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Classic Persia

Relief of Xerxes, National Museum

Click on the name of the hotel for details 

11 days from £1825

excluding international flights

DAY 1 - Depart UK.

Recommended flight from London: bmi from London Heathrow (see below).

DAY 2 - Arrival in Tehran.

On arrival in Tehran you will be met by a representative of World Discovery outside immigration and customs. You will then be taken by private car direct to your hotel. Your rooms are guaranteed to be available for immediate occupancy. The rest of the morning has been left free for you to catch up on your sleep.   In the afternoon there is a visit to Iran's National Museum, which contains an authenticated collection of pre-historic, ancient and Islamic artifacts, with pottery dating back to the 7th millenium B.C.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 3 - Tehran.

Further sightseeing in Tehran will include a visit to see the priceless Crown Jewels of the Shahs of Persia [more], and the Carpet Museum, with its wonderful collection of old carpets and rugs (particularly impressive are the 16th and 17th century Safavid rugs).  You will also visit the delightful Reza Abbasi Calligraphy and Miniatures Museum, which contains some masterpieces of classical Persian book painting from the 14th century.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 4 - Fly to Shiraz.

In the morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Shiraz, where you will be met and taken direct to your hotel. Afternoon sightseeing in Shiraz [more].
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 5 - Persepolis, Naqsh-e-Rostam.

Today you will enjoy a comprehensive excursion to Persepolis [more]. Also visit Naqsh-e-Rostam [more].  Return to Shiraz in the late afternoon.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 6 - By road from Shiraz to Yazd.

Drive to Yazd. En route visit Pasargadae [more]. Continue to Abarkuh, a charming desert town, for a tea-break under the shade of a 4,000-year-old cypress tree, before the final stretch to Yazd.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 7 - Yazd.

Full day sightseeing in Yazd (pictured right) [more].
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 8 - By road from Yazd to Isfahan.

Drive to Isfahan, stopping en route at the village of Mohamadiye to see traditional workshops weaving the camel cloaks worn by the Moslem clergy in Iran. Continue to Na’in, another charming desert town half way between Yazd and Isfahan, to visit the 10th century Friday Mosque and the 17th century Pirnia House Ethnographic Museum, with a walk through the old part of town. Arrive in Isfahan in the late afternoon.

DAY 9 - Isfahan.

Morning sightseeing in the beautiful city of Isfahan, the 17th century capital of the Safavids, visiting the famous bridges of Shahrestan and Sio-se-pol, and the Armenian Quarter [more]. In the afternoon explore one of the world’s grandest squares, the Maidan-e-Naghsh-e-Jahan and its surrounding palaces and mosques [more].
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 10 - Isfahan.  Fly to Tehran.

'Isfahan is half the world' runs the proverb, and it's true that the city has an extraordinary number of beautiful historic buildings. Further sightseeing in Isfahan today includes the magnificent Friday Mosque and the Harun-e-Velayat Shrine [more]. Also visited today are the Chehel-Sotun (Forty Columns) Palace and the Hasht-Behesht (Eight Paradises) Pavilion [more]. In the evening fly back to Tehran.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.

DAY 11 - Tehran/London.

Transfer to the airport for departure flight to London.
Meals included: Full breakfast.

International Flights

We recommend the services of bmi from London Heathrow. Flights are daily throughout the year. Current timings (subject to possible change) are as follows:
Heathrow/Tehran. Depart at 18.45; arrive Tehran at 03.05 (next morning)
Tehran/Heathrow. Depart at 08.45; arrive Heathrow at 12 noon

Classic Persia (Tour Reference: WDIR002)
2010 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:

Single Room Supplement on request.

The price includes:

• Scheduled flights within Iran, from Tehran to Shiraz and from Isfahan to Tehran, including airport taxes.
• Hotel accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities.
• 10 full breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners as shown in the itinerary.
• Private transportation throughout.
• All sightseeing as shown, including private guiding and entrance fees.

Not included in the price:

• International flights (see our recommendation above). We are happy to discuss the flights with you and give you further guidance.
• International airport taxes.
• Tipping. We will be pleased to give guidance in this often sensitive matter
• An Iranian Visa. This must be obtained before departure from the United Kingdom. In order to apply for your visa you will need a Visa Authorisation Number, which World Discovery will obtain for you from our agents in Tehran (this normally takes around 10 days). Once we have provided you with this you may apply to the Iranian Embassy for your visa (we will provide you with full details of how you do this).