Ancient Iran and the Lut Desert

We are going on a trip to one of the most mysterious countries in the world. Iran attracts travelers from all over the world. Here are harmoniously combined monuments of antiquity and modernity, cultures of different eras and religions. In 11 days we will try to plunge into this unusual and bright world.

We will visit the most memorable cities of Iran - Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and Kerman. We spend the night in the hottest place on Earth – the desert of Lot. We will make a trip to the ancient world - the capital of the great Darius - Persepolis. Get acquainted with the life of local residents in non-tourist villages. This distinctive, safe, populated by friendly and open people country does not leave anyone indifferent.

What awaits you:

• 11 Days of Travel in Iran
• Comfortable hotels
• Jeep tour to the hottest place on Earth
• Overnight in the desert
• Visit to the Zoroastrian Fire Temple
• The city destroyed by Alexander the Great
• Immersion in the culture of the ancient country: musical performance on local instruments and attending a training session on ancient Iranian wrestling
• Visit both the most interesting cities of Iran and little-known places
• Support from the first day by a local Russian-speaking guide
  

  Day 1

  Beginning of adventure

  Meeting of participants at the airport in Tehran. Today we will go to the south of Iran, to the city of Shiraz. On the way to the regional airport, we will visit the square, where one of the symbols of Tehran is located - the Azadi Tower. The flight to the city of Shiraz takes about an hour. We'll check in late at night.

  Day crossing - 45 km.

  Day 2

  shiraz

  Shiraz, which has existed for about 4000 years, is known as the city of poets, flowers and wine. Here lived and worked great Persian poets Saadi and Hafiz. In the morning we will go on a sightseeing tour of the city. Let’s start with a visit to the Vakil complex – the historical center of Shiraz, which includes an ancient fortress, a market and a bathhouse. We will visit the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, which is known for its multi-colored stained glass windows. We will also walk through the Narenjestan mansion with a beautiful garden and fountains. After lunch we will visit the grave of the classic Persian poetry Hafiz, buried in this city. In the evening we will visit the mosque of Ali ibn Hamza, known for its unique mirror vault and return to the hotel.

  Day 3

  persepolis

  Today we will visit one of the most magnificent sights of Iran – Persepolis. The ancient capital of Persia is located 50 km from Shiraz. Destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, the city has retained its former grandeur. Not far from Persepolis is Naqsh-e-Rustam - a complex of tombs of Persian kings of different eras, starting from Darius I. The tour will take all day. We'll be back in Shiraz tonight. Hotel check-in.

  Day crossing - 100 km.
  

  Day 4

  Kerman

  On this day we are going to Kerman. On the way, we will stop at the Sassanid palace near the city of Sarvestan. This building of the V century AD was included in the UNESCO list in 2018. It is still unknown whether it was used as a governor’s residence, a place of hunting feasts or a Zoroastrian fire temple. Visit the Jame Mosque in Neyriz, one of the oldest mosques in Iran. It was originally a temple of fire before Islam came to Iran. In the evening we will arrive in Kerman and check into a hotel.

  Day crossing - 580 km.

  Day 5

  Loot Desert

  Today we're going to the Loot Desert. In 2005, the highest temperature on Earth was recorded here - + 70.7 ° C. In the morning we will visit Shazde Garden in Mahan, 35 kilometers from Kerman. The 5.5-hectare UNESCO-protected garden is located in Iran’s arid desert. Its secret is in a unique system of underground tunnels - kariz, which deliver water from the height of Mount Tigran directly to the garden. We will stop at the mud fortress of Raen, built of raw brick in the V century AD. This fortress stretches over 20 hectares, has a wall height of 10 meters, and inside it is an abandoned city. Despite frequent earthquakes, the buildings are well preserved to this day. After lunch, we head to the Lut Desert, known primarily for its impressive sand pillars, mushrooms and other bizarre shapes created by the wind over millions of years. After settling, we will go to explore the desert on SUVs. In the evening we will return to the hotel in the heart of the desert.

  Day crossing - 200 km.

  Day 6

  yazd

  We're going to Yazd in the morning. Located between the deserts of Kavir and Lut, far from the major cities, it immediately immerses in the atmosphere of the ancient city. On the way we will rest in the garden of Pahlavanpur. It is among the nine Persian gardens on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Once in Yazda, we will visit the traditional gymnasium, which practices the ancient sport of Varzesh-e Pahlavan. It is a complex of physical exercises, wrestling and gymnastics, which have been practiced in Iran for more than two thousand years. We'll check in tonight.

  Day crossing - 380 km.

  Day 7

  yazd

  Yazd is primarily known as one of the cultural centers of Zoroastrianism. In the morning we will go to the Towers of Silence. It is a complex of two towers that served as a Zoroastrian burial ritual. Its essence was that the bodies of the dead were left on the top of the tower, where they were eaten by scavengers. Then we will visit Atashhadeh, the fire temple of the Iranian Zoroastrians, where the sacred fire is kept, which has been burning for more than 1500 years. After lunch we will go to the museum of water, where we will learn about the methods of water extraction in the city, located in the desert. In the evening we will be in the center of the city, famous for its unique architecture. A distinctive feature of the city are wind towers - bugdiers, which cool the air in the room. Come back to the hotel tonight.

  Day 8

  Moving to Isfahan

  Today we're going to Isfahan. In the afternoon we will stop in the city of Maybod, visit the local caravanserai, the Dove Tower (for several thousand pigeons) and the Narin Castle, built more than two thousand years ago. In the evening we will arrive in Isfahan, one of the most interesting cities in Iran. After checking into the hotel, we will go to the city center, walk along the bridges of the XVII century and relax in the teahouse, watching the life of the old city. Come back to the hotel tonight.

  Day crossing - 350 km.

  Day 9

  isfahan

  Today we are going on an excursion to the city center. We will find ourselves in Naqsh-e-Jahan Square, the largest city square in the world, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square contains the main attractions of Isfahan - the mosques of Imam and Sheikh Lotfollah - one of the largest mosques in the world, recognized masterpieces of Persian Islamic architecture. Then we will go to the Isfahan Bazaar – the longest covered bazaar in the world, a two-kilometer street of shops and shops with more than five hundred years of history. Now it is one of the main attractions of Isfahan. In the evening we will attend a small concert of live music with traditional Persian musical instruments.

  Day 10

  Kashan

  Today we are returning to Tehran. In the afternoon we will stop in Abyaneh village with its unique architecture. The houses here are built in the form of a stepped staircase, when the roof of the lower house is also a courtyard for the upper one. Here the locals have a special, characteristic only for this village, style of clothing. Locals continue the tradition of hand weaving and dress in traditional costumes. For lunch we will stop in the city of Kashan, famous for the well-preserved mansions of ancient merchants of the XIX century. Walk through Shah Fin Garden, one of the oldest gardens in Iran. In the evening we will stay in a 4-star hotel near the airport.

  Day crossing - 450 km.

  Day 11

  Airport transfer

  Today is the last day of our program. Direct flights to Moscow depart early in the morning. Those who want to stay longer in Tehran can visit the capital’s main bazaar.

• escorting a guide from arrival in Tehran
• transfers airport - hotel - airport (in case of arrival and departure with the main group)
• Tehran-Shiraz flight
• tours
• accommodation in hotels within the route
• Breakfast at the hotel (the last day departure at 7 am, so there will be no breakfast)
• Accompanying a local Russian-speaking guide throughout the program
• entrance tickets to museums and attractions within the route
• health insurance
• kit