As of 2020, an American passport will grant you access to 184 countries without a visa, or with a visa on arrival. But there are still a handful of nations out there where travel for American citizens is difficult, if not completely banned. Read on to find out what they are.

In Iran, Americans Must Travel With A Host

After experiencing a turbulent history, Iran has never been the top destination on the bucket lists of most Americans. But the country has a lot to offer in the way of stunning religious architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites with historic significance. The natural landscape is also phenomenal in some parts, featuring rocky hillsides and sprawling valleys. American travelers aren’t forbidden from visiting Iran but they must obtain a visa before they go, which can be tricky; it can take between 60 and 90 days for a visa to be approved. According to CNN, Americans are also required to travel with “an officially sanctioned host” at all times when they’re in the country. It’s not just the Iranian government that makes it difficult for Americans to enter their country. The US Department of State has categorized the Middle Eastern country as a Level 4 risk and advises Americans do not travel there due to the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. RELATED: 10 Ancient Wonders You Can Only Experience In The Middle East

You Still Need A Visa For Russia

The relationship between the United States and Russia has traditionally been tense. An American passport is not enough to gain travelers' entry into the country—you need a tourist visa to get in. American travelers must receive a letter of invitation to obtain a visa ahead of time, which is why most people traveling to Russia work with a tour agency so the process runs more smoothly. The Russian government is extremely strict when it comes to visa regulations. Tourist visas typically expire after 30 days and trying to leave once yours has expired is very difficult. In most cases, travelers will need to apply for another visa to leave the country and might be detained for up to 20 days while they wait for their exit visa. The strict regulations often deter Americans from visiting Russia, a country contains countless landmarks, museums, monuments, and other fascinating attractions. RELATED: Traveling To Russia: 15 Things To Prepare For

The Government Forbids Americans From Visiting North Korea

Traveling to Russia and Iran may be difficult for Americans, but it’s not impossible. It’s a different story in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, however. The American government currently forbids US citizens from visiting. Special validations are granted in very rare circumstances, but in general, this is the only country on the planet that Americans are not allowed to travel to at all.

In the past, the restrictions on travel came from the North Korean government, but those eased in 2009. It wasn’t until 2017 that the American government declared that American tourists were banned from visiting the country altogether due to “serious and mounting risk of arrest and long-term detention." The law was brought in following the death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who was detained in North Korea and then died within a week of his release.

Americans are allowed to visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone or the border between North Korea and South Korea, but until laws change, U.S. citizens are banned from going any further into North Korea without special permission from the government.

Americans Need To Be Invited To Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan might seem like a haven to the history enthusiasts out there, but the majority of American tourists miss out on the country’s many monuments, historic sites, and natural tourist attractions like the flaming Darvaza gas crater. Despite the power of an American passport, American travelers are not freely let into Turkmenistan. Like other countries, Turkmenistan demands that American travelers are issued a visa to enter the country. But to get a visa, Americans need to be officially invited by the government. Trying to enter the country without this document will likely result in detainment at the airport until a flight out of the country is booked. Most travelers who are determined to visit Turkmenistan plan their trip through an organized tour arranged by a reputable company, as companies like this can make the process of receiving a letter of invitation easier. RELATED: 10 Underrated Places In Asia To Put On Your Bucket List

Americans Need A Good Reason For Travel To Cuba

Cuban travel is not as difficult for Americans as it once was. But relatively new travel laws imposed by the Trump administration have made it trickier than it was in the first half of 2019 when more than 140,000 U.S. travelers arrived in Cuba by cruise ship in May. The briefly loosened regulations have been tightened again. There are 12 approved categories of travel to Cuba, ranging from humanitarian projects to journalism. Categories that were previously acceptable, such as “people-to-people” travel, have been banned. This, American citizens now have to have better reasons for traveling to Cuba than they’ve had in the past. Americans also need a visa to enter Cuba, sometimes called a tourist card, and must apply for Cuba health insurance. NEXT: Travel Hacks: 20 Things To Avoid Doing When Traveling To Cuba