Tehran, Kashan and Yazd (2025)

Jour 1

Welcome to Iran! Transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon (variable schedule based on arrival flights), we will begin the visit to TEHRAN, the capital of the country, a modern city with almost ten million inhabitants. We enter the Tajrish Bazar, a small and active bazaar full of activity and life. Inside we visit the Imamzadeh Saleh Sanctuary, one of the most popular Shiite shrines in Iran, magnificent blue architecture, dedicated to a descendant of the prophet. Tehran is on the slope of the Alborz Mountain range, some peaks exceed 5000 meters, and at its foot - on the edge of Tehran - is DARBAND VILLAGE, with its mountain atmosphere, its waterfalls, its green paths, its numerous Tea houses and its restaurants. Dinner included.Note: If the arrival time of your flight is after 5 p.m., you will not be able to attend the activities planned for this day.

Jour 2

We include a visit (with guide and tickets included) to the great metropolis. We begin by going to the 437 meters high MILAD TOWER, its views are impressive (if it´s a foggy day with low visibility, instead of the Milad Tower we will go to the Azadi Tower). We visit the National Museum, the largest historical and archaeological museum in the country, where we can learn more about this land, the cradle of civilizations. Afterwards, we visit the Golestan Palace, declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, a site of palaces and gardens which construction began in the 16th century. Lunch included. In the afternoon, we will visit the National Jewelry Museum, property of the central bank, an amazing collection of precious stones and metals, highlighting the “peacock throne” and the “earth globe”. Free time; we will drop you off in the Grand Bazaar area, with its many covered streets, alleys and hundreds of shops.Note: Sometimes the jewelry museum is not open, in that case, we would visit the carpet museum that shows Persian carpets, some from the 16th century.

Jour 3

After breakfast, on the outskirts of Tehran, we visit the Mausoleum-Shrine of Imam Khomeini, considered the founder of the Islamic Republic and whose construction began in 1989 after his death. The immense complex of over 20 square kilometers is a cultural and tourist center that also houses a seminary and a university of Islamic studies. We continue to QOM, the provincial capital and one of the holiest Shiite religious centers in the Islamic world that houses the Mausoleum of Fatima Masuma, sister of the eighth Shiite Imam, Imam Reza. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Qom every year. Qom is known for being a major center of Shia Islamic studies and is home to numerous religious schools and seminaries, as well as Al-Mustafa Islamic University, which attracts students from all over the world. Accompanied by an Islamic scholar we will visit the sacred mausoleum (courtyards and outdoor areas) and he will introduce us to Islam in its Shiite branch, enveloping us in the atmosphere of this holy place. After that, we´ll visit Imam Khomeini´s house. Free time in the city´s bazaar, with its many shops specializing in prayer and religious objects. Lunch included. In the afternoon we continue to Kashan making a stop, before entering the city, at the Fin Garden, wonderful gardens dating back to the sixteenth century, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, in an area of thermal springs and surrounded by a wall. We´ll stroll through the gardens, the palace and the baths. We continue to KASHAN, a pleasant city whose historic center, with numerous monuments and historic adobe houses, are of great beauty. Free time in the historic center, with a lively tourist life.

Jour 4

In the morning we begin the visit of Kashan with the Agha Bozorg mosque/madrasa, a beautiful and original construction. The ground floor is occupied by the madrasa and the upper floor by the great mosque that reminds us of the constructions made by the Persians in India. The center of Kashan has several ancient houses/palaces; We will visit one of them, the Boroujerdi house-museum, from the nineteenth century, where we will be surprised by its mural paintings, in which the rich merchant who built it wanted to show the places he had visited, and the ventilation system to give freshness to the palace in summer. We will also enter the hammam "soltan bath", with its blue tiles it is one of the most beautiful historical baths in Iran. Flower drinks are typical in Kashan, so to try them, we will visit one of the factories-shops of these unique flower drinks, see how they are made and have a delicious tasting.After this pleasant experience, we will continue south, making a stop in ABOUZEYDABAD where we will visit an old restored caravanserai, very close to the desert dune area and have a traditional lunch (included). We will continue through arid regions and deserts on our way. We will have time to visit ARDAKAN, a historic adobe city, and the NARIN CITADEL, whose origin dates back to 4000 years before Christ.We continue to YAZD, a beautiful city in the desert, with a historic center that is a World Heritage Site, with its winding streets, its wind towers and its brick and adobe houses. The city, founded 5000 years ago, is inhabited by people from different cultures, where 10% of the population follows the ancient religion of Zoroaster. Free time for a stroll through its old town, which according to UNESCO is one of the oldest settlements in the world.

Jour 5

After breakfast we will visit the city of Yazd, we will love its traditional atmosphere and the customs of its inhabitants. On the outskirts of the city, we will visit the Towers of Silence, where, according to Zoroastrian beliefs, corpses are deposited, considered impure, so that they do not contaminate the sacred elements: earth, water or fire. Later, in the historic center, we visit the Amir Chakhmaq compound, with its impressive three-story façade, which includes a caravanserai, cistern and public toilet. We also visit the Water Museum, to introduce us to the great construction works of underground canals, used for 2000 years, to preserve water from evaporation. Lunch included. In the afternoon, we visit the Fire Temple, a sacred place for the Zoroastrian community of fire worship, a fundamental symbol of their religion. It is said that the sacred fire of the temple has not stopped burning since 470 AD. We also visit the Dolat Abad garden, a World Heritage Site. Its 33.8-meter wind tower is the tallest adobe wind tower in the world.

Jour 6

After breakfast we head to Tehran on a long drive north. We visit NAIN, a city over two thousand years old, known for its handicrafts. We will see its ruined adobe castle, its 10th-century mosque and we can do some shopping in its bazaar. Lunch included. Continuation to TEHRAN, arrival around 20.00 hrs.

Jour 7

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.