Audience with adventure: Iran
 

Last year I planned a trip through Europe and Turkey, to Iran. But when I found out that a UK subject could not travel in Iran without an official guide I changed my plans, since I neither wanted to pay, nor did I wish to travel with a guide.

This evening I learnt that there is to be an Iran travel event next Thursday, 26 November organised by Secret Compass at a pub in Bristol. The film Karun, is about two British adventurers who canoe Iran's longest river. This is followed by a Q&A session with the film director Tom Allen, travel writer Mark Stratton and adventure motorcyclist Lois Pryce, who recently travelled through Iran. You can find out more here: Bristol film event: Iran Audience with Adventure | Exploration and Adventure - Secret Compass

I would still like to go to Iran, and I would like to know how Ms Pryce managed to do her recent motorcycle trip there. So I may well make an appearance at the event next week if I can get organised.

If any other UK citizens have managed to motorcycle in Iran lately without a guide I would love to hear how they did it.

Perhaps they had dual citizenship in a country that didn't require guides.

Lois got in just before the new rules took effect.

Sorry, but there is no way around this rule at present.

I entered Iran - via the Hormuz-based city of Bandar Abbas, from Sharjah UAE, on June-18th 2014.

I'm British and applied for my Iranian visa on Feb-10th 2014, just before the rules changed - more by luck than judgement. The whole process took six weeks, from Feb-10th to March-24th, 2014.

Until the rules revert back (I hope soonest), you will need to organise an 'official' tour guide.

i understand there are two exceptions for UK passport holders:

• If the British applicant is not of ‘English’ [sic] origin, you can still obtain an independent travel visa, IF you can provide details of an Iranian host.
• If you are a British man married to an Iranian woman, AND can produce a marriage certificate confirming this status.

Okay, thanks for the information y'all. I guess I'll go and explore other places instead and watch to see how matters unfurl in Iran.