Ancient Persia, Persepolis and Mashad (2025)

Hari 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.

Hari 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.

Hari 3

Today we include a flight to Shiraz. Schedules are subject to frequent modification and will be informed at the time of booking. Free time in Tehran (or Shiraz) depending on the flight schedule. Transfer to the airport and included flight to Shiraz of just over an hour.With our group and the main guide, we begin in the middle of the afternoon the visit of Shiraz. We are at the center of Persian culture, inhabited for over 4000 years. A city of nightingales and poets, it was the capital of Persia for a period in the 18th century. In the afternoon we will visit 2 of the mausoleums of the great names of Persian literature born in Shiraz, the gardens and the mausoleum/tomb of Hafez of Shiraz, a Sufi poet and mystic of the 14th century and who today remains one of the most beloved figures by the Iranian people, who memorize his verses or seek advice in his texts and the gardens and the tomb of Saadi, another great Persian poet of the medieval period of deep sensitivity.

Hari 4

After breakfast, we will leave Shiraz to visit, 60 km away, the most impressive archaeological site in Iran: PERSEPOLIS. This World Heritage Site was built 2700 years ago to be the capital of the Achaemenid empire. Its stone palaces, its carvings showing historical and ritual scenes, as well as details about the kings and the court, show us one of the first great cultures of humanity. Nearby we will visit Naghsh Rostam, the cemetery of the emperors with their tombs in the stone. After the visit, we´ll return to Shiraz, where we´ll visit the Nasir Almolk Mosque (Pink Mosque) to admire the light filtering through the colorful stained glass windows, the Naranjestan Qavam Garden, and the Zandyeh compound, which includes the Vakil Bazaar, Saray-e Moshir, Vakil Mosque, Vakil Bath, and Karim Khan Citadel.We will return to the hotel for a short break and before heading out for dinner with a local family in their home (Note: if there is a case this is not possible, a dinner in a restaurant with live music will be included).

Hari 5

We head towards the east of the country, mountains, agricultural areas and deserts on our route. We will visit PASARGAD, another impressive archaeological site declared a World Heritage Site, built 2600 years ago, where the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great is located. We will continue to MEYMAND, a stunning troglodyte village in the desert, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meymand is believed to have been one of the oldest residences in Iran, dating back 12,000 years. Many of the inhabitants live in the 350 houses carved by hand among the rocks. Lunch included. After lunch we continue our route to RAFSANJAN, a small town in the desert whose history dates back thousands of years and which today is one of the largest pistachio production centers in the world. We will be able to see its beautiful "wind towers" that help keep homes cool since ancient times.

Hari 6

We continue our route through deserts to MAHAN, a quiet town famous for the mausoleum of a well-known dervish, mystic and poet of the 15th century. Later we will visit BAGH SHAZDEH, a beautiful garden with springs and green trees in the middle of the desert declared a World Heritage Site. Arrival in the provincial capital of KERMAN. We are in a religious and conservative city that also has a Zoroastrian minority. We visit the Ganjali Khan enclosure, where the magnificent bazaar, the cistern and the old baths and caravanserai are located. Lunch included. In the afternoon, we´ll visit the Fathabad Garden, a historic garden in the middle of the desert on the outskirts of Kerman.

Hari 7

After breakfast, we head north, enjoying beautiful landscapes on our route. We will make a stop at ZEINODIN, a sixteenth-century caravanserai located on the ancient Silk Road, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is one of 999 inns built during the reign of Shah Abbas I to provide accommodation for travelers. Lunch included. We will also visit the historic city of SAR YAZD where its great fortress built 1500 years ago stands out. We continue our route to YAZD, a beautiful city in the desert, with a historic center that is a World Heritage Site, 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. Time for a stroll through its old town, which according to UNESCO is one of the oldest settlements in the world.

Hari 8

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.

Hari 9

After breakfast, we´ll head to CHAK CHAK, a small mountain town with a sacred shrine for Zoroastrians. Every year, thousands of Zoroastrians from Iran, India, and other countries make a pilgrimage to this fire temple.Later, a volcanic and arid landscape will lead us to a historic mud-brick town, KHARANAGH, "birthplace of the sun". We will be able to visit its castle, its caravanserai and its old stone bridge. Lunch included.Continuation to GARMEH, for many, the most beautiful desert village in Iran. Surrounded by palm trees and with its spring of water, this adobe oasis village has been populated for more than 4,000 years and was a stop on the Silk Road. We continue to KHUR, a small active town in the middle of the desert.

Hari 10

We will depart from Khur to the east of the country; we will cross the "dry salt lake" with its colors and polygonal crystal formations. We will make a stop in TABAS, known as "the bride of the desert", a pleasant city where we will visit the Golshan Garden. Afterwards, we will stop at the Historic Village of ESFAHAK, an oasis city that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1978, rebuilt as an adobe city and hiding many places of great charm. Lunch included.We will continue to FERDOWS, recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "Qanat". This city on the edge of the desert is known for its excellent saffron and pomegranates. We will head to Baghestan-e Olia to visit Baladeh Qanat and explore how the ancient Iranians used their technology to supply water in arid areas and desert regions centuries ago. Then, we´ll stroll through its tree-lined streets.

Hari 11

We continue our route to the east. We will meet at the impressive qanat of GONABAD QASABEH, continuation of our route to TORBAT JAM, a small provincial capital located near the border with Afghanistan, inhabited by the Baluchis, an ethnic group of Sunni religion, known for their unique dance and music as an important cultural expression. We will listen to their music and their stories of victories and failures throughout history. After that, we´ll visit the mausoleum of Ahmad Jami, the Underground Mosque, the Tombstone of Sadooghi, the Dome of Firoozshahi and the Caravanserai of Jam.

Hari 12

A little over two hours away, approaching the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, we find a city full of strength: MASHHAD, the holiest city in Iran, which, with its three million inhabitants, is also the second city in the country. The Haram, its massive shrine complex commemorating the martyrdom in 818 of the eighth Shiite imam, is a place of pilgrimage, attracting more than 20 million pilgrims a year. We will visit the shrine of Haram-e Razavi, with its dazzling blue domes and minarets that seem to transport us to the tales of the Arabian Nights. We must be respectful of our attire and surroundings (non-Muslims can access all outer courtyards, but they will not be allowed to enter the interior of holy buildings). We will also learn about the mausoleum of Nader Shah, who after his military campaigns returned with immense riches: the peacock throne, the Koh-i-Noor diamond and "700 elephants, 4,000 camels and 12,000 horses carrying chariots, all loaded with gold, silver and precious stones". Nader ordered that upon his return, Mughal craftsmen should build him a large tomb in the Mughal style: the Kakh-e-Khorshid, or "Palace of the Sun." Lunch included. In the afternoon, we will also visit the Anthropological Museum located in the former public bath and the Darougheh House Palace. Free time.

Hari 13

After breakfast, we drive to NISHABUR, a city that was once one of the most prosperous in the country, on the ancient silk road, today its activity is focused on agriculture and turquoise mines. We will also visit the mausoleum and planetarium of Omar Khayam, a Persian mathematician and astronomer originally from this town, and the "wooden mosque" on the outskirts. Lunch included. We continue to ZAFARANIYEH, a quiet village on the Silk Road that has maintained its ancient caravanserai, also its ancient "ice house" and the remains of its great citadel. After that, we continue to SABZEVAR, an active provincial capital whose history dates back to 1000BC, the city has several universities. We´ll visit its main mosque and suggest a stroll through its historic bazaar.