Is Iran safe for female travellers?

The best source of advice about the safety of travel to Iran is the FCO. Its current assessment is quite sobering and advises against all but essential travel to Iran, and against all travel to certain areas. It also says “British travellers to Iran face greater risks than nationals of many other countries due to high levels of suspicion about the UK and the UK government’s limited ability to assist in any difficulty [since the British Embassy in Tehran is closed].” See fco.gov.uk for more.

However, the situation could well change by next September – you can opt to get updates by email if you click on the link on the Iran page of the FCO website. If you do go, you should be aware that for Western women the dress code in Iran can feel restrictive – and very hot. Daytime temperatures in Tehran in September may reach 32C (90F), but whenever you are in public you will be expected to cover your head and neck completely (take a large cotton scarf), and wear a shirt or tunic with full-length sleeves that extends to mid-thigh. Beneath this wear trousers to the ankles or a long skirt. The code is strictly enforced. It’s worth buying cotton or linen (but not see-through) tunics and trousers before you go, as most of the clothes available locally are made of synthetic material. As a woman you’ll also have to get used to being served after the men at restaurants, being excluded from hotel pools and – if you use public transport – sitting at the back of the bus.

Telegraph