Middle East

Iran is historically known as Persia, the Persian Empire was one of the greatest empires of the ancient world with a series of imperial dynasties. The empire also was frequently invaded. First by Alexander the Great, then by the Parthians, later ruled by the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. The arts of Iran (Persia) are of the richest art heritages in world history and encompass many traditional disciplines, including architecture, painting, literature, music, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stonemasonry.

Day 1: Tehran

Welcome to Tehran. Arrival at Tehran International Airport; meet and transfer to the hotel. Iran's capital is exciting, noisy and chaotic. Home to 15 million people, Tehran is the country's beating heart. Here, its true national identity is found. Tehran is not an old city: In 1992 it celebrated its 200th anniversary. The bustling metropolis is situated about 1200 metres above sea level. We will go on a sightseeing tour, which includes the National Museum of Iran, Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran and also the Carpet Museum. Later, you could try some fine Iranian cuisine like dizi (soup stew mashed into a paste), while enjoying traditional music at a local restaurant.

B/B Tehran

• National Museum of Iran
• Glassware and Ceramic Museum
• Carpet Museum

Day 2: Tehran - Kerman

After breakfast, we will explore Tehran, focusing on the sprawling Sa'dabad Complex, situated in a huge park and is home to 18 palaces; rambling through the enormous Tajrish Bazaar, Milad Tower. In the previous century, trade has been centred exclusively in the bazaar, in accordance with Islamic tradition. In the evening we catch our flight to Kerman.

B/B Kerman

• Sa'dabad Complex
• Tajrish Bazaar
• Milad Tower

Day 3: Kerman

Kerman is especially famous for its long history and strong cultural heritage. Each year, the city attracts numerous tourists from all over the world. Kerman, according to the historical narrative, is one of the oldest cities of Iran. Bypassing the time, it has kept valuable historical and cultural treasures that declare the historical process and socio-economic life of the country. Today we visit Mahan and the tomb of Shah Nematollah Vali, as well as the Rayen Castle located within 100 km south of Kerman.

B/B Kerman

• Tomb of Shah Nematollah Vali
• Rayen Castle

Day 4: Kerman

After breakfast, our day full of excursions will begin by strolling around the city of Kerman. There are lots of sites worth having a look at, such as the Ganjali Khan Complex, Hammam, Grand Bazaar, Jame Mosque, the Vakil Complex, Moshtaghi Dome, or the Tomb of Moshtagh Ali Shah. The Kerman Jame Mosque is to be found amongst the rare unique mosques of Iran, as it has no minarets like Sheikh Lotf-allah Mosque in Isfahan, the Jame Mosque of Kerman following the ideal four-Iwan plan.

B/B Kerman

• Ganjali Khan Complex
• Hammam
• Grand Bazaar
• Jame Mosque
• Vakil Complex
• Moshtaghi Dome
• Tomb of Moshtaghali shah

Day 5: Kerman - Shiraz

After breakfast, we will start the road trip adventure from Kerman to Shiraz. Shiraz is a city in south-central Iran, known for its literary history and many gardens. The marble Tomb of Hafez, honouring the revered poet, sits within its own garden; celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for over 2000 years. Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry and wine. It was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (AD 1747–79), when many of its most lavish mansions were built or restored. A city of poets, Shiraz is home to the graves of Hafez and Saadi. On our way, we will pass cities such as Sirjan, Neyriz, Estahban and finally we will get to our destination, Shiraz where we will be astonished by the beautiful Quran Gate.

B/B Shiraz

• Drive from Kerman to Shiraz
• Quran Gate

Day 6: Shiraz

Today we will visit the Tomb of Hafez and Saadi. Shiraz is the birthplace and resting place of the great Persian poets Hafez and Saadi. There are two remarkable monuments in Shiraz. One is dedicated to Hafez, the master of Persian lyrical poetry. The other one is dedicated to Sa'adi, the author of the famous Golestan, a book of sonnets called the Garden of Roses. We explore also the Qavam House (Qavam Narenjestan), Nasiro Molk Mosque. Later, we will consider to visit the lovely Eram Gardens, also known as the ‘Garden of Paradise.

B/B Shiraz

• Tomb of Hafez and Saadi
• Qavam House
• Nasir Ol Molk Mosque
• Eram Botanical Garden

Day 7: Shiraz

In the morning after breakfast, we will take a trip to Takht-e-Jamshid, Naqsh-e Rustam. Upon return to Shiraz, we will continue our sightseeing tour. Nearby is the Aramgah-e Shah-e Cheragh, a beautiful Mausoleum of one of Imam Reza’s brothers and the holiest site in Shiraz; the forecourts are usually packed with Shiite pilgrims. We will end our day excursions by exploring the nearby Bazar-e Vakil, regarded as one of the finest and most evocative bazaars in the country.

B/B Shiraz

• Takht-e-Jamshid
• Naqsh-e-Rustam
• Mausoleum of Shah Cheragh

Day 8: Shiraz - Yazd

Morning drive to Yazd, with en route visit Pasargadae, which predates Persepolis, the site of the simple but impressive tomb of Cyrus the Great (Founder of the Persian Empire), and the remains of his several places, all located on the vast plain of Dasht-e-Morghab. Then we will continue to Yazd for our overnight stay at a hotel. With its winding lanes, forest of windcatchers, mud-brick houses and delightful places to stay, Yazd is a 'don't miss out' destination. On a flat plain surrounded by mountains, the city is wedged between the northern Dasht-e Kavir and southern Dasht-e Lut and every inch is a desert city. It may not have the big-ticket sights of Isfahan or Shiraz, but with its atmospheric alleyways and centuries of history, it exceeds all expectations.

B/B Yazd

• Pasargadae
• Vast Plain of Dasht-e-Morgha
• Cypress of Abarkuh

Day 9: Yazd

Get up early and enjoy an authentic breakfast of freshly baked bread. This ancient desert city was a major stop on the caravan routes to Central Asia and India during the Silk Road period. Marco Polo even visited the city on his way to China – and it still retains a rustic feel today. Yazd is also the heart of the Zoroastrian religion. We set out on a walking tour visiting the Jameh Mosque, noted for its fine mosaics and beautiful exterior. From here you have easy access to explore the older parts of the city, which are some of the oldest on Earth according to UNESCO. Walk the narrow kuches (lanes), past simple courtyards and the ornate doors of the mud brick buildings. One of the most distinctive features of Yazd are the wind towers (‘badgirs’) that capture even the softest of breezes and send them to the buildings below in a forerunner of modern air-con. The water museum shows how the quants (underground water channels) brought water to the city from the mountains for thousands of years. You will also visit the Fire Temple and Towers of Silence, both vestiges of the city’s Zoroastrian heritage. In the Zoroastrian religion, fire and water are agents of ritual purity, and the fire in the Atashkadeh Fire Temple is said to have been continuously burning since 470 AD. Full day sightseeing in Yazd; the centre for Iran’s small Zoroastrian community.

B/B Yazd

• Zoroastrian Fire Temple
• Water Museum
• Dowlat Abad Garden
• Jame Mosque

Day 10: Yazd - Koohpayeh

Today we take a morning drive to Koohpayeh, a historical city located within 70 km east of Isfahan. On our way, we will visit Meybod and its Chaparkhaneh Caravansary and amazing Pigeon Tower, as well as Naeun And with its Narin Citadel and the famous Mohammadieh Jama Mosque. In Koohpayeh, we will settle in Koopah Abbasi Caravansary.

B/B Koohpayeh

• Drive from Yazd to Koopayeh
• Chaparkhaneh Caravansary
• Pigeon Tower
• Narin Citadel

Day 11: Koohpayeh - Isfahan

We depart from Koohpayeh and embark to one of Iran's highlights: Isfahan. The city is quite simply one of the finest places in the Islamic world, and a visit here will leave you breathless. A 16th-century rhyme called it 'half the world' and, after spending a few days here, you might agree. There's an abundance of fine Islamic buildings, most of which are covered with the blue mosaic tiles Iran is famous for. We visit one of the world’s grandest squares, the Maidan-e-Naghsh-e-Jahan, with it's several sites: The Ali-Qapu Palace with its enchanting music rooms and balcony overlooking the Maidan, from where the Safavid Kings watcheds polo games, and two of the Islamic world’s greatest Mosque – the Sheikh Lotfollah and the Iman – with magnificent architecture and tile work.

B/B Isfahan

• Drive Koopayeh to Isfahan
• Ali Ghapu
• Imam Mosque
• Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

Day 12: Isfahan

Another day of sightseeing in Isfahan includes a visit to the newly restored Hammam-e-Ali Quli Khan, dating to the late Safavid period, with magnificent tiles and paintings, now turned into an ethnographic museum to display the customs and rituals of bathhouses in the old days; and Menar Jongban (Shaking Minarets). It also includes a visit to the Vank Cathedral which is also called the Church of the Saintly Sisters. The interior is covered with fine frescos and gilded carvings and includes panels of rich tile work. The delicate blue and gold painted central dome depicts the Biblical story of the creation of the world and man's expulsion from Eden. We stop at the Hasht Behesht pavilion - built in 1670 by Shah Solyman and known as the “Pavilion of Eight Paradises” or “Place of Nightingales”. The small but intricate building is set amongst tree-lined alleys, a reflecting pool and water rills. From here, we drive to the Chehel Sotun Palace and garden, built by Shah Abbas in the 17th century. Its twenty wooden columns reflected on the surface of the pool gave rise to its name “The Palace of Forty Columns”. This evening, you might like to stroll to the Zayandeh River and have a look at its historic bridges, which seem to have come straight from a fairytale. At several of the bridges, local people gather to talk, drink tea and sing beautiful folk songs. This is a magical place to while away some time, and one of the most atmospheric places in all of Iran

B/B Isfahan

• Vank Cathedral
• Isfahan Bridges
• Chehel Sotoun Palace

Day 13: Isfahan - Kashan

We will continue our drive in a private van down the mountains, into the desert, via Abyaneh village to Kashan. Kashan is a beautiful oasis city with a very long history – human settlement in the area dates back to the 4th millennium BC. It is also a merchant town known for its high quality ceramics, silks, carpets, and some of the finest traditional houses in Iran. See these houses during visits to the Khan-e Borujerdi and Khan-e Tabatabei. These 19th-century khans were funded by wealthy merchants and their houses feature lovely courtyards, lush gardens and fine intricate relief designs carved into stone. Khan-e Borujerdi was built in the 1840s for the affluent Tabatabaei family. Take some time for lunch, then head to the most impressive Islamic complex in Kashan – the Agha Bozorg Mosque and Madraseh, famous for its symmetrical design. Later, if you have the energy, take some free time to explore the town's other sites such as the Fin Gardens, a classical Persian vision of paradise and one of the most beautiful gardens in the Middle East. They provide a cool retreat under shady trees, beside streams. Safavid pavilions constructed by Shah Abbas the Great and restored by Qajarin the early nineteenth century.

B/B/D Kashan

• Fin Gardens
• Tabatabaee
• Boroujerdi House

Day 14: Kashan - Tehran

This morning, we make our way from Kashan back to Tehran. We will drive to Qum and visit the Fatima Masumeh Shrine. In the evening you can relive your unforgettable adventure over an optional farewell dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner: Transfer to IKA to fly back home.

• Drive Kashan to Tehran
• Fatima Masumeh Shrine
• Airport transfer