Updated November 2026 We have updated this guide to darbast taxis to reflect how most Tehranis now book rides through apps, and added tips on agreeing a fair fare when you hail a car on the street.
Getting a darbast taxi in Tehran means hiring a car on the street for yourself alone, rather than sharing it with other passengers on a fixed route. Darbast literally means “closed door”, and it is the Persian term for a private, door-to-door ride. It is still a common way to get around when you are in a hurry or have no phone signal, but you need to know how to ask for one and how to settle the price before you get in.
Tehran has several kinds of taxi competing for your money. The yellow and green city taxis mostly run as shared cabs along set routes, picking up and dropping off passengers along the way. Alongside them are private cars whose drivers pick up fares informally, and, increasingly, ride-hailing apps. A darbast ride can be taken in any of the street options: a yellow or green taxi driver will happily take you on a private trip, and so will many private drivers.
How to hail a darbast taxi
Stand at the side of the road, facing the traffic heading in your direction. When a car slows, say darbast followed by your destination. Sometimes the driver will call out the word first: drivers touting for private fares often lean out and shout “darbast!”, especially if they think you look like a visitor.
Unlike a shared taxi, a darbast car will take you anywhere in the city, so long as you can name the street, square or landmark you are going to. If your Persian is limited, have the address written down or saved on your phone, ideally with a well-known landmark nearby, such as a metro station, square or shopping centre.
Agreeing on the price
There is no meter, so always agree the fare before you set off. A darbast ride costs noticeably more than a seat in a shared taxi, because you are paying for the whole car, and drivers usually open well above the price they will actually accept. A few tips:
- Ask the fare (chand mishe?) before you get in, not at the end of the journey.
- Counter with a lower figure and expect to meet somewhere in the middle.
- Check what a ride-hailing app would charge for the same trip; it is the easiest way to know what is fair.
- If the driver will not come down to a reasonable price, let him go: another car will be along shortly.
- Carry small notes, as drivers are often short of change.
Visitors who cannot speak Persian are sometimes quoted inflated fares, but Tehranis get overcharged too. Staying calm and good-humoured while you haggle goes a long way. Once you have agreed a price, hop in and enjoy the ride.
Darbast or a ride-hailing app?
For many trips, a ride-hailing app is now the simpler choice. Snapp, the market leader, and its rival Tapsi work much like Uber, showing the fare upfront and tracking the journey. Snapp alone was handling close to six million trips a day across its services in early 2025, IntelliNews reported. The apps need an Iranian phone number to register, and prices rise at busy times.
Hailing a darbast on the street is still handy when apps are surging, when the mobile network is patchy, or when you simply see an empty taxi passing. For journeys to and from Imam Khomeini International Airport, see our guide to getting a cab from Tehran airport, and for the cost of everyday items in the city, check our Iran price trackers.
Learn the Persian: Learn to say “straight on”, “turn left”, “stop here” and how to ask for a darbast ride in our free lesson on directions and taxis.
