6 Must-Have Free Travel Apps for Your Next Trip to Iran

What applications do you need on your journey to Iran?
Recently, Iran is often designated by the major media companies specializing in international tourism as a must-see destination. Here's a shortlist of apps that will be your closest friend in this country of wonderful civilization, culture, history, and hospitality.
There are dozens of online guides for travelers on what to take before traveling to Iran. This is a guide to the apps you can install on your smart devices before you hit the road.

1- Local application markets

Several Iranian apps are not available in classic app markets such as App Store and Play Store. A month ago, Google and Apple began to remove applications of Iranian companies from their application markets. Both companies viewed US unilateral sanctions as the reason for their unprofessional decision. To overcome this obstacle, you need to use locally established application markets - for Android users, Café Bazaar, and for iDevices, Nassaab or SibApp.
You can directly download application markets from companies' websites.

2- Ride Halling

The first thing you will need after getting off the plane is a cab. Getting an airport taxi is something close to a nuisance and the rates are high. A dozen companies specializing in call tourism are now operating in Iran. The most popular are Snapp and Tap30. In addition to Persian, Snapp is available in English and French. These apps have been removed from the App Store and the Play Store; therefore, you must download them from one of the local alternative application markets already introduced or directly from the taxi companies' websites.

3- payments service

One of the main complaints of travelers who were not so far back in the past was that they had to carry piles of money when they traveled to Iran. It belongs to the past. Now you create a local bank account and get a debit card. Again due to banking sanctions, international credit cards do not work in Iran. To circumvent the problem, the authorities have developed the "Tourist Card", a prepaid credit card with a maximum balance of $ 5,000.
The card can be obtained at international airports and recharged at one of the branches of Bank Melli, Bank Sepah, and the country's Tourism Bank. One of the popular payment applications in Iran is offered by the electronic payment company Asan Pardakht. You can charge local SIM cards, transfer money to other accounts and pay for various services through the app. Asan Pardakht is available for download on the Google Play Store. IOS users can download the app from their website.
Besides Asan Pardakht, Pardakhtam is another very convenient payment app. Using the app, you can pay the taxi driver by scanning the QR codes installed in the taxis. Each taxi driver has a unique identification number in the Pardakhtam database accompanied by a QR code installed in his car. Currently, the app is only available for Android phones and can be downloaded from the corporate website or Café Bazaar.

4- Telegrams

Telegram is the most popular email application and social media platform in Iran. The application has nearly 45 million users. It is so popular that most young people ask for your Telegram ID instead of a phone number to stay in touch. The telegram can be downloaded from the App Store and Play Store, as well as from its official website. Other messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Vimeo, are also used in the country but are not as popular.

5- Persian Calendar

The Persian calendar is a succession of calendars invented or used for over two millennia in Iran. The calendar has been changed several times in its history.
To stay on top of local events and even plan your trip, check the date (s) of the Persian calendar. Although several websites offer bilingual services for the conversion of Gregorian dates to Persian dates, getting a Persian calendar application will be helpful. Dozens of Persian calendar apps are available for free on the App Store and Play Store.

6-Tehran Metro Guide
The metro in the capital has become popular with tourists, especially backpackers. Rates are cheap and of service