Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrive at Ahvaz - Transfer to Shushtar

   • Get picked up from Ahvaz airport and move to Shushtar with your Iranian tour guide.

   • Visit Karoon River on your way. It is the longest river in Iran and the only one connected to international waters.

   • Proceed to Haft-Tapeh, and Tchogha-Zanbi (the first Iranian site registered the in UNESCO World Heritage Site list). Apart from the historical monument, the mysterious footprint of a child going back to centuries ago is worth seeing.

   • After lunch and a short rest, go to Shushtar’s historical watermills to see how in ancient times the locals channelled the water.

2. Day 2: Shimbar - Meet Nomads

   • See Negin Bridge and Shimbar Waterfall. There is a bright green carpet on its plains in spring, and in autumn, the golden foliage and morning mists are awe-inspiring. 

   • After lunch, take on the 3-4 hour hiking to reach the Nomad’s campsite in Mt. Zagros and set up your tent next to the nomads under the starry sky. 

   • Sit by the fire at night to have tea while nomads are engaged in their everyday routine.

   • Tomorrow is the day of KUCH! Follow nomads in their seasonal transhumance.

3. Day 3: Nomad Odyssey (day 3, 4, 5)

   During these three days, you do an overall of 42 km hiking. ‘Flexibility’ is a keyword since there is no fixed plan due to the Nomads’ flexible lifestyle (Sometimes you face some unexpected adventures to which you need to adapt). Magnificent mountain ranges, clear sky, fantastic sceneries, nomads and their unique lifestyle, sheep & goats and the sound of their bells are some of the things you will experience.

   • Cross Mt. Zagros with the indigenous people of Iran and their livestock. Take in the breathtaking views of valleys and peaks. You accompany them in their epic migration in the Zagros mountain ranges for three days.

   • Help the nomads in shepherding, collecting woods and fetching water. 

4. Day 4: Nomad Odyssey (day 3, 4, 5)

   • Witness how nomadic women make bread and milk the goats. 

   • Enjoy the calm and the spectacular views in the afternoon as the Nomads halt & set up the black tent.

   At night, an incredible night’s sleep under the starry sky in the lower mountain temperatures would be pretty enjoyable.

5. Day 5: Nomad Odyssey (day 3, 4, 5)

   • Have breakfast with the nomadic family. Say goodbye & continue with the expedition to an amazing mountainous village called Khouye. After 3 days of migration with the nomads, a comfortable cosy village house would be a perfect lodge. 

   • Go around the fruit gardens and old village houses where women are making Persian carpet, handicrafts, and weaving black tents. 

   Stay in the village for the night.

6. Day 6: Leave Nomads - Back to Civilization

   • Relish a hearty breakfast in a village house facing mountains. 

   • Explore the village. 

   • Move to your next destination, the unique historical village, Sar Agha Seyyed Village.

   • Here, appreciate the views of the old village houses where the yard of one is the roof of the other. See women carrying oak fruits back to the village. The salt mines and the beautiful waterfall are also worth visiting.

   • See the breathtaking Koohrang Spring. It is the biggest spring in Iran which is rarely visited by travellers due to the exposed nature of the place & rough roads.

   For the night, you will stay in the Koohrang hotel.

7. Day 7: Go to Isfahan

   • Reach Isfahan at noon.

   • Visit some must-see places in Isfahan.

   • Admire unique Persian architecture. 

   A Persian proverb says, ‘Isfahan is half of the world’, referring to many palaces, mosques, gardens, bridges, etc. 

8. Day 8: Isfahan

   • Visit some famous places in Isfahan like Naqsh-e Jahan Square, which holds Ali Qapu Palace, Imam Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and the Imperial Bazaar. 

   • Take the afternoon to have some rest.

   • Explore Si-o-se-Pol Bridge, Khaju Bridge or the other bridges at sunset. 

   • Have the amazing Isfahani Beryan & Khoresht-e Mast.

9. Day 9: Isfahan to Varzaneh Desert

   • In the morning, make way to three more must-see places in Isfahan: Atiq Mosque, Vank Cathedral, and Jolfa neighbourhood. 

   • After having lunch in an old restaurant, reach Varzaneh after a 2-hour drive. 

   • Watch the sunset in the desert, over the sandhills.

   For the night, you can either stay in the Negar guesthouse or camp under the starry sky. The next day, you can try making a Persian cuisine in a local house (the guesthouse can arrange an optional Persian cooking class).

10. Day 10: Transfer to Yazd

    • After lunch, leave Varzaneh to go to Yazd. 

    • Pass the desert on your way and visit the well-known wetland: Gav-Khuni Pond. The reeds have grown all along Zayanderud; drakes & flamingos are all around the river (of course not all the time, but in some seasons). This is where Zayanderud ends. 

    • Reach the noble city of Yazd by evening.

    • Settle in Nartitee Ecolodge, in Taft district.

    • In the evening, explore Taft village by bike. The town has beautiful fruit gardens, especially pomegranates.
      

11. Day 11: Yazd Tour

    • See a large impressive historical square in the center of Yazd, Amir Chakhmaq Complex. 

    • Go to Dowlat Abad Garden. This garden has the tallest windmill globally, and it is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    • After lunch, visit Zoroastrian Towers of Silence (Dakhme), an open burial pit in which Zoroastrians performed their last rites.

    • Peak your experience of silence when you stay overnight in Zein-o-Din Caravanserai, situated on the ancient Silk Road. Enjoy the clear starry night sky, peace and tranquillity. 

12. Day 12: Go to Kashan

    • Explore must-see places classified into three groups: historical houses, mosques, and gardens. 

    • Reach the Puppet Museum House located in the heart of Kashan and surrounded by well-known historical houses like Tabatabaei House, Borujerdi House. Visit the houses and hear the stories. 

    • Go to Agha Bozorg Mosque in the evening. It is a symmetric architectural masterpiece built in the 18th century, and Bazaar of Kashan called Timche to know more about Persian carpet.

13. Day 13: Kashan

    • Travel to a traditional bathhouse or hammam, Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse. 

    • Go to one of the surrounding villages to see its scenic natural beauty.

14. Day 14: Tehran

    • Return to Tehran. 

    • Examine Golestan Palace, Melli Garden, Jewellery Museum and Tabi'at Bridge. Golestan Palace used to be Qajar's royal abode. The garden, architecture, throne rooms and museums are worth seeing. The palace is registered at UNESCO. 

    • Wander in the Grand Bazaar of Tehran to see its unique architecture.