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Detail of 'Homa' bird statue at Persepolis
| Tehran | Laleh Hotel | 2 nights |
| Ahwaz | Pars Fajr Hotel | 2 nights |
| Shiraz | Homa Hotel | 3 nights |
| Kerman | Pars Hotel | 2 nights |
| Yazd | Moshir Garden | 2 nights |
| Isfahan | Abbasi Hotel | 3 nights |
| Tehran | Laleh Hotel | 1 night |
Click on the name of the hotel for details
16 days from £2430
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 - Fly to Ahwaz.
Further sightseeing in Tehran will include a visit to see the priceless Crown Jewels of the Shahs of Persia [more]. In the afternoon transfer to the airport for the flight to Ahwaz, where you will be met and taken direct to your hotel.
Meals included: Lunch, dinner.
DAY 4 - Chogha-Zanbil, Susa, Shushtar.
Full day excursion to Chogha-Zanbil to visit the ziggurat, built about 1,250 B.C. by the Elamite king Untash-Gal. Also visit Haft-Tappeh (an Elamite Necropolis), and Susa, the site of one of the oldest civilizations in Western Asia, dating back to 5,000 B.C. where you explore the remains of the Achaemenian palaces before continuing to Shushtar, a large town perched on limestone cliffs above the Karun River, whose past can be traced through a remarkable series of interconnecting channels, bridges and irrigation works. Return to Ahwaz in the afternoon.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 5 - By road via Bishapur to Shiraz.
Leave Ahwaz after breakfast and head for Bishapur to explore the remains of the Sassanian city built by Shapur 1st (241-273 AD), the second Sassanian king. The building complex includes a central chamber, a large courtyard which had been covered with impressive mosaics, plus the remains of a temple dedicated to Anahita, the goddess of water and fertility; on either side of a narrow gorge, there are also six Sassanian rock-reliefs commemorating Shapur’s victories over the Romans and other events. Continue to Shiraz, arriving in the afternoon.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 6 - Persepolis, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Pasargadae.
Today you will enjoy a comprehensive excursion to Persepolis [more]. Also visit Naqsh-e-Rostam [more]. In the afternoon drive a further 70 km to Pasargadae [more]. Return to Shiraz in the late afternoon.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 7 - Shiraz.
Full day of sightseeing in Shiraz [more].
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 8 - By road via Sarvestan to Kerman.
Leave Shiraz in the morning and drive in a south-easterly direction to the small town of Sarvestan. Just outside the town can be found the 5th century Sassanian palace of Bahram V. This interesting complex was probably built as a hunting lodge before being converted into a Zoroastran fire temple at some point. Continue to Kerman and transfer to your hotel.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 9 - Rayen, Mahan
A full day excursion into the surrounding countryside to see the remote desert citadel of Rayen, now abandoned but full of atmosphere. Rayen has recently been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. Our visit includes the Palace of the Governors, the military quarters, the mosque and bazaar area. Continue to Mahan to visit the blue-tiled Mausoleum of Shah Nematollah-e-Vali, the great 14th century Sufi leader, and the Shahzadeh Garden (late 19th century) before returning in the late afternoon to Kerman.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 10 - By road from Kerman to Yazd.
Sightseeing in Kerman, including the 17th century Ganj-Ali-Khan complex, before leaving for the city of Yazd. En route you will visit the Zeid-ed-Din caravanserai, dating from the Safavid period. Arrive in Yazd in the late afternoon.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 11 - Yazd.
Full day sightseeing in Yazd [more].
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 12 - By road from Yazd to Isfahan.
In the morning drive from Shiraz to Abarkuh, a charming desert town where you will take tea in the shade of a 4,000 year old cypress tree. Continue to Pasargadae [more]. Arrive in Isfahan in the afternoon.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 13 - 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 (pictured left), 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 14 - Isfahan.
'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].
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 15 - By road from Isfahan to Tehran.
Today you will drive back to Tehran, stopping en route at the charming town of Natanz to visit a beautiful Friday Mosque and the Tomb of Sheikh Abdol Samad Isfahani. Continue to Kashan to visit one of the most important and ancient archaeological sites in Iran known as Teppe Sialk. The site was excavated in 1930s and dates back to 4,000 B.C. Artifacts found at this site adorn many major museums in the world. You will also visit the historical garden of Fin which was first planted during the Safavid period and kept alive with water from the nearby Sulaimanieh Spring. Following a visit to a fine example of a 19th century merchant residence known as Taba-Tabai House with its beautiful stucco dome and inlaid mirror work, continue to Tehran via the city of Qom.
Meals included: Full breakfast, lunch, dinner.
DAY 16 - Fly to 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
Land of the Great Sophy (Tour Reference: WDIR004)
2010 Departures
Price per person based on a minimum of two persons travelling together:
| Daily departures | Price |
| 2010 (all year round) | £2430 |
Single Room Supplement on request.
The price includes:
- Scheduled flight from Tehran to Ahwaz, including airport taxes.
- Hotel accommodation as listed above in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities.
- 15 full breakfasts, 14 lunches and 14 dinners as shown in the itinerary.
- Private transportation throughout.
- All sightseeing as shown, including 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).
A deposit of £250 per person is required at the time of booking. The balance of the price for your travel arrangements must be paid at least 8 weeks before your departure date.
More Information
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