Persian Empire 18 Days NO NATION IS OF HER POLITICAL IDENTITY SO LET’S TRAVEL TO SEE, EXPLORE AND BELIEVE Day 1:Tehran Arrival Tehran meet and greet by the guide transfer to hotel; Overnight Tehran Day 2: Tehran: Tehran as the capital of Iran is the most car depending city in the world and the traffic will make you feel astonished when you are touring around! Today we try to survive the traffic and all these noises and we will visit Golestan Palace (UNESCO) where 9 Iranian monarchs with 1 Iranian empress had crowned here! Later we visit National Museum of Iran. We can also visit the Ex-American Embassy in Tehran! afternoon Free afternoon at leisure Overnight Tehran Day 3: Tehran-Kashan Morning drive to Kashan to visit Borujerdiha mansion, Sultan-Mir-Ahmad Hammam, Agha-Bozorg mosque in Kashan, and Fin Garden (UNESCO). Overnight Kashan Day 4: Kashan-Naein-Yazd Morning drive to Yazd en-route Naein to visit man-made caves for Aba weaving (Aba is a special cloth for clergies). Overnight Yazd Day 5: Yazd-Zeinoddin Yazd city tour including Towers of silence, fire temple, Dowlat Abad garden (UNESCO), Amirchakhmaq Tekye, Sweet shop, Jame Mosque, Old quarter of the town (UNESCO), Alexander prison to see the textile workshops there In the afternoon drive to Zeinoddin; Overnight zeinoddin Caravanserai Day 6: Zeinoddin-Pasargadae-Persepolis Drive to Persepolis through the breathtaking mountains and desert via Abarkuh to visit the old cypress tree of almost 4000 years old later to Pasargadae (UNESCO) to visit the tomb of Cyrus the Great; Overnight Persepolis Day 7: Persepolis-Shiraz Morning Visit of Persepolis (UNESCO), Naghshe-Rajab, Naghshe-Rustam(Necropolis) (UNESCO) Afternoon drive to Shiraz. Upon arrival we do the city tour including Eram garden, Karim Khan citadel and Vakil Bazaar. Overnight Shiraz Day 8: Shiraz-Firoozabad Morning excursion to Firoozabad to see Ghale Dokhtar (Maiden’s Fortress) (UNESCO) and the Palace and Fire temple of Ardeshir Papakan (UNESCO) (founder of Sassanian Empire) Drive back to Shiraz to see Tombs of Hafez and Saadi (Persian Poets of great importance); Overnight Shiraz Day 9: Shiraz-Bishapur Morning excursion to Chogan gorge (UNESCO) and Bishapur (UNESCO). This part of Iran is the birthplace of the Sassanian Empire that we can see the greatest rock relives of the empire here. This excursion is done through the eye-catching Zagros mountains and gorges that make everyone astonished by her intact nature and landscape. Overnight Shiraz Day 10: Shiraz-Izadkhast-Isfahan Morning drive from Shiraz to Isfahan en-route visit Izadkhast: An ancient ruined Sassanian city dating back to antiquity which nowadays resembles a ghost town; This is an unforgettable experience! Overnight Isfahan Day 11: Isfahan Isfahan as the world capital of handicraft is called “half the world” by the locals that means “Half of the beauty of the world is in Isfahan” and today we start visiting this unbelievable beautiful city from Naqsh-e-Jahan square (UNESCO), Sheikh Lotfallah mosque (UNESCO), Shah Abbasi Jame mosque (UNESCO), Ali Qapou Palace (UNESCO), and Chehelsotun Palace (UNESCO) - never miss shopping in Isfahan otherwise you will regret! Overnight Isfahan Day 12: Isfahan Today we will see the other side of the coin in Isfahan which is the compatibility of different religions in one town: Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam: City tour includes the Armenian district to visit Vank cathedral and museum, the Fire Temple of Zoroastrians and finally the old Jame mosque (UNESCO) of Isfahan. Later in the afternoon we visit Khaju historical bridge. Half day free at Leisure; Overnight Isfahan Day 13: Isfahan-Khorramabad Morning drive to Khorramabad through Zagros mountains to see the Sassanian Castle. Overnight Khorramabad Day 14: Khorramabad-Kermanshah-Hamedan Morning drive to Hamedan Via Kermanshah to see the Sassanian Rock relives in Taghe Bostan and Achaemenian Inscription in Bistoon (UNESCO) that was done by Darius the Great Overnigh Hamedan Day 15: Hamedan: City tour of Hamedan including tomb of Esther and Mordchai, Ecbatana ancient city that was the capital of the Median empire and also the summer capital of the Achamenids, the tomb of Avicenna, Ganjname inscriptions of Darius the Great and his son Xerxes the king. Overnight Hamedan Day 16: Hamedan-Takhte Suleiman-Zanjan Morning drive to Zanjan via Takhte Suleiman (UNESCO) the coronation city of the Sassanian Persian kings and the place of the holy Eternal Fire of Azagoshnasb. Later hit the road again through farmlands and mountains to Zanjan. Overnight Zanjan Day 17: Zanjan-Tehran Morning drive to Tehran via Sultanieh Dome (UNESCO) -the third biggest brick dome in the world. Overnight Tehran international airport Day 18: End of the story and fly back home to… Visa: Main Airports: Dress Code: All European, American, Australian, ** Tehran Imam Khomeini Men should wear long pants, and Canadian citizens should have International Airport, trousers or jeans. Ladies should Iranian visa in their passports either ** Shiraz International Airport, wear scarf and long pants, trousers to collect it at the Iranian embassies ** Isfahan International Airport, and jeans preferably covering their in their countries or upon arrival at ** Tabriz International Airport, and buttocks and dresses that are not International airports. ** Mashad International Airport. transparent and please long sleeve dresses-but it is easy to dress up in Iran because all the clients at home have these dresses at home. Passport: Holy Shrines: Money: ** For a trouble-free tour, please In the holy shrine in Qom ladies ** ATM, credit cards and traveler leave your passport at hotels' should wear “Chador”-a long checks are not accepted in Iran and reception safe and do not carry any covering dress for whole body. for your personal expenses bringing valuables/bag while touring around. ** The Shrine in Qom is subject of cash is recommended (Euro or ** In hotels in Iran upon arrival for the visit of the state officials so USD). check in the clients should leave sometimes tourists cannot visit that. **Only in some special galleries in their passports with the reception ** In Qom non-Muslims are not Isfahan clients can use their credit until check out day; in some cases allowed inside the shrine they are cards in case they purchase goods hotels do not ask for the passports only allowed in the courtyard of the more than Euro 300 or equivalent in but please be informed about this. holy complex. Dollars. Photography: Timing: Notes: ** In Iran taking photos of military ** Time to start in the first morning of Taking any kind of backpack inside bases and police stations is not arrival in Iran is approximately Persepolis is not allowed. allowed; in case in some special 10:00 am - 10:30 am. ** Places to visit that might be hard places photography is not permitted ** Time to start the tour in cities is for some clients to walk either the local guide would inform the approximately 8:45 am - 9:00 am because these places are dusty or clients immediately. ** Time to start to check out of they have high steps: ** Flash light photography inside hotels to travel to the next city Persepolis (steps and dusty), buildings-historical buildings like (destination) is approximately 8:00 Necropolis (steps and dusty), mosques, fire temples, churches, am - 8:30 am Towers of silence (slope and dusty), and palaces also museum…is not ** Time to end the program of the Rayen citadel (steps and dusty), allowed in Iran. city tours is as long as the tour gets Pasargadae (dusty), Ali Qapu ** In historical sites in Tehran and finished that is approximately 4:00 Palace (high steps), and Jewelry Isfahan use of tripod for pm - 5:00 pm but in some cities like Museum (steps). photography is not allowed unless Isfahan the city tour ends at the photographer holds the official approximately 2:00 pm. permission for that from the authorities. Emergency Call: Currency: Vaccination: The phone number to call in case of Iranian Rial No vaccinations are required or emergency is 110 (Police). recommended for travel to Iran. Electricity: Food and Drinks: Language Spoken: The Iranian voltage is 220. Electric In Iran as an Islamic country neither Modern Persian devices in Iran use Euro plug which alcoholic beverages nor pork is has two round prongs. allowed. .