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Almost no foreign airlines fly into Tehran at the moment. The land border with Armenia has become one of the steadier ways in. You fly to Yerevan on an ordinary ticket. Then you travel south by road to the Agarak crossing and on to Tabriz.
At a glance (last checked 14 November 2026)
- Border: Agarak in Armenia to Nordooz in Iran, the only road crossing between the two countries
- Status: open, but slow and congested this year
- Armenian visa: none needed for EU, UK and US passports, among many others, for stays of up to 180 days a year
- Time from Yerevan to Tehran: allow two days
Step one: fly to Yerevan
- Airport: Zvartnots International Airport
- Booking: like any other trip, with a normal bank card
- Via Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways began flying Abu Dhabi to Yerevan in March 2026. If you are a few miles short of a reward seat, you can top up your Etihad Guest miles
- Visa: none needed for EU, UK and US passports, among many others
Compare fares from your home airport below. (Affiliate widget.)
Step two: drive south to Agarak
- Distance: about 380 kilometres from Yerevan
- Time: most of a day, over high mountain passes
- Transport: shared taxis or a private driver
- Overnight stop: many travellers break the journey in Goris
- Winter: snow on the passes can slow the drive
Taxis also wait at Agarak for the return trip to Yerevan.
Step three: cross from Agarak to Nordooz
- Border: Agarak in Armenia to Nordooz in Iran, over a bridge on the Aras river
- Status: open, but tour operators reported congestion in October
- Allow: several hours, as the crossing carries heavy lorry traffic
- Visa: get your Iranian visa before you arrive. Our visa guide explains how
Step four: Nordooz to Tabriz
- Route: west along the river to Jolfa, then south to Tabriz
- Time: about three hours by road
- Stay: Tabriz is a good place to rest for a night
- See: the historic bazaar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Step five: Tabriz to Tehran
- Train: the overnight train from Tabriz railway station takes about 12 hours
- Bus: long-distance buses are quicker
- Air: domestic flights take a little over an hour, but Iranian airlines are under US sanctions and LiT does not link to them
- Tickets: buy at the station or through an Iranian agency, because foreign cards do not work in Iran
Other routes. You can also enter Iran overland through Turkey, or through Turkmenistan if you can arrange the Turkmen paperwork.
Money and phones. Bring all the cash you will need in euros or dollars. Our money guide explains how to change it. Set up a travel eSIM such as Airalo or Saily before you leave Armenia, so you are online at the border. Our eSIM guide compares the options.
Insurance and delays. Most travel insurers will not cover Iran right now. Our insurance guide explains how to stay covered as far as the border. If your flight to Yerevan is delayed or cancelled, AirHelp can claim any compensation you are owed.
In Tehran. Once you arrive, our Tehran hotels guide covers where to stay. The trip cost calculator gives a daily budget for your stay.
Agarak is about 380 kilometres by road from Yerevan.
Header photo: the Aras river at Meghri, on the border with Iran. Vahe Martirosyan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
