Yes, in almost 99% of cases, you can! The tourist visa process for citizens of the USA, UK, and Canada may take a bit longer, but in almost all cases, nothing holds you back from visiting Iran. We will help you step-by-step to apply for an Iranian visa. It is one of the services we offer only to IRANomad travelers.
Despite the media’s rather negative representation of Iran, Iran is a very safe country to visit. You will see how warm and hospitable Iranians are. Visit this page for more information.
Check out our article:“And where are the terrorists?”
The Covid19 situation is almost back to normal. That’s why visiting Iran is quite safe, Covid-wise.
Everything is included except your international flights & your visa fee.
You are provided with travel insurance, accommodations (tent, eco-lodge, hostel, or hotel depending on where you are), food (3 main meals), drinks and snacks, entrance fee, and internal flights. If you don’t have the mountaineering gears, you can rent them from us.
Yes! We offer tailor-made tours for you. Please get in touch using the chat widget, text us at +989125220511 or email us. You can also start planning your trip here. We will get back to you soon and plan a wonderful trip just for you.
Yes! We pride ourselves in our tours’ authenticity. You will get to visit ACTUAL Iranian Nomads and live with them for a few days. You will leave this trip with a lifetime of memories and experiences. Also, 30% of profits go directly to the nomadic families.
Yes! You can purchase a gift from IRANomad Market.
There are 5 nomadic tribes in Iran: Bakhtiari, Qashqai, Shahsevan, Baluch & Sangsari nomads. But we usually Kooch with the Bakhtiari nomads who are the only remaining migrating nomads in Iran, residing in the Zagros Mountains.
Due to the secluded nature of our nomadic trips, cell phone services may be a little spottier than normal. You may not get any reception for a few days—if this is the case, embrace the opportunity to unplug and relax! It can be an ideal digital detox opportunity! Some Kooch spots may have reception occasionally. However, note that there is no Wi-Fi while we are in the mountains.
We bring a few bottles of water with us and refill them with fresh spring water along the way (these sources of water are crystal clear and used by the nomads themselves). We also bring water filters to use if necessary.
Depending on the tour package you’ve chosen and the nomad family’s schedule, this might differ, and it would be something between 12 to 22 kilometers.
Yes, sure! However, please note that nomad families migrate on different dates.
The minimum Kooch time is 5 days. We usually join the nomads’ odyssey for 7 days. To increase the benefits of your genuine nomadic experience, nature, and digital disconnection, we recommend slow-travelers to stay for ten days.
Yes, you can! We have different tour packages, some of which are fit for people of less physical fitness. The most important requirement is to have an interest in and love for nature, people, and cultures! All the rest can be fixed. For example, there are nomad families that do a slower version of Kooch, while some others take more difficult routes and do it faster.
You can learn more about Dos & Don’ts here.
Generally speaking, you need the following items:
• Relative Fitness
• Sleeping bag
• Tent
• Trekking shoes
• Snacks
• Personal hygiene & medicine items.
Our nomadic odysseys are designed to be minimalistic —we suggest you bring the following items:
• Good trekking shoes (well-fitting) & socks (we have some rivers to pass on our way)
• Practical and multi-functional clothing items
• Trekking Poles
• Headlight (It may sound unnecessary but you will need it when you want to answer the call of nature in the middle of the night)
• Extra Battery and power bank for your phone
• Flip-flops (After some hours of hiking, when we pitch our camp, it feels great to take off our trekking shoes. Also, you can quickly go inside the tents and come back outside. We can’t stress this enough)
• Waterproof medical bands/plasters & personal medicine items
• Water bottles & water purifier pills (Spring water is not always at hand)
• Sunscreen, a field hat, or a cap & wet wipes. (Read the article to know what to do when nature calls)
• A small plastic bag for used toilet paper and wet wipes (even if its label says it’s biodegradable, it’s not a good idea to leave them under the rocks in nature)
• Sleeping bag & foam mat (to put under the sleeping bag. The ground can be wet at night)
• Personal cup, spoon & plate
• Main backpack (50 liters -) & auxiliary (foldable) small backpack
• Healthy, energetic snacks that make you happy (Nuts, dried fruit, Peanuts, dates, etc.) You can even put the dried fruits in hot water and drink it to battle constipation
• Shampoo (If you feel you need to wash your hair in long Koochs)
• During the days that we are with Nomads, we live just as they do. Respecting their customs, culture, traditions, practices, and trying to conform to their local conditions is of great importance. We do our best to have the least effect on them.
• Wearing modest and simple clothing is recommended. No vanity items while with nomads. Since they lead the simplest life ever, it’s better to follow suit & have simple, modest things, especially in terms of clothing.
• It is highly recommended not to take pictures of the nomads without prior permission, especially nomad women. Like anybody else, they find it intrusive when visitors snap a picture of them or their children without asking. If you want to take a picture, wait for them to warm up to you, and then ask for their permission.
• Ensuring safety and good experience for all of our guests is important to us. We ask that guests never leave the nomad family or their guides. We also ask that guests don’t bring unnecessary stuff. No hefty backpack should slow us down because we have to follow the nomads’ herd. We REALLY NEED TO TRAVEL VERY LIGHTLY. We can’t stress that enough. Sometimes, it happens that the nomads don’t have an extra donkey to give us, or it may happen that the donkeys roam around & get lost and we end up carrying our own stuff; so be ready to carry your own stuff all along the journey.
The Zagros region has some bears, coyotes, and foxes, but since we sleep where the nomads set up their camp, there is no chance that bears would venture so close to where several humans have set up tents. Also, all through the night, the men of the nomad family keep watch around the fire in turn, to watch out for the wild animals and potential sheep-thieves.
Getting used to foreign food can be difficult for everyone, but as much as we try to stick to a nomadic diet while we’re with the nomads, we do bring lots of canned food with us that can more or less resemble the food you eat at home. The truth is, by the end of a day spent hiking with the nomads in the Zagros mountains, you will be hungry enough to devour any kind of food and feel satisfied. Plus, while we’re in the cities, trying authentic Iranian food has proved to be a favorite among all travelers.
A valid fear, yet we must remind ourselves that not showering, albeit uncomfortable, is not fatal and this experience is meant to show us how nomads live, with all their hardships and challenges. Think of it as an easier version of the “Survivor” contest. You can find ways to clean up if you come upon a river, or you just have to make-do with wet-wipes and splashes of water and changing your clothes, until the hiking part is over.