Tehran to Rasht Train Tour and Explore Gilan Province

• Experience the Ancient Silk Road with modern trains
• Visit Tehran the capital and its only UNESCO site
• A city tour of Qazvin, former Iran’s capital in the Safavid era
• A great view of the Alamut Valley from the top of Alamut Fortress
• Enjoy the Creative City of Gastronomy of Rasht (UNESCO)
• Take a stroll in Lahijan’s tea plantations
• Take photos and ride on a boat in Anzali Lagoon
• Go and see Masuleh with its unique architecture
• Explore Rudkhan Castle passing through Lahijan, the city of cookies

The northern part of Iran is one of the most attractive tourist destinations due to the Caspian Sea, the Alborz Mountains range, and various Iranian ethnic groups.

The Caspian Sea (called Darya-ye Khazar by Iranians), situated in the north of Iran, is the largest inland body of water and also the biggest salt lake in the world. With 1,200 km long from north to south and 320 km wide, it covers an area of 386,400 km². The sea is surrounded by five countries of Iran in the south, Kazakhstan in the northeast, Turkmenistan in the southeast, Azerbaijan in the southwest, and Russia in the northwest. With amazingly diverse flora and fauna, it is home to over 850 animals and 500 plants. It is also one of the main sources of Iran’s high-quality caviar.

The Caspian Sea is bordered by the three provinces of Golestan, Mazandaran, and Gilan in the south. The ancient 25 to 50 million-year-old Hyrcanian Forests (UNESCO) stretches 850 km along the three provinces.

Alborz Mountains range, extended along the south part of the Caspian Sea displays amazing different climatic conditions on the northern and southern slopes. Receiving abundant rainfall, the northern slopes of Alburz form the greenest part of Iran.

The Alborz Mountains range encircles the highest peaks of Iran over 4,000 meters, such as Damavand (5,610 m), Alamkuh (4,810 m), Kholeno (4,375 m), Azadkuh (4,400 m), and Sarakchal (4,210m). Snow-capped high peaks have made the Alborz region an awesome skiing destination in winter.

Moreover, one of the largest protected areas of Iran with an area of ​​400,000 hectares is located in the Central Alborz region. It is home to 1400 types of plants, 156 types of birds, 48 ​​types of mammals, and 26 types of reptiles.

The northern provinces of Iran are also a treasure of diverse Iranian ethnic groups such as Gilakis, Mazandaranis, and Turkmens. Each of these tribes has its own language, dialect, culture, customs, traditions, and local food, which is one of the most attractive features of this region of Iran for tourists.

In fact, northern Iran with its towering mountains, deep valleys, mesmerizing natural landscapes, national parks, unique wildlife, dense forests, hiking trails, and numerous ski resorts is the best destination for nature lovers, ethnologists, botanists, zoologists, bird watchers, gastronomes, and adventure seekers who are into activities such as trekking, hiking, mountaineering, and skiing.

Our train journey starts from Tehran, the capital city of Iran. A metropolitan where modernity and tradition are combined, presenting one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Iran. Tehran is a vibrant city with lively nights, the city of opulent museums and palaces, trendy theaters and concert halls, modern skyscrapers and simultaneously old buildings and neighborhoods, busy urban life, parks, restaurants, and street foods. In Tehran, we visit the only UNESCO heritage site of the capital, walk in the heart of the city: Tehran Grand Bazaar, and get lost in the bustling streets of the capital to review some parts of the history in the palace museums of the city.

Through this trip, we will explore a combination of historical-cultural tourist highlights as well as some Off the Beaten Track routes.

After visiting Tehran, we go to Qazvin on a train. Qazvin, which once was the capital of Iran during the Safavid era, is known today as the center of Iranian calligraphy. In Qazvin, we visit old buildings, a caravanserai, a giant Ab Anbar or water reservoir, and the traditional bazaar; then we leave the city for Alamut. From the top of the Alamut fortress, which was impregnable for a long time as the place of the Hashashin or assassins,

enjoy the picturesque deep valley of Alamut.

From there, we proceed to Rasht by train. Rasht, which is recognized as the Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO, is considered a great destination for Persian food tour lovers and gastronomers. The local market of Rasht is the best place for those who like local food and seafood. Rasht is also one of main Iran’s caviar sales centers.

From here on, we continue our journey by private car or a van/minibus depending on the number of travelers. We will go to Lahijan and visit the verdant tea plantations and add a different taste to our trip with the taste of Iranian tea on a tea tour. Lahijan was the first city in Iran where tea was planted. Our next destination is Bandar Anzali or Anzali Port. Bandar Anzali is a beautiful, foggy, and fertile port, situated about 55 km north of Rasht. Located in the free trade zone, Bandar Anzali is one of the main ports for both merchants and travelers in the Caspian Sea region. After a city tour, we will head to the Anzali Lagoon southwest of the Anzali Port. Anzali lagoon or wetland is one of the first lagoons registered as an international wetland in the Ramsar Convention in 1971. Due to its ecosystem, the sweet water lagoon is an important habitat for native and migratory birds, as well as the main source of sturgeon fish production. It is also globally famous for its high biodiversity and aquatic plants, especially the stunning view of its swamp flowers mainly Lotus. The lagoon is also an ideal destination for photography, bird watching, and ornithology. We will take a boat trip to the lagoon and enjoy all the beauties that nature here offers generously to us. We will stay in a village for a night and enjoy the hospitality of the village people.

The next day, we will go to the spectacular stepped village of Masuleh. Masuleh is unique in its architecture. The roof of each house, built into the mountain, is the courtyard of the building above. Due to its special architecture, vehicles can’t transport through the village. So, courtyards and roofs both serve as streets.

We will leave Masuleh for Rudkhan Castle through the city of Fuman. Fuman is well-known for its cookies. Make our trip sweeter with hot and fresh cookies filled with walnut paste. 25 km away from Fuman city, Rudkhan Castle stands on top of the mountain at the height of 715 m. the castle is mostly built of brick and stone. To reach the castle, we will hike in the forest for about 1-2 hours. The castle has 42 towers and 1,000 steps. At the end of the trip, we will return to Rasht and from there to Tehran by train. The rail route from Tehran to Rasht is about 370 km.

Throughout the whole journey, a professional tour guide will accompany you. You can buy delicious souvenirs such as caviar or cookies on the route. On this tour, we will stay in the standard hotels, a caravanserai renovated into a boutique hotel, and a village guest house.

A private compartment (with 4 or 6 berth sleepers) will be allocated to every two people or couple.

“If you are interested in reserving a spot or would like more information please contact us.”

• Iran Travel Visa
• FAQ of Iranian Foods & Drinks
• Dress Code FAQs
• General Iran FAQs for Traveling

• For those who have more time and would like to explore more parts of Iran in one visit, we could combine the tour with either Northwest Iranian Train Tour (Tabriz-Tehran) or Northeast Iranian Train Tour (Tehran-Mashhad). For more information, please get in touch!
• Regarding the train schedule time, we are trying to book the train tickets in the morning to be able to visit and do the daily activities of the tour and the sightseeing. As the timetable of Iranian trains is changing, we will replace a private car if we cannot find available train time.