My partner and I travelled to Iran in November 2023 for 12 days. We booked our trip through Iransafar, who were excellent throughout.
Mr Farhad Vali was our primary liaison in the head office, who compiled a personalised and affordable itinerary based on our desires. We spoke to many local and intentional tour operators. Iransafar differentiated themselves through their rapid speed of response, clear English language communication, honest counsel about itinerary elements that are seasonal (what is good and not good based on time of year) and willingness to customise (rather than just selling us a "cookie cutter" trip on the "classic route").
On the tour, we were served by two exceptional guides; Mr Hamid Hasanpour (Tabriz and Kandovan) and Mr Mehdi Hooshyari.(Tehran, Kashan, Maranjab, Abyaneh, Esfahan, Yazd, Persepolis and Shiraz). Both guides had exceptional communication skills and deep bodies of knowledge on Iran today and in the past. They provided rich context that deepened our understanding and enjoyment of all we saw. They were also adaptable, altering the itinerary to respond to our needs on the fly with pleasure. At no point did we ever feel unsafe, which says much about Iran's undeserved reputation but also the calbre of the guides, who helped us interact with locals throughout. The guides were very attentive, picking up on small cues to enhance our trip. For example, Mehdi used his network to secure us access to a carpet weaving collective to witness the manufacturing process and separately organised an opportunity for me to try sheep's head for breakfast, both after these were mentioned casually by us in passing. Both guides were authentic, displaying their own enthusiastic personalities and willing to discuss any topic. They handled the logistics superbly, ensuring we invested time in the most important sights and also making sure we saw all we'd planned (even if it meant they missed a meal or had an abbreviated nights sleep). They made Iran, which can seem intimidating with international financial sanctions and restricted internet, easy!
As for Iran itself, the country is replete with stunning landscapes, historical significance, unique and surprising culture, beautiful landmarks and more, however it is the warmth of the people that stands out. There are so many examples of this but this is perhaps best captured in a single anecdote. We were enjoying tea and cake one night in Esfahan, and upon going to pay it became apparent that another patron, who had left unannounced and without seeking any thanks, had paid the bill for the three of us, a gesture of his hospitality and appreciation we were visiting Iran. Oh so humbling! You owe it to yourself to visit this spectacular country and, when you visit, you should do so with Iransafar.