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Day 01: Arrival-Tehran
Arrival at Tehran airport, transfer to hotel & rest. O/N Tehran. Day 02: Tehran
After breakfast, we will visit the Archaeological & Islamic Art Museums This is the finest museum complex in Iran. There we will view an extensive collection dating back to the 5th millennium BC and a superb array of Islamic Art masterpieces. O/N Tehran. Day 03: Tehran-Ramsar
Drive by coach through a beautiful mountainous road which crosses the Alborz range taking us from the semi arid southern slopes to the northern forested slopes which lead down to the rainforests, tea plantations and rice paddies of the Caspian littoral. O/N Ramsar.
Day 04: Ramsar-Anzali
Drive westwards along the Caspian coast and visit tea plantations and rice growing farmlands and fascinating wooden houses which are a feature of this region. Arrive at Anzali the largest Iranian port on the Caspian. Visit the Anzali lagoon a large stretch of freshwater paralleling the coast. This area is renowned as a haven for a wide range of migratory water fowl. We may also have the chance to visit a caviar processing factory. O/N Anzali.
Day 05: Anzali-Qazvin
Drive to Qazvin via another Alborz mountainous road which takes us past the Manjil Dam. Qazvin is a city of antiquity and was the first capital of the Safavids dynasty in the 16th century. Here we visit some archaeological sites. O/N Qazvin.
Day 06: Qazvin- Sultanieh - Hamedan
Drive to Hamedan, en route we will visit Sultanieh, a once thriving center whose origins date back to 7000BC. Now it is best known for the incredible huge Mongol Domed Mausoleum built in the 13th century. O/N Hamedan.
Day 07: Hamedan
The city of Ecbatana of the Medes in now called Hamedan and has a history as a place of learning. The tombs of the medical writer Avicenna and the poet Baba Taher are marked by recent monuments. We shall visit the tomb of biblical Ester and Mordkhay which is revered as a Jewish shrine. Also we visit the archaeological excavation and museum at Hegmataneh hill. O/N Hamedan.
Day 08: Hamedan - Kermanshah
Drive to Kermanshah, en route at Kangavar we will visit the ruins of the Anahita complex, built in honor of the female goddess of water. Continue to Bisotun which can be regarded as a museum of the Persian civilization from ancient time to the present day. We view the huge cuneiform inscribed tablet of Darius I and a bas relief of Hercules preserved in the mountainside. O/N Kermanshah
Day 9: Kermanshah - Khoramabad
Our route takes us through the fold belt of the Zagros Mountains. Khoramabad is a delightful mountain town nestled in a valley in the heart of the Zagros ranges. In the 12th century this was the center of an Assassin guerilla group who resisted non-Persian rulers. The imposing citadel of Falak-al Aflak dominates the town. O/N Khoramabad. Day 10: Khoramabad-Ahwaz
Drive to Ahwaz. This is a spectacular mountainous route with superb geological exposures of the fold belt of the Zagros. O/N Ahwaz. Day 11: Ahwaz-Shush
Drive to Shush and visit archaeological remains of this once beautiful city built 5500 years ago. Continue to Choghazanbil, an Elamite center with one of the oldest ziggurats in the world. O/N Ahwaz.
Day 12: Ahwaz - Bishapour - Shiraz
Drive to Shiraz via Bishapour, an ancient Sassanian city in heart of history, built in commemoration of the Persian Victory in Persian-Roman war. The route takes us along the foothills of the Zagros, an important area of super-giant oilfields to Behbahan and Dogunbadan. O/N Shiraz. Day 13: Shiraz
We will visit Eram and Naranjestan Gardens, Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, Khan Theological School, Hafez (or Saadi) mausoleum , Vakil complex and the most astonishing mirror decoration of Aliebnehamze Holy Shrine. O/N Shiraz.
Day 14: Shiraz - Persepolis - Necropolis - Pasargad - Yazd
Drive to Yazd, en route we will visit the Quran gate , Persepolis , the ceremonial capital of the Achamenian in 550BC , Necropolis (tombs of Achamenian kings) and Pasargad , tomb of Cyrus the great .On then thought the central ranges via Abarqu to Yazd. O/N Yazd.
Day 15: Yazd
According to UNESCO, Yazd is one of the oldest cities in the world; it is like a living museum. We will visit narrow alleys, the highest wind towers in Iran (an early cooling system). The Friday mosque dates from the 14th century. The silk weaving workshops produce exquisite brocades which are still made on traditional looms. Yazd is also known as a Zoroastrian center .O/N Yazd.
Day 16: Yazd - Isfahan
In the morning we will explore this ancient city and visit a Zoroastrian temple where a sacred fire has been kept burning for hundreds of years. This is now a Zoroastrian pilgrimage center. This is an opportunity to learn about Zoroastrianism which was the Persian religion until Arabs brought Islam to Iran. We visit the Towers of Silence on the city's outskirts This was a burial place for the Zoroastrians. In the afternoon we drive to Isfahan. En route at Meibod we will visit Nareen Castle & an old caravanserai while at Naeen we will see a carpet workshop. . O/N Isfahan.
Day 17 :Isfahan
In the morning we will visit the Imam square This huge open square in the center of Isfahan has monuments of interest on its four sides. These include the Imam mosque covered inside and outside with intricate turquoise colored tile work, the smaller Sheikh Lotfollah mosque contains some of the finest tile mosaics from 17th century, Ali Ghapoo Palace which was the first multistory building in Iran and the expansive Isfahan bazaar where we can visit the studios of artists who paint finely detailed miniatures. In the afternoon, we will visit Si-o-Se Pol (thirty three) and Khajoo bridges over the Zayanderud river and relax in one of the traditional tea houses where we can drink tea and smoke a Persian water pipe. O/N Isfahan.
Day 18: Isfahan
We will the visit Armenian quarter of Jolfa, the Vank cathedral, Friday mosque, Shaking Minarets and the palace of Chehel Sotoun. Magnificent murals in the palace interior are a special attraction. O/N Isfahan. Day 19: Isfahan- Abyane
Drive through high country to the north east to reach Abyane, an ancient fascinating village with its colorfully dressed inhabitants and red mud brick houses. There little has changed for several centuries. En route we will visit Natanz Friday Mosque. O/N Abyane. Day 20: Abyane- Kashan- Tehran
We drive to Tehran, en route we will visit the Fin Garden complex in Kashan. This city is well known for its fine carpets and restored merchants houses. Continue to Tehran. O/N Tehran.
Day 21: Tehran-Departure
Transfer to Tehran International airport for your departure from Iran. *This itinerary can be made shorter or longer according to your requirements.
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