13-Day Iran Tour: From Classic Iran To the Sunny Islands

Welcome to Iran! Meet us at Imam Khomeini Airport of Tehran and get transferred to your accommodation.

Overnight: Tehran

Optional: Beside your city tour, you can discover the nights of the capital with a Tehran Night walk.

Dedicate this day to Iran’s top museums and museum palaces in the capital. Visit the National Museum of Iran, the fancy Golestan Palace (UNESCO Heritage), and the beautiful glassware and ceramic in Abgineh Museum of Tehran instead). Later on, check out the world-acclaimed Persian carpets in the Carpet Museum of Tehran. Overnight: Tehran

Hit the road from Tehran to find the historical town of Kashan (around 247 km). Find the finest examples of traditional Persian architecture at the highlights of Kashan. Start with the house of an aristocratic family: Tabatabaei House. Then check out another aristocratic house of the city: Borujerdi House. Also, find the intricate beauty of the historically significant Fin Garden (UNESCO-listed Persian Garden).

Overnight: Kashan

Get a ride from Kashan to Isfahan (around 209 km). Then check out the elegant architecture of Chehel Sotoun Palace (UNESCO heritage) and the 17^th century Hasht Behesht edifice. Nearby, discover Persian music and instruments and enjoy a live performance of Iranian music at the Music Museum of Isfahan. Finally, enjoy a walk across the romantic destination of the city: Si-o-se-Pol Bridge.

Overnight:Isfahan

The well-known highlights of Isfahan, the hub of Islamic architecture, expect you with their admired beauty. Visit the UNESCO-listed Naqshe-e Jahan Square (including Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Shah Mosque, Ali Qapu palace, Qeysarie Gate and the Grand Bazaar). Also, discover Jolfa, the atmospheric Armenian quarter of Isfahan and its gorgeous 17^th century Vank Cathedral.

Overnight:Isfahan

Optional:Beside the city tour, you can treat yourself to a unique and relaxing experience at one of Iran’s Traditional Hammams (bathhouses)! As a relic of an Islamic city of the good old days, a Persian Hammam with its special massage and rituals is both a relieving experience and a treat to your eyes with its tasteful architecture.

Have a road trip from Isfahan to Yazd (around 320 km). On your way there, stop by the historical charms of Meybod.  Your stop there will bring you to the rare architecture of its historical Pigeon Tower! Also visit Shah Abbasi Caravanserai and the historical Icehouse of Meybod.

Overnight: Yazd

Optional: In the evening, you can enjoy dinner beside a Zoroastrian Family and explore Zoroastrian culture and lifestyle. This ancient Persian belief, which has influenced cultures beyond Iran’s borders, has its majority of followers in Yazd and its surrounding villages.

Duration: 2-3 hours

Welcome to the city of wind towers and Zoroastrian relics. The historic city of Yazd treats you to its unique desert architecture and Zoroastrian sites. Begin the day by exploring the beauties of the iconic Amir Chakhmaq Square, getting familiar with Persian heroic rituals (intangible UNESCO heritage) at a Zurkhaneh (ancient Iranian sport club), and discovering the hidden world of Persian waterways in one of Iran’s top water museums: Yazd Water Museum. Also, enjoy the peaceful Fire Temple of Yazd where a sacred flame has been burning for more than 1500 years. Plus, head to the Towers of Silence, and get introduced to Zoroastrians burial rituals. Finally, find the world’s tallest wind tower among the other charming spectacles of Dowlat Abad Garden (UNESCO-listed Persian Garden).

Overnight: Yazd

Optional 1:Beside the city tour, you can also explore the interesting secrets of Qanat system (Persian ancient water system) at a UNESCO-listed Qanat

Duration: 0.5- 1.5 hours

Get an attraction-packed ride from Yazd to Shiraz (around 440 km). On your way, pay a visit to Cyrus the Great’s burial place at the remains of his Pasargadae (UNESCO-listed Persian Garden). At lunchtime, enjoy unique dishes at a traditional ecolodge. Then, continue your way toward Shiraz. In Shiraz, end the day with enjoying the romantic atmosphere of the Tomb of Hafez.

Overnight: Shiraz

Optional:Why not join us for a pleasant exploration of the Nights of Shiraz after your city tour?

Today is the day of the adorable aura and the lovely attractions of Shiraz. Begin the day with the colorful dance of colors in the photogenic Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque (also known as the Pink Mosque), then move on to check out the elegance of the historical house of aristocrats, Qavam House, and the historic Eram Garden (UNESCO-listed Persian Garden). After that, the impressive relics of Zand Dynasty will expect you at the historical Vakil Complex (including the Bath and the Bazaar). Finally, end the day with enjoying the romantic atmosphere of the mausoleum one of Iran’s top Sufi classic poets: the Tomb of Hafez.

Overnight: Shiraz

Optional 1: Beside your city tour, you can pick up the secrets of Persian cuisine with a Culinary Experience. Dig into the delicious layers of Persian culture by exploring Persian cooking and enjoy the taste and aroma of unique dishes.

Optional 2: In the evening, you can also enjoy the rare experience of a Night Gathering with a Shirazi Family. Being guests to one of the world’s most hospitable nations, enjoying homemade meals cooked with love, and discovering Persian customs in the warmth of an Iranian family is just unforgettable!

Duration: 2-4 hours

Have a short ride to two of Iran’s most treasured ancient relics and its 2500-year-old mementos of its golden era: Persepolis (UNESCO) and Naqsh-e Rostam Necropolis. Then head back to Shiraz to catch a flight to Bandar Abbas. From there, get a ferry ride to Qeshm Island (UNESCO Geopark).

Overnight: Qeshm Island

In the amazingly biodiverse Qeshm Island, you’ll witness amazing wonders of nature, listen to mysterious local stories behind some places and walk through traditional architectural treasures. You can visit the following depending on your group’s interests and capabilities and the time. Xorbas Cave, a pre-Islamic mystery at the heart of mountain. The winding cave architecture of tunnels, multiple chambers and lovely springs of Xorbas and the stories behind it leave you amazed. To add even more to the wonder, the Valley of Stars is there! Walk down the pillared paths in this otherworldly valley that locals believe was created by the crash of a star. To get a panoramic view of Hara Mangrove Forests and Northern coastline of the Persian Gulf, get a ride or climb up to the top of the vastest plateau in the island, the Roof of Qeshm, Also visit Namakdan Mountain, a salt-striped giant which nests one of the longest salt caves of the world with fragile salt icicles, salt streams, a range of colors and an adorable spring. Get familiar with the cultural aspect of Qeshm: the historical sight of Laft, a village of Badgirs (wind towers), minarets, meandering narrow streets and a domed Abanbar (water reservoir). To see the last piece of the traditional sustainable architecture and engineering of the natives, also visit Tela Wells, a collection of historical wells dug to store sweet water. Off to Hara Sea Forests where we catch a sweet sight of Qeshm morning sun over the trees that have their roots in water and listen to the beautiful symphony of the wildlife.  It’s high tide, so sit back on the boat and lose yourself in the stunning view of the trees partially hidden under the salty seawater. Isn’t it more stunning to know that their lovely entangled roots reappear completely at low tide? Check out the unusual atmosphere of Chahkooh Valley. Lack of plant life and the extraordinary sight of the shapes amazingly formed by the craftsmanship of wind, water and soil will leave you speechless. Also, please your eyes with the beauty of the Silver Beach. And, the local culture will charm you at the Museum and Gallery of Dr. Ahmad Nadealian.

Overnight: Qeshm Island

Optional: Beside the island tour, experience a live performance of the cheerful folk music of the south, dress up as a native and get to know the culture.

Get transferred from Qeshm to Hormuz Island. The amazingly colorful Qeshm Island will impress you with its mysterious valleys and other attractions. In Hormuz, find the beautiful leftover of the Colonial age of the Island, the Portuguese Castle. The Turtles Beach, where you overlook the eye-catching seascape and even have the chance to check out the large turtles is also on today’s list. Also, soak in the rare scenery of the Red Beach where you can find red soil on the mountain, beachline and even water. Plus, visit the Valley of Statues, where the magical look of human-like and animal-like figures sculpted by nature give you a sense of awe. Setting foot on the colorful carpet of the Rainbow Valley is another gorgeous plan for the day. Also, get cozy in the serene Valley of Silence that has long been a shelter for meditation. The valley is home to Meditation Cave, a pure stalagmite-and-stalactite-filled salt cave; a place that can clean your chakras and balance your energy. Our next wonderland is the Salty Goddess, a naturally-sculpted rainbow salt mountain.  Also, say hello to Shoor Valley, the grandpa of valleys in Hormuz, where we can trace the most long-standing deposit layers.

Overnight: Hormuz Island

Get back from Hormuz to Bandar Abbas via ferry. From there, have a flight to Tehran and get transferred to Imam Khomeini Airport to catch a flight back home.