And Persian New Year in Shiraz
Iran: In the Footsteps of Kings and Conquerors
Overview
Discover the wonderful people and rich heritage of Iran on our in-depth cultural journey with veteran Trip Leader Roger Williams, one of our most versatile Asia guides since 1986. No matter what your expectations, Iran will surprise you—and in delightful ways. The first is how warmly we are received everywhere we go, from Shiraz and Isfahan, legendary cities of the Persian Empire, to tiny hamlets where traditional ways of life still prevail. Another delight is discovering Iran's strong ties with classical civilization at places like exquisite Persepolis, built by Darius in the 4th century BC and plundered by Alexander, and Pasargadae, capital of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire. Roger is a veteran traveler to Iran, and on this new journey, we'll visit 15 of Iran's 26 marvelous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, from the ancient desert city of Yazd to Tehran's Golestan Palace, residence of the Qajar rulers who introduced Western culture into Iran. Bring your spirit of wonder and curiosity on this journey deep into the history of this magnificent and ancient land.
Arrive: Tehran, Iran
Depart: Tehran, Iran
Highlights
- Enjoy Isfahan, the soul of Iran, with its blue-tiled architecture, ancient bridges, tea houses, and traditional restaurant
- Explore the gardens of Shiraz, the temples and palaces of Persia's great Achaemenid kings at Persepolis
- Visit the Zoroastrian fire temples and Persian carpet workshops of Yazd
- Discover Tabriz, with its troglodyte village, monastic ensembles, and famous covered bazaar
Itinerary
In Tehran, Iran's capital since 1795, our explorations include Golestan Palace, a World Heritage Site and former residence of the Qajar rulers, as well as the Reza Abbasi Museum, with its fine miniatures and illustrated manuscripts, and the famous Crown Jewels Museum, where the stunning jewelry of the Safavid and Qajar monarchs is kept.
Flying to Tabriz in Azerbaijan Province, we'll visit the 15th century Blue Mosque, with its spectacular calligraphy, and explore the traditional covered bazaar. We'll visit two monastic ensembles here, the St. Thaddeus and St. Stephanos, the most important Christian monuments in Iran. In the ancient village of Kandovan, we'll visit its tufa-carved troglodyte houses, then head back to Tehran by way of Qazvin, capital of the Persian Empire in the 16th century and known today as the calligraphy capital of Iran.
After a stop at Qom's Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, we head to Kashan to explore its 19th century mansions and peaceful Fin Gardens, a World Heritage Site of resplendent pools. We'll have two full days to savor Isfahan, Iran's art capital, with its blue-tiled architecture, ancient bridges, and tea houses. We'll visit the enormous central square where Persian kings once watched polo, see the magnificent Masjed-e Shah mosque, built in 1611, and roam the Qeysarie Bazaar to look for fine silk, tribal carpets, and antiques.
The ancient town of Yazd is a fascinating World Heritage Site where Zoroastrians have practiced their religion since 400 BC, and we'll discover many Zoroastrian fire temples here. Our journey brings us to Kerman, where we visit the covered Kerman Grand Bazaar, one of the largest bazaars in Iran.
We drive across the fringes of the Dasht-e-Kavir Desert to the magnificent World Heritage Site of Bam, a mud-brick edifice whose origins may go back as early as the 3rd century BCE. Sitting on the ancient Silk Road, it provided a welcome rest stop to weary travelers and traders. On our way to Shiraz, we'll also stop at Rayen Citadel, a spectacular desert fortification spanning some 48,000 square yards that functioned as a small city until about 150 years ago.
From Shiraz, once known as “the city of poets, nightingales, and fine wine,” we make a day trip to Persepolis, site of the temples and palaces of Persia's great Achaemenid kings. Our walk up its grand staircases gives us a glimpse into life in this ancient city of emperors. We'll also explore Pasargadae, the capital of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, and visit his tomb overlooking the Dasht-e Morghab plain. We'll be in Shiraz for Nowruz, Persian New Year, and we'll join the locals for an early morning visit to the Tomb of Hafez, the beloved 14th century Persian poet who was born here.
We'll visit Mashhad, Iran's holiest and second largest city, the old Silk Road city of Neyshabour, and ancient Tous, where we'll visit the tomb of Ferdowsi, the great poet of Persia. We have a final day in Tehran before flying home on Day 24.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 3, Moderate, according to our trip grading system. It is not designed as a hiking trip, but we'll enjoy full days of exploring historic and cultural sites on foot, with a few optional exploration walks of several hours. The terrain can make for challenging walking at some sites. There are some long driving days.
Spring is an ideal time to visit Iran, but the country's climate varies widely and we cover a lot of ground, so it is sensible to pack accordingly. In Tehran (3,900'), the minimum/maximum temperatures for March are 42°F-57°F and for Shiraz (4,890') they average 45°F-62°F. In mountain areas such as Hamadan, lows range from possible freezing temperatures to highs of 53°F-65°F. Please note these are average temperatures and are subject to change due to unpredictable conditions, such as drought or unseasonable rains.
At meals, we sample Iranian cuisine such as kebabs, fresh fish, sweet and savory spiced vegetable dishes, and we can wander through bazaars where we can buy lovely miniature paintings, textiles, copper and brassware, ceramics, and saffron.
From our past experience with Wilderness Travel journeys in Iran, we can expect an exceedingly warm welcome from the people of Iran everywhere we go. They enjoy meeting people from other countries. Many speak excellent English and are eager to practice it with visitors. While Iran's Islamic dress code is not as strict as it once was, there is still a dress code. Women visitors must wear a head scarf that covers the hair and neck, a loose outer layer such as a lightweight coat, and a knee-length, long-sleeved, tunic-type blouse worn over trousers (or over a long skirt). The idea is that women's clothes should be loose and flowing and not show the shape of a woman's body. Only hands, feet, and face should be exposed in public. The head scarf need not be tight—it can be tied loosely and it's acceptable for some hair to show around the face. For men, shorts are not to be worn.
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.