Highlands of Talesh and the Alamut Valley

• Explore the Assassin’s Castle at Alamut Valley
• Visit the fabled ruins of the Eagle Nest
• A trip to a corner of Iran where its ecological and geographical setting is unique
• A visit to historical city of Ardebil
• Visiting the remains of Lambesar Castle
• Sightseeing & photography around Ovan Lake & village
• Photography from Andej canyon”Red-rock”
• Historical village of Masuleh & Rudkhan Castle
• Local homestay & socializing with locals
• Trekking in beautiful mountain scenery
• Visit the cosmopolitan city of Tehran
• Allegedly the best trekking route of Iran developed by Adventure Iran
• Experiencing the rich culture of locals by staying with them
• An opportunity to taste both culture and adventure

Talesh is a region in north western Iran along the south western coast of the Caspian Sea. Talesh area is believed to be where the Aryan People (the first Indo-European people that moved down from what are today the Russian steppes to Europe, Iran, Central Asia and northern India in the second millennium BCE) first settled. It is also said to be the birthplace of Zoroaster, the prophet of the ancient Persian religion, Zoroastrianism.

Talesh has a sub-tropical climate with a lush green landscape. The region can be divided into two parts, the lowlands and the highlands. The lowlands lie along the fertile coastal plain of the Caspian Sea and are abundant with rice paddies and orchards. The highlands constitute almost three quarters of the area of Talesh and are covered by dense deciduous forests and meadows. The Talesh massif forms a 300 km long natural barrier against the drier climate to the south and west. Its highest peak, Bagharo Dagh, has an altitude of 3200 meters.

The people of Talesh have their own distinct language and culture which have been preserved over the centuries by the remoteness of their land. A great many of them are pastoralists and semi nomadic. They migrate to the highlands with their herds of sheep and goats every spring for pasture. They live in wooden houses or a kind of fixed tent called Kapar in their summer encampments. During this undiscovered superb trek we will experience their genuine hospitality at first hand by staying and eating with them or camping next to them.

The wild walk takes us to the highlands of Talesh, part of the Alborz Range that rises up from the Caspian Sea. We start by travelling to Alamut and visiting one of the castles on Freya Stark’s route in her classic book, The Valley of the Assassins. Then, after a visit to the beautiful and traditional village, Masule, the trek starts in earnest, taking in both the stunning mountain scenery as well as visiting the local Taleshi. The Talesh are pastoral nomads who have spent their summers on these high pastures tending to their herds for thousands of years.
Although we will be equipped to camp, experience has shown that most likely we will be invited to stay with the local Talesh in their semi-permanent homes known as Kapar, experiencing their warm hospitality and excellent local cuisine.
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 8 day trekking adventure through the forest and high passes.

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