Updated November 2026 We have revised this list of Iran travel websites, dropping sites we could no longer confirm and adding the booking platforms that most travellers and residents now use.
The top travel websites about Iran fall into two groups: Iranian booking platforms, which are cheap and comprehensive but usually need an Iranian bank card, and tour agencies that cater to foreign visitors and accept international payment. Knowing which is which saves a lot of frustration, because global sites such as Booking.com do not list Iranian hotels and international Visa and Mastercard cards do not work inside Iran. Below are the sites we find most useful, whether you live in Tehran or are planning a trip.
Iranian booking platforms
These are the sites Iranians themselves use for flights, trains, buses and hotels. Prices are in rials or tomans and payment goes through Iranian bank gateways, so you will need a local bank card (shetab card) or a friend who has one. Most have only a Persian interface, although place names and dates are easy enough to work out with a browser translation tool.
- Alibaba.ir: the best-known one-stop shop for domestic and international flights, train and bus tickets, hotels and tours, with a widely used mobile app.
- SnappTrip: part of the Snapp group, it lists a very large number of hotels across Iran, including many small hotels that are hard to find online elsewhere, as well as flights.
- Raja.ir: the ticketing site of Raja, the passenger rail company, useful for checking timetables and booking trains directly.
- Eligasht: one of the older Iranian travel agencies, now a full online platform selling flights, hotels and package tours both within Iran and abroad.
Train tickets can usually be bought up to about a month in advance, and seats sell out quickly around Nowruz and other holidays, so book early if you are travelling then.
Agencies that accept foreign cards
If you are visiting from abroad and do not have an Iranian bank card, a handful of Iranian agencies act as intermediaries: they take payment in euros or dollars by card or transfer and book Iranian hotels, trains and domestic flights on your behalf, usually for a modest mark-up. They also sell tours with guides and drivers.
- OrientTrips: online booking for Iranian hotels, trains and domestic flights, with payment by Visa or Mastercard.
- Irun2Iran: hotels, train tickets, visa support and tours, with English-language customer service.
- SURFIRAN: a long-established tour operator offering group and tailor-made tours, hotel bookings and a large English-language travel magazine.
- TAP Persia: tours and travel services for foreign visitors, competing with the agencies above.
Compare a few agencies before you pay, as fees and cancellation terms vary. Another option is to buy a prepaid tourist debit card on arrival, which some visitors use to pay on Iranian sites directly. Whatever you book, check your own government’s latest travel advice for Iran before you go.
Reading about travel in Iran
For background and inspiration, the travel magazines run by the larger tour operators publish detailed guides to cities, sights and practicalities, though naturally they also promote their own tours. Iran’s English-language newspapers carry regular tourism news; we list the best of them in our guide to English-language news websites about Iran.
And of course, for everyday life in the capital, from transport and shopping to restaurants and costs, browse Living in Tehran and our Iran price trackers.
