Middle East Vacations

Iran Vacation Packages

Duration: 25 Days / 24 Nights
Priced From: $5,022 pp dbl. occ
Dates: Sep 
 

IRANIAN VISA APPLICATION PROCEDURES NECESSITATE THAT YOU WILL BE WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT FOR APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE. IT IS LIKELY THAT YOUR PASSPORT AND IRAN WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU JUST PRIOR TO THE TRIP. DO NOT PLAN ANY TRAVEL THAT REQUIRES A PASSPORT DURING THIS TIME. DO NOT PLAN TO ARRIVE IN TEHRAN EARLIER THAN THE TOUR START DATE.

Overnight in Tehran. Meal plan: Dinner, if required.

Day 2 Tehran: City Tour

Our first stop today is a brief introduction to the bazaar where women in our group will purchase their manteau coverings for use for the remainder of the tour -- cotton, linen, plain and simple; or embroidered, silk etc. Details will be included in your tour pre-departure info package.

We then embark upon our full day of sightseeing in Tehran, concentrating on its excellent museums. Compared to Iran's other capitals, Tehran, is not considered an old city. It remained relatively unimportant until the end of the 18th century when it was made the capital by Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Ghajar Dynasty who was crowned in Tehran in 1795. It was expanded by his successor Fath-Ali Shah who built the Golestan Palace. Today this city is a modern metropolis.

Our first stop will be at the Archaeological Museum with its fine collection including a stone capital of a winged lion from Susa and a 6th century BC audience hall relief of Darius the Great from the Treasury at Persepolis. The museum also houses a very famous and important trilingual Darius I inscription.

We also visit the Sadabad Cultural Complex located in what used to be the Shah's winter palace. The complex houses several museums and though not all of them are open at the same time; the ones that are provide a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

Overnight in Tehran. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 3 Tehran - Kerman

This morning we fly to Kerman, a pleasant city located at an altitude of about 1750 m (5,740 feet). Situated on an important Asian trade route, today the economy of Kerman relies mainly on the production of carpets. Ruled by a succession of dynasties including the Arabs, the Buyids, the Seljuq's, the Turks and the Mongols, the remoteness of Kerman resulted in the town remaining without much wealth through the centuries.

On arrival we pay a visit to the Ganjalikhan complex of old Public Bath with its wax sculptures, and the old bazaar.

Overnight in Kerman. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 4 Kerman - Rayen - Mahan - Kerman

Today we have a full day excursion to the city of Rayen to see the Rayen Citadel, dating back to the 5th century. With an area of 40000 sq m, the citadel has been functioning as a small city until 150 years ago. It is very similar to the once majestic Bam Citadel, destroyed by a horrible earthquake in late 2003.

Returning to Kerman, we stop in Mahan en route to visit Shahzadeh Garden, an oasis in the heart of desert. We also visit the shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali, one of the most prominent Persian Sophies.

Overnight in Kerman. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 5 Kerman - Yazd

Located just outside of Kerman is Gombad-E Jabaliye, or "Mountain of Stone," one of the most impressive monuments of southern Iran, also one of the most puzzling. Neither its date nor its use can be determined. This small double-domed structure was constructed in an octagonal shape using stone rather than the more usual brick. Some historians have determined that it pre-dates the 2nd century AD and may have been a Zoroastrian building. Evidence supporting this theory is the several fire temples located further along the road.

Today we drive to Yazd, passing through many areas of pistachio orchards and the town of Rafsanjani, home of the ex-President of Iran, whose family owns a pistachio estate here. We stop in at a typical example of a caravanserai along the way before arriving in Yazd.

Marco Polo visited Yazd on his way to China and called it the "good and noble city of Yazd". Located in the heart of Iran between the Kavir and Lut deserts, Yazd was a major stop on the international caravan routes to Central Asia and India.

Overnight in Yazd. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 6 Yazd: City Tour

Today we tour Yazd. The architecture here is perhaps the most traditionally Persian to be found, preserved by the dry climate and spared the devastations of the Mongols. The tiled portal of the Friday Mosque, crowned by twin minarets, is the tallest in the country. Like many early mosques it was constructed on the site of a Sassanid fire temple. Yazd's Friday Mosque was built over a forty year period form 1324 to 1365 and is probably the best preserved 14th century mosque in Iran. The portals facade is decorated from top to bottom with dazzling tile work, predominately blue in colour.

The view from the dome shows the sun-baked roofs and wind towers of the city. These wind towers are seen all over Iran but are most highly developed in Yazd. Our visit to one of these towers will show us how the slatted towers capture the slightest desert breeze, drawing it down to the lower level where it is cooled by passing over water and circulated through the house. Enormous domes starting at ground level would act as protective roofs for deep water-tanks built 6m (20 ft) below street level. People would access these tanks by steep staircases.

Yazd is also an ancient centre of Zoroastrianism, considered the world's first monotheistic religion. We visit a Zoroastrian fire temple and the 'towers of silence' before continuing to the he Old Town, a mesmerizing labyrinth, with winding streets that are extraordinarily well preserved; some say that this is one of the oldest continually-inhabited cities in the world.

You will have some free time this afternoon to explore this charming city on your own.

Overnight in Yazd. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 7 Yazd - Shiraz

Today we travel by road to to Shiraz, one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and the Iranian capital from 1753-1794. Through its many artists and scholars, Shiraz has been synonymous with learning, nightingales, poetry, roses and at one time, wine. En route we stop at the Tomb of Cyrus (Pasardgae) and at the tombs nearby Persepolis in advance of our main Persepolis later.

While in Shiraz we will see (from the exterior only) the famous tomb of Shah Cheragh, brother of Imam Reza. The tomb, beautifully lit at night, draws thousands of pilgrims annually and is the principal pilgrimage center in the province of Fars.

Overnight in Shiraz. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 8 Shiraz: City Tour

During today's tour of Shiraz we will visit the Fars Museum, an octagonal pavilion originally built by Karim Khan and used for official receptions. It now houses a collection relating to the life of Karim Khan and other historic artifacts relating to the province. Perhaps even more interesting than the museum is the building itself with its charming tiled panels and painted roof.

Our sightseeing will also take us to the Mausoleum of Sa'di, one of Iran's best known poets, and the Tomb of Hafez, a literary giant of the 14th century. Here we see the alabaster tomb under a tiled cupola, covered with beautiful mosaic faience of wonderful design. We also visit the Eram and Narenjestan gardens, the Nassirolmolk mosque, and the old covered bazaar of Vakil.

Overnight in Shiraz. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.
Day 9 Shiraz - Persepolis - Isfahan [click] Today we travel to Isfahan via Persepolis where we have a comprehensive tour of this vast site.

This was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenian Empire and perhaps one of the country's most beautiful and spectacular archaeological sites surviving today. The administrative center of the Achaemenians was actually at Susa, shifting during the summer to Hamadan while Persepolis was reserved only for ritual celebrations. Persepolis stands on a limestone terrace overlooking the Marvdasht plain at the foot of the Kuh-e Rahmat, the Mountain of Mercy.

The most important buildings at Persepolis were crowded onto a terrace of natural rock that rises over 9 m (30 feet) above the plain on three sides and is adjacent to a low mountain on the fourth side. There are about 15 major buildings, including the Apadana, the Hall of Hundred Columns, the Gate House of Xerxes, the Treasury, the Harem and the private palaces of the different rulers.

Later we continue on to Naghsh-e Rostam and the carved tombs of four Achaemenian tombs. The tombs are widely accepted to be those of Darius the Great, Xerxes, Artaxerxes and Darius II. There are also eight reliefs from later in the Sassanian Dynasty which are cut into the stone below the facades of the tombs. These fine reliefs depict various scenes of imperial conquests as well as a probable fire temple from Achaemenian times.

We continue to Isfahan, perhaps the most beautiful of all Iranian cities. After consolidating his control, Shah Abbas I initiated one of the world's grandest experiments in city planning, moving the capital from Qazvin to Isfahan 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.

Overnight in Isfahan. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 10 Isfahan: City Tour

We start the day by visiting the Armenian Vank Cathedral and the Armenian Museum complex. The exterior of the church may appear drab, but the interior is richly decorated and shows a mixture of styles -- Islamic, Persian and Christian European.

In the early afternoon we visit the Friday Mosque. In its vaulted ceilings and lofty domes, the complex displays more than 800 years of Persian religious architecture, from the 11th to the 18th centuries, and it is truly one of the world's greatest mosques. It is built using a traditional plan with four ivans or vaulted halls placed on the axes of a central courtyard. The northwestern ivan was originally constructed during the Seljuk period in about 1121 although its vibrant surface decoration dates from the reign of Shah Soltan Hosayn. Also in the mosque you can see the Mongol influence on Persian architecture, (Chinghis Khan's son, Olgedi, lived here as a Shah) and also the Timurid style. From here we drive to the Palace of Forty Columns, a charming pavilion used to receive dignitaries and ambassadors. Here the walls and paintings are covered with frescos and paintings and the superb wooden roof of the porch is painted with a series of geometrical decorations interspersed with flowers. The roof was waterproofed by covering the roof with a fresh layer of beaten eggs every year, the weight of which has caused many to collapse.

Overnight in Isfahan. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 11 Isfahan: Maydan-e Shah

Today we visit the central focus of this fascinating city: the immense Maydan-e Shah, or Royal Square. The square is actually a huge rectangle measuring 502 m (1,674 ft) by 162 m (540 feet) and it is enclosed by double-storied arcades. Four jewels of 17th century architecture adorn each side of the square, symbolizing the political, economic and religious spheres of Safavid Persia. On the north side is the entrance to the Royal Qaysariyyeh Bazaar, on the east is the Lotfallah Mosque. This mosque was constructed between 1603 and 1617 and served as a private chapel for the Imperial family. The domed ceiling has the finest faience tilework of 17th century Persia. The inscriptions were executed by Ali Reda Abbasi, the greatest calligrapher of the Safavid period. On the west is the Ali Qapu Palace and on the southern side, the towering portal of the Shah Mosque, a monument to the grand vision of Shah Abbas the Great who died shortly before its completion.

During our stay in Isfahan we will also pay a sunset visit to the Safavid Bridges on the Zayandeh Rud River followed by tea in a traditional tearoom.

Overnight in Isfahan. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 12 Isfahan - Abyaneh - Tehran

Today we drive to Tehran. En route we stop at Abyaneh, an ancient village that is a living architectural and anthropological museum. It affords an impressive exponent of the adaptation of human kind to the environment. Set on the slope of the lofty mountain of Karkas, this village has a cold climate and enjoys numerous springs creating favourable conditions for agriculture. Considering the evidence found in Abyaneh, it dates back to antiquity but its golden age was during the Safavid period. The word Abyaneh has been derived from the word "viona" meaning willow grove. Although the village itself is situated on high ground, there are three castles that protected the people when the enemy attacked.

We continue to Tehran and visit the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini before arrival at our hotel.

Overnight in Tehran. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 13 Tehran: Glass and Ceramic Museum & Reza Abbasi Museum

Our culminating tour of Tehran begins with the impressive Glass and Ceramic Museum and continues to the world-renowned Carpet Museum, which houses a spectacular collection of Iranian hand woven carpets. Our next museum is the Reza Abbasi Museum that displays artifacts that belong to a period from the 2nd millennium BC to the early 20th century, the end of Qajar period.* The day ends with a special Iranian farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

* NOTE: The day of the week upon which this day falls can vary. In the event that this day falls on a Monday when some museums are closed, we may substitute the Jewel Museum and the Gorestan Palace which, at the time of writing this itinerary, remain open on Mondays.

Overnight in Tehran. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 14 Tehran, Iran - Damascus, Syria

Today we fly from Tehran to Damascus, the capital of Syria.

Damascus is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, and reports run back at least 3,500 years. Many claim that Damascus is THE oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. While modern Damascus is a standard Middle Eastern city, it was famous for centuries, and often referred to as the "Pearl of the East".

Overnight in Damascus. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 15 Damascus: Great Ommayad Mosque & Azem Palace

Today we walk within the old city, surrounded by an ancient wall which originally had seven gates named in Roman times after the stars that made up the constellation of the Seven Sisters. We see the remains of the massive Roman Temple of Jupiter, walk through the absorbing Hamadieh Market, and visit the Great Ommayad Mosque, one of the first great mosques of the Muslim world built in AD 718 by the Caliph el-Walid.

After a visit to Saladin's tomb, we continue to a visit of the lovely Azem Palace, seat of the Ottoman governor during the 18th and 19th centuries. In its airy courts, we can imagine the Ottoman ruler savouring a warm Damascene evening, looking up at the three minarets of the great mosque illuminated by a full summer moon. The Azem Palace is today an ethnographic museum displaying the costumes of the different classes of Syrian society in the different parts of this varied country.

You will have some free time later in the afternoon for shopping or exploring on your own.

Overnight in Damascus. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 16 Damascus - Maloula - Palmyra

Travelling northward today, we arrive first at Maloula, where we visit one of the oldest churches in the world, the Church of Saint Sergis. Here we can see how a Christian altar table has been adapted from a pagan sacrificial stone, and perhaps hear the priest recite some of the liturgy in Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, which today is spoken in only three places on earth. The people of Maloula, most of whom are Syrian Christians, still speak Aramaic among themselves.

Late this afternoon we travel into the Syrian Desert and arrive at Palmyra.

Overnight in Palmyra. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 17 Palmyra: Area Tour

Today we have a full day in Palmyra and the desert oasis in which it is situated. We will visit the spectacular Archaeological Museum where we will see a well preserved collection of statuary from the Palmyra site, as well as collections from prehistoric Palmyra. We will visit the necropolis, comprised of multi-storey tombs that were rented out rather than sold. The builders of the tombs themselves become rich through the rent they collected.

In the afternoon, you may wish to walk through the oasis with its palm and olive groves and its gardens separated by irrigation canals. In the evening the small town of Tadmor is busy with locals and visitors.

Overnight in Palmyra. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 18 Palmyra - Homs - Apamea - Aleppo 

Arriving in Hama, we view a unique and lovely example of ancient engineering: the great Noria water wheels, first constructed in Roman times, which still turn and groan under the power of the Orontes River, delivering water to the fields around the town. Still in Hama we visit the 18th century inn that now houses the local museum.

North of Hama, in the heart of the Orontes Valley, we visit the impressive second century BC ruins of the Roman city of Apamea. This huge site was once a city of one-half million inhabitants which was visited by Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. The focus of the site is the long double row of fluted columns rising from the surrounding fields. The museum near the site contains several beautiful and extensive mosaics. Above the Roman site stands the thirteenth century Arab castle of Qala'at al-Mudiq.

We arrive in Aleppo in the early evening.

Overnight in Aleppo. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 19 Aleppo: City Tour 

Today we explore the city of Aleppo, beginning with a visit to the Citadel, situated on an eminence at the centre of the city. In the past anyone who took control of the citadel took control of Aleppo, and it's easy to see why. During the time of Saladin, the walled fortress we see today was given its present shape.

This afternoon, you may wish to make your own explorations or join your Tour Leader on a tour of the Grand Bazaar. It is often said that if you did not get lost in the market then you have not seen it! You will find for sale Bedouin goat hair tents, felt shepherds' coats lined with sheepskin, Bedouin carpets and headscarves amidst a tumult of activity. The bazaar has a real "Thousand and One Nights" atmosphere with narrow, cobbled streets lined with vendors of every kind. The market is particularly famous its gold and silver items.

Overnight in Aleppo. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 20 Aleppo - St Simeon's Monastery - Aleppo 

From our base in Aleppo, we journey into the countryside to visit the monastery of St Simeon, where the famous anchorite spent 42 years in meditation atop a pillar in the fifth century. Here we visit the basilica which represents one of the most graceful and important examples of early Byzantine architecture. From this spot, we have lovely views over the landscape of northern Syria and into Turkey.

We will stop to see a beautifully preserved section of Roman road. In this area there are many Byzantine "Dead Cities" whose populations were devastated by the Black Death brought via the Silk Road in the Middle Ages. Today they stand as empty testaments to the advantages and pit-falls of living from trade.

Returning to Aleppo city, we tour the museum with its excellent collection of artifacts from the period of the great Mesopotamian kingdoms, including the water-bearer statue from Mari and some excellent cuneiform tablets from Elba.

Overnight in Aleppo. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 21 Aleppo - Saladin's Castle - Safita

From Aleppo we cross the coastal mountains, a lovely area famous for its fruit orchards. We take a spectacular mountain road up to the dramatic ruins of Saladin's castle, a crusader fortress situated above a breathtaking pine-covered ravine. Before reaching the Mediterranean coast we visit Ugarit, the Phoenician trading city where the world's oldest known alphabet was discovered. We arrive this evening at Safita, situated on the coast.

Overnight in Safita. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 22 Safita - Crak de Chevaliers - Damascus

From Safita we make our way to Crak de Chevaliers, situated at a strategic break in the coastal mountain chain. This huge castle stands guard over the valley pass below, controlling the route from the Mediterranean coast through the mountains to Damascus and the interior of the Levant. It was considered by Lawrence of Arabia to be the most perfect castle in the world, a splendid place to gain a sense of how these medieval adventurers lived in their kingdom of Outremar--"the land across the sea." We visit the great hall, kitchens, chapel (later converted to a mosque when Muslim forces won this redoubtable stronghold) and walk along the extensive ramparts. From Crak de Chevaliers we drive to Damascus.

Overnight in Damascus. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 23 Damascus: National Museum & Christian Quarter 

This morning we visit the immense National Museum with its monumental gateway transported from an Umayyad (Ommayad) fortress in the Syrian Desert. The collections in the museum span a period of over 9,000 years and include the brightly-painted frescoes from one of the oldest synagogues in the world.

At the Takiyyeh as-Sulaymaniyyeh we see a beautiful Turkish mosque built in 1554. Next to the mosque is a Sixteenth Century Ottoman caravanserai which has been converted into a handicraft centre where you can see traditional Syrian handicrafts being made and sold.

In the afternoon we will enter the Christian quarter to walk along the Street Called Straight (mentioned in the Bible). Near the great gate, Bab as-Sharqi, we visit the Chapel of Ananias where St Paul hid after his conversion to Christianity.

This afternoon is free for you to explore old Damascus. This evening we finish our day by driving up to Mount Kassioun for a view over all Damascus

Overnight in Damascus. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 24 Damascus: Lebanon OR Leisure Time 

Today is free in Damascus.

Alternatively, you may join our optional excursion to Lebanon.* We cross the Anti-Lebanon Mountains from Damascus and enter the Bekaa Valley, a fertile land of apple and pear orchards and many vineyards. We drive northward to Baalbek, thought by many to be the most impressive Roman site in the world. Touring the temple precincts, we pass through the massive propylaea with its granite columns from Aswan, Egypt. We enter the octagonal court and from there, the sacred core of this complex: the titanic temple of Jupiter, completed in AD 60. This Roman construction was built on such an enormous scale in order to impress upon the subjects of these ancient provinces the power of Imperial Rome.

From Baalbek we drive to the cellars of the famous Ksara winery in order to sample some of Lebanon's excellent wine. Established in the mid-19th century, Ksara is the country's oldest vintner, boasting an extensive catacomb of cellars hewn from a limestone hill. Anjor, an Omayyad Islamic city with its lovely Caliph's palace built in the 8th century, is our final stop before driving to the border for our return to Damascus.

* NOTE: Lebanon is currently under a travel warning given its uncertain security situation, though we hope that conditions will stabilize come travel time. The cost of this excursion can vary depending on number of participants and will be advised when / if the security situation normalizes.

Overnight in Damascus. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 25 Departure

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