Iran, a Cultural Journey to the heart of Persia

Iran, a Cultural Journey to the heart of Ancient

Persia

On a compelling cultural journey through the heart of Iran, we admire the magnificent domes, calligraphy and tilework of the famous mosques of Shiraz and Isfahan; visit formal water gardens and the wind towers and Zoroastrian fire temples of mediaeval Yazd; explore the labyrinthine bazaars selling dried fruits, gold, marquetry and tribal carpets; visit ancient caravanserai along the Silk route; discover Persian poetry and the esteem in which the great poets like Firdowsi, Hafiz and Sa’di are held; and on foot, explore legendary Persepolis, founded by King Darius c. 515 BC and sacked by Alexander the Great in 330 BC.

Based in comfortable hotels (3, 4 and 5 star), we sample delicious Persian cuisine (chicken simmered with pomegranate and walnut sauce, rosewater and mulberry ice cream), experience the warm welcome offered to visitors by the Iranian people and enhance our journey with walks to find wildflowers in the scenic Zagros mountains and to visit dramatically-sited fortresses in the fabled Valley of the Assassins.

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1

B, L, D included

After an early morning arrival at Tehran airport we transfer by road (130 kms) to our comfortable hotel in the town of Qazvin, gateway to the Alborz mountains. Founded by the Sassanian king Shapur 1 in the 3C AD, and capital of Iran for a period in the 16C, Qazvin is famous for its historic carpet bazaar and some of Iran’s best preserved water cisterns, cooled by wind towers. We see the fine domes of the Qajar-era Nabi Mosque and visit a private 18C mansion in a walled rose garden before an introductory dinner of Persian specialities - the local Qazvin dish is qimeh nasar, lamb with pistachio nuts.

DAY 2

B, L, D included

Today we travel into the Alborz mountains to explore the ruins of the heavily fortified castles in the Valley of the Assassins, centre of the heretical Ismaili sect in the 12C notorious for murdering political and religious opponents whilst reputedly high on hashish. Flights of steep stairs take us up onto dramatic ridges with commanding views over the rice fields and cherry orchards far below and we have a good chance of spotting soaring eagles and vultures, including the distinctive lammergeier.

DAY 3

B, L, D included

A morning drive brings us to Kashan which has been producing ceramics since the 12C and is renowned for the silk weaving and carpets it produced for the Safavid Court (1501-1736). We visit the beautiful Bagh-I Fin gardens, established by the Safavid Shahs and still fed by the ancient turquoise-tiled water system, before proceeding south into the mountains to the traditional village of Abyaneh - red mud-brick houses with lattice windows and picturesque wooden balconies. Our hilltop hotel is new and perfectly comfortable, with marvellous views across the valley below.

DAY 4

B, L, D included

We explore the village on foot, following stony lanes leading to the 11C Jameh Mosque (with a beautiful walnut-wood mihrab) and the 14C Imamzadeh-ye Yaha with its conical, blue-tiled roof. We cross the river to take a path climbing up to the ruined castle - from its high walls there are superb photo opportunities, with the mediaeval village framed between a tree-filled gorge and the 3,899 metre peak of Mt. Karkas.

DAY 5

B, L, D included

Travelling southwest into the Zard - Kouh range of the Zagros, we pause to visit Natanz, a mountain town noted for some of the best 14C architecture and tilework in Iran, including a portal dating from 1317 with turquoise and cobalt glazed inserts. Our goal is Chelgerd, the centre for Zagros mountaineering trips, where we stay for two nights in a modest hotel, with a good traditional restaurant serving mountain trout.

DAY 6

B, L, D included

On a scenic morning walk below the snow-streaked peaks we see the source of the Karun river, the biggest and only navigable river in Iran, then walk gradually up to the snowline. Crossing a low pass, we look out for wildflowers, particularly fritillaries and crocuses, and birds such as Persian robin and Hume’s wheatear.

DAY 7

B, L, D included

One of the most scenic drives in Iran takes us through steep valleys and gorges set below 4,000 metre peaks and past remote villages far ‘off-the-beaten track’. Reaching an area of grazing lands traditionally used as summer pasture by the Bakhtiari and Qashqa’I nomadic tribes, we pause for a walk and learn about their traditional way of life before continuing to our 4 star modern hotel for the night.

DAY 8

B, L, D included

We visit two celebrated archaeological sites this morning - the statue of Shapur the First in a cave at Tang-e Chogan and Sassanian rock-reliefs at Bishapur (including one depicting Shapur the First’s famous victory over the Roman Emperor Valerian) - before reaching Shiraz for a 2 night stay in a 5 star hotel. Famous in past times for ‘nightingales, roses and wine’, Shiraz remains one of the great cities of the Islamic world, a centre of artistic and literary refinement, its historic centre dominated by the 18th century citadel of Arg-e-Karim Khan and the golden minarets and vast blue dome of the Holy Shrine of Shah-e-Cheragh.

DAY 9

B, L, D included

We spend much of the day exploring nearby Persepolis, one of the most important and spectacular sites of the Ancient World, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid kings, seeing the ruins of the palaces of Darius the Great, Xerxes and Artaxerxes, and the famous bas-reliefs depicting kings and courtiers and gift-bearing representatives of tributary nations of the Persian Empire. On our return we visit the Eram Garden, containing the tombs of Iran's greatest lyric poets, Hafez and Sa'adi and have an evening visit to the Vakil Bazaar, arguably the most atmospheric in Iran.

DAY 10

B, L, D included

Leaving Shiraz after breakfast, today’s drive (5 hours, heading north east into the desert) brings us to Yazd, once a famous mediaeval trading and textile centre and still one of the most traditional and intriguing cities, noted for its vernacular buildings, particularly badgirs (wind towers). En route we visit Pasargadae, the site of the simple, but impressive white limestone tomb and remains of the palaces of Cyrus the Great (the Founder of the Persian Empire), and also stop in the small desert town of Abarkuh to have tea under the shade of a 4000-year old cypress tree. Our 250 year old hotel is a renovated traditional Khan (private grand house) with a particularly good restauarant.

DAY 11

B, L, D included

A day on foot exploring Yazd, the centre for Iran’s Zoroastrian community who sought refuge from the invading Arabs within its fortified walls. We visit one of the two Zoroastrian abandoned Towers of Silence (Dakhma), dating back to the 17C, and the active Zoroastrian Fire Temple, the fire of which has been burning for about 1500 years. Among Yazd’s Islamic sites are the magnificent Friday Mosque (1324 AD) with the highest portal and minarets in Iran and the Seljuk shrine dedicated to the Twelve Shi’ite Imams. We conclude with a visit to the charming Dowlat-Abad Garden, with an 18C hexagonal pavilion set amongst vines and pomegranates.

DAY 12

B, L, D included

En route to Isfahan (4 hours) we pause first at the mud-brick city of Maybod with its fascinating icehouse, caravanserai, citadel and traditional blue and white pottery. In Na'in, an ancient town on the desert route, we visit the 10C Friday Mosque with its well preserved stucco work and walk through the old part of town with many traditional houses before continuing to fabled Isfahan and settling into our 5 star hotel (a converted 17C caravanserai) for the next three nights. We stroll to the nearby Eight Paradises garden for the opportunity to meet and talk with local Iranians before dinner - perhaps grilled quails and rice with saffron and orange zest, followed by almond ice cream.

DAY 13

B, L, D included

We set off on foot to explore Isfahan, the jewel of ancient Persia and the 17C capital of the Safavids, referred to as Nesf-e-Jahan (Half of the World) in Safavid sources. We see the famous bridges of Shahrestan, Khajou and Sio-se-pol and visit churches in the Armenian Quarter, including the richly frescoed Cathedral of Vank. In the afternoon we visit the Maidan-e-Naghsh-e-Jahan, surrounded by marvellous 17C century architecture - the Ali-Qapu Palace with its enchanting music rooms and balcony overlooking the Maidan, from where the Safavid Kings watched polo games; and two of the Islamic world’s most beautiful mosques - the Sheikh Lotfollah (a private chapel for the Imperial family) and the Shah (Imam) - with magnificent architecture and tile work. Our final visit is to the Qeisarieh Bazaar with hundreds of arcaded small shops displaying the carpets and handicrafts for which Isfahan is world famous.

DAY 14

B, L, D included

Today we begin by visiting the magnificent Friday Mosque, considered a museum of a thousand years of Persian religious architecture and one of the world’s greatest mosques. After seeing the frescoes in the Harun-e-Velayat Shrine and the 48 metre high Minaret of the Mosque of Ali, we drive to the Chehel Sotun Palace. Built by Shah Abbas II in the 17C, its slender wooden columns reflected in the surface of the pool give rise to its name ‘The Palace of Forty Columns’ - the Great Hall also contains vivid frescoes portraying court life and some of the battles of the Safavid era. In the afternoon we have the opportunity to return to the Maidan for a stroll and tea in a traditional teahouse overlooking the permanently animated square.

DAY 15

B, L, D included

A 4 hour drive this morning gives an opportunity to catch up with diaries and reading before we reach Teheran, Iran’s huge, chaotic capital, where the quiet, spacious rooms of our recently renovated 4 star hotel offer a welcome refuge. After lunch we set off to see the collections of the National Jewels Museum, including the celebrated Peacock Throne and the world's largest uncut diamond, the pink Darya-ye Noor (Sea of Light).

DAY 15

B, L, D included

We round out our Iran explorations visiting some of Tehran’s major museums: Iran’s National Museum, displaying pre-historic artifacts with pottery dating back to 6 - 7 millennium BC; the Abguineh, with a delicate collection of ancient and Islamic glass and ceramics; the Carpet Museum of Iran, a beautiful collection of old and new Persian carpets and rugs; and the Reza Abbasi Museum with two galleries of paintings and exquisite calligraphy, Achaemenid gold bowls and fine Lorestan bronzes.

DAY 17

An early morning private transfer to the airport completes our journey.

Price includes:

All accommodation for Days 1 through 17 on a double shared basis

All meals with soft drinks as listed in the daily notation (please note that alcohol is totally illegal in Iran)

All land transportation in private airconditioned minibus, except during free periods
All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods

Tips for driver, specialist guide and local guides, porters, restaurant & hotel staff

Services of Kudu tour leader, specialist local guide and driver throughout