6-Day Iran Desert Tour: Hidden Gems of Dasht-e Lut

After breakfast, we drive from Kerman toward Shahdad desert (130 km). To approach the Shahdad desert, we should pass through Shafiabad village. In Shafiabad village, we enjoy a timeless walk among abandoned mud huts, a delightful palm grove, a fort, the conduit of a qanat, and the ruins of a caravanserai. We will enjoy the sunset in Kalouts. Overnight in a guest house in Shafiabad village. Accommodation in a pleasant shady garden with rooms around.

For this day, we organize a 4 × 4 excursion to go to the desert and, we do light trekking in the dunes and visit a salt lake. Salty plains and rivers, stone valleys, and colorful mountains are some of the many and unexpected landscapes that we will have the opportunity to explore. We head north, towards the famous locality of Gandom Beryan, where according to NASA measurements which recorded temperatures of 70 degrees centigrade, the hottest point on Earth is located. This desert area has hills made up of volcanic and sedimentary material and is covered with sand (although there are no dunes) and volcanic gravel. Back to Shafiabad village. Overnight.

After breakfast, we drive toward Bam. On our way, we stop at Mahan and visit the Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine and then walking in Shazdeh (Prince's) Garden, which make us understand why the term paradise derives from the Persian garden: in fact, we pass from an arid and burnt landscape to water flowing in streams, trees, and fountains that surround the palace of the prince. We will continue the journey to Rayen, a splendid citadel, made of straw and mud bricks. Then continue our way to reach Bam in the afternoon. Overnight in Bam.

We will visit Bam citadel, a fortified citadel built-in raw earth. Bam lived its golden age until the 13th century thanks to the flourishing caravan trade and the production of silk, wool, and cotton. The ancient complex consists of houses, mosques, bathhouses, bazaar, and caravanserais. Then we will back to Kerman. We will visit the city according to the time available, with the magnificent Safavid Ganj Ali Khan complex and the traditional bazaar. Overnight in Kerman.

We continue the journey to Meymand along the splendid panoramic road. Meymand is a troglodyte village of 90 inhabitants where they still live in caves carved into the rock, very similar to Turkish Cappadocia. On the route described by Marco Polo, we will reach Rafsanjan, the famous village of green gold, the famous pistachios; we will be able to taste and buy. We reach Meymand village, a Mesolithic troglodyte village dating back to 12,000 years ago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, still inhabited by a few hundred people, one of the oldest human settlements on the Iranian plateau. Around the village are 10,000-year-old rock carvings. Then we continue our way and, we arrive in the late afternoon at a caravanserai in the middle of the desert to admire the mountains with the sunset light, a truly unforgettable sight. We will stop here for dinner and, like ancient caravans on the Silk Road, we will spend the night at this caravanserai. Tomorrow we will reach Yazd, and our tour will end.

After breakfast, drive toward Yazd. Arrive in Yazd and our tour will be finished here. We have Yazd daily tours and also, Shiraz and Isfahan tours. Contact our tour experts to arrange your tour as you desire!
You can check a suitable extension for your desert tour here: https://friendlyiran.com/iran-tours/5-days-culture-and-history-tour-of-yazd/