Charlottesville to Urmia (CHO–OMH) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

US passport holders need a visa to enter Iran and must travel with a licensed Iranian tour guide or organized tour for the entire duration of the stay. Independent travel is not permitted for US, UK, or Canadian citizens. Apply through an authorized Iranian travel agency, which submits your visa application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once a reference number is issued (10 to 30 working days), collect the visa stamp at an Iranian embassy or consulate. The visa fee for US citizens is $160 to $230 depending on the issuing consulate. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry.

Your tour operator arranges the reference number, itinerary, and guide. The guide accompanies you at all times during the trip. At Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) in Tehran, your guide meets you after immigration. Women must wear a headscarf (hijab) from the moment of arrival: carry one in your hand luggage for deplaning. Visa on arrival is available for many nationalities at IKA, but US citizens are not eligible and must have the visa stamped before travel.

No direct flights connect the US to Iran. Route through Istanbul (about 3 hours to IKA on Turkish Airlines or Iran Air), Doha (about 2 hours on Qatar Airways), or Dubai (about 2 hours on flydubai or Iran Air). Total travel time from the US East Coast runs 15 to 20 hours. Iran uses the Iranian rial (IRR), but prices are quoted in tomans (1 toman = 10 rials), trading at roughly 42,000 tomans per $1. International credit and debit cards do not work in Iran due to banking restrictions. Bring cash (US dollars or euros) and exchange at licensed exchange offices (sarafi). Your tour operator can arrange a local debit card loaded with rials for convenience.