IRANIAN ZIGGURAT (21 DAY – 20 NIGHTS)

BASIC INFORMATION

Duration  Duration: 21 days trip – 20 nights
blank   Start: Tehran, Iran
blank   Finish: Tehran, Iran
blank   Included meals: 21 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

» If you want to have a good cross-section of what Iran has to offer the tourist then and visit some UNESCO heritages in Iran, this is the tour for you.

» You will commence your excursion from the green littoral of the Caspian Sea and continue south to the heart of the desert with its expansive terrain arid hills and great Salt Pans.

» Continue to the southwest across the mighty Zagros Mountain range and descend through the foothills to the coastal plains.

» At Choghazanbil you will see one of the world’s oldest ziggurats and a very ancient water purification system.

» In Hamadan (ancient Ecbatana) you will visit, Avicenna’s tomb, and Iran opens its gates to you one by one from old castles and palaces to new gardens and museums.

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

» The route followed takes you to many of the major cities of Iran, archaeological sites, through high mountains with their fertile agricultural valleys and colorful tribal nomads.

MAP

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ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival - Tehran

Arrival at Tehran airport, welcome by a Gashttour representative. Then transfer to hotel and rest. O/N Tehran

Day 2: 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. 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 a UNESCO heritage and dates from the 18th century AD. O/N Tehran

tehran

Day 3: Tehran - Ramsar

(250 Kilometers distance)

Drive by coach through a beautiful mountainous road, which crosses the Alborz range taking us from the semi-arid southern slopes to the northern-forested slopes, which lead down to the rainforests, tea plantations, and rice paddies of the Caspian littoral. O/N Ramsar

Day 4: Ramsar - Anzali

(155 Kilometer distance)

Drive westwards along the Caspian coast, and visit tea plantations, rice-growing farmlands, and fascinating wooden houses, which are a feature of this region. Arrive at Anzali the largest Iranian port on the Caspian. Visit the Anzali lagoon a large stretch of freshwater paralleling the coast. This area is renowned as a haven for a wide range of migratory waterfowl and is known as a good place for bird-watching. We may also have the chance to visit a caviar-processing factory. O/N Anzali

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Day 5: Anzali - Qazvin

(225 Kilometers distance)

Drive to Qazvin via another Alborz mountainous road, which takes us past the Manjil Dam. Qazvin is a city of antiquity and was the first capital of the Safavids dynasty in the 16th century. Then, we will visit the Jameh Mosque of Qazvin and Cantor Church, which was made during World War II by the Russians in Qazvin. O/N Qazvin

Day 6: Qazvin - Soltaniyeh - Hamadan

(245 Kilometers distance)

Drive to Hamadan, en route we will visit Soltaniyeh, a once-thriving center whose origins date back to 7000 BC. Now it is known for the incredibly huge Mongol Domed in which the Dome of Soltaniyeh is the biggest brick dome in the world. The mausoleum was built in the 13th century and UNESCO listed Soltaniyeh as one of the World Heritage Sites. Then, continue to Hamadan. O/N Hamadan

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Day 7: Hamadan

The city of Ecbatana of the Medes is now called Hamadan and has a history as a place of learning. The tombs of the medical writer Avicenna and the poet Baba Taher are marked by monuments. We shall visit the tomb of biblical Ester and Mordkhay, which is respectable as a Jewish shrine. In addition, we visit the archaeological excavation and museum at Hegmataneh hill. O/N Hamadan

Day 8: Hamadan - Kermanshah

(195 Kilometer distance)

Drive to Kermanshah, en route at Kangavar we will visit the ruins of the Anahita complex, built in honor of the female goddess of water. Continue to Bisotun, could be regarded as a museum of the Persian civilization from ancient times to the present day and UNESCO listed Bisotun as one of the World Heritage Sites. We view the huge cuneiform inscribed tablet of Darius I and a bas-relief of Hercules preserved in the mountainside. O/N Kermanshah

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Day 9: Kermanshah - Khorramabad

(310 Kilometer distance)

Our route takes us through the fold belt of the Zagros Mountains. Khorramabad is a delightful mountain town nestled in a valley in the heart of the Zagros ranges. In the 12th century, this was the center of an Assassin guerilla group, which resisted non-Persian rulers. The imposing citadel of Falak-al Aflak dominates the town. O/N Khorramabad

Day 10: Khorramabad - Ahwaz

(340 Kilometers distance)

Drive to Ahwaz. This is a spectacular mountainous route with superb geological exposures of the Zagros Mountains fold belt. O/N Ahwaz

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Day 11: Ahwaz - Shush - Chogha Zanbil - Ahwaz

(240 Kilometers distance) [Round Trip]

Drive to Shush and visit UNESCO heritage, the archaeological remains of this once beautiful city built 5500 years ago. Continue to Choghazanbil the UNESCO heritage, Elamite center with its very ancient Ziggurats, which were built about 1250 BC by the king Untash-Napirisha, mainly to honor the great god Inshushinak and It is one of the few existent ziggurats outside of Mesopotamia. Then, continue to Ahwaz. O/N Ahwaz

Day 12: Ahwaz - Bishapour - Shiraz

(540 Kilometers distance)

Drive to Shiraz via Bishapour, an ancient partly excavated Sassanian city built as a commemoration of Persia’s victory over the invading Romans. According to an inscription, the city was found in 266 by Shapur I (241-272), who was the second Sassanid king and inflicted a triple defeat on the Romans, having killed Gordian III, captured Valerian, and forced Philip the Arab to surrender. In addition, we will visit six Bas-reliefs on the rock walls of Tang- e Chogan depicts the Persian’s victory over the invading Romans. Afterward, the route takes us along the foothills of the Zagros Mountains a region containing many of Iran’s giant oilfields. O/N Shiraz

Chogha Zanbil

Day 13: Shiraz

We will visit the Eram Garden which was built during the middle of the thirteenth century. Besides, we visit Naranjestan Gardens with its outstanding tile working, mirroring, etc., which was built between 1879 and 1886 by Qavam Family, and visit Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque. Then, toward Hafez and Saadi mausoleums who were two famous Persian poets in the world. Afterward, we will visit the Vakil mosque complex and the most astonishing mirror decoration of the Ali Ibn Hamzeh Holy Shrine. O/N Shiraz

Day 14: Shiraz - Persepolis - Necropolis - Pasargadae - Yazd

(460 Kilometers distance)

Drive to Yazd, we depart from Shiraz via the Quran gate, 45 km north of Shiraz we stop at Persepolis the outstanding ceremonial palace of the Achaemenians (550BC) which is UNESCO heritage. At Necropolis, we see four tombs of Achaemenian kings high in the cliffs of limestone. Then, we continue through mountain scenery to visit Pasargadae another UNESCO heritage, the earliest Achaemenian capital where the tomb of Cyrus the Great is well preserved. Further, our route crosses central Iran and ranges to Yazd. O/N Yazd

Persepolis

Day 15: 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. In addition, 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). O/N Yazd

Day 16: Yazd - Meybod - Naein - Isfahan

(330 Kilometers distance)

In the morning we will explore this ancient city and visit a Zoroastrian temple where a sacred fire has been kept burning for hundreds of years at this Zoroastrian pilgrimage center. This is an opportunity to learn about Zoroastrianism, which was the Persian religion before the Arabs brought Islam to Iran. Later visit the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence on the outskirts of the city. Their burial rituals were performed. In the afternoon, drive to Isfahan. En route, we will visit Narin Castle and an old caravanserai at Meybod, and a carpet workshop at Naein. O/N Isfahan

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Day 17: 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. Then, we will visit Music Museum. O/N Isfahan

Day 18: Isfahan

We will visit the Armenian quarter of Jolfa, the Vank cathedral, the Friday Mosque, the Shaking Minarets, and the palace of Chehel Sotoun. Magnificent murals in the palace interior are a special attraction. O/N Isfahan

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Day 19: Isfahan - Abyaneh

(175 Kilometers distance)

Drive to Abyaneh, an ancient fascinating village with its colorfully dressed inhabitants and ochre mud brick houses, characterized by a peculiar reddish hue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran where little has changed for several centuries. En route, we will visit the Natanz Friday Mosque. O/N Abyaneh

Day 20: Abyaneh - Kashan - Tehran

(330 Kilometers distance)

Continue to Tehran. En route, we will visit the Kashan, renowned over the centuries for its ceramics, tiles, pottery, textiles, carpet, and silk. We will see the Fin Garden, and Borujerdiha and Tabatabaei Houses, and the unique Agha Bozorg Mosque and Madrasah. Then, continue to Tehran. O/N Tehran

Day 21: Tehran - Departure

Transfer to Tehran International airport for your departure from Iran.

 

*This itinerary could be made shorter or longer according to your requirements.

Abyaneh

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