Depart the USA on overnight flight to Europe/Tehran.
In flight, stopping in Europe to change your plane for flight to Tehran.
After arrival at Tehran Airport and passing through customs and passport control, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Crowned with the Alborz Mountains, Tehran is the largest city in Iran, and has been the capital since 1789. It is an intriguing and sophisticated city, the center of Iran's great museums which celebrate the renaissance of the Qajar Dynasty, founded by Agha Mohammad Khan.
We begin our full day tour with a visit to the Archaeological Museum, one of the highlights of our trip. Its outstanding collections include a 6th century BC relief from the Treasures of Darius the Great from Persepolis and a stone winged lion of Shush. Nearby is the Museum of Islamic Period with its fine selection of Islamic arts including calligraphy, carpets, ceramics, woodcarving, stone carving, miniatures, brickwork and textiles. Then we'll tour the Carpet Museum to see the collection of the oldest carpets in Iran, with beautiful and elaborate designs. The Glass & Ceramic Museum is housed in a beautiful building which dates back to Qajar times and was the home of a prominent Persian family. With blending features of both Eastern and Western styles, the museum has a lovingly displayed collection of ceramics and glassware dating back to the 2nd millennium BC, including works from Neishabur, Kashan, Rey and Gorgan.
In the morning we will explore the Golestan Complex, built by the Qajar ruler Nasser al-Din Shah and set around a lovely garden. The complex includes the Ethnological Museum, the Garden Hall of Shams-ol-Emareh and the Marble Throne Hall. Next we will visit the National Jewelry Museum, which has the displays of some incredible jewelry with which the Safavid monarchs adorned themselves and over which wars were fought. Among them you will see the Darya-ye Nur (Sea of Light); the largest uncut diamond in the world at 182 carats. Our next stop will be at the Niyavaran Palace Museum, the palace of the last Shah of Iran, located in a beautiful garden overlooking downtown Tehran. After a stroll through the famous Tehran Bazaar, we will get to the airport for our late evening flight to Ahwaz.
Today we will drive to Choqa Zanbil to visit the well-preserved 2,600 years old tombs of the Elamite Kings and one of Iran's three World Heritage Sites. Ziggurat (pyramidal tiered temple) is the best surviving example of Elamite architecture anywhere. Nearby is the famous Shush, first a well-known prehistoric city dating back to the 4th millennium BC; later it was an important Elamite city around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC; and finally the capital of the Achaemenid Kingdom. We will stroll through the ancient Royal Town, once the quarter of the court officials; Apadana, where Darius the Great built his palace; and also visit the nearby Tomb of Daniel. The sightseeing of the pretty town of Shushtar, famous for its ancient Shadorvan and Bande-e Qaisar Bridges from the Sassanian period, and its Qajar water mills, will end our day.
Our destination today is the beautiful city of Shiraz, the heartland of Persian culture, and known as the center of education and sophistication. It is a romantic city of nightingales; poetry, roses and wine (remember the Australian wine called Shiraz!). Before arriving in Shiraz we will make a detour to visit the amazing site of Bishaboor, including the Sassanian city, the Anahita Temple and the impressive bas reliefs of the Sassanian Kings.
Of the many ancient sites we will visit in Iran, Persepolis is the crown jewel, the most extensive, impressive and inspiring site. It was just a summer capital or possibly a religious shrine of the Achaemenian Kings. After 2,500 years, the site is still overwhelming with its City Walls, Entrance Palace of 100 Columns, Apadana Palace and Staircase, Royal Palaces, Museum, Treasury and Tombs. Nearby we will visit the famous Necropolis (Nagsh-e Rostam) with its incredibly dramatic rock carving of the Royal Tombs of Elamite, Achaemenian and Sassanian Kings. We will also see the four fine Sassanian bas-reliefs at Naghsh-e Rajab from the reign of Ardeshir I and Shapur the Great, before returning to Shiraz. In Shiraz we will spend the afternoon visiting the Tomb of the celebrated poet Hafez and the beautiful Orange Garden (Bagh-e Naranjestan), a pleasant garden with a pool, the Government Palace from the Qajar period which now contains art galleries, and finally the Koran Gate.
This morning we will have an excursion to Firuz Abad, where we will see some interesting Sassanian ruins including the Palace of Ardeshir I, founder of the Sassanian dynasty. As an ancient fire temple, it is interesting to note that this was likely the first dome built on a square building. We will also see a fire tower from which the idea of minarets for mosques was developed. Here we will come across with very colorfully dressed nomadic people crossing the Zagros Mountains. In the afternoon there will be more treasures to explore in Shiraz; one of them is a stroll through the Vakil Bazaar, probably the most famous bazaar in Iran with all kinds of spices, jewelry and carpets; the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, the most beautiful mosque in southern Iran with its unusually deep shade of exquisite tiles; and finally the Mausoleum of Shah-e Cheragh, originally built in 835 and an important Shiite shrine of pilgrimage.
It's time now for a spectacular drive to the desert city of Kerman, which became very famous during the Safavid rule in the 16th and 17th centuries. Kerman is believed to have been founded in the early 3rd century AD by the Sassanian King Ardeshir. From the 7th century it was ruled by Arabs, Seljuks, Turkmen, Mongols and Qajars. We will stop en route in Sarvestan to visit the Mausoleum of Shaiks Yussuf Sarvestanis and the Sassanian Palace of Sarvestan.
Today we will have a side trip to lovely Mahan with its pleasant tree-lined streets, relaxed atmosphere, beautiful palaces, and gardens. Being famous for its fine mausoleums, we will see the Mausoleum of Shah Nematollah Vali who was a Sufi saint and a poet, and died here in 1431. His tomb is an excellent example of the harmony between nature and building that traditional Persian architecture puts such importance on. Shah Nematollah Vali was the founder of a Dervish order, centered in Mahan, which continues to be an active spiritual force in Iran today. The roots of the philosophy they practice dates back to the Achaemenians. The poet spent many years wandering through Central Asia before finally settling in Mahan, which attracted him with its surrounding violet-colored mountains. We will also see Bagh-e Shahzade, a beautiful garden with split-level fountains leading to a large palace which was once the residence of Qajar dynasty. Then we will drive on to Rayen to visit a typical desert fortress, a smaller version of the magnificent citadel in Bam that has been recently destroyed by an earthquake. Once we come back to Kerman, we will visit Ganj Ali Khan Complex, a fascinating museum with wonderful frescos of animals and humans, and a very interesting Bazaar.
After breakfast, our drive to Yazd will take us through many acres of pistachios, with a stop in the city of Fahraj to visit the Jame Mosque, one of the most important mosques in the history of Islamic architecture in Iran.
Upon arrival in Yazd we will check in at our hotel and start to explore the old city and the Bazaar with its covered street. There are many beautiful old buildings from the 18th century, feudal hexagonal houses with elegant wall and window decorations. The weavers of Yazd are famous for their silk brocades which still can be found. Marco Polo stopped here on the way to China and called it the "good and noble city of Yazd". Located in heart of Iran between the Kavir and Lut deserts, it was a major stop on the Silk Road between Central Asia and India. Because of its dry climate, the architecture of Yazd is perhaps the most traditional Persian to be found. The city is dominated by beautifully designed wind towers which cool the private homes and Palaces, public buildings, gardens and pools which were supplied with water by water channels, called Qanate. Yazd also has an interesting mixture of cultures and religions; it is the center of the Zoroastrian religion dating back to 550 BC as the state religion, which faded away with the Arab conquest. Today there are about 400,000 Zoroastrians left in the world, of which about 60,000 live in or around Yazd.
This morning we will start our full day tour of Yazd, which includes: the Jame Mosque with the highest portal and minarets in Iran; the Amir Chakhmaq Square and Amir Chakhmaq Complex with a stunning three-story facade, which is one of the most recognizable and unusual buildings in Iran. From the top we will have a magnificent view of the sun-baked roofs crowned with wind towers. Nearby is the Water Museum which houses ancient qanate equipment and a display of qanate systems showing how it was engineered. Next we will tour Bagh-e Doulat Abad, the residence of the former ruler Karim Khan Zand. Here we can see how the wind towers actually work and cool the pool next to it in its beautiful garden. Then we will head to the Zoroastrian Fire Temple, where the sacred flame has apparently been burning since about 470 AD; and later to the Tower of Silence, the burial site of Zoroastrians. This is a most intriguing historical spot. In accordance with Zoroastrian beliefs about the purity of the earth, dead bodies were not buried in the earth, but left in these uncovered stone towers so that vultures could pick the bones clean. Certainly this is a custom going back to Neolithic times (7000 BC) which was practiced in Catalhoyuk in central Anatolia.
This morning we drive to Esfahan via Naeen and Mohammadiye. In Mohammadiye, a small but very interesting ancient village, we will visit a textile workshop, so interesting that it will remind you of the bible stories of your childhood. And in Naeen, we will tour early Islamic Jameh Mosque and Pir-nia House which was the residence of a former wealthy carpet merchant.
Then it is time to open our arms to Esfahan, the jewel of Iran's cities. Shah Abbas I initiated one of the world's grandest experiments in city planning, moving the capital from Qazvin to Esfahan in 1598 where it remained until 1722. Mosques, palaces, bazaars and public parks were built under the monarch's personal supervision over the next thirty years. The central focus of this fascinating city, which never failed to inspire European merchants and ambassadors to the Safavid court, is the immense rectangular Royal Square. Four jewels of 17th century architecture adorn each side of the square, symbolizing the political, economic, cultural and religious spheres of Safavid Persia.
The whole day will be dedicated to the exploration of Esfahan. We will start with the fascinating Jameh Mosque which provides a bridge between some of the most important periods of Persian history, a veritable museum of Islamic architecture displaying art samples from the 11th - 18th centuries, starting from the stylish simplicity of the Seljuk period, through the Mongol and on to the more baroque Safavid period. We will stroll through the magnificent Royal Square with its impressive buildings such as the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, probably the most beautiful mosque in Iran; the Ali Qapu Palace with some very fine paintings, tiles, and wood carvings; and the Emam Mosque, covered beautifully with colorful tiles.
In the morning our first stop will be at Chehel Sotun Palace (meaning Forty Columns), standing in a very pretty garden with its beautiful frescoes and paintings. There are more fascinating sites coming: the Armenian Vank Cathedral, a great gift of a Safavid ruler, representing beautiful mixture of styles, Islamic tiles and designs alongside with Christian images; the Armenian Museum which has a fine collection of Armenian art and history in Iran; the Shaking Minarets; the Hasht Behesht Palace, famous for its charming mosaics and stalactite moldings, and of course - the landmarks of Esfahan - the bridges over the Zayandeh River, the Pigeon Towers, and the historical Bazaar.
Today we will drive to Hamedan, once a famous silk road city, ancient Ecbatana, the capital of Media, and later the summer residence of the Achaemenian kings because of its high elevation at the foot of Alvan Mountains.
Here we will visit the mausoleums of Esther and Mardochius (Mardocai) and Avicenna famous for his medical knowledge and books of five volumes.
We have still more treasures to find before arriving in Tehran and preparing for our very early morning flight the next day. Our first stop will be at attractive Natanz, which offers a very interesting Jame Mosque. Then we will continue on to the fascinating Abyaneh, once a Zoroastrian village with its magnificent view across the valley, is now under the protection of UNESCO. It is dominated by ochre-colored houses with lattice windows and fragile wooden balconies. Our next stop will be in the attractive, small oasis city of Kashan, which was favorite of Shah Abbas I; he beautified it and asked to be buried there after his death. Here we will visit the Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin or the Fin Garden, a beautiful one which represents classical Persian vision of paradise; and Khan-e Borujerdi, or Broujerdi's House, a former 19th century private residence with a lovely courtyard, flanked by summer and winter houses. We will arrive in Tehran in the evening for our farewell dinner in a traditional local restaurant.
Early this morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to the USA.
We recommend travel insurance.
