Classic Iran Tour

Day 1: Tehran
Arrive at Tehran International Airport. Meet and assist at the airport by the local guide.
Transfer to hotel for overnight.

Day 2: Tehran – Shiraz
Full day tour of Tehran, including the Archaeological Museum, the Glass and Ceramic Museum, and the Carpet Museum. Fly to Shiraz and transfer to your hotel. Visit the Mausoleum of Shah-e-Cheragh. Overnight.

Day 3: Shiraz (Persepolis and Naqsh-e-Rostam, 80 km)
Today we have an excursion to Persepolis. Persepolis, which literally means “City of Persians,” was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BC). We will also visit Naqsh-e-Rostam, where there are many historical ruins from the Achaemanian, Elamite, and Sassanian eras. After we drive back to Shiraz, in the afternoon we will visit Eram Garden, now also known as the Botanical Garden of Shiraz, which will delight you with its beautiful flowers, decorative plants, and its amazing edifice. We will also visit the Tomb of Hafez (14th century AD), who was one of the most famous poets of Iran and the world; the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque; the Narenjestan Museum; and Vakil Bazaar.

Day 4: Shiraz – Kerman (570 km)
Today begins with a drive to Kerman, en route visiting the Sassanian Palace in Sarvestan. This large monument is made of stone and has three domes with many rooms. The ornaments and carvings on top of the interior doorways are similar to those in Takht-e-Jamshid. We will also visit the Friday Mosque of Neyriz. Upon arrival in Kerman, transfer to the hotel for overnight.

Day 5: Kerman – Mahan – Bam – Kerman (200 km)
In the morning, we drive to Bam and visit Bam Citadel, which was established in the Sasanian Period (224 to 651 AD) and is situated on top of an artificial hill in the northwest quadrant of the old city of Bam. Return to Kerman via the small green city of Mahan, where we will visit the mausoleum of Shah-Nematollah-Vali, the renowned Iranian mystic and poet (deceased 1431). In 1436, a shrine was erected in his honor and became a pilgrimage site. On the way back to Kerman,we pay a visit to the Bagh-e-Shazdeh (Prince Garden), near Mahan, which is built in the traditional style of the late 1900’s. The garden consists of pools in a terraced fashion. Transfer to the hotel for overnight.

Day 6: Kerman – Yazd
In the morning, we will visit Ganj-Ali-Khan, a Safavid-era building complex, located in the old center of Kerman. The complex is composed of a school, a square, a caravanserai, a bathhouse, an Ab Anbar (water reservoir), a mint, a mosque, and a bazaar. We will also visit the Friday Mosque of Kerman and Jabalieh Dome. In the afternoon, we will drive to Yazd, en route visiting a 17th century Caravanserai. Upon arrival in Yazd, you will be transferred to your hotel for overnight.

Day 7: Yazd (367 km)
Today we have a full day of sightseeing in Yazd, including a visit to Cheel Ghar (Hindi), or the “Tower of Silence”, as it is known in English. Cheel Ghar is a circular, raised structure, which was used by Zoroastrians to expose the dead, particularly for scavenging birds. We will also see the 12th-century Friday Mosque of Yazd, which was first built under Ala’oddoleh Garshasb of the Al-e Bouyeh Dynasty and is still in use today. The mosque was largely rebuilt between 1324 and 1365 and is one of the truly outstanding 14th-century buildings in Iran. The sightseeing tour also includes: the old district of Yazd; the holy Zoroastrian Fire Temple; and the Dowlat-Abad Garden, a precious and authentic example of Persian architecture, which attracts thousands of domestic and foreign tourists annually. We continue to visit the Mir-Chakhmaq Complex, which consists of a square, a bath, some caravansaries, a monastery, a pastry house, a water well, and most importantly, the old Bazaar. Transfer to the hotel for overnight.

Day 8: Yazd – Isfahan (318 km)
In the morning, we will drive to Isfahan, en route visiting the Friday Mosque of Na’in, one of the oldest mosques in Iran. We also visit the Friday Mosque of Ardestan, one of the best-preserved of the major Saljuq mosques in Iran. After arrival in Isfahan, transfer to the hotel for overnight.

Day 9: Isfahan
Our full-day sightseeing tour of Isfahan includes visits to Khajou and Sio-se-Pol Bridges, two of the eleven bridges that cross the Zayandeh River in Isfahan (Esfahan). Six of these bridges are modern constructions, but the other five crossings date from the Safavid Period and earlier, as is the case of the Shahrestan Bridge. We will also visit Vank Church, the Friday Mosque of Isfahanthe, and Chehel-Sotun Palace (a palace of 40 pillars), located in a vast beautiful garden of 60,000 square meters. Next, we will go to Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, which is a museum of Islamic architecture and still a working mosque, where you can see and compare 800 years of Islamic design. Next, we visit Ali’s Minaret and Mosque, which was originally constructed during the Seljuik period and was renovated during the Safavid Dynasty. Finally, we will see Hasht-Behesht Palace, dating back to 1660, and the most important building built during the time of Shah Suleiman Safavid.

Day 10: Isfahan
Today we will have another full-day tour of Isfahan. We will visit the Imam Mosque, built during the Safavids Period, which is an excellent example of Islamic architecture and considered a masterpiece of Persian architecture. We will continue on to Ali-Qapu Palace, one of the most magnificent palaces of 17th century; and then to Sheikh-Lotfollah Mosque, another Safavid Iranian architectural masterpiece, which stands on the eastern side of Naghsh-i Jahan Square. Finally we will visit the old Bazaar, the shaking minarets (built in 1316), and the ruins of a Sassanian Fire Temple. Transfer to the hotel and overnight.

Day 11: Isfahan – Tehran (451 km)
In the morning, we will drive to Tehran, en route stopping at the old town of Kashan to visit the Friday Mosque of Natanz and Aqha-Bozorg Mosque, a historical mosque, built in the late 18th century as a theological school (Madrasah). We will have a short stop at the House of Boroujerdies, a historic house built in 1857; and the Fin Garden, a historical Persian garden. Continue to Tehran for overnight at your hotel.

Day 12: Departure from Tehran
Transfer to Tehran International Airport for departure.

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