Women only tours to Iran








Late availability on these dates: 17 Sep, 01 Oct
Description of Women only tours to Iran
Women only tours to Iran are a unique opportunity to travel in this fascinating country on a female only and a female led adventure. Spend 12 days travelling with a group of no more than 12 women, delving deep into the customs and food of Iran and learning about the challenges faced by women here. Enjoy a range of really personal, fascinating experiences that, due to cultural sensitivities, would not be possible on a mixed gender tour. Although Iran is not a hugely segregated society, the strict dress codes imposed by Islamic Law have meant that many places and activities are segregated by default.
As well as visiting some of Iran’s most celebrated sights, including the remains of ancient capital Persepolis, you will also be able to mix with local women in a truly authentic way. Be ready to hear from women of all ages, backgrounds and faiths as you visit a beauty salon, relax with a picnic in a women-only park where women can relax without a hijab, and use the women only carriages on the metro and train. You’ll also enjoy a rural homestay with the Qashqai people, meet some young female entrepreneurs, and learn about Iranian food while cooking with local women in their home.
Map

Check dates, prices & availability
Travel guides
Reviews
3 Reviews of Women only tours to Iran
Reviewed on 25 Apr 2019 by Elizabeth Archer
We loved visiting bazaars, cafes and restaurants, historical sites, museums, mosques, and ancient cities, but also the cookery classes, village home stay, overnight sleeper train - and perhaps most of all - experiencing the warmth and friendliness of the Iranian people. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 May 2019 by Claudia Flisi
Sitting among hundreds of geladas in the Simien Mountains was particularly memorable. Walking in those lovely mountains was also great. The castles of Gondar were gorgeous. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
Many Iranian hotels and operators provide small plastic bottles of water, so it’s easy to use plastic excessively, especially in the hot climate. However, we suggest that our travellers buy large five or ten litre bottles in order to refill their smaller ones. We are working closely with our suppliers to encourage them to do the same. To further reduce single-use plastics on this trip, we also provide all our travellers with reusable cloth bags.Water is a precious commodity in Iran. Our trained tour leaders are well versed in advising travellers on initiatives to manage their water consumption. We also ask that our travellers treat this scarce resource with the utmost respect.
As part of our responsible travel philosophy we use local forms of transport wherever possible. On this itinerary we travel by overnight train, public bus and the subway. Whenever public transport isn’t an option, we endeavour to ensure we use private vehicles that are suitable for our small group sizes. For example, we wouldn’t use a 16-seeater minivan if we only have five people joining us on the trip.
This tour is run by our own local Iranian operator who shares our commitment to responsible travel, from waste and water management to ensuring we leave as minimal a footprint as possible. Our local team are also trained on our global responsible travel policies and practices.
People
All aspects of this trip (on the ground) are operated by local Iranians including all of our leaders, drivers and accommodation providers. We provide our leaders with formal training so that they are up to speed with the needs of our travellers and help update their skills.An important part of travel is mixing with the locals and experiencing “real life” in your chosen destination. On this trip, travelling in a female-only group with local female leaders allows us to access places and experiences otherwise off limits to mixed gender groups. This presents travellers with an excellent opportunity to interact with a range of fascinating local women – young, old, religious, conservative, rural, modern and liberal while respecting traditional cultural values. While our company believes in inclusiveness, these female-led, women-only expeditions offer a socially responsible and culturally sensitive way for travellers to access female-only establishments, experiences and customs in these traditionally conservative countries.
We also stay only in locally-owned hotels or guesthouses that are locally staffed, enabling the money you spend to stay within that community. We source local activities which we believe are sustainable to the economy in that they allow the flow of income from visitors to be distributed to a greater audience, rather than remain concentrated with tourism providers. This could be as simple as a meal in a small local restaurant, a home-cooked dinner or a village stay.
Our company’s commitment to women’s equality extends beyond our new range of Women’s Expeditions. We’re committed to diversity and inclusion at all levels of the business, with the ultimate goal of doubling its number of female tour leaders globally by 2020.
Popular similar holidays
Womens activity holiday in the Lake District
From £955 - £975 8 days excluding flights
A multi-activity, female only week with walks in the Lakes
Women only tours to Jordan
From £1245 - £1690 8 days excluding flights
Share in the culture of Jordanian women
Women only tour in Mongolia
From US $2975 - US $3640 14 days excluding flights
Exciting female led female only Mongolian adventure