Jewels of Western Iran

Welcome to Iran! Transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon (variable schedule based on arrival flights), we will begin the visit to TEHRAN, the capital of the country, a modern city with almost ten million inhabitants. We enter the Tajrish Bazar, a small and active bazaar full of activity and life. Inside we visit the Imamzadeh Saleh Sanctuary, one of the most popular Shiite shrines in Iran, magnificent blue architecture, dedicated to a descendant of the prophet. Tehran is on the slope of the Alborz Mountain range, some peaks exceed 5000 meters, and at its foot - on the edge of Tehran - is DARBAND VILLAGE, with its mountain atmosphere, its waterfalls, its green paths, its numerous Tea houses and its restaurants. Dinner included.Note: If the arrival time of your flight is after 5 p.m., you will not be able to attend the activities planned for this day.

We include a visit (with guide and tickets included) to the great metropolis. We begin by going to the 437 meters high MILAD TOWER, its views are impressive (if it´s a foggy day with low visibility, instead of the Milad Tower we will go to the Azadi Tower). We visit the National Museum, the largest historical and archaeological museum in the country, where we can learn more about this land, the cradle of civilizations. Afterwards, we visit the Golestan Palace, declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, a site of palaces and gardens which construction began in the 16th century. Lunch included. In the afternoon, we will visit the National Jewelry Museum, property of the central bank, an amazing collection of precious stones and metals, highlighting the “peacock throne” and the “earth globe”. Free time; we will drop you off in the Grand Bazaar area, with its many covered streets, alleys and hundreds of shops.Note: Sometimes the jewelry museum is not open, in that case, we would visit the carpet museum that shows Persian carpets, some from the 16th century.

After breakfast we leave for the west of Iran, a magnificent highway takes us to QAZVIN in about two hours. We are in one of the oldest cities in Iran, it is also known as "Little Isfahan" due to the similar structures built by the Safavid kings in both cities. It is also considered the capital of Iranian calligraphy. During our visit, we will visit the Atiq Mosque - one of the oldest mosques in Iran -, we will visit the Aminiha House - a luxurious 19th century home - and the Chehel Sotoun Palace (the calligraphy museum is located here) - with its beautiful gardens, the monumental Ali Qapu Gate, in the Mausoleum of Hamdollah Mostofi geographer and historian of the 14th century and the magnificently restored ancient Caravanserai. Lunch included. In the afternoon we continue our route, we cross the mountain range that separates the interior of Iran with the Caspian Sea, mountains, forests, green landscapes take us to RASHT, arrival at the end of the day to the largest Iranian city in the Caspian area. Afterwards, we have time for a stroll through its traditional bazaar and the Mohtasham garden (the city park).

We continue our tour in the Caspian region, BANDAR ANZALI is a port city (24 meters below sea level - the Caspian is actually an inland lake -, we visit the Russian bazaar and we will include a boat ride through the Anzali lagoon inhabited by numerous birds. Afterwards, we cross again the mountain range with its beautiful green landscapes and large forests so different from other regions of Iran. Lunch included. We stop at THE CRYSTAL HANGING BRIDGE in Hir, a very popular excursion place for Iranians; we will enjoy the landscapes of this place. At the end of the afternoon, we arrive at SAR-EYN, a thermal city very close to Arabil, a lively touristic place full shops and restaurants. Do you dare to bathe in one of the pools? Hot Springs?

After breakfast, we will leave to ARDABIL, an Iranian city of Azeri culture very close to the border with Azerbaijan. We visit here the Mausoleum of Sheikh Safi al-Din: This historical site houses the tomb of the religious leader and Sufi poet, Sheikh Safi al-Din. It is an important pilgrimage site and an impressive example of Islamic architecture, declared a World Heritage Site. We also visit the anthropology museum, with its traditional bath. Later we have some time in its beautiful covered bazaar and city center. Lunch included. After lunch we travel to TABRIZ, arriving at the end of the afternoon to the most important city in eastern Iran, capital of the eastern Azerbaijan region, located in a fertile valley, due to its location it has had influence and has been inhabited by people from all over the world. Middle East (Armenians, Azeri’s, Georgians, Kurds, Persians, Turks, Arabs...); the majority of its population is Azeri speaking. At night, we will walk through EL-GOLI PARK, a pleasant park with a large lagoon in the center surrounded by small restaurants -dinner included.

We visit TABRIZ, a city with just over one and a half million inhabitants. We will visit the blue mosque, built in the 15th century but badly damaged in an earthquake; we will visit the Azerbaijan museum where we will learn about its collections from different periods. We will also pass in front of the mausoleum of the poets, where we learn about the rich cultural heritage in poetry that Iran and Arg-e-Alishah have - remains of the great fortress and walls that the city had. At the end of the morning we will leave the city, a little less than an hour away KANDOVAN, a very picturesque mountain town, for more than 800 years its inhabitants have resided in troglodyte homes, it reminds us of the Cappadocia region in Turkey. Lunch included. In the afternoon we return to TABRIZ, you will have plenty of free time to visit the BAZAAR, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the largest covered bazaar in the world, important for centuries because it is located on the Silk Road (cited by Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta), the carpet area stands out.

After breakfast, just over two hours separate us from JOLFA, a small city on the border with Azerbaijan, historically inhabited by Armenians. We will visit the SAINT STEPANOS MONASTERY, an Armenian monastery declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, built in the 9th century (rebuilt after an earthquake in the 17th century). We also visit the Choopan chapel, walled under ocher mountains, and also a world heritage site, the Khaje Nazar Caravanserai, lunch included. A time for a walk next to the very pleasant Ruined Mill waterfalls. Free time.

We travel south through Iranian Azerbaijan. We will stop in KHOY, a city that houses the tomb of Shams Tabrizi, a 13th century Persian mystic, poet and philosopher. We continue our trip to URMIA, in this city inhabited over 4000 years ago, legend says that Zoroaster was born here and that one of the wise men was buried here. The city located near the largest lake in Iran, with salt water and presenting vivid contrasts in its colors. We visit Urmia, a city known for its religious and ethnic diversity, home to a significant population of Christians, Orthodox, Chaldeans and the Assyrian community. We will visit some of its churches: Naneh Maryam Church was built in the 3rd century, being the oldest Christian temple in Asia. We also visit Maserkis church and Seh Gombad, a cylindrical tower from the 12th century and the Friday mosque.

We continue our route towards the south, near the city of Naghade, we visit the archaeological site of TEPE HASANLOO, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the remains of this ancient citadel date back to 7000b.C.. A fabulous gold vase with reliefs of chariots and soldiers dating back almost 3,000 years was discovered here (now in a museum in Tehran). We continue towards the SAHOLAN CAVE, we visit it by boat since most of its surface is covered with water. Lunch included.We continue through Kurdistan Iran, we will arrive at its capital SANANDAJ mid-afternoon, free time to walk around the city. Dinner included.

After breakfast we continue our route, about two and a half hours of distance take us to one of the oldest cities in the world: HAMADAN, today a pleasant provincial capital of more than half a million inhabitants, located at almost two thousand meters high. A cooler climate than other regions. We begin our visit in GANJNAMEH, five kilometers from the city, at the foot of a large mountain, this place is historical and recreational, in a beautiful landscape among trees, rocks, a river and a waterfall we can see the ancient cuneiform inscriptions from the 5th century b.C. engraved in rock. Time for a walk by the waterfall. We include (sometimes closed for weather or other reasons) the cable car that takes us up to the mountain where we have a magnificent view (in winter it is often snowy). Lunch included. After lunch, we visit the museum of the war with Iraq, a monumental and magnificent museum that exposes the Iranian vision of the war with Iraq. We cannot help but wish for peace on our planet. After that, we visit the archaeological site of Hegmataneh, remains and a museum about the city that existed at this point 2800 years ago. Already in the center of the city we visit the Mausoleum-museum of Avicenna, this Persian genius, doctor, philosopher, astronomer and scientist who wrote almost 300 books is buried here, his contributions in medicine stand out, the novel tells us about this wise man/ movie “the doctor”. We will also pass by the place where the tomb of Baba Taher (11th century poet) is located and the garden square where a large statue of a Lion made in the time of Alexander the Great is located. During the visit (if we can) we will visit one of the places where Pahlevani/zoorkhaneh rituals are celebrated, a tradition of martial arts and athletics with which Persian warriors trained, these rituals have been declared intangible heritage of humanity, many of them instruments appear similar to those existing in current gyms.Free time to walk through the bazaar.

After breakfast we depart for QOM, the provincial capital and one of the holiest Shiite religious centers in the Islamic world that houses the mausoleum of Fatima Masuma, sister of the eighth Shiite Imam, Imam Reza. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Qom every year. Qom is known for being a major center of Shia Islamic studies and is home to numerous religious schools and seminaries, as well as Al-Mustafa Islamic University, which attracts students from all over the world. Accompanied by an Islamic scholar we will visit the sacred mausoleum (courtyards and outdoor areas) and they will introduce us to Islam in its Shiite branch, enveloping us in the atmosphere of this holy place. After that, we´ll visit Imam Khomeini´s house. Free time in the city´s bazaar, with its many shops specializing in prayer and religious objects. Lunch included. In the afternoon, we continue to the capital of Iran. Before entering, we visit the Mausoleum-Shrine of Imam Khomeini, considered the founder of the Islamic Republic and whose construction began in 1989 after his passing. The immense complex of more than 20 square kilometers is a cultural and tourist center that also houses a seminary and a university of Islamic studies. Arrival in TEHRAN at the end of the day (around 19:30 hrs.)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.