17-day Iran Trekking and Adventure Tour from the Tower of Silence to the Alamut Castle

Arrive at Imam Khomeini airport in the evening. Meeting with the guide and transfer to Isfahan. Overnight in Isfahan.

A day dedicated to visiting Isfahan. We will visit Imam square, Ali-Qapu Palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site), and enjoy the magnificent view of the square. We will also visit the colorful Sheikh Lotfollah and the Imam mosque, the most famous building in Isfahan. Then we will discover Qeysariyeh Bazar, which brings together the workshops of manufacturing artists and where we can admire the famous Iranian carpets, mosaics, and miniatures. Time available for shopping. In the evening we can take a walk across 33pol. Overnight at the hotel.

This morning, after breakfast, depart for Shiraz, the capital of Iran during the Zand dynasty. On the way, we stop at Persepolis (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Achaemenid capital of Darius and Xerxes, located about 50 km from Shiraz. In Persepolis, we will visit; Grand Staircase, Gate of all Nations, Apadana Palace, Audience Hall, Palace of 100 Columns, and then visit Naqsh-e Rostam with a gallery of 4 royal rock tombs. Arrive in Shiraz in the evening. Overnight in Shiraz.

On this day we visit Shiraz sightseeing: Nasir-ol Molk Mosque, famous for its stained glass windows, and Naranjestan mansion with the fantastic mirror works. Then we visit the Vakil Complex (Bath, mosque, and Bazaar). In the afternoon, we visit Eram Garden (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Overnight in Shiraz.

After breakfast, depart for Yazd. On the way, stop at Pasargadae, a city of ancient Persia (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire from 546 BC, and continue to Yazd. Dinner and Overnight in Yazd.

Yazd, the city that grew up along the Silk Road, with its fascinating adobe buildings. We visit the towers of silence, a Zoroastrian building dedicated to their particular funeral ceremonies. Then we will visit the Friday mosque, Zoroastrian fire temple. There will go to Zoorkhaneh, a traditional system of athletics originally used to train warriors in Iran. And in the evening take a walk in Dowlat Abad garden (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) with the beautiful wind catchers. Overnight.

After breakfast, we leave Yazd. We reach Meybad, where we visit an ancient Parthian fortress, a defense point from the incursions of the Roman Empire. The village of Nain is our second stop, which is an interesting center for the production of fine fabrics, ceramics, and camel wool blankets. We will visit an ancient 10th-century mosque decorated with fine stuccoes. Arrive in Kashan. Overnight.

Today we will have the opportunity to visit a number of wonderful former private residences, including the stunning Tabatabaei House, built for the daughter of a wealthy local merchant in the mid-19th century, and Borujerdi House. Then we will visit the Fin Garden, a historic Persian garden. Take a walk in the traditional Bazar of Kashan and then visit Sultan Mir Ahmad Bathhouse. Overnight.

After breakfast, we visit the Agha Bozorg mosque and drive to Tehran. We arrive in Tehran and eat lunch. Then we will visit Azadi Tower, Azadi tower is one of Tehran symbols built by the Shah Reza Pahlavi to commemorate the 2500 years of the Persian Empire, in the shape of an upside-down Greek Y reminiscent of the typical Persian iwan element present in every mosque. We have time to go to Nature Bridge and take a walk there. Dinner and Overnight in Tehran.

Day dedicated to the visit Iran National Museum, which traces the history of Iranian art and culture, through archaeological findings ranging from 6000 BC. Up to the Islamic period. The Golestan Palace, the residence of the Qajar royal dynasty. This is the oldest monument in the city, part of a complex of buildings. Then we will visit the Jewelry Museum: prestigious for the unique jewels in the world kept in a large safe in the basement of the Central Bank. We will then explore - if there is still time - the ancient bazaar where merchants have been selling their wares for almost a thousand years. Overnight.

We drive toward the northwest. First, we will head to Ovan Lake, a small alpine lake located in Alamut. Then we go to reach the castle of the assassins. It is the area where you can breathe the Middle Ages that it was. It takes a little strength to climb up to the Castle, perched atop a dizzying cliff overlooking the pretty village of Gazor Khan. The walking path requires a considerable uphill walk of about half an hour, but upon arrival, the uniqueness of the landscape repays the effort. Overnight in Alamut.

In the morning, drive toward Masule, a village with unique architecture, the buildings were built into the mountain, are interconnected and popularly known, as "The courtyard of the building above is the roof of the building below". We have a stop at Rudkhan Castle, which dates back to the Sassanid era and later rebuilt during the Seljuq era. Arrive in Masuleh. Overnight.

Departure for Sarein, we have a stop in Ardebil and visit the mausoleum of the Sheikh Safi -Eddin Ardebili (the founder of Sufism in Iran), the Archaeological Museum, and the covered Bazaar. Continue to Sarein and in the afternoon free time to enjoy the spa. Overnight in Sarein.

Today we reach Tabriz and visit the famous Blue Mosque, the Museum of Azerbaijan, the 13th-century Arg-e-Alishah, which was originally a magnificent Friday Mosque but transformed into a fortress in the 19th century, and the bazaar (the largest bazaar in Iran). Overnight in Tabriz.

Breakfast. Excursion to nearby Maku to visit the Church of San Thaddeus, also known as Qara Kilise or "Black Church" has been included in the list of monuments protected by UNESCO. This is one of the oldest churches in Christianity and has a special significance for the Armenian community in Iran, which gathers here every year in July for the feast of St. Thaddeus. Return to Tabriz. Overnight.

In the morning, we have a short excursion to the troglodyte village of Kandovan, near the volcanic mountain of Sahand. In Kandovan, as in Matera, people have carved their houses out of the rock and still live there. Return to Tabriz and transfer to the airport for a flight to Tehran. Overnight in Tehran.

Breakfast at the hotel. Completion of visits in Tehran - Royal Palaces: Niavaran Complex, the residence of the last Shah during the Islamic revolution, and then visit the Green and White Palace in the Saad Abad Complex. Sadabad Palace was built between 1931 and 1937 with a neoclassical style. In the nineteenth century, the palace was the seat of the royal family. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi resided there since 1970 but, after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the complex was used as a museum. If the weather is good we will take a walk Darband; Darband is a really fascinating area. In the afternoon, transfer to the IKA airport for the return flight to your country.