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Are you traveling by car and want to cross the Persian Gulf from Dubai, or perhaps continue your journey to Iran without flying? In the article on Ferry Dubai to Iran, you’ll find options for departing from two major ports: Port Rashid (Dubai) and Khalid Port (Sharjah), along with timetables, prices, and other useful information to help plan the trip.
Are you traveling to the opposite side, from Iran to Dubai?
➡️ Here is our article Iran to Dubai ferry ⬅️
Table of Contents
FERRY DUBAI TO IRAN OPTIONS
After visiting Dubai, you have two options to reach Iran without flying. You can take a ferry directly from Port Rashid to Bandar-e Lengeh Port (Bandar Lengeh) or from Khalid Port (Sharjah) to Shahid Bahonar Port (Bandar Abbas). These ferries will take you to Hormozgan Province in southern Iran.
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DUBAI TO BANDAR LENGEH FERRY
The first option is a direct ferry from Dubai’s Port Rashid to the small Iranian town of Bandar Lengeh. This ferry operates twice a week and carries only passengers and goods.
Bandar Lengeh is a smaller port, and tourists are not often seen there. The more well-known port is Bandar Abbas.
HOW TO GET TO DUBAI PORT
Ferries to Bandar Lengeh depart from Port Rashid, which is approximately 10 km from the center of Dubai. The journey from the city by taxi takes around 20 minutes.Taxi apps such as Careem and Uber are available in Dubai.
Alternatively, you can take the metro to Al Ghubaiba station and walk 2.7 km to Port Rashid.
WHAT THE FERRY LOOKS LIKE
The Dubai to Iran ferry is a small vessel that only carries passengers and goods. It has two decks, both equipped with seats, a toilet, and a small outdoor area. The seats are comfortable, and if you’re lucky and there aren’t many passengers, you can even lie down.
WHERE IS FERRY PORT IN DUBAI
Port Rashid is located on the southern coast of the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf), approximately 20 minutes by car from the center of Dubai.
HOW LONG IT TAKES
Ferry Dubai to Iran takes around 5 hours, with departures twice a week covering a distance of 152 km on Wednesday and Sunday at 9 am. Sailing times may vary depending on the weather.
HOW MUCH FOR THE TICKET
Ticket prices may vary throughout the year. During the high season and certain holidays, the price may be higher. However, it is usually around 100€ per person.
WHERE TO BUY A TICKET
Tickets can be purchased directly at the port. There are also many agency websites that offer tickets for this ferry. You can buy tickets or check timetables, prices on the following websites:
Orienttrips
Tappersia
WHERE IS FERRY PORT IN BANDAR LENGEH
Bandar Lengeh is a small port city on the shores of the Persian Gulf, approximately 192 km from the larger city of Bandar Abbas. You can find it on Google Maps under the name Valfajr Shipping International Terminal.
HOW TO GET FROM PORT TO TAXI STAND TO BANDAR ABBAS
There is no public transport from Bandar Lengeh to Bandar Abbas. A very cheap option is to take a shared taxi for about €2.50 per person. The journey takes about 2.5 hours, and the taxi will not leave until it is full. It’s a bit of an adventure, with views of the Persian Gulf on one side and mountains on the other.
Location of shared taxis to Bandar Abbas here
OUR EXPERIENCE ON THE FERRY DUBAI TO IRAN
For our Dubai to Iran ferry, we arrived at the port 3 hours before departure. When leaving the United Arab Emirates by ferry, there is a departure fee of €25 (AED 100) per person, which must be paid in local currency. We then went through baggage and passport control, which was quick. The ferry was already waiting at the port. You will not be assigned a seat with your travel ticket, but the staff will seat you. On the vessel, women are required to cover their heads with a scarf or hijab during the voyage. The ferry departed with an hour’s delay.
There are toilets available, and a small outdoor deck at the back of the vessel where you can observe the Persian Gulf. However, we traveled in the summer when the temperature was at least 40°C with high humidity. After two hours of travel, lunch is served, which is included in the ticket price. The meal consists of rice with meat, vegetables, white yogurt, fruit, and a carbonated drink. Throughout the entire voyage, there is also a tank of drinking water available for passengers. About an hour after lunch, tea is served.
Despite the initial delay, we arrived at the port in Bandar Lengeh after 4 hours and 10 minutes. A small bus, parked next to our ferry, took us to the port building, where there is passport and visa control as well as luggage inspection.
Keep in mind that, as we discovered firsthand, this port is not frequently visited by tourists. You will likely be detained here with questions about your itinerary in Iran, and the process may take longer compared to traveling to the port in Bandar Abbas. In the end, everything went smoothly, and we continued from Bandar Lengeh to Bandar Abbas in a shared taxi, which was a short distance from the port.
WATCH OUR VIDEO FROM DUBAI TO BANDAR LENGEH FERRY
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SHARJAH TO BANDAR ABBAS FERRY
The second option is a ferry between Khalid Port (Sharjah) and Shahid Bahonar Port (Bandar Abbas). It operates twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays at 9 pm.
This option is particularly important if you want to travel with a vehicle, as it is the main transportation route from the Emirates to Iran.
HOW TO GET TO SHARJAH
Sharjah is a city in the United Arab Emirates, and its Khalid Port is located 10 km from the center of Sharjah and 30 km from Dubai. You can call a taxi from Dubai using the Careem or Uber app. The journey takes about 20 minutes and costs around €15.
WHAT THE FERRY LOOKS LIKE
The ferry has separate decks for passengers and cargo and it is a larger vessel. The passenger section contains seats only; there are no beds available on the ferry. There are toilets near the passenger area, including both Western-style toilets and squat toilets. The passenger section is very heavily air-conditioned.
The ferry also has an outdoor deck with benches, where you can observe the Persian Gulf.
WHERE IS FERRY PORT IN SHARJAH
Khalid Port is a key port serving both cargo and passenger transport, located on the shores of the Persian Gulf, approximately 10 km from Sharjah city center.
HOW LONG IT TAKES
This is an overnight ferry that takes approximately 12 hours and covers a distance of 320 km between Khalid Port and Shahid Bahonar Port.
HOW MUCH FOR THE TICKET
Ferry Dubai to Iran ticket prices may vary depending on the season, and tickets may be more expensive during holidays. Typically, the ticket price is around 100€. The Sharjah to Bandar Abbas ferry allows passengers to take a vehicle on board. For up-to-date information, it is recommended to visit the port in person and purchase tickets on-site.
WHERE TO BUY A TICKET
Tickets can be purchased directly at the port, but in high season it is recommended to buy tickets a few days in advance.
Many agencies offer tickets for this ferry or Ferry Dubai to Iran directly, and they take a commission for arranging the ticket. An alternative is to buy tickets on these websites: Orienttrips, Tappersia.
WHERE IS FERRY PORT IN BANDAR ABBAS
Shahid Bahonar Port in Bandar Abbas is not located in the city center, but you can get there from the city by taxi in about 20 minutes.
HOW TO GET FROM PORT TO THE CITY
The fastest and relatively cheap way to get from the port to the city is by taxi. The journey to the city is approximately 10 km and will cost around 1€.
OUR EXPERIENCE ON THE FERRY DUBAI TO IRAN
As expected, we arrived at the port 3 hours in advance. Before the trip, we bought everything we would need, as there are no shops around the port. We waited in the designated area until the staff called us for luggage and passport control. After checking our luggage, we waited in the waiting room for passport control. Just like at the port in Dubai, here too we had to pay a departure fee of €22, cash only. After all the checks, a bus took us to the ferry. It was a short ride.
The ferry has separate decks for cargo and passengers. The passenger section was on the second floor. Seat reservations are not included on the ticket, and the staff will assign you a seat. There are no beds on the ferry, only seats. There are no sockets around the seats to charge your mobile phone. Don’t forget to bring an external charger. There was a place in the room where you could charge about five mobile phones, but it was constantly occupied. There was also a container of drinking water in the room for passengers.
After two hours of travel, lunch is served, which is included in the ticket price.The food was served at a small counter in the passenger room, and you had to show your ticket to receive it. For dinner, we had rice with meat, bread, an orange, white yogurt, and a carbonated drink. At 11 pm, the crew turned off the lights.
We managed to sleep during the night, but it was not very luxurious on the seats, and the very strong air conditioning was an issue. When we went out onto the outdoor deck, the temperature outside was over 40°C, while inside the passenger room it was only 20°C. A very big difference.
After 13 hours of sailing, we arrived at the port in Bandar Abbas. After disembarking, we went through baggage, passport, and visa control. The Shahid Bahonar Port in Bandar Abbas is 10 km from the city center. We took a taxi, which cost €5 on the spot, but via the app, you could get the ride for €1.
Looking for other ferry destinations?
➡️ Here is our article Malta to Sicily Ferry ⬅️
WATCH OUR VIDEO FROM SHARJAH TO BANDAR ABBAS FERRY
Q&A
Are there ferries from Dubai to Iran?
Directly from Dubai’s Port Rashid, a ferry departs twice a week to the small Iranian city of Bandar Lengeh, carrying only passengers and goods. From the nearby port of Sharjah (UAE), a larger ferry also departs twice a week to the city of Bandar Abbas, carrying both passengers and vehicles.
Do I need a visa for Iran?
If you are not an Iranian passport holder, you will need a visa to visit Iran. There are official websites for traveling to Iran, so always check the requirements based on your nationality.
Do tourists have to wear hijab in Iran?
Female tourists, like Iranian women, must wear a headscarf in public. You should also wear a headscarf when crossing the border, taking a ferry to Iran, and in other public places.
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