Escorted Iran Tour

Welcome to Iran! You will be greeted by our representative after entry formalities and transfer you to your hotel for a rest. After breakfast we will enjoy a tour of Tehran. Dinner and overnight in Tehran. (B/L/D)

*Your flight will likely arrive in Tehran very late on the 19th or very early in the morning on the 20th. Sightseeing begins on the 20th, the hotel rooms in Tehran are booked for the night of the 19th for anyone arriving late on the 19th. If you would like to arrive earlier than that, please ask about pre-tour hotel arrangements.

Today we will depart the hotel after breakfast for a full day tour of Tehran. We will visit to some of Tehran’s major museums to include Iran’s National Museum, displaying an authenticated collection of pre-historic and ancient artifacts with pottery dating back to 6-7 millennium B.C.; the Abguineh (Glass and Ceramics) Museum, a valuable collection of pre-Islamic and Islamic glass and ceramics, beautifully displayed and located in an elegant early 20th-century mansion; and the Carpet Museum, with an extensive collection of old and new Persian carpets and rugs from the major carpet-weaving centers of Iran. Dinner and overnight in Tehran. (B/L/D)

Today we drive to the northwest of Iran to Zanjan visiting Qazvin city and Sultanieh Dome enroute. Qazvin was a capital of the Safavid dynasty for over forty years (1555–1598) and nowadays is known as the calligraphy capital of Iran. The Soltanieh Dome, in Soltanieh city, is a legacy of the Mongol conquest of Iran. The Abbasid dynasty ruled Iran until the Mongols conquered the region in 1258. The Mongol dynasty known as the Ilkhanids brought their architectural style and city planning ideas to the area and the Sultnaieh Dome is a testament to that architectural style. Continue to Zanjan for an afternoon tour of the city. Dinner and overnight in Zanjan. (B/L/D)

Today we drive to Tabriz. Tabriz is the economic and metropolitan hub of northwestern Iran. The people there speak both Persian and Azerbaijani, and you will see and learn of the many influences of its neighboring regions – Anatolia and the Caucasus – have had on it. We will have an afternoon tour of Tabriz city to get an overview. Dinner and overnight in Tabriz. (B/L/D)

Today we will visit the Tabriz bazaar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is famous for its handicrafts, including hand-woven rugs and jewelry. Local confectionery, chocolate, dried nuts and traditional Tabrizi food are recognized throughout Iran as some of the best. We will also visit the Blue Mosque and the Azerbaijan Museum. In the afternoon we will enjoy an excursion to the historical village of Kanduvan, known for its dwellings carved out of the mountainside rock, reminiscent of Cappadocia in Turkey. Return to Tabriz for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Today we drive to the Caspian Sea region and Anzali. We will have a stop to visi Ardabil’s historical sites along the way, such as the complex of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili. We continue traveling through the mountains and long the border between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, enjoying the green mountain scenery. We will have a stop for tea and lunch at a mountain restaurant then continue on to Anzali on the Caspian Sea coast for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Today we drive back to Tehran, visiting the historical village of Masuleh, a village built on the mountainside where the roofs of the buildings serve as the streets of the those above. The rain forests, tea, and rice plantations are green as far as the eye can see. After visiting Masuleh we continue to Tehran for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Today we will have another day sightseeing in Tehran to see more palaces and museums, including Golestan Palace Complex or the Niavaran Palace Complex, and possibly the Crown Jewels Museum. Dinner and overnight in Tehran. (B/L/D)

Today after breakfast we drive to Isfahan, visiting the historical sites of the cities of Kashan to visit the Fin Garden and Natanz with a great stop at a 17th century caravanserai for a lovely tea break. Then we continue to Isfahan for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Today we have a full day tour of Isfahan to see the historic old bridges, the Armenian quarter with its churches, and after lunch a visit to a carpet workshop. We will end our sightseeing with a visit to the Hasht Behesht palace, literally meaning "the Eight Heavens" in Persian, and is a 17th-century pavilion and gardens. Dinner and overnight Isfahan. (B/L/D)

Today we have another full day tour of Isfahan and the famous square including Ali Qapou palace, Shah and Sheikh Lutfullah mosques, and the famous Qaisarieh bazaar. You will see the different styles of mosques and also enjoy a view of the entire square from the Ali Qapu palace, where you can imagine that you are Persian royalty, watching a polo match below. Spend time shopping for treasures in the bazaar and watching craftsmen at work. Dinner and overnight in Isfahan. (B/L/D)

Today we drive to Yazd visiting the historical city of Maybod enroute. We will see the Nareen Fortress which sits on a hilltop overlooking the city, an ice house – the unique pointed dome structures famous for keeping ice in this desert climate, and a Safavid caravanserai with its gorgeous fired bricks and architecture, where we will have our fantastic lunch. Then continue to Yazd for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

Full day visits in Yazd, the center for Iran’s small Zoroastrian community, to include one of the two Zoroastrian abandoned Towers of Silence (Dakhma), dating back to the 17th century, where until some 40-50 years ago the dead were carried and left to decompose and be devoured by birds; and the active Zoroastrian Fire Temple, the fire of which has been burning for about 1500 years. Among Yazd’s Islamic sites is the Friday Mosque (1324 A.D.) with the highest portal and minarets in Iran. Other notable Islamic monuments in the old Fahadan quarter of Yazd are the Seljuk shrine dedicated to the Twelve Shi’ite Imams; and Ziaieyeh Theological School, known as Zendan-e-Eskander or Alexander’s Prison. There are, also, many beautiful old houses in Yazd, among them the Dowlat-Abad Garden, with an 18th century feudal hexagonal house. Dinner and overnight in Yazd. (B/L/D)

Today after breakfast we drive to Shiraz with great stops at Abarkouh city and Pasargad to see a 4000-year-old cyprus tree and the tomb of Cyrus the Great with the ancient palaces around it. Dinner and overnight in Shiraz. (B/L/D)

Today we will have a half-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. We also visit Naghsh-e-Rostam to see Ka’be-Zardosht (fire temple/sanctuary), and Royal Tombs (also Achaemenid) and the seven magnificent Sassanian rock-reliefs (including Shapur the First’s famous victory over Roman Emperor Valerian). Afterwards we return to Shiraz to visit the Quran Gate and the tomb of Iran’s greatest lyric poets, Hafez and Sa'adi. Dinner and overnight in Shiraz. (B/L/D)

Full day city tour of Shiraz to visit some of the famous gardens of this city of “roses and nightingales”, including the Eram Garden, and the Pars Museum. We will also visit the Arg-e-Karim Khan (18th-century citadel), the Vakil Bazaar of Shiraz. After lunch we will visit Narenjestan, a 19th century historic house and garden. Dinner and overnight in Shiraz. (B/L/D)

Our Iran adventure comes to an end. Transfer to Shiraz International Airport for your departure flight. Bon voyage!

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