Itinerary

1. Day 1: Tehran

   • After arriving at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) in Tehran, the representative will meet and greet you at the airport.

   • The local representative will transfer you to your hotel to rest.

2. Day 2: Tehran - Shiraz

   • Head to a World Heritage Site, the lavish Golestan Palace in the morning. 

   • Then, shop at the Tehran Bazaar.

   • Visit the National Museum of Iran, where you can see historical items from 5000 BC to the advent of Islam in Iran, which shows a brief history of our land.

   • Explore the Carpet Museum of Iran, home to a dazzling collection of Persian carpets collected from around the country and representing centuries of extraordinary art and skill.

   • Late in the afternoon we will fly to Shiraz.

3. Day 3: Shiraz

   • After breakfast, you will visit Nasir-al-Mulk Mosque (Pink Mosque) few steps far from Vakil Bazaar. It built by the order from one of the lords of the Qajar Dynasty, Mirza Hasan ‘Ali Nasir-al-Mulk, it took 12 years to complete in 1888. Its interior reveals a magnificent masterpiece of design with stunning colors. This is a space where light and worship intertwine. The mosque comes to life with the sunrise and colors dance throughout the day like whirling dervishes. It reflects on the ground, walls, the arches and the towering spires. It even reflects on the visitors as if a colorful ball is hit by the first sun ray and explodes to thousands of butterflies all around.
   • Then you will visit Karim Khan Citadel from outside which was built during the Zand Dynasty.
   • You’ll have time to explore and shop in the bustling Vakil Bazaar, home to hundreds of stores, beautiful courtyards, and even an ancient caravanserai.
   • After that, you’ll visit the lovely garden tomb of Hafez, one of our most outstanding poets to feel the taste of Persian Literature. Hafez is one of great poets who impressed everyone with his mastery. His poems give us a special feeling and the peace in his tomb is really outstanding.

4. Day 4: Shiraz - Yazd

   • We have a full day of driving today to reach our destination of Yazd (A UNESCO World heritage city).
   • We will have some stop in our way to visit legendary city of Persepolis (A UNESCO World heritage site), former capital of Darius the Great and founded in 512 BC. There was no more impressive construction in the ancient world, except perhaps Karnak in Egypt.
   • Drive a couple of miles to Naqsh-e-Rustam from Pasargadae, the Necropolis where Darius and his successors are buried.
   • Then visit Pasargadae (A UNESCO World heritage site), tomb of Cyrus the Great and former capital of the Achaemenid Empire. We will spend some time exploring the site and though not as striking as Persepolis, there is a great viewpoint where we can look over the site and the surrounding area.

   Continue to Yazd and check in to our hotel.

5. Day 5: Yazd

   • Yazd is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Iran. Its silhouette punctuated by minarets and the ingeniously designed wind towers that capture desert breezes to cool homes during the hot summer months. Yazd is also the center of the Zoroastrian community in Iran, where you will start the day of sightseeing.
   • At the Tower of Silence (also called dakhmeh), you will discover one of the rites of this ancient pre-Islamic religion. Until the mid-1900s, when a man dies, his immortal soul, three days later, is carried away by the wind to the place of judgment, on the bridge of Chinvat. Corpses were considered impure objects that could not be put in the ground, in water or even thrown into fire without infecting one of these three elements. Only the king's corpse was divine and therefore entitled to a tomb.
   • At the still active Zoroastrian Fire Temple (Atashkadeh), you will see a flame that has been burning for 1500 years. It is an important place of pilgrimage for the faithful and our expert guide will offer you additional insight into one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world.
   • In Amir Chakhmaq Square, you will see an impressive Hussainiya – a congregational hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies. With three levels of recessed alcoves, all perfectly proportioned, its façade is one of the city's most photographed landmarks.
   • The next place to visit is the Friday Mosque, built in 1324, where you can see the tallest minarets in the country.
   • Among the many other historical sites to visit in Yazd are beautiful old houses and the Dowlatabad Garden (A UNESCO World heritage city). Standing by the long reflecting pool in the garden, you will be shaded by ancient cypress trees. In front of you is an 18th century hexagonal pavilion with a beautiful stained glass window and a graceful wind tower, the tallest in Iran. All around are flowering fruit trees and other ornamental plants and trees.

6. Day 6: Yazd - Nain - Isfahan

   • Our next stop will be in Meybod, the pottery center of Yazd. Founded in the Sassanid period, cradle of the Mozaffarid dynasty which reigned in Fârs and Kermân in the 14th century.
   • Meybod, located on an old trade route, also offers a number of fascinating sites to visit, including its caravanserai. Built in typical Safavid style, this former desert inn has verandas, shaded passageways and nearly 100 rooms, some of which are now used as artisan workshops. At the local icehouse, you'll learn all about the thick clay construction and underground chamber that allowed local residents to store ice and food before refrigeration, even in the intense summer heat!
   • En route we visit Nain, one of the ancient cities with origins dating back to the 8th century. We visit the Jameh Mosque of Naein (World heritage site).
   • Your visit to the province of Isfahan continues. Capital of the Safavid Empire in the 17th century, Isfahan was one of the largest cities in the world. Marvelous architecture, unimaginable wealth and a powerful political force with Europeans, Ottomans, Indians and Chinese coming to Isfahan, the heart of a vast Persian empire stretching from the Euphrates into Iraq current at the Oxus in Afghanistan. Indeed, its grandeur inspired the rhyming proverb, Isfahan nesf e jahan (Isfahan is half the world).

7. Day 7: Isfahan

   • Your exploration continues on Imam Square (also called Naqsh-e Djahân Square or Royal Square). This 17th century site is one of the largest public spaces in the world. Here in the square, you will visit the 17th century Imam Mosque (Masdjed-e Imam), considered a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and easily recognizable by its beautiful tilework, cupola and its minarets (World heritage site).

   • You will also visit the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, also known as the Ladies Mosque, as it was built for the Shah's Harem, renowned for its colorful domed ceiling, where the light creates the image of a peacock.

   • In the Ali Qapu Palace (the High Gate), you will be amazed by its magnificent music rooms and the balconies where Safavid kings would sit to enjoy the polo matches taking place in the square below.

   • You will end your discovery of the square by visiting the Qeysarieh Bazaar (or royal bazaar). With hundreds of local vendors specializing in traditional arts and crafts, it's a wonderful place to shop for intricately inlaid pottery, enamel, jewelry and board games.
   • Our next stop will be Chehel Sotun Palace (A UNESCO World heritage site). Set in landscaped, wooded grounds opposite a tranquil reflecting pool, this elegant pavilion was originally built by Shah Abbas I in the early 17th century. and finished by Shah Abbas II in 1947 for amusements and short receptions. Entering through a portico with twenty slender wooden columns, you will discover huge rooms decorated with frescoes, paintings and mosaics; the hall of mirrors is beautiful!
   • In the city's Armenian Quarter, you'll delve deeper into the region's complex history by visiting several churches, including the 17th-century Vank Cathedral, with its richly decorated interior and unique blend of Islamic and European architectural elements.

8. Day 8: Isfahan - Kashan - Tehran

   • Leaving Isfahan behind, we’ll travel north to Kashan, a town originally famous for its textiles and ceramic production, but now better known for Fin Garden.
   • Fin Garden (A UNESCO World Heritage Site) is our first stop; a relaxing and visually impressive Persian garden with water channels all passing through a central pavilion. 
   • There is also the chance to buy some rose water, a local specialty, outside of the site.
   • Then, you will visit Boroujerdi Traditional House. It was built about 130 years ago in the reign of Qajar dynasty (1857) by Iranian famous architect Ustad Ali Maryam. The owner was Haj Seyed Hasan Natanzi, a well-known merchant who mostly dealt with people of Boroujerd city. That’s why the house is known as Boroujerd's House.

9. Day 9: Tehran

   • Get dropped off by the representative at Imam Khomeini International Airport according to your flight time.