Itinerary

1. Day 1- Arrival in Tehran

   • After arriving at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) in Tehran, meet your Iran tour guide at the airport. The local representative will transfer you to your hotel to rest.

2. Day 2- Tehran

   • In the morning, go to a World Heritage Site, the lavish Golestan Palace. Built during the Qajar Dynasty, that rose to power in the late 1700s, this fabulous walled complex is centred on a landscaped garden with tranquil pools. Many of the elements you’ll admire today date to the 19th century when local Qajari architects and artisans were looking to integrate traditional Persian style with elements of Western and Russian origin. The palace buildings are among the oldest in modern Tehran and they are still regarded as a crowning achievement of the Qajar era.
   • Walk around Tehran Bazaar.
   • In the afternoon, you will visit the National Museum of Iran, where you can see fabulous historical items from 5000 BC to the advent of Islam in Iran which shows a brief history of this land.
   • Visit 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.

3. Day 3- Tehran

   • Proceed to a lovely park-like setting to visit the Sa’d Abad Palace. This was the coronation and marriage palace of the Pahlavi Dynasty and the residence from which the last Shah of Iran ruled. Now a museum, its extensive collection includes period furnishings and décor, and even the personal effects of the last Shah. You can also enjoy an exclusive tour through an intimate gallery dedicated to the 20th-century art collection of Iran’s last Empress.
   • Visit the Tajrish Bazaar and Emamzadeh Saleh Mausoleum. They are located in the northern part of Tehran.
   • Afterwards, go to Darband. Darband is an old village in Shemiran. This is 1700 meters above sea level and is one of the main starting routes taken by mountaineers for reaching the central Alborz Range. This place has many modern and traditional cafes and restaurants, located both indoors and outdoors, you will have a delicious lunch in one of them.
   • Later, you will visit Nature Bridge. Cross Tabiat Bridge, an award-winning footbridge designed by local architect Leila Araghian. Completed in 2014, the structure spans 270 m (890 ft) and takes pedestrians from one public park to another across the Shahid Modarres Avenue.
   • Take a stroll on the imposing steel-and-concrete structure, equipped with benches for resting, and enjoy the view of the busy highway and the lush green parks it connects.

4. Day 4- Tehran – Kashan 2H 42MIN (244 km)

   • Leaving Tehran behind, travel south to Kashan, a town originally famous for its textiles and ceramic production but now better known for Fin Garden and its extensive bazaar and hammams.
   • Stop by Fin Garden (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); 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 speciality, outside of the site.
   • Visit Boroujerdi Traditional House. It was built about 130 years ago during the reign of the Qajar dynasty (1857) by the 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.
   • Explore the bazaar area, a widespread complex filled with hammams and mosques; one hammam has been converted to a traditional teahouse where you will stop for those who need a break from shopping.

5. Day 5- Kashan – Abyaneh – Isfahan 3H 32MIN (269 km)

   • Leave Kashan behind, and make your first stop this morning in Abyaneh village. Abyaneh Village is known as the Red Village because of its red soil and houses. The houses of Abyaneh bear an ancient architectural style, featuring the use of clay as the construction material and latticed windows and wooden doors.
   • Continue your overland journey in Isfahan. As the 17th-century capital of the Safavid Empire, Isfahan was one of the world’s greatest cities– architecturally striking, wealthy beyond imagine, and politically powerful with Europeans, Ottomans, Indians and Chinese coming to its court– the heart of a vast Persian Empire that stretched from the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq to the Oxus River in Afghanistan. Indeed, its grandeur inspired the rhyming proverb, Isfahan nesf e Jahan (Isfahan is half of the World).
   • Together with your expert guide, you will begin your exploration of the city by visiting some of the centuries-old, still elegant bridges that span the Zayandeh River. The famous bridges on the Zayandeh River are Sio-se-pol and Khaju. There are sluice gates below the bridge to let the water run off the Zayandeh River in the spring, and there are beautiful stone archways above each gate. These archways provide a great acoustic place for every man who wants to sing. You can always find a man or a group of men singing under the bridge. The songs are usually about betrayal or unrequited love. You have the chance to chat with these men and listen to their songs.

6. Day 6- Isfahan

   • Continue your exploration in Imam Square. This 17th-century site is one of the largest public spaces in the world.
   • Here in the square, you’ll visit the 17th-century Shah Mosque, revered as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and easily recognized by its magnificent tile-work and soaring cupola and minarets.
   • Visit Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, also known as the Ladies Mosque, as it was built for the Shah's harem, renowned for the brightly coloured domed ceiling, where the light creates the image of a peacock.
   • In the Ali Qapu Palace, you’ll marvel at its beautiful music rooms and the balconies where Safavid kings would sit to enjoy the polo matches unfolding in the square below.
   • End your exploration of the square by visiting the Qeisarieh Bazaar. With hundreds of local vendors that specialize in traditional arts and crafts, it’s a wonderful place to shop for pottery, enamel, jewellery and delicately inlaid board games.
   • Next up is Chehel Sotun Palace. Set in a landscaped and forested park in front of a tranquil reflecting pool, this graceful pavilion was built by Shah Abbas II for entertainment and court receptions. Entering through a portico with twenty slender wooden columns, you’ll discover soaring halls embellished with frescoes, paintings and mosaics; the Hall of Mirrors is especially breathtaking!
   • The last to visit today is Mount Sofe in the south of the city. At this place, you have the chance to see the whole city altogether. You can have tea or a coffee at one of the cafes or even dine in one of the restaurants.

7. Day 7- Isfahan

   • Continue your exploration in Isfahan at a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Simple at first glance but wondrous in its rich detail and bold design, the Masjed-e Jaméis is another masterpiece of Iranian architecture, covering nearly 5 acres in the heart of this historical city. This is one of the oldest congregational mosques in the country, and its construction and embellishment over the past twelve centuries illustrate a number of important periods in Islamic architecture.
   • In the city’s Armenian quarter, you’ll delve more deeply into the region’s complex history as you will visit several churches, including the 17th-century Vank Cathedral with its lavishly decorated interior and unique blend of Islamic and European architectural elements.
   • In the same quarter, visit the Music Museum, where you will find a collection of local and national Iranian instruments.
   • In the afternoon, walk around in the Hasht Behesht Palace and Garden. At this octagonal palace, you can see gangs of retired men who spend their free time chatting with the visitors.

8. Day 8- Isfahan – Naein – Central Desert

   • Leaving Isfahan behind, your first stop this morning will be in Na’in, an ancient community with origins dating back to the 8th century. Over there, we will visit the Jame mosque of Naien.
   • After that, we’ll continue our journey to the magnificent Central Desert of Iran or as locally called “Kavir-e-Markazi”, where you will explore the edge of the sandy desert and makes your stay especial since most other places in that region have some distance from the real desert. In that place, you’ll have the chance to visit the Mesr desert, the historic villages and its local people, enjoy their homemade food and become familiar with their customs and way of living.

9. Day 9- Central Desert – Meybod - Yazd

   • Your overland journey continues to the small town of Meybod, where your first impression might be its striking monochromatic architecture of desert brick. But set along an ancient trade route, Meybod also offers a number of fascinating sites to visit including its Caravanserai. Built in typical Safavid style, this ancient desert inn features verandahs, shaded passageways, and nearly 100 rooms– some of which are now used as artisan workshops. 
   • At the local Icehouse, you’ll learn about the thick-clay construction and subterranean chamber that allowed local residents to have ice and food storage before refrigeration– even during the intense desert heat of summer!
   • Tonight’s dinner in a local restaurant offers a chance to experience daily Iranian life in a city that’s smaller than Tehran or Isfahan. The ambience is a bit more laid back, and the residents may seem a bit more reserved. But, you’ll find them warm, friendly and eager to meet tourists.

10. Day 10- Yazd

    • Yazd is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns of Iran. Its silhouette is 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 Iran’s Zoroastrian community, which is where you’ll begin the day’s sightseeing.
    • At the Tower of Silence, you’ll learn about one of the traditions of this ancient pre-Islamic religion. Until the mid-1900s, the dead were transported to this tower where they were left to decompose and be devoured by birds. Zoroastrian tradition considers a deceased body to be “unclean” and this process of excarnation prevents contact with either fire or earth– both of which are considered to be sacred.
    • At the still-active Zoroastrian Fire Temple, you will see a flame that is said to have been burning for the past 1,500 years. It’s an important pilgrimage site for the faithful and here our expert guide will offer additional insight into one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions.
    • In Amir Chakhmaq Square, you’ll see a very impressive Hussainiya– a congregation hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies. With three tiers of recessed alcoves, all perfectly proportioned, its facade is one of the city’s most photographed landmarks.
    • The next place to visit is the Friday Mosque, built in 1324, where you can gaze upon the tallest minarets in the country.
    • Among the many other historic sites to be seen in Yazd are beautiful old homes and the Dowlat Abad Garden. Standing by the garden’s long reflecting pool, you’ll be shaded by ancient cypress trees. Ahead 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.

11. Day 11- Yazd - Shiraz

    • Today, we have a full day of driving to reach our destination of Shiraz; it is a good idea to stock up on locally bought and easily found dates and pistachio nuts for the journey.
    • Over our drive, we will pass through Abarkooh, where we will visit the traditional Ice House, an adobe building used to store ice and food prior to the invention of the refrigerator.  The town is the home of the world’s second oldest tree, called Abarkooh Cypress. Its age is estimated to be over 4000 years. We can see the tree on our way.
    • Next, you will visit Pasargadae, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tomb of Cyrus the Great and the 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 Shiraz and check into the hotel.

12. Day 12- Shiraz - Persepolis - Shiraz

    • After breakfast, we will drive to the Legendary City of Persepolis, the former capital of Darius the Great which was founded in 512 BC. There was no more impressive construction in the ancient world than Persepolis, except perhaps the Karnak in Egypt. 
    • From here, we will drive a couple of miles away to the Naqsh-e-Rustam, the Necropolis where Darius and his successors are buried. Carved into the side of a cliff, the site is extraordinary in its magnitude and sheer ambition and does not disappoint even after the impressive Persepolis.
    • You will end your day on a tranquil note in the lovely garden-tomb of Hafez, one of our most outstanding poets to feel the taste of Persian Literature. Hafez is one of the great poets who has impressed everyone with his mastery. His poems give us a special feeling and the peace in his tomb is really outstanding.

13. Day 13- Shiraz

    • After breakfast, you will visit Nasir-al-Mulk Mosque (Pink Mosque) which is few steps far from Vakil Bazaar. It was built at Mirza Hassan Ali Nasir-al Mulk’s command (one of the lords of the Qajar Dynasty); it took 12 years to complete it 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 the 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 has exploded into thousands of butterflies all around.
    • Continue your exploration in Shiraz at the beautiful orange-scented Narenjestan Garden, laid out in the 19th century during the Qajar Dynasty.
    • Then, you will have a look to 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. Beside bazaar, we will also visit the famous Traditional Vakil Bath. A distinguishing fact about Vakil Bath is that its light is provided by the goblets that are designed in the ceiling. There are also some special platforms for changing rooms.

14. Day 14- Shiraz – Tehran

    • After breakfast, we will continue our exploration of the city. Shiraz is famous for its gardens and we’ll visit Eram Garden with its aromatic myrtles, beautiful flowers, fruit trees, and towering cypresses (one of which is said to be 3,000 years old).
    • Next, you will visit the Tomb of Saadi, who was one of the major Persian poets and literary figures, born in Shiraz in the 12th century. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest poets of the classical Iranian literary tradition around the world. His wisdom is ever present in the Iranian culture and language as people frequent his tomb, recite his poems and use his aphorisms in their daily conversations.
    • After here, we will go and have a look to the Pars Museum, known as “Shiraz Pavilion and the oldest museum in Fars province”. Pars Museum or Nazar Garden is the homage of numerous valuable items and objects from different historical eras, from pre-Islamic to post-Islamic. Let’s take a closer look at this exciting museum.
    • Before we back to Tehran, we will visit the Shrine of Ali Ebne Hamzeh. Built in the 19th century over the tomb of Emir Ali, a nephew of Shah Cheragh who also died in Shiraz while en route to Khorasan to help Imam Reza, this shrine is the latest of several earlier incarnations destroyed by earthquakes.
    • Later in the afternoon, you will fly back to Tehran.

15. Day 15- Tehran Departure

    • Get transferred by your Iran tour guide to Imam Khomeini International Airport according to your flight time.