IRAN HISTORICAL AND DESERT ITINERARY (12 DAYS – 11 NIGHTS)

BASIC INFORMATION

Duration  Duration: 12 days trip – 11 nights
blank   Start: Shiraz, Iran
blank   Finish: Tehran, Iran
blank   Included meals: 12 Breakfasts, 0 Lunches, 0 Dinner
blank   Accommodation grade: 3, 4, and 5-Star Hotels
blank   Transport: Private Car, Van, A.C. Minibus, and Bus
blank   Internet: Free Wi-Fi in Vehicle and at the hotel

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

» We will visit Maymand rocky village. The nature of the Maymand region strikes visitors with its unusual richness and natural value.

» We enjoy the desert in the heart of Iran and stay one night in one of the oldest caravansaries in Yazd province.

» This tour enables you to see the traditional way of life of the unique inhabitants of the ochre mud brick houses at Abyaneh village.

» Discover Pasargadae and Persepolis, cities of the Achaemenid Empire that rank among the world’s greatest sites of antiquity.

» This tour visits impressive sites at Shiraz, Isfahan, and Yazd. Your trip will leave you with memories of an enchanting ancient land.

MAP

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ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival - Shiraz

Arrival at Shiraz airport, welcome by a Gashttour representative. Then transfer to the hotel for check-in and rest. O/N Shiraz

Day 2: Shiraz - Persepolis - Necropolis - Shiraz

(140 Kilometers Distance) [Round Trip]

We depart from Shiraz via the Quran gate then, after 40km we reach Persepolis the outstanding ceremonial palace of the Achaemenians (550 BC) which is a UNESCO heritage. At Necropolis, we see four tombs of Achaemenian kings high in the cliffs of limestone. Then return to Shiraz and visit Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque. Then, toward Hafez’s mausoleum who was a famous Persian poet. Afterward, we will visit the Vakil mosque complex. O/N Shiraz

Persepolis

Day 3: Shiraz - Pasargadae - Bavanat - Maymand

(420 Kilometers Distance)

Drive to Maymand and we stop at Pasargadae another UNESCO heritage, the earliest Achaemenian capital where the tomb of Cyrus the Great is well preserved. Later visit the village of Bavanat and then toward Maymand. O/N Maymand

 

Maymand Stone House;

Day 4: Maymand - Rayen - Bam - Mahan - Kerman

(280 Kilometers Distance)

After breakfast, we will drive toward Kerman. En route, we will visit Rayen castle which is an adobe castle. Later, visit the remains of Bam citadel which was the largest adobe building in the world and listed by UNESCO Heritage as part of the World Heritage Site “Bam and its Cultural Landscape”. Then, will visit the magnificent Mausoleum of Shah Nematollah e Vali, the great Sufi, and the lovely Shahzadeh (Prince) Garden in Mahan. Then, toward Kerman. O/N Kerman

 

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Day 5: Kerman - Lut Desert

(120 Kilometers Distance)

After breakfast, we will visit The Ganjali Khan Complex. Later, visit the Bath and Bazaar of Kerman. Then, toward the Lut Desert. O/N Desert

 

Lut Star eco camp;

Day 6: Lut Desert - Zein-o-din Caravanserai

(420 Kilometers Distance)

After breakfast, we will visit the Desert with the 4-wheel vehicle and enjoy ourselves there. Later toward Zein-o-din Caravanserai. O/N Zein-o-din Caravanserai

 

Zein-o-din Caravanserai;

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Day 7: Zein-o-din Caravanserai - Yazd

(80 Kilometers Distance)

After breakfast, we will drive toward Yazd. Yazd is a very ancient city. Marco Polo wrote of the fine attributes of that city. It is like a living museum. We will visit narrow alleys, a bathhouse converted to a first-class restaurant, and see the high wind towers which form efficient cooling systems in this desert climate. Then, visit the Dowlat Abad gardens built in the 18th century for a former ruler. Later visit the Syed Jafer shrine, which is decorated with tens of thousands of mirror tiles illuminating the whole mosque. O/N Yazd

Day 8: Yazd - Meybod - Naein - Isfahan

(330 Kilometers Distance)

After breakfast, we will visit the Friday Mosque dates from the 14th century, and at a silk weaving workshop, we see exquisite brocades still being made on traditional looms and at last Athletic House (Zour Khaneh). Later toward Isfahan. En route, we will visit Narin Castle and an old caravanserai at Meybod. Then visit a carpet workshop at Naein. Later, toward Isfahan. O/N Isfahan

Yazd

Day 9: Isfahan

In the morning, we will visit Naghshe Johan square, a huge open square in the center of Isfahan which is listed as a UNESCO heritage. The square periphery is marked by outstanding Safavid buildings which include the Ali Qapu palace, the Imam Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah (ladies) mosque, and to the north the expansive bazaar where we can see artisans crafting metal work, Persian miniatures, printing intricate designs on cloth and other activities. In the afternoon, we will visit Si-o-Se Pol (thirty-three arches) and Khajoo bridges spanning the Zayanderud River. We will visit the Armenian quarter of Jolfa, Vank cathedral. O/N Isfahan

Day 10: Isfahan - Abyaneh - Kashan - Tehran

(500 Kilometers Distance)

Drive to Abyaneh and visit this old village full of archeology and colorful clothing. Continue to Kashan, renowned over the centuries for its ceramics, tiles, pottery, textiles, carpet, and silk. We will see the Fin Garden, Borujerdiha and Tabatabaei Houses, and the unique Agha Bozorg Mosque and Madrasah. Then, visit Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse. Later, drive to Tehran. O/N Tehran

isfahan

Day 11: Tehran

After breakfast, we will visit Saad Abad Palace Complex which was the complex first built and inhabited by Qajar monarchs in the 19th century. After an expansion of the compounds, Reza Shah of the Pahlavi Dynasty lived there in the 1920s. Later visit the jewelry museum and view what is probably the world’s finest collection of precious stones. Then, visit the Archaeological and Islamic Art Museums. The pre-Islam archaeological museum covers Persia’s history from the fifth millennium BC to 648 AD while the Islamic art museum provides a display of Islamic works of art. Then, toward the Golestan palace complex, which is UNESCO Heritage and dates from the 18th century AD. O/N Tehran

Day 12: Tehran - Departure

After breakfast, Transfer to Airport for your departure flight from Iran.

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