Classic Iran Tour

Welcome to Iran! Most flights arrive very late at night or in the early morning hours. On your arrival in Tehran you will be met after clearing arrival formalities and transfer to your hotel for check in and overnight (hotel booked the night before). After same day late breakfast we will go for a short tour of Tehran and visit the Iran national archaeological museum. Next we visit the Carpet Museum, with an extensive collection of old and new Persian carpets and rugs from the major carpet-weaving centers of Iran. Return to the hotel, overnight Tehran.

After breakfast we depart for a full day tour of Tehran. We will visit the Golestan Palace Complex, sometimes known as the Rose Garden Palace, and is the former royal Qajar complex in Iran's capital city. Next we visit the Abguineh (Glass & Ceramics) Museum, a valuable collection of pre-Islamic and Islamic glass and ceramics, beautifully displayed and located in an elegant early 20th-century mansion. Our last visit for the day will be the Crown Jewels museums in the vault at the national bank. The collection on display is an incredible sight to see, including the Peacock Throne, crowns and tiaras, gifts from other kingdoms and more. Overnight Tehran.

Today after early morning breakfast we drive to Isfahan with some great stops enroute, visiting Natanz to visit a beautiful Islamic Complex (Friday Mosque/Monastery/Tomb of Sheikh Abdol Samad Isfahani), and Abyaneh and a tea break at the 17th century Safavid Caravanserai. Upon arrival in Isfahan transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today we have full day tour of Isfahan, starting at Chehel Sotun Palace, built by Shah Abbas II in the 17th century; its twenty wooden columns reflected in the surface of the pool give rise to its name ‘The Palace of Forty Columns’. Our next stop is the Music Museum followed by the Armenian Quarter with several churches, including the important Cathedral of Vank. We will stroll across the historic Khadjou Bridge to end our city tour. There will be an optional visit to carpet and miniature painting workshops. Dinner and overnight Isfahan.

Full day tour of the beautiful city of Isfahan, the 17th century capital of the Safavids, referred to as Nesf-e-Jahan (Half of the World) in Safavid sources. Our tour will include a visit to one of the world’s grandest squares, the Maidan-e-Naghsh-e-Jahan, with several sites (the Ali-Qapu Palace with its enchanting music rooms and balcony overlooking the Maidan, from where the Safavid Kings watched polo games, and two of Islamic world’s greatest mosques – the Sheikh Lotfollah and the Shah – with magnificent architecture and tilework), finishing with a visit to the Qeisarieh Bazaar with hundreds of shops displaying the arts and handicrafts for which Isfahan is world-famous (Bazaar is closed on Fridays). The rest of the afternoon is free for shopping and exploring. Overnight in Isfahan.

Today we drive to Shiraz with great stops at Izad khast, an ancient city with a castle, a caravanserai, and a Safavid-period bridge. The castle structure is of particular interest due to the different architectural styles incorporated into the construction of the building, including Sassanid and Qajar periods. Continue on to Pasargadae, the site of the simple, but impressive, tomb and remains of the palaces of Cyrus the Great (the Founder of the Persian Empire). Overnight in Shiraz.

Today is a full day city tour of Shiraz to visit some of the famous gardens of this city of “roses and nightingales”, including the tomb of Iran’s greatest lyric poets, Hafez and Sa'adi; the pink tiled 19th-century Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, the Qajar-period Narenjestan Garden/House, and the Vakil Bazaar of Shiraz. Overnight in Shiraz.

Full day excursion to Persepolis, one of the most important sites of the Ancient World, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid kings with remains of the palaces of Darius the Great, Xerxes and Artaxerxes, and its famous bas-reliefs, depicting kings and courtiers and gift-bearing representatives of tributary nations of the Persian Empire; also visit Naghsh-e-Rostam to see Ka’be-Zardosht (fire temple/sanctuary), and Royal Tombs (also Achaemenid); plus seven magnificent Sassanian rock-reliefs (including Shapur the First’s famous victory over Roman Emperor Valerian); and Naghsh-e-Rajab, a nearby grotto with several more Sassanian reliefs; return to Shiraz for overnight stay at hotel.

Today we drive to Yazd. We will stop along the way at the small desert town of Abarkuh to see the 4000+-year old Cypress tree. Upon arrival in Yazd we will have a short tour of the city then transfer to your hotel for overnight in Yazd.

Half day visits in Yazd, the center for Iran’s small Zoroastrian community. Our tour will include the active Fire Temple, the fire of which has been burning for more than a thousand years, the Friday Mosque (1324 A.D.) with the highest portal and minarets in Iran. We will also visit the bazaar. After lunch we check out of our hotel and drive to the historical city of Kashan. Dinner and overnight Kashan.

Today we will have a half day tour of Kashan, including a visit the historical garden of Fin which was first planted during the Safavid period and kept alive with water from the nearby Sulaimanieh Spring. This beautiful garden was expanded by the Zand and Qajar monarchs, with many open pavilions added. After lunch we drive for 2 hours to the IKA airport hotel for dinner and a rest, wash up, and final packing. Transfer to the terminal for your flight home.

Board your flight for home.

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