Tehran Metro, The Best Way to Discover Tehran

Why Use the Tehran Metro?

Staying in Tehran, even for two days, can be exhausting if you want to discover sightseeing in Tehran while getting stuck in the hectic traffic. You can easily survive from snarl-ups by using the metro system.

Luckily, Tehran Metro is clean, cheap, and modern, which assists you in ditching heavy traffic. It almost covers all attractions and works from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm. The system is neither as complicated as a metro system in Russia nor as dirty as the subway in Paris. It is the Iranian version. Respecting women, the first and the last wagon is allocated for ladies. These wagons are easily recognized by the having the women’s sign. But women can use the mixed wagons as well.

How to Find Metro Stations?

Easily, by looking for the Tehran Metro logo at the entrance of any Tehran Metro station, you can find the stations. Unlike many cities in the world, the logo of the Tehran metro does not have any M in it! So be careful! Also, all the metro stations are registered on Google Maps.

How to Buy a Tehran Metro Ticket?

There are three kinds of Tehran Metro tickets:

1. One-way or Two-way paper tickets: You can buy them from any station’s ticket booth; you must have cash or an Iranian Bank Card.
2. Tehran Metro Card: You can buy them from any station’s ticket booth, then ask the seller to charge any amount you like; you need to have cash or an Iranian Bank Card.
3. Shahrzad Android application: You can download the Shahrzad Application here. This is an online application using the Tehran metro and bus. You need to have an Iranian Bank Card and can read Persian (Farsi) Language to use this application.

How to Find Your Destination?

Generally, the announcements in wagons are in Farsi. Still, the metro maps (download here) in both English and Farsi can be found above every second door, so if you can’t understand the station calls, these maps are very useful.

Tehran metro wagons are packed during rush hour in the morning and evening; please watch out for your bags, backpacks, and pockets. You can find some hawkers in the wagons as well. Just don’t get too close to them, as some might be pickpockets. However, they usually don’t target tourists because if the locals notice, they’ll gang up on whoever gets you in trouble.

In rush hours, it’s better to avoid the door threshold. You’re better off making your way to the sides or aisles, especially for longer trips; otherwise, expect to be pushed as people get in and out of the train. On the other hand, if your stop is approaching, try to make your way to the middle of the door. Because you won’t often have enough time to make your way through the mosh pit of people.  However, if you’re a lady or simply worried about getting off, raise your voice and say ‘Bebakhshid’ (sounds like ‘bebashid’), meaning excuse me. You’ll find locals respect foreigners, finding you either interesting or funny. The result is just like Moses parting the sea.

How to Access Tehran Tourist Attractions by Metro?

Most sightseeing is accessible by using the Tehran metro. Persian Walk provides a list naming the nearest stations to sight attractions in the corner of Tehran:

Line 1 (Red Line)

1-Tajrish Station :

• Darband
• Sa’dabad Historical-Cultural Complex
• Valiasr Street
• Tochal Mountain and Cable Car
• Tajrish traditional Bazaar
• Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine
• Once Upon a Time in Tajrish tour meeting point

2- Shahid Haghani Station :

• Tabiat (Nature) Bridge
• Water and Fire Park
• Museum of the Holy Defense
• Taleghani Park
• Tehran Book Garden

3- Taleghani Station :

• The Former US embassy
• Honarmandan Park (Artist Park)
• Revolution on Train Tour & Tehran Night Life Tour meeting points

4-Imam Khomeini Station (the junction between Line 1 & Line 2):

• National Museum of Iran
• Jewelry Museum
• Malek Museum
• Mashq Square Complex
• Glassware and Ceramics Museum
• Post Museum
• Si-e Tir street

5-Panzdah-e Khordad :

• Golestan Palace
• Grand Bazaar
• Old Tehran and 20th Century Tehran Free Walking Tours meeting points

6-Terminal-Jonoob

• South Bus Terminal: the main bus terminal for going to Kashan, Isfahan and Shiraz

 Line 2 (Dark Blue Line)

1- Baharestan Station :

• Iran’s parliament
• Masoudieh Palace
• Heritage Hostel
• RooBeRoo Hostel

2-Imam Khomeini Station (the junction between Line 1 & Line 2):

• National Museum of Iran
• Jewelry Museum
• Malek Museum
• Mashq Square Complex
• Glassware and Ceramics Museum
• Post Museum
• Si-e Tir street

3- Hassanabad Station :

• Moghaddam Museum House

Line 3 (light blue line)

1- Nobonyad Station :

• Niavaran Palace Complex: The former Palace of the last Iran’s Shah is a museum now.

2- Theater-e-Shahr Station (the junction between Line 3 & Line 4):

• Alive neighborhood and hang out Café of the young and cultivated generation area can be found in the area where it is located.

3- Rahahan Station :

• Railway Station: Tehran’s railway station is connected to Tehran Metro by this station.

Line 4 (Yellow Line)

1- Ferdowsi Station :

• Exchange Shops: In Ferdowsi Street, you can easily find lots of exchange offices to change your money

2- Theater-e-Shahr Station (the junction between Line 3 & Line 4):

• Alive neighborhood and hang out Café of the young and cultivated generation area can be found in the area where it is located.

3- Meydan-e Azadi :

• Azadi (Freedom) Tower
• Terminal-e Qarb: West Bus Terminal of Tehran

4- Mehrabad Domestic Airport Station :

Mehrabad Airport has two stations for different terminals. This airport is used for domestic flights.

Line 7 (Velvet Line)

1- Borj-e Milad-e Tehran (Tehran Milad Tower):

• It is the access point to the highest Tower in Tehran.

How to go from Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA) to Tehran or vice versa by metro?

The Imam Khomeini Airport metro works daily from 6:30 AM to 07:20 PM. The operating hours are limited at the moment, but it will probably change soon. You can buy tickets easily at the metro station. 

To go from Imam Khomeini Airport to Tehran, you need to go to the Imam Khomeini Metro Station in front of Terminal A in the airport. Then, get on the metro towards the Shahed-Baghershahr station, and then change your train at Shahed-Baghershar station to the Tajrish station. Then you can get off at any desired station based on your accommodation location.

To go from Tehran to Imam Khomeini Airport, you have to go to “Shahed-Baghershahr” station at the end of line 1 and then change to the Parand City metro and finally get off at the Imam Khomeini Airport metro station.

The trains are not that frequent yet; there’s one every 120 minutes. Through Line 4 (Yellow Line), IKA (Imam Khomeini Airport) will also be connected to Mehrabad Airport which is specific for domestic flights.

You can download the Tehran metro Map here. 

This is the time table of IKA airport metro: