Iran’s Capitals

Capitals in a Row

Overview :

In this bewitching trip we explore Persian history and culture through its historical capitals, a rewarding journey rich with amazing stories and awe-inspiring monuments. The journey starts with Tehran, the current capital of Iran, and its amazing museums and then continues to Ecbatana (present-day Hamadan), the ancient capital of the Medes, then, Susa, the capital of Elamites and the oldest one in Iran. Shiraz is the next stop, the capital of Zand dynasty in 18th century. The last capital to see is Isfahan, the wonderful capital of Safavids (17th century).

Highlights :

Visiting the mega-city of Tehran, the current capital of Iran.
Visiting Ecbatana, ancient Median Capital.
Visiting Susa the capital of Elamites, the oldest capital of Iran.

Exploring Shiraz, capital of Zand dynasty.

Visiting Persepolis and Pasargadae, the capitals of Achaemenid Empire.

Services :

What's Included

Visa Application Process.
Full Board (20 Meals)
All transportation including transfer from/to hotel, Best quality land vehicle.
Professional escorted Tour Guide of your choice language and trained driver.
All entrance fees, sightseeing, permits, excursions and activities as per the itinerary.
Mid-day refreshment including drinking water throughout.
Accommodation in 4* Hotel in Double Occupancy Room.

What's Excluded

International flight.
Visa fee payable when collecting your visa from an Iranian embassy or consulate or upon arrival.
Tip for guide and/or driver.
Entrance fees for sights not included in the itinerary.

Tour Itinerary :

Day 1: Arrival in Tehran. Half-day Tehran City Tour

Arrival in TEHRAN. We visit the precious Archeological Section of National Museum with artifact and objects from prehistory to Islamic era. The Abgine Museum (Glass & Ceramics museum) as the next place to see is a real time travel with plates and dishes from different periods of Iran history.

Overnight in Tehran.

Day 2: Full Day City Tour of Tehran

In our second day in Tehran we visit the only world heritage site of the city, Golestan Palace, as well as the fascinating museums of Crown Jewels and Carpet. Golestan Palace is one of the oldest and best-known historic monuments in the Tehran (4 century old). Priceless jewels and unique carpets present you the luxury and delicacy of Persian royal households and artistic genius of its people.

Overnight in Tehran.

Day 3: Drive to Hamedan

Right After having breakfast, we drive to HAMADAN, the ancient capital of Medians (7th century BCE). In the afternoon, we visit the unearthed remains of ancient Ecbatana, Alavian Tomb Tower, and Tomb of Avicenna, the author of “Canon of Medicine” the most famous book in the Medicine world, as well as 2500 year old inscription of Ganjnameh.

Overnight in Hamedan.

Day 4: Drive to Kermanshah, Visiting Bisotoun

In the morning, we leave Hamadan towards KERMANSHAH, a large Kurdish city. En route we visit Anahita Temple in city of KANGAVAR. We drive on to visit Bisotun and Taq-e Bostan. The former, a world heritage site, is a highly significant historical bas-relief and inscription displaying and recounting how Darius the Great (526 BCE) crushed his enemies; The latter belongs to the second major Persian Empire, the Sassanids (224-651 CE), the main rival of Romans in the East.

Overnight in Kermanshah.

Day 5: Drive to Ahvaz, en route Visit to Falak-ol- Aflak Castle

In the morning we drive to city of AHVAZ over and across the Zagros Mountains down to the lowlands of Khuzestan Province, the cradle of civilization in Iran, the birthplace of Elamites (2800-500 BCE). En route to Ahvaz, the current capital city of Khuzestan, we stop to visit Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, a gigantic structure built by the Sassanids in the city of KHORAMABAD in LORESTAN Province. Then, we continue driving through POL DOKHTAR where we will visit a third century bridge of the same name.Then, we drive on to Ahvaz.

Overnight in Ahvaz.

Day 6: Visiting Choqa Zanbil and Susa Remains and Hydraulic System of Shushtar

Today, we have an excursion, archeological in nature! First, we visit Haft Tepe, the remains of an ancient Elamite city.Then, we visit the remains of SUSA, the capital city of the Elamite, a world heritage site. Choqa Zanbil located close to Susa is the crown jewel of the region: a huge temple over 3000 years old and a world heritage site. On our return route to Ahvaz we pass through the SHUSHTAR which houses an amazing Hydraulic System, a world heritage site, whose construction dates back to Sassanid period.

Overnight in Ahvaz.

Day 7: Visiting Remains of Bishapur City and Tang-e Chogan

In the morning, we drive to SHIRAZ, the pride of Persia, the capital of Zand dynasty.The route from Ahvaz to Shiraz is long but worth taking. We have two stops on our way to Shiraz: the remains of ancient City of BISHAPUR and the bas-reliefs of Tang-e Chogan (meaning The Valley of Polo where Royal Sassanids used to play polo) where like Taq-e Bostan in Kermanshah you can see the carved images of Sassanid kings.

Overnight in Shiraz.

Day 8: Full day city tour of Shiraz

Today, we have the opportunity to see the highlights of Shiraz ranging from colorful mosques to the beautiful gardens and charming mausoleums: Marvelous Mosque of Nasir al-Mulk; Arg-e Karim Khan, an 18th century citadel; Pars Museum, the burial place of Karim Khan Zand, the founder of Zand dynasty; Vakil Complex with its bazaar, mosque and hammam; Eram Garden, an exemplary Persian Garden and a world heritage site; and the tombs of Sa’di and Hafez, the two greatest Persian poets.

Overnight in Shiraz.

Day 9: Visiting Persepolise, Pasargadae and Naqsh-e Rostam

We drive to ISFAHAN, the Islamic city of art and architecture. Before getting to Isfahan we have two must-see attractions of Iranand world heritage sites, to see. The remains of Persepolis, the glory of Achaemenid Empire and their ceremonial capital city; and Pasargadae, the first Persian capital city, where Cyrus the Great, the founder of Achaemenid Empire is buried. Naqsh-e Rostam where the tombs of four Achaemenid emperors have been cut into the cliff and Naqsh-e Rajab the Sassanid bas-relief are two other sights on our way.

Overnight in Isfahan.

Day 10: Full day tour of Naqah-e Jahan Square in Isfahan

Now, we are in the capital city of Safavid dynasty where the third major Persian Empire rose into fame in 17th century. Our first day in Isfahan is all spent in Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a world heritage site bordered on three sides by stunning mosques of Abbasi and Sheikh Lotfolla and beautiful palace pavilion of Ali Qapu. These monumental buildings are linked by a series of two-story arcades called Qeysarieh Bazaar where we can find best local handicrafts. A few minutes to the left of the Square we have Chehel Sotoun Palace to visit, another world heritage site. Here, we have art, architecture, spirituality, luxury, commerce and social life all together.

Overnight in Isfahan.

Day 11: Full day city tour of Isfahan

After breakfast we go to see the Vank Cathedral in Armenian Quarter. The displaced Armenians of 17th century built this cathedral and decorated it with wonderful frescos and donated valuable objects currently kept in cathedral’s museum. We also have a great 12th century mosque to see, the Jame Mosque of Isfahan. It is a world heritage site telling us about the evolution of mosque construction. In the evening, we can enjoy the social life of Isfahan while walking over and along the historical bridges of Si-o Se Pol and Khaju.

Overnight in Isfahan.

Day 12: Visiting Abyaneh and Kashan. Fly back Home!

Today, we end our journey through historical capitals of Iran and finish our trip right where we began,Tehran. To get to Tehran, we pass through the village of ABYANEH, an ancient village with unique culture, and then KASHAN, a beautiful oasis in the middle of desert. Here, we visit two old houses of Tabatabai and Broujerdi; Sialk Tepe, an archeological site of a 5000 year old ziggurat; and Fin Garden, a world heritage site. The last stop is Imam Khomeini Mausoleum near Tehran. Fly back home!

Reviews :

”I have just returned from my trip to Iran. There is so much to share about the country! You will really enjoy seeing so many inspiring historic and cultural sights and friendly people.

Maggyfrom Belgium

”We have just returned from an incredible trip to Iran and can't recommend it enough. As a USA passport holder, you have to have a guide all the time, and to have agencies in Iran, arrange a visa authorization number in advance for you. The process takes more than a month but it completely worth it.

Paulfrom USA

”We don’t regret at all to have visited such an incredible and safe country.

Islefrom Belgium

Questions & Answers :

We’re ready to help! If you have any questions about this tour or need more information about your trip to Iran, write to us right now and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Departure Dates :

Departing
Finishing
Status
Availability
26 Jul 2020
07 Aug 2020
Available
Low seasonBook Now
15 Aug 2020
27 Aug 2020
Available
Low seasonBook Now
05 Sep 2020
17 Sep 2020
Available
High SeasonBook Now
13 Sep 2020
25 Sep 2020
Available
High SeasonBook Now
19 Oct 2020
31 Oct 2020
Available
High SeasonBook Now
01 Nov 2020
13 Nov 2020
Available
High SeasonBook Now
21 Nov 2020
03 Dec 2020
Available
Low seasonBook Now

Notes :

Price Change

Depending on the group size, the tour price will change. Tour size can vary from one person to above 20 persons.

Hotel

You will be accommodated in 4-star hotels. Hotels could be replaced with similar hotel in the same category.

Single Supplement

A Single Supplement is bookable on this trip, subject to availability at the time of booking. The price of the single suplement will be quoted at the time of booking.

Currency

The Iranian currency is Iranian Rials (IRR). However it’s common by the locals to use Toman instead of Rials on daily business. Note that 1 Toman = 10 Rials. You should also note that International payment systems and bank cards are not available in Iran. So make sure to bring enough cash for your whole journey.

Weekdays in Iran

States offices, administration, post office and banks are generally open from 7:30 – 12:00 and reopen after a lunch break until 16:00. Thursdays are working hours until 12:00, which might vary depending on the city or office.
Friday is weekend in Iran.

Visa

We offer visa assistance to those who are traveling with us. For some nationalities a visa is required to enter Iran. A visa can be Collected from the Iranian embassy or consulate in your country of residence or at the Iranian airports upon arrival. However, upon arrival visas are not available for the US, British and Canadian Citizens and a visa needs to be Collected prior to Departure. For more information about Visa Click Here.

Policies :

Location

Your trip will start in Tehran and finish in Tehran.

Payment

You need to pay 30% of your tour total amount as deposit if you’re booking prior to 30 days from departure date. If you’re booking after 30 days, you must pay the full amount. Payment should be made through wire transfer to the bank account given in your quotation sheet.

Insurance

You must have a valid travel insurance during your stay in Iran. You’ll need to provide your insurance certificate when applying for visa either at Iranian embassy in the country of your residence or at the Iranian airports. You will have the option to purchase travel insurance from Iranian companies upon arrival.

Availability

Our  departures will become available to you once deposit or total amount is paid depending on your purchase date. Departures will be Available once at least 2 Persons have Secured their Spot. If you plan to travel alone on one of our tours, you need to contact us to check if it’s Available.

Cancellation

If you cancel prior to 30 days from departure, your deposit will not be refunded. If you cancel 29 to 15 days before your departure date, 50% of your payment amount will be refunded. If you cancel 14 days before departure you will get no refund at all.

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Iran’s Capitals

12 days

  from   €1430

This is the Initial Price Based on 1 adult with the lowest price in low season.
AVAILABLE DATESREQUEST BROCHURE

Iran’s Leading Tour Operator

No.1, Mir Emad, Motahari Ave.

Tehran, Iran

Tel: +98-21-88170899

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