Ancient Persia and Modern Iran in two weeks

Duration

14 Days

Activity Level

Easy

Best Months

Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov

Activities

Cultural & Heritage

Travel Styles

Classic

A two weeks cultural-historical tour in Iran to explore the best Iranian UNESCO sites amidst visiting Tehran, Qom, Kashan, Abyaneh, Esfahan, Yazd and Shiraz

TOUR CODE

193-STN-CUL

START

Tehran

FINISH

Tehran

REGION(S)

Central Iran

INCLUDED

MEALS: 14 Breakfasts
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotel: 12 Nights, Caravanserai: 1 Night
TRANSPORTATION: Private vehicle, Flight
All transportation according to the itinerary Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary Meals as indicated in the itinerary English speaking tour guide

NOT INCLUDED

Entry fee for the sites not mentioned in the itinerary
Travel insurance
International airfare
Excess baggage charges
Airport and departure taxes
Any extra hotel costs such as early check in or late checkout
Laundry
Mini bar used in the room
Meals not stipulated in the itinerary
Tips (optional)
Cost of medical immunizations
Bottled water
Phone calls
Any other service not mentioned in the itinerary

Explore the Ancient civilization of Persia and visiting its best historical sites
Travel through Iran Classical Route and get a feel of Iranian hospitality
Visit the most important Iranian UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Sightseeing tour of Tehran, Kashan, Esfahan, Yazd and Shiraz
Explore the historical village of Abyaneh and photograph locals in traditional dresses
Pass through Dasht-e Kavir desert and stay in a renovated historical caravanserai
Short visit to the religious city of Qom

This two weeks trip to Iran is designed for those with no rush about visiting the main cultural and historical Iranian monuments through the famous Classic Route of Iran. The trip will cover all of the UNESCO sites located on this route as well as the most important sites still not registered in the list. Alongside visiting the Ancient Persia civilization, you will have different sightseeing tours to discover the modern side of Iran with a chance to socialize with locals and get a feel of Persian hospitality. This tour will starts from Tehran with you getting picked up from IKA airport and after visiting the capital you will continue your tour toward the south. You will visit Qom city (2^nd religious capital of Iran), Kashan historical city, Abyaneh historical village, Esfahan (center of Persian Arts), Kuhpayeh (desert town), Naiin historical town, Meybod (Ancient town), Chak Chak (Zoroastrian fire temple), Pasargadae (Tomb of Cyrus the Great), Persepolis (the capital of the Persian Empire) and Shiraz which is the city of poets and beloveds! The covered distance including city sightseeing would be around 1500 km. The overland trip will finished in Shiraz and with a domestic flight you will get back to the capital to fly back home. The accommodation types are standard touristic hotels alongside Persian traditional hotels and an unforgettable night in Kuhpa caravanserai in the heart of Dasht-e Kavir desert.

The journey has no physical activity but we have designed special walking tours in main cities to cross special spots of each of them and overall a final culturally rich classic tour. Also after dinner we have short night walking tours in mentioned cities around a few spots famous among locals to see the Persian life style in 21th century and get more of an idea about Iranian hospitality. The tour has no meals (lunch and dinner) include to give you a chance to have your own desired foods and your guide will help you find the most famous restaurants near the location of your travel itinerary.

Day 1: Arrival to Tehran

Upon arrival at IKA airport (Imam Khomeini International Airport) in Tehran, an Adventure Iran representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Tehran. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 2: Tehran downtown

Day 2 is all about what makes this city the capital of Iran. Tehran has a lot of attractions in southern, central and northern part of it. For the day trip, we will focus the tour on the central part of the city which is a combination of different attractions in this busy part of the city. Your hotel that we have considered is in downtown and your sightseeing excursion would begin from your hotel in shape of a walking tour. In the morning, you English speaking guide will take you to Golestan Palace which is the one and only world heritage UNESCO site in the capital. The palace was built during the Qajar Dynasty and it’s constructed in a big garden with long trees and a few different buildings and monuments surrounding it. You will be walking through interesting parts of the city which would be perfect for seeing what it’s like to live in Tehran and taking fascinating pictures as well. After visiting the palace, you will continue your walking tour to Tehran Grand Bazaar. We will spend a couple of hours visiting this historical & important trade center. There is an unwritten rule in Iran that the best food in most cities usually is found in the heart of its grand bazaar so that would make it a good place for having lunch in a Dizi Sara. Dizi is one of the most delicious Iranian dishes which is a traditional Persian food as well. One of the main interesting part of Dizi is that it has a special custom to eat it which makes in one of your first Persian experiences in the trip. After lunch you will continue your walking tour in the afternoon towards Iran National Museum which is the main historical/archeology museum of Iran. Afterwards we will take you to one of the oldest coffee shops in Iran which has a long history even before the Islamic revolution and you will be enjoying a good quality coffee and different types of fresh cake in it. After a short rest, you will walk again through a couple of street which are among the authentic streets of the capital and in late afternoon the plan is to walk to the Artists Park “Park-e Honar Mandan”. It’s a center for Iranian artists who live in the capital to gather around. There is always a painting, photography and modern arts exhibiting at the main building and there is a play always on stage and an indie movie always on the screens. There are coffee shops and restaurants in the park and around it and a special vegetarian restaurant which will be our stop for a vegetarian meal. You will be able to spend some time walking around the park and visiting its attractions depending on your interest. We will spend a couple of hours there. Most of the times there is a painting and photography Show/exhibition in the galleries which is usually pretty interesting. In the evening we will get back to the hotel. Overnight in Tehran. (B)

Day 3: North of Tehran

Our today plan is visiting different attraction of Tehran which is in the north of the capital. In the morning we will drive to Milad tower to see the capital from the heights of the tower. Then we will drive to Shemiran which is a special district of north Tehran, very different form the downtown that we visited yesterday with more up class people. You will be again having another walking tour in this area to visit the most important part of Shemiran which is around Tajrish square. You will walk towards Sa’dabad Complex “Kakh-e Saad Abaad” which is a 300-hectare garden built by the Qajar and Pahlavi density. The complex is a majestic museum built in 19th century and it consists of a few diffident palaces and museums. This complex which is like a palace shows another aspects of Iranian culture, arts, history and life style of the last king (Shah) of Iran in 19th and 20th centuries. After visiting Sa’dabaad, we will walk to Tajrish Bazaar and you can try many verities of Persian food in a traditional restaurant located in the Bazaar. In the afternoon you will visit the Bazaar itself, which is a colorful fresh market with many handicraft shops as well as seeing the daily activities of locals who come to buy their goods from the daily market. Then it’s coffee time in the afternoon in the famous cafe shop street of the north of Tehran. On the way there we will be visiting the museum of cinema which tells the story of Iranian cinema and its developments in the years which can be interesting for those who are fascinated by this art. In the evening we’ll go to Darband neighborhood which is famous for being the highest point of the city and the starting point of the trek to Touchal Mountain. We will ascent through the famous part of the trail for a while which is popular among the young generation of TehranIS for its nightlife. You can also try different Iranian food in the traditional restaurant here, they have different types of Kabab for you to try and enjoy. Afterward we drive back to the downtown and overnight stay at the hotel. (B)

Day 4: Qom city tour

Today we drive south towards Qom city which is the second religious city in Iran that will take about two hours (150 km). You will have a stop in the famous Salt Lake “Daryach-e Namak” of Qom to visit this amazing natural attraction of Dash-e Kavir desert. Depending on your travel time you will see different shapes of the lake. Sometimes cover with water and sometimes only the salt or a combination of both with special terrain shapes can be seen in different seasons of the year. Then you will continue the journey toward Qom from the lake. In Qom, you will visit the shrine of Masoumeh (Fatemeh) and Jamkaram mosque. In addition, Qom has a special souvenir called Sohan which is a famous sweet and most Iranians when visiting Qom or crossing through the main road buy this souvenir as well. You will have lunch in a traditional restaurant in the city. In the afternoon you will continue you journey towards south which takes one-hour of driving (110 km). Before reaching the city you will have a stop in Noush Abaad to visit the ancient underground city called Ouee which is located 5 km away from the north of Kashan. Noush Abaad means the city of cold tasty water and it’s a historical man-made city dating back to 1500 years ago during the Sassanid and pre-Islamic period. Afterward we will drive to Kashan and check in the hotel and rest. You are free in the evening to walk inside this historical city. Overnight stay in the traditional hotel. (B)
Note: Visiting the Salt Lake depends on your travel time, when the road is dry its only possible to travel with a sedan or 4×4 car or a minibus. We could not drive to the lake with a van or bus.

Day 5: Kashan city tour

Kashan is a one of the most famous ancient cities of Iran which is well-known for its historical houses and being the city of rosewater. You will have the whole day city touring. After breakfast you will start your walking tour from the hotel and you will visit the old parts of the city through narrow alleyways. On your way you will have to stop at Aghabozorg historical mosque to see it and what better time for some photography. You’ll continue your walk towards Boroujerdi House for a visit which is back from Qajar dynasty (1857, about 130 years ago). The next stop would be the old traditional Kashan Bazaar which still has kept its old style. You also visit the caravanserai (Aminoddowleh Timcheh-e) located in it which is the most beautiful part of the Bazaar and it’s our second location of the day for some photography. You will have lunch in Bazaar and walk back to your hotel. In the afternoon we will pick you up from your hotel to visit Fin Garden which is one of the Persian Gardens registered in the world heritage sites of UNESCO. Afterwards you will be visiting Tappe Sialk which is an ancient hill dating back to 7500 years ago. We will drive back to the hotel and you will be free for the evening. Overnight stay at traditional hotel in Kashan. (B)

Day 6: Abyaneh – Esfahan

After breakfast in your hotel we will drive to Abyaneh historical village which takes about an hour (85 km). Abyaneh is one of the most popular villages of Iran which is famous for the special architecture of its houses and traditional dress of its people. It’s a village located in the mountains and have different temperatures compered to the desert city of Kashan. You will have a walking tour through the alleys of the village and according to the interest of the group we will continue our walk towards the Zoroastrian temple which is about 15 km. There is a hill on the trek which has an amazing view and it will give you the most amazing pictures of the village. We will walk back to town and you will have lunch in Abyanehs traditional hotel. After a short rest we will continue our trip towards Esfahan which takes two hours (165 km). You will check in the hotel in the afternoon and will be free for the rest of the day. Overnight stay at hotel in Esfahan. (B)

Day 7: Esfahan walking tour

Todays plan is to have an active walking day in the most popular touristic destinations of Esfahan city. You will have your breakfast in your hotel and your walking tour will start from your hotel which is in the downtown of Esfahan. You will cross Sio seh Pol Bridge (33 pol) to reach Chahar Bagh Abbasi Street which is the most beautiful street in Esfahan. There are a lot of interesting attractions in both side of the street and it would be the best place to meet the locals and taking some pictures. You will continue the boulevard towards Hasht Behesht palace (Eight Heaven) and visit this lovely building with unique wall paintings inside. The next stop would be Chehel Sotoun palace (Forty Pillar) which is located inside of a royal garden. After visiting the palace, you will have lunch in a local restaurant with traditional meals which are very tasty. After having lunch and a short rest, you will continue your walk towards Naghsh-e Jahan (Shah Square) which is one of the most famous UNESCO world heritage sites of Iran. This square covers a big area with many important attractions of Esfahan surrounding it. You will visit Ali Ghapoo palace (Ali Qapu), Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Shaah mosque (Imam Mosque), Qeysarriyeh Gate and the Grand Bazaar of Esfahan. Basically, you will be spending all day visiting the highlights of Esfahan. There is a nice café (Gheysari cafe) on the roof of a museum which is a nice place to have a rest in this intensive day tour with the view of the whole square. After visiting all the attractions around the square, you will have some time for buying souvenirs from handicraft shops of Naghshe Jahan and have some free time for yourself as well. Then you will walk back to your hotel. Esfahan has beautiful nights with people running around in the city and you will enjoy your walk via special spots that locals visit and experiencing their life style. Overnight stay at hotel in Esfahan. (B)

Day 8: Esfahan active day tour

Our plan for the day is to visit Esfahan’s remaining attractions, which are a combination of different sites. You will have another long walk through authentic parts of Esfahan which is a tailor made active walking tour through the old & modern parts of the city. We will transfer you to Jame mosque of Esfahan (Masjed-e Jame) which is the second UNESCO world heritage site of Esfahan and you will start your day trip from the mosque. You will spend a few hours in the mosque and visit all different parts of Iran’s most famous mosque with your guide. You also have some time to be alone for personal sightseeing as well. Afterward you will continue your trip by walking through the narrow alleys of Grand Bazaar all the way to Naghshe Jahan square (2 km). You will have lunch in a local restaurant and after a short rest you will be heading towards Jolfa neighborhood which is about an hour of walking (5 km), crossing remarkable parts of the city. Jolfa is a special region in Esfahan belonging to the colony of Armenian Christians who migrated from the town of JOLFA (Iran’s northern border) to Esfahan during “King Abbas I”s ruling which was about 400 years ago. Jalfa neighborhood has a few churches with Vank church being the most famous of them all and also one of the most famous churches in Iran, which is open to public and we will spend some time visiting it. Also Jolfa district has many luxury shops, cafes and restaurants which is perfect to have a stop for resting along your active tour. There are some special Persian handicraft shops in Jolfa which is another place to find some souvenir as well. There is a famous restaurant which is a good place for dinner. In the evening the optional activity is going to the southern part of the city called Sofeh neighborhood and there is a cable car that can carry you to Sofeh Mountain (last station) which has an amazing view of Esfahan city and a nice place for seeing the areas around the city. Afterward we will drive to your hotel in the downtown. Overnight say at hotel. (B)

Day 9: Kuhpayeh & Varzaneh desert

After breakfast in your hotel we will pack our bags and drive towards east to enter the desert. Today we’ll be having a desert exploration tour to feel a dash of the desert and visit different regions and terrains. We have considered an exploring tour to visit the neighboring villages of Kuhpayeh. You will visit Ghurtan Citadel, dated back to 1100 years ago, Deylamian era, registered in National heritage list. It contains 14 monitoring tower, 3 mosques, 1 local bath, 2 castles and a bazaar. We will continue to visit Gavchah, an industrial irrigating system which uses one or two cows to water the agricultural lands. Asiab Shotor with a background of 300 years is a mechanical system to grind wheat, which is a must see. Then we will drive to the sand dunes in the desert called Varzaneh which is a part of Dasht-e Kavir desert. Then we will drive to Kuhpayeh town and check in to your accommodation for the night which is the Kuhpa caravanserai. The caravanserai is a historical caravanserai dating back to 400 years ago which was back in the day a part of the ancient Silk Road. Nowadays the locals renovated it as a traditional boutique hotel and it’s the most luxury traditional caravanserai of Iran and it’s a completely different experience from the rest of your trip in Iran. You will have lunch in the caravanserai and the rest of the day you will be free to enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the caravanserai. Overnight stay in Kuhpa hotel caravanserai. (B)

Day 10: Na’in, Meybod, Chak Chak and Kharanaq- Detour to Yazd

After breakfast in the caravanserai we will pack and drive to Yazd. We’ll do a detour from Kuhpayeh to visit a few attractions in Dasht-e Kavir desert. It’s a long drive with 370 km of driving taking about 9-10 hours with our stops included. The first stop would be Na’in historical city and we will visit one of the oldest mosques in Iran and a local museum of anthropology. Na’in is also famous for its carpets and there are a lot of locals with this job as the main source of income which they do at their homes. Then we continue our drive towards Meybod which is another historical city and it’s famous for pottery, tile and special dishes made with clay. There is a chance to buy them from the original handicraft artists of the desert. Also along the souvenirs of Meybod, you will visit the famous mud-brick Narin Castle, dating back to about 1,000 years ago. Depending on the daylight you might also visit a Chaparkhaneh (historical post office building), a caravanserai and an ice house. We will have lunch in a local restaurant in town and have a short rest. Afterwards, we resume our detour desert trip toward Chak Chak Zoroastrian fire temple which is located in the mountainous regions of the desert. We have to ascent to the temple which takes about 15 minutes. Then we will drive to Kharanaq historical village which is located in the desert. You will have a short walk inside of the village to explore a historical house and it would be the perfect spot for some photography. From there we will drive to Yazd which we will reach later in the afternoon. We will check in your hotel which is in the old part of the city and you will be free for the evening. Overnight stay in a traditional hotel in Yazd. (B)

Day 11: Yazd city tour (ancient UNESCO city)

After breakfast you will have a full day of sightseeing in Yazd, visiting most touristic attractions. Yazd is a UNESCO world heritage city registered on the list on 2017. It was the center of Zoroastrians community in Iran many years ago. It’s a desert city and famous for the architecture style of their houses and with the older part of the city still having the same architecture, you can enjoy these beautiful pieces of art exclusively. The narrow alleys of the old neighborhoods would be perfect for having another active walking tour. Yazd is also very famous for their cookies and sweets which has a special taste different from any other Iranian sweet. It would be a good place to buy the most famous ones which are Qottab, Baklava and Loz. Your walking tour start from your hotel again which is in the historical part of the city and you will walk through alleys to have time to sightsee and take photos. You will visit the Zoroastrian site of a Fire temple, Amir Chakhmagh complex and the main Grand Mosque next to the bazaar. Next comes Rokn-o-din Shrine and the old prison named after Alexander, the Alexander Prison. After our walking tour we will drive to Dakhmeh (Towers of Silence & old cemetery) situated 15 kilometers southeast of Yazd city. We’ll have to ascent the hill to visit this Zoroastrians site and having a good view of the area around is a bonus. You will have dinner in a traditional restaurant and you can try their local dishes there. We stay one more night in the traditional hotel in Yazd. (B)

Day 12: Persepolis & Pasargadae- Drive to Shiraz

We have to leave Yazd early in the morning as we have a long drive to Shiraz as well as the visit to the important and most famous UNESCO site of Iran. You will have breakfast in the hotel and we’ll start the drive towards the south in the direction of Shiraz which takes about 5-6 hours (450 km). The first stop is Pasargadae site, which is 315 km from Yazd (4 hours) and it was registered in 2004 in the list of Iran’s world heritage sites. Pasargadae was the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by “Cyrus II the Great” dating back to 559–530 BCE. We will have a short rest and lunch around Marvdasht town. Afterward we will continue our drive towards Persepolis which takes about an hour (80 km). Persepolis is one of the first Iranian UNESCO world heritage sites which was registered on 1979. We will spend a few hours visiting this huge complex completely. There are two other important sites (Naqsh-e Rajab and Naqsh-e Rostam) which are on the list of the tentative UNESCO sites. Depending on your travel time and the daylight we might have time to visit them. We then drive to Shiraz from there taking an hour to reach it (60km). Overnight stay in hotel in Shiraz. (B)

Day 13: Shiraz city tour

Shiraz is a city famous for many many things. It’s the city of lovers and the city of poets (the two famous Iranian poets (Hafez & Sa’aadi) are from Shiraz). It’s the city of flavors and gardens and the people of Shiraz are also famous for their hospitality even among Iranians. We start with a walking tour of the historical city centre of Shiraz and visit Karim Khan Zand citadel, Nasir al-Molk famous colourful mosque (also known as the Pink Mosque) and afterward we will continue our walk towards the grand Bazaar, Vakil mosque and Vakil bath (Hamam-e Vakil). Shiraz has an authentic Bazaar which is famous for its original perfumes. You will have lunch in Bazaar (a traditional Shirazi meal), and in the afternoon we will visit the Shah Cheragh and the Mausoleum of the Kings of Lights which is a holy monument in Shiraz with many visits from the locals daily. It’s also a nice place for photography as well. Our walking tour finishes at this place and we will have to drive to Eram Garden which is another important garden in Iran and is registered in the Persian Garden of UNESCO world heritage site which was registered on 2011. After snapping some pictures and walking around the garden, in the evening we will drive to the mausoleum of Hafez, Iran’s beloved poet. Hafezie is a holy destination for many Iranian and they respect this place very much and it’s mostly crowded in the year. Then we will drive to a special restaurant to have the last dinner with your guides and from there drive to your hotel in the centre of the city. Overnight stay at hotel in Shiraz. (B)

Day 14: Fly to Tehran- Departure

This day is the last day of the tour and we will arrange a domestic flight to return to Tehran’s domestic airport of Mehr Abad. From there our driver takes you to IKA airport to catch your return flight back home. (B)

Spring and Autumn are the Best travel time for this trip.
. April and May are the high season.
If you would like to have an activity along your classic tour, autumn is the perfect travel time for those who would like to have desert trekking/ desert cycling trip.
Mid to end of spring is perfect for those who would like to have moderate trekking
Summer is perfect for those who would like to ascent Iran’s most famous high peaks and winter is the perfect travel time for those who would like to travel to the south of Iran or the Persian Gulf and combine it with a cultural-historical trip to Iran.
We don’t recommend traveling in march as it’s the long holiday of Persian New Year in Iran.
If you would like to add a short activity trip along this Cultural tour, please get in touch. According to the type of activity that you are interest in, numbers of your free days, your travel time and the level of your fitness we will advise you the best possible trip.