Highlands of Talesh

Duration

12 Days

Activity Level

Challenging

Best Months

Jun, July, Aug, Sep

Activities

Trekking & Hiking

Travel Styles

Nomadic Adventures

Discover the nomadic life of the Taleshi tribes in the northwest of Iran and experience a one-week-long trekking from the Caspian Sea towards Neor Lake in Ardebil and visit tourist highlights of Gilan province and Rasht, the UNESCO creative city of gastronomy.

TOUR CODE	010-STN-TRK
START	Tehran
FINISH	Tehran
Activity Level	Challenging
REGION(S)	Talesh Valley , Gilan & Ardebil province, Northwest Iran
INCLUDED	MEALS: 11 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches, 7 Dinners ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotel: 3 Nights, Camp: 6 Nights, Local House: 2 Nights TRANSPORTATION: Private vehicle size according to number of travellers Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary English Speaking guide Entry fee for the sites included in the itinerary
Excluded	Airport pick up and drop off (optional) Entry fee for the sites not mentioned in the itinerary Travel insurance International airfare Airport and departure taxes Meals not listed on the itinerary Tips to guide and driver Cost of medical immunizations Any other service not included in the itinerary Any extra hotel costs such as early check in or late checkout and use of mini bar

A trip to a corner of Iran where its ecological and geographical settings are unique
Allegedly the best trekking route developed by Adventure Iran
Experience rich culture of locals by staying with them
Trek in beautiful mountain scenery
Experience the hospitality of Taleshi people
A visit to historic city of Ardebil
Visiting Rasht, the UNESCO creative city of gastronomy
Boating in Alzali lagoon and watching the birds life in the wetland center

We have designed this tour as a special long trekking tour in the NON touristic region of Alborz Mountain Range. If you are thinking of having a special tour focused on trekking this is the right one. An unusual journey through an exceptionally beautiful and colorful part of Iran. The unique character of the inhabitants, the unusual architecture and building methods, a combination of sea views, deep forested path ways, ridges with expansive vistas, bubbling dark water from the ground, local hospitality and some epic hiking makes this a journey to remember. A great historical fort and castle is on the agenda and the setting is spectacular. Then we switch gears and get on a full 7 day trekking adventure through the forest and high passes.
Trekking will start in stunning mountain scenery along with visiting local Taleshi people. For thousands of years Talesh pastoral nomads spend their summers on these high pastures feeding their herds.
Although we will be equipped enough to camp but our experience suggests that it is most likely to be invited to stay with local Talesh in their semi-permanent homes known as chapars, experiencing their warm hospitality and excellent cuisine.

Day 1: Arrival in Tehran & check in

Depending on arrival time, you will check in to hotel in Tehran. Overnight stay at your hotel. (B)

Day 2: Free time in Tehran

According to our experience, most travelers arrive late night with different airlines. Sometimes many of them arrive around midnight and would need to sleep well before starting the journey. You can relax in your hotel after your flight or if you have arrived earlier you have the option of exploring the capital city by yourself. (B)

Day 3: Trekking start day

After breakfast, our vehicle will pick you up to the starting point of trek. We have 4-5 hours hike through a deep forest. (B, L, D)

Day 4: Trekking to our first camp

After breakfast our passage will continue through the meadows and grazing grounds. The route is mostly down today and we will end up at an expansive meadow which is usually shared with flocks of sheep. Today’s total walking time will be about 7 hours and we will end up at approx. 2700 meter altitude for overnight camping. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Trekking to second camp

Today’s trek features are similar to yesterdays. There is a beautiful, picturesque and wild flower covered valley that we will cross. We will climb up from the valley floor by the river and proceed to climb up. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Third camp

Today, before reaching to our third camp point we will leave the relative isolation of the forest to a busier historical village. This village is the center of the herd trade and an important trading and agriculture center. It has retained its old character and you can see examples of the indigenous architecture of the region and how people have lived for centuries. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Fourth camp

This is a lighter trekking day. We will only have at most 2 hours of hiking. Descending through a pretty trail, we have sites of a large peak while meandering our way through the valley floor. (B, L, D)

Day 8: Hiking day, hiking to Fifth camp

We will start the hiking day going through a steep V-shaped valley and then proceed to work our way up a ridge. After a 4 hour hike we will get to an old village. (B, L, D)

Day 9: Another hiking day to Sixth camp

Starting hike up on a green slope we will get to an unusual spot. There are springs that their water content continuously bubbling up from the ground. The water is quite dark close to black. Beautiful, unique flowers grow around these bubbling pools of dark water. (B, L, D)

Day 10: Last hiking part of journey

We still have a steep slope to climb in order to get to the pass which is literally the peak of mount Baqroo-daaq, about 3110 meters in elevation. (B, L)

Day 11: Ardebil, Tehran

Before going back to Tehran, we will make a visit to the historic city of Ardebil. (B, L)

Day 12: Tehran, Departure

we will arrive Tehran in the morning, this is a free day and you can spend it the way you please depending on your flight departure time.

Start Date	Finish Date	Status	Group Size	Price	Single Supplement	Deposit	Comment
25 May 2024	5 June 2024	Available	4 – 12	€1,199	€75	€200	–
24 May 2025	4 June 2025	Available	4 – 12	€1,357	€98	€200	–