Duration

4 Days

Activity Level

Moderate

Best Months

Jun, July, Aug, Sep, Oct

Travel Styles

Adventure Travel

Amazing cycling holiday in Iran to cross Dasht-e Kavir desert and explore off the beaten track alongside visiting Esfahan and Yazd cities

TOUR CODE

090-STN-BIK

START

Tehran

FINISH

Tehran

REGION(S)

Mazandaran province & Caspian Sea

INCLUDED

MEALS: 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 3 Dinners
ACCOMMODATIONS: Camp: 1 Night, Local House: 2 Nights
TRANSPORTATION: Private vehicle
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

Four days mountain biking through spectacular mountain scenery to the Caspian sea
Visit historic villages of Central Alborz Mountains
Local home stay & socializing with locals
Eat organic dairy & foods of villages

An exotic and exciting mountain biking trip covering central Alborz and terminating at the Caspian Sea. The starting point is full of scenes and completely untouched regions in the mountains only three hours from the capital city of Tehran. Passing a unique high altitude region peaks between 2000 m to 3300 m would be enough to see many attractions in the heart of the Alborz Mountains. At this height and on clear days you will see some of the most famous and important mountains in IRAN on Alborz mountain ranges like Mt Damavand (5610 m), Mt Alam Koh (4850 m), Mt Khole No (4390 m), Azad Kooh (4360 m), Mt Kolon Bastak (4160 m), and more. On the way will come across traditional villages, farmlands and mountain springs. Depending on time of the year we will have the opportunity to stop and mingle with the travelling nomads, shepherds, farmers, in an area that not many local or overseas travelers get to see or experience. The terrain is different. Depending on the region and altitude we will ride on the quiet back roads, single tracks, off roads but most of your time you will spend riding on dirt tracks through the mountains and forests. In one part of the program, we will descend from an area where there is no existing road or track, we will carry our bikes for a short distance and then find tracks that have been left behind by animals or streams having to negotiate through rocks and bolder.
There are a variety of animals, wild or domestic that we will hope to see through the trip. We will be staying with the locals where you will experience the local cuisine and friendly hospitality. The biking will finish in popular city by the Caspian Sea, where you will get the chance to cool down with a swim in the Caspian Sea. On our way to Tehran from the sea we will have a mineral hot spring spa. In Tehran we have one day city tour before departure back to home.

Day 1: Yush loop mountain biking

Transfer from your hotel in Tehran towards the starting point of cycling take 3 hours. Then the first biking day will start. We have a loop through villages in the mountain mostly on dirt roads. We will bike through few villages with many ascends and descends. The scenery through the farms and sheep herds is wonderful with visibility of many mountains of Central Alborz. We will try to stop in each village taking some photos and having rest. Today the lunch is packed which we will have in one of those villages. In the late afternoon will get back to Yush village for dinner and socializing with locals. Overnight stay at local house. (B, L, D)

Day 2: Uphill to the peak

After breakfast early in the morning we start biking through the paved road for about 6 km before reaching to a dirt road which will take us to the peak. We will make dinner at the camp and will stay in tents for the night. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Downhill from the Peak to the jungle- Kandelous

Today is the highlight of the journey for adventurer riders and a high adrenaline day involving the nature. Early riser has the option to see the amazing sunrise. After breakfast and fixing bikes we will get ready for downhill. We start descending from the peak (3300 m) to the forest (1700 m). We will descend from an area where there is no existing road or track. We will carry our bikes for a short distance (around one hour) before getting on tracks left behind by animals or streams. On this day we will cross many rivers, canyons, sheep herds, farms, agricultural areas and untouched forests. Sometimes, depending on the travel time we might see nomads in the forest. If possible we will have lunch in one of their tents. After lunch we will continue biking to the first village. On this day there is no support vehicle and all the riders should be prepared to handle the situation. On arrival at the first village we will have some rest and then continue biking to the next village via back roads. After finishing this challenging day we will reach to the village of Kandelous. We will stay in a mountain lodge for one nights. (B, L, D)

Day 4: Kandelous to the Caspian Sea – Drive to Tehran

After breakfast, we will have a downhill day throughout the protected forest before getting to the Caspian Sea in the afternoon. The road is a dirt road through the heart of the forest. We start from 1600 m descending to the altitude of -50 at the Caspian Sea. Biking activity will end in the city of Nowshahr where we will finish the biking there. From the Caspian Sea the vehicle pick up us and we will back to Tehran. We will be Tehran in the evening. (B, L)