Day 1 ~

Depart USA on overnight flight to Europe/Tehran.

 

Day 2 ~
In flight, stopping in Europe to change planes for flight to Tehran.

Day 3 ~ Tehran
After arrival at Tehran Airport and passing through customs and passport control, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  Crowned by 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 Ghajar Dynasty, founded by Agha Mohammad Khan. .

 

Day 4 ~ Tehran
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. Near by is the Museum of Islamic Period with its fine selection of Islamic arts including calligraphy, carpets, ceramics, woodcarving, stone carving, miniatures, brickwork and textiles. Than on to the Carpet Museum, where we will see a collection of the oldest carpets in Iran, with beautiful and elaborate designs. TheGlass & Ceramic Museumis  housed in a beautiful building which dates back to Oajar times and was the home of a prominent Persian family. 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.

 

Day 5 ~ Ahwaz
We will begin our day by exploring theGolestan Complex, built by the Oajar 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 Jewel Museum. Displayed here are some of  the  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 is the Niyavaran Palace Museum, the palace of the last Shah of Iran, sitting in a beautiful garden overlooking downtown Tehran. After a stroll through the famous Tehran Bazaar, we will travel to the airport for our late evening flight to Ahwaz.

Day 6 ~ Ahwaz
This morning we will drive to Choqa Zanbil to visit the well-preserved 2,600 year 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 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 visit the nearby Tomb of Daniel. Our day will finishes with a visit to the pretty town of Shushtar, famous for its ancient Shadorvan and Bande-e Qaisar Bridges from the Sassanian period, and its Qajar water mills.

 

Day 7 ~ Shiraz
Our destination today is the beautiful city of Shiraz, the heartland of Persian culture, and known  as a center of learning 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.

 

Day 8 ~ Shiraz
Of the many ancient sites we will visit in Iran, Persepolis is the crown jewel.  A 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 almost overwhelming, with it’s 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 Elamide, Achaemenian and Sassanian Kings. We will also see the four fine Sassanian bas-reliefs at Naghsh-e Rajab from the regine 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 Gajar period which now contains art galleries, and finally the Koran Gate.

Day 9 ~ Shiraz
This morning we will have an excursion to Firuz Abad, where we will see some interesting Sassanian ruins including the Palace of Ardesir 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 and iwan. We will also see a fire tower from which the idea of minarets for mosques was developed. Here we will also see very colorfully dressed nomadic people crossing the Zagros Mountains. In the afternoon there are more treasures to explore in Shiraz; one of them is a stroll through the Bazar-e Vakil, probably the most famous bazaar in Iran with all kinds of spices, jewels, 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.

 

Day 10 ~ Kerman

Time now for a spectacular drive to the desert city of Kerman, which became very famous during the Savavid rule in the 16th and 17th centuries. Kerman is believed to have been founded in the early 3rd century AD by the Sassanian King Ardesir. 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 ofShaiks Yussuf Sarvestanis and the Sassanian Palace of Sarvestan.

 

Day 11 ~ Kerman
Today we will have a side trip to lovely Mahan with its pleasant tree-lined streets, relaxed atmosphere, beautiful palaces, and gardens. Famous for its fine mausoleums, we will see the Mausoleum of Shah Nematollah Valliwho was a Sufi saint and a poet and who died here in 1431. His tomb is an excellent example of the importance that traditional Persian architecture places on the harmony between nature and building.  Shah Nematollah Valli 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 setting at Mahan where he was taken with the 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 drive on to Rayen to visit a typical desert fortress, a smaller version of the magnificent citadel in Bam that was recently destroyed by an earthquake. Once we return to Kerman again we will visit Ganj Ali Khan Complex, a fascinating museum with wonderful frescos of animals and humans, and a very interesting Bazaar.

 

Day 12 ~ Yazd
After breakfast, our drive to Yazd takes us through many acres of pistachios with a stop in the city of Fahraj to visit the Jame Mosqueof Fahraj, one of the most important mosques in the history of Islamic architecture in Iran. Once in Yazd we will check into our hotel and start to explore the old city and the Bazaar with its covered street. There are many beautiful old buildings from 18th century feudal hexagonal houses with many elegant wall and window decorations. The weavers of Yazd are very 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, 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 which dates back to 550 BC as the state religion and then 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.

 

Day 13 ~ Yazd
This morning we will  start our full day tour of Yazd,  including the Jame Mosque with the highest portal and minarets in Iran and the Amir Chakhmaq Complex in Amir Chakhmaq Square, a stunning three-story façade and one of the most recognizable and unusual buildings in Iran. From the top we will have a magnificent view over the sun-baked roofs crowned with wind towers.  Nearby is the Water Museum which has 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 there is the Zoroastrian Fire Temple where the sacred flame has apparently been burning since about 470 AD, followed by the Tower of Silence, the burial site of Zoroastrian. This is a most intriguing and historical site. 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 time (7000 BC) which was practiced in Catalhoyuk in central Anatolia.

 

Day 14 ~ Esfahan
This morning we will 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. Then on to Naeen, to visit the early Islamic Jameh Mosque and Pir-nia House which was the house of a former wealthy carpet merchant. Than 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 and religious spheres of Safavid Persia.

Day 15 ~ Esfahan
Today we have the pleasure of a full day to explore 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 styles from the 11th to the 18th centuries, from the stylish simplicity of the Seljuk period, through the Mongol period  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 Qapou Palace with some very fine paintings, tiles, and wood carvings;  and the Emam Mosque,  covered  beautifully with colorful tiles. Than it is time for Chehel Sotun Palace (Forth 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 with a curious mixture of styles, Islamic tiles and designs alongside Christian imagery;  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 Peugeot Towers, and the historical Bazaar.

 

Day 16 ~ Tehran  

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 attractive Natanz, with a very interesting Jame Mosque, and than wecontinue on to the fascinating village of Abyaneh, once a Zoroastrian village with its magnificent view across the valley.  Under the protection of UNESCO,  the city is dominated by ochre-colored houses with lattice windows and fragile wooden balconies.Our next stop will be the attractive small oasis city of Kashan, once a favorite of Shah Abbas I who beautified it and asked to be buried there. Here we will visit the Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin or the Fin Garden, a beautiful garden and a classical Persian vision of paradise; and Khan-e Borujerdi, or  Broujerdi’s House, aformer 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. .

Day 17 ~  

Early this morning you will be transferred to the airport for our flight to the USA.