Duration

3 Days

Activity Level

Moderate

Best Months

Apr, May, Jun, July, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Activities

Trekking & Hiking

Travel Styles

Adventure Travel

Hiking through heart of Alborz ski region in heights of northern Tehran province and experience Shemshak, Dizin and Darbandsar mountain region of Tehran suburb

TOUR CODE

229-STN-TRK

START

Tehran

FINISH

Tehran

REGION(S)

Northern Tehran

INCLUDED

MEALS: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
ACCOMMODATIONS: 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

Two days’ special trek beyond the ski resort
Staying in a high altitude village (about 2700m) and Acclimatization
Socializing with people and staying in local houses
Hike to a summit with an amazing view of Iran’s highest mountain
Crossing thought a special valley (perfect for photography)
Collecting local plants in Alborz Markazi protected area
Drinking local infusions of the region (Damnoosh)
Tasting local food with distinct spices

Alborz mountains has a lot of famous high mountains above 4000m and a few of them like Mt Damavand, Alamkuh or maybe Sabalan are famous for travelers who come to Iran for hiking. Most of the hikers who ascend high mountains around the world prefer to climb these peaks in Iran while other travelers who don’t care about the summits and are looking for the experience, prefer off the beaten tracks. Iran is a country that has plenty of special mountains, with international hikers and mountaineers footprints all over it. Central Alborz Mountains is the heart of Alborz range with good access from the capital that has many high peaks and is considered the most beautiful mountains of Iran. Also this part of the mountains located in Alborz Markazi protected area is famous for having special plants, wildlife, weather, rivers and many famous hot springs (with different water taste). There is still a lot of cattle man who move to this region to do stockbreeding during the end of spring till the beginning of autumn. The region we have chosen for your hike is Shemshak, Dizin and Darbandsar which is located in the southern part of Central Alborz. These three names are also the names of the three famous ski resorts in Iran and it’s also called Alborz ski region. All of those regions are located above 2500m altitude and a lot of mountains surround those villages and are the makings of these huge ski resorts in this protected area. There are many mountains beyond the piste which is perfect for hiking and experience. Koloon Bastak (4150m), Sarakchal III (4210m), Abak (3550m), Sichal (3600m), Ahangarak (3380m) and Borj (4320m) are the mountains that are perfect to ascend from May to September. You can see the amazing view of Mount Damavand (5610m) “the roof of Iran” from their summits.

This tour is a bit unusual because it has no fixed travel itinerary. It’s a four season dynamic tour proper for special travelers. We are seeing many travelers who come to this region have different levels of fitness and experience, so we made this tour dynamic and flexible, according to our travelers. Also we haven’t fixed any seasons for this trip and according to the season we will be changing our trek in the region in lower or higher altitudes. The rough itinerary is that you will have two days of trekking in the region and according to the season, your ability and the situation of the weather, we propose a special hike tailored to your needs. You will be staying two nights inside of the village in a local house and experience the life style of the people living there.

We will be communicating with travelers before their final booking for travel information, their desired mountain (varying by altitude) and then we will propose the trek according to the group fitness. We can even perform this trek during the winter when the piste is open. Shemshak Winter Trek video (which you can see HERE) shows the scenery and spectacular mountains that are visible from the ridge line, also many pictures of this region in different season is available on our website, which can give you a better imagination of what you will see in different seasons. Darbandsar Trekking Video is another example of this type of hike during spring time.

Day 1: Drive to Alborz Ski region

In the afternoon (17:00) we will send a taxi to your hotel to pick you up from your hotel to take you to Shemshak village in 2600m altitude. It’s about 1.5 hours driving from downtown, through mountain roads and different canyons. Shemshak is a famous ski resort and the village itself has an interesting history. We will take you to a local house, inside the village with a good visibility on many mountains in the region as well as a nice view of Shemshak Ski Resort. Afterwards, depending on the day, you can have a short walk around the village and go to a small market with your local guide to buy some snacks for your upcoming hike. Then, you will come back to the house and have dinner together with your guide. Depending on the season the meals would be local, with vegetable of the mountains in the Alborz Markazi protected area. You will acclimatize in the altitudes for your trek tomorrow. Overnight stay at local house.

Day 2: First hike

Your guide will have a talk with you about your fitness level and depending on the season he will proposes a trek according to the situation and weather conditions. This days trek probably would be easier than tomorrows trek and it will be a good warmup as well. After a coffee you will take your breakfast with you to the mountains and a packed lunch as well. We advise bringing a 40 liters day pack to be able to carry all the foods, water and your extra warm clothes for the mountains. We pass through a couple of natural hot springs in most of our trek but we recommend to carry a two-liter water bottle with yourself that you can fill from the house. Tap water of the house is coming from nearby springs and it is drinkable. During spring and early summer, we have access to the springs in most of the mountains. In the late afternoon you will come back to the local house. After taking a hot shower and refreshments you will have dinner with your guide. Overnight stay at the local house.

Day 3: second hike and drive back to Tehran

Today your guide will advise you on another trek according to your physical level of yesterday in a different mountain. Today rise up call is earlier than yesterday as the trek is mostly longer and you have to drive to the capital as well. If you are preparing for high altitude mountains, one of +4000 m peaks of the region (Sarakchal Mountain) would be a good choice during the end of spring till early autumn. In May, June, September and October you should have proper clothes for this trek as you have to be prepared for strong wind or snow in the summit. For the winter seasons you definitely should be bringing good winter clothes and boots for this trek. You will come back to the house in late afternoon and after taking a quick shower you will collect your stuff and your driver takes you back to the capital.