Best tour

Meet your guide at IKA upon arrival and transfer to Tehran for sightseeing. Venture into the history of Persia from Paleolithic times to early settlement in the villages and from the Elamite Empire to the Sassanid Empire at the National Museum of Iran. Then visit the Carpet Museum of Iran to see the best collection of Persian carpets from the 16th century to the present. Transfer to the hotel and rest.

O/N in Tehran Hotel

After having a Persian breakfast, spend the morning exploring the labyrinthine alleys of Tehran Grand Bazaar, the economic heart of Iran. Stop at Haj Ali Darvish Tea House, the world’s smallest tea house, to sample traditional saffron and mint tea. The National Jewelry Treasury, (open from Saturday to Tuesday) houses the priceless and most unique jewelry collection in the world. Then take a guided walk through the extraordinary Golestan Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) dating back to the 16th century). Hear the story of Tehran’s settlement from a small village to a metropolis while visiting the main stunning palaces merging Persian art with European architecture. Transfer to the hotel and rest.

 O/N in Tehran.

This morning, drive south to Kashan. En route to Kashan, stop at the second most religious city in Iran, Qom, to visit Fatima Masumeh Shrine and the museum next to it. Continue your trip to Kashan. Stop at Aran o Bidgol County to explore the Underground City of Nushabad, an elaborate network built in the 2nd century. After lunch, get to know the traditional Persian residential architecture of Borujerdi and Tabatabaei Houses. Visit Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse next to them to learn about the philosophy of Persian Hammam. If time permits, visit the pottery workshop in Kashan. Last but not least, visit Agha Bozorg Mosque and the theological school known as Madrasa, which is still running. O/N in Kashan.

After breakfast, drive toward Abyaneh Village. Enjoy a leisurely walk through the red-mud walls and houses and take pictures of the lovely Abyanaki women wearing traditional costumes. Continue your trip toward Matin Abad Eco-Resort & Organic Farm, have lunch, and camel riding. Resume your trip to Natanz to stop in Natanz to delve into a ceramic workshop. Watch demonstrations of Persian handicrafts and try your hand at creating a piece. Continue to Isfahan, visiting Si-o-se-pol and Khaju Bridges and the nearby area. O/N in Isfahan.

Enjoy the full day exploring Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid Dynasty in the 16th century. Explore Naqsh-e Jahan Square (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the second largest historical square in the world registered as a World Heritage Site. The sightseeing includes Ali Qapu, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Shah Mosque, and Gheysarieh Bazaar. The next must-visit place is Chehel Sotoun Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site), with its magnificent exterior golden muqarnas and interior fresco paintings. In the afternoon, drive to Jolfa, an Armenian district south of the Zayanderud River, to see Vank Cathedral, Iran’s most beautiful cathedral. Finish your day by taking a musical tour at the Isfahan Music Museum that includes a mini-concert performed on Persian musical instruments (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity). O/N in Isfahan

Drive to Nain where you can visit artisans weaving abaya or cloaks in underground rocky workshops (optional visit: carpet weaving workshop). Continue the drive to Chak Chak, the mecca of Zoroastrians and the most sacred place of the first monotheistic religion in the world. After that, resume your trip to Meybod. Visit Meybod Complex, including Shah Abbasi Caravanserai, the Ice House Building, and the Water Reservoir. Our last visiting place is the mud-brick pre-Islamic Narin Castle. Drive toward Yazd, transfer to a hotel, and rest. O/N in Yazd.

Drive toward Shiraz. Discover the exotic desert village of Abarkooh en route and visit the 4000-year-old holy tree of Cypress, another important symbol in the Zoroastrian religion. Continue your trip to Pasargadae (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the liberator of Jews, Master of the World, and Father of Persians. Next, visit Naqsh-e Rostam, the Achaemenid royal necropolis and Sasanian Rock Reliefs. Explore the origins of the greatest empire in the world at the ancient Persepolis (UNESCO World Heritage Site), once frequented by Cyrus, Xerxes, and Darius. Continue to Shiraz and take part in a Persian cooking class. O/N in Shiraz.

In the morning, take a rainbow shower in Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque. Stroll through the two magnificent Persian gardens of Naranjestan Qavam and Eram Garden (UNESCO World Heritage Site), which are filled with the enticing aroma of orange blossoms. Visit the tomb of Hafez, one of the greatest poets of Persia. On the walking tour in the evening, see Vakil Hammam, Vakil Bazaar, and Karim Khan Citadel, dating back to the 18th century. Last but not least, visit Shah Cheragh transfer to a hotel, and rest.

O/N in Shiraz.

Transfer to the airport. The end of the tour