Thursday 18th February – Tehran

• Arrive at your convenience into Tehran – the capital city of Iran which is well connected from many countries within Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
• Meet your driver at the airport and transfer to our centrally located hotel
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Visit to the heart of Old Tehran to soak up the night time atmosphere, drink some local tea and people watch.
• Try your first taste of the famous Iranian kebab and dough – an Iranian drink of fermented yoghurt and mint.
• Overnight in Tehran.

Friday 19th February – Tehran

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit the Azadi Tower – formally known as the Shahyad Tower or Shah’s Monument, standing 45 meters high, it is one of the most iconic landmarks of Tehran. The tower is located at the west entrance of the city and was built by the last Shah of Iran to mark the 2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran in 1971.
• Explore Tajrish Bazaar – this covered bazaar has ancient architecture and structure with some part of it being built more than 200 years ago back during the Qajar dynasty.
• Stop by the nearby Imamzadeh Saleh Mosque, which houses the remains of Saleh, the son of one of the Twelver Shia Imams

Afternoon

• Lunch downtown to sample incredible local Iranian dishes
• Visit the Ebrat Museum which displays atrocities carried out by the Shah’s secret police during the 1970s within a former prison. Heavy doses of brutality and propaganda, not for the faint-hearted!
• We’ll drive through Tehran passing anti-US propaganda slogans and posters, as well as stopping by the former US embassy officially renamed to the “US Den of Espionage Museum”. The building is immaculately preserved, and filled to the brim with artifacts and information from the Iranian perspective about the 1979 takeover of the US embassy in Tehran.
• Dinner at the Armenian Club. Armenians are the main ethnic Christian minority in Iran.
• Overnight in Tehran.

Saturday 20th February – Tehran – Kashan – Isfahan

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin our drive to Isfahan located in central Iran, mostly known for its Persian architecture.
• On the way, visit the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini – the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
• Head on to the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery, expect to see a lot of locals around paying their respects
• We’ll arrange plenty of stops for breaks and photos on the way (4-5 hours).
• Lunch in a restaurant on arrival to Kashan.

Afternoon

• Stop at Kashan – the first of the large oasis along the Qom-Kerman road which runs along the edge of the central deserts of Iran. Here we’ll visit the
• Explore Tabatabai House – a historic house built around 1880 during the reign of the Qajar dynasty.
• Walk around Fin Garden – rated as one of the most beautiful historical gardens of the the world. Located inside is Kashan’s Fin Bath, where Amir Kabir (a famous vizier of Qajarid) was killed by the King Nasereddin Shah.
• Visit Sultan Amir Bath – a traditional Iranian public bathhouse built in the 16th century but has been carefully restored to its former glory.
• Continue to Isfahan and on arrival explore the famous old Khaju Bridge – the bridge was built around 1650, under the reign of Abbas II. One would think the primary function of a bridge would be to cross it, for this unique structure it was to hold public meetings in the past.
• Dinner at a popular restaurant that prepares the best Chelow kabab – the national dish of Iran.
• Evening visit to the 300 year old Abbasi Hotel for traditional Iranian tea.
• Overnight at the centrally located Isfahan Tourist Hotel.

Sunday 21st February – Isfahan

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and head straight to the majestic Ali Qapu Royal Palace – this palace served as the official residence of Persian Emperors of the Safavid dynasty dating back to 1597 CE.
• Visit the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque – this is considered one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture that was built during the Safavid Empire in 1619.
• Explore Naqsh-e Jahan Square which translates into “Image of the World Square” –  it is the largest square in Iran of a total area of 89,600 square metres. The square is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20,000 rials banknote.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a traditional restaurant by the square.
• Visit the Imam Mosque – famed for its traditional architecture which includes seven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions. The mosque was previously called the Shah Mosque before the revolution.
• We’ll visit an official money exchange place located by the square that will give you the best chance to receive crisp rials for money collectors.
• Visit one of the oldest carpet shops. Explanation on a variety of Persian carpets and opportunity for a purchase. The presentation involves a show how carpets are made and explanation of 30 different styles of carpets.
• Visit a Zurkhaneh Gym to watch an ancient Persian sport workout – a strength building exercises done with traditional drum and bell music.
• Dinner in town
• Overnight at the Tourist Hotel.

Monday 22nd February – Isfahan – Yazd

Morning

• Breakfast and check out of hotel
• Begin our 4 hour drive to Yazd, formerly also known as Yezd – a 5000 year old city located southeast of Isfahan. It is the centre of Zoroastrian culture and in 2017 the city was granted World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Afternoon

• Lunch on arrival in town
• Visit the must-see Amir Chakhmaq complex and nearby mosque – during the Iran-Iraq War and the Iraq War with the US and Afghanistan, many Iraqis and Afghanis fled here.
• Explore the old city, the Jame Mosque and we’ll then head to Rafieian’s Old House – over 250 years old and a great example of traditional architecture in the region
• Dinner at the local kebab house in one of the old-fashioned Persian restaurants in the city
• Overnight in Yazd

Tuesday 23rd February – Yazd-Shiraz

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and head to the beautiful Dolat Abad Garden – built in 1747, this walled complex includes the country’s tallest wind catcher, orchards & fountains.
• Visit the Zoroastrian Fire Temple – a place of worship for the followers of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran.
• Explore the Yazd Tower of Silence – The Zoroastrian tradition is that once someone has passed away, their body is immediately contaminated by demons and made impure. So to prevent this, the Zoroastrians purified the dead body by exposing it to the elements on top of these towers called dakhmas in the desert.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Yazd and then we hit the road for a 5 hour drive to Shiraz located south central of Iran.
• On the way, we can stop at the tomb of Cyrus the Great, famed leader of the Persian Empire
• On arrival we’ll visit the citadel within the centre of the city to mingle with locals.
• Have free time to walk around or relax with tea and shisha at a tea house.
• Dinner in Saray E Mehr restaurant in the middle of bazaar for traditional Di Zi dish
• Overnight in Parsian hotel.

Wednesday 24th February – Persepolis – Shiraz

Morning

• Wake up bright and early to visit the colour stained Pink Mosque when the morning light shines through spectacularly.
• Drive to Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenian era and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, burned to the ground by Alexander the Great but the ruins are one of the top sights in the whole of Iran.
• Lunch at traditional restaurant called “Paradise” on the way to Necropolis tombs – a collection of ancient Iranian rocks cut into the face of the mountain which contains the final resting place of four Achaemenid kings.

Afternoon

• Persepolis covers a vast area and we will explore the palaces, forts and treasury along the way.
• We’ll head back to Shiraz where we will visit the botanic gardens of Shiraz.
• Stop for traditional Shiraz ice cream at a famous local shop.
• Visit a famous Hafiezah Iranian poet’s park and tomb. Great opportunity to mingle with locals and take photos.
• Dinner at hotel or out to a fast food joint for burgers, falafel, and sambusas.
• Overnight in Parsian hotel.

Thursday 25th February – Shiraz

• Tour concludes with airport transfers to Shiraz Airport. YPT can arrange your onward travel back to Tehran if required.
• For those of you wanting to continue your adventure in the Middle East board a flight to Beirut, Lebanon on our Lebanon Spring Tour.

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