childs. Our own government can't even get their own actual spies home to their families, people with 45 years of public service and are owed a rescue.

Don't. Be. Dumb. You are the enemy and can't put yourself in the place of anyone from that culture who's job it is to find you, and make a public spectacle of international acclaim to make accusations at you. You can't put yourself in the place of someone who didn't have a 5th grade education, but listened to hateful people who brought them up, and gave them a gun and said "kill infidels who look at your wife" or some other nonsense.
Focus on things you should actually do. I'd love to see some sites of antiquity in Syria, oh well, never gonna happen now. No brainer.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 22 Oct 2015 19:27:17 No.1044408 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>1044405
>>1044405
>"kill infidels who look at your wife"
>thinking iran is like this
But the rest of it, yeah. I studied Persian in Iran for a little while and a local student was accused of being a spy (nothing serious came of it though) just for showing an American student a bit of the city. It's a political thing though, very few Iranians are religious nutjobs.

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