<boost/python/iterator.hpp> provides types and functions for creating Python iterators from C++ Containers and Iterators. Note that if your class_ supports random-access iterators, implementing __getitem__ (also known as the Sequence Protocol) may serve you better than using this facility: Python will automatically create an iterator type for you (see iter()), and each access can be range-checked, leaving no possiblity of accessing through an invalidated C++ iterator.