12 Day Iran Tour Wonders of Persia

After a short rest in the hotel our full-day tour of Tehran begins with a visit to the Golestan Palace with a magnificent interior space created of all mirror work. Next we visit a number of fabulous museums: National Museum of Iran; Glass & Ceramics Museum (with its curved stairway, mirrored walls and ceilings displaying a collection of glassware from difference ages and places); and possibly Treasury of National Jewelry Museum (a stunning collection of jewels with the sense of history they convey including diamonds, rubies, pearls, sapphires, emeralds, etc.).

The second full-day city tour is also dedicated to the sights of Tehran beginning with a visit to the Sa’dabad Complex (where you enjoy strolling in a green surrounding, moving amongst palaces and palace museums that recount a story in their scattered way).

Next, we take a look at the complex of Niavaran (the monuments of which belong to the Qajar and the Pahlavi periods).

At the end of today’s tour, we are going to visit the Carpet Museum (an astonishing collection of ancient, remarkably intricate carpets in a building which is itself an impeccable example of modern architectural design).

Today starts with a morning flight to Yasuj where we are going to have a full-day Tour in Zagros Range including Margon Waterfall (flowing through rocks in Margoon valley from a height of 70 meters in a region of 100-meter width).

The natural condition of Margoon Wild trees which have grown on the steep slopes of the valley, the high mountains and massive rocks multiply the magnificence and beauty of the area around the waterfall. (We h ave a traditional lunch with nomads in spring and summer and spend a few hours with them). We then drive to Shiraz arriving at night.

In the morning we start our full-day excursion aiming at visiting three astonishing sites: Persepolis which still clearly expressing the eminence of the Persian Empire as it was nearly 2,500 years ago; Naqsh-e Rustam that is a standout amongst the most marvelous and dazzling old locales of the Achaemenid Empire (including the enormous tombs of Persian kings going back to the first millennium B.C.), and Pasargadae, the home to the Tomb of Cyrus the Great and the heart of ancient Iran without which there could never be anything named Persian Empire.

Today is dedicated to the beauty of Shiraz City. We are going to walk through Zandieh Complex (the citadel, Pars Museum, the marvelous Vakil Mosque, Vakil Bazaar and Saray-e-Moshir) and the Nasir Almolk Mosque (with the beautiful patterns made by sunlight streaming in the morning through the stained glass windows on the blue tiles).

In the afternoon, we’ll see an eye-catching example of Persian Garden— Eram Garden—, and the Tomb of one of the most famous Iranian poets— Hafez. We end our tour by visiting Ali Ibn Hamzeh Shrine and Quran Gate.

Moving from Shiraz to Kerman (580km), we’ll have a plan to visit the Sassanid Palace at Sarvestan located 90 km southeast of Shiraz (we may have also time to visit the Salt Lake on the way).

The Sarvestan Palace with several domes, terraces, rooms, and corridors is one of the best samples of Sasanian architecture made up of plaster and stone and dominates a massive, empty plain.

The entire complex covers a 25-hecatre plot of an area in the midst of a plain 9 kilometers south of Sarvestan town. We’ll arrive in Kerman in the evening.

Today we’ll have a half-day tour of Kerman visiting The Ganjali Khan Complex (square, Bathhouse, bazaar, Caravanserai, and Mosque) before going on an excursion to visit Mahan, Rayen, and Shahdad.

We will visit Shazdeh Garden in Mahan (35 Km) located as an oasis in the desert. Next, we see Rayen Castle (104 km), one of the world’s largest brick structures dating back to the Sassanid era. We then continue to reach Shahdad Kalout (desert) with eye-catching formations built by the disintegration of compacted sand.

We are going to drive to Yazd early in the morning visiting Zein-o-Din Caravanserai on the way.

Located just off the main road to Yazd, it resembles an old fort sitting in the middle of nowhere. Once inside, however, it makes you feel like you have walked into another time, with traditional designs and materials combined with modern facilities.

We’ll start our half day tour of Yazd in the afternoon visiting the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence (built for the purpose of burial ritual in the past). We then visit Zoroastrian Fire Temple and its Sacred Eternal Flame.

While driving to Esfahan 250 km away we’ll make a few stops to visit Chak Chak (the well-known Zoroastrian’s Pantheon), the old Caravanserai, Ice House (built close to natural sources of winter ice and used to store ice during the year) and Pigeon Tower (utilized for genuine organic farming) in Meybod.

Next we take a look at Jame Mosque, a decent sample of Islamic Persian Architecture in Nain, reaching our destination in the afternoon. Soaking up the atmosphere during the evening, we’ll stroll by the river to see the historical bridges.

In the morning we are going to see the UNESCO World Heritage site Naqsh-e Jahan Square, the starting point for a number of stunning sightsstylish Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Imam Mosque (a splendid example of tile work, stone carving, and architecture), and Ali Qapu Palace. After lunch, we’ll explore the UNESCO World Heritage site, Chehel Sotoun Palace (an architectural masterpiece standing inside a large royal park).

Next, we’ll visit the Persian Bazaar to be introduced to Iranian handicrafts and workshops.

Our full-day tour in Shiraz starts by strolling through Zandieh Complex (the citadel, the great Vakil Mosque, Saray-e-Moshir, and Vakil Bazaar) with its superb design and the Nasir Almolk Mosque.

During the evening, we will see one of the most appealing and grand greenery gardens of Iran, Eram Garden, and the Tomb of two of the most renowned Iranian poets Hafez and Saadi. Then the tour ends by going to Ali Ibn Hamzeh Shrine (with mirror tiles covering the whole wall and domed roof) and Quran Gate.

Today, we drive to Tehran via Abyaneh, Kashan, and Qom (505 km). Set on the slope of the mountain, Abyaneh is like a living architectural museum. It affords an impressive example of the adaptation of man with his surroundings.

Next, we make a few stops in Kashan to visit one of the most elegant houses (for example, Borujerdis House, Ameri House, and Tabatabaei House) with impeccable detailing (that makes them classic samples of Iranian residential architecture) and the historical Mosque of Agha Bozorg. We then visit Fin Garden (a truly green oasis in desert landscape).