Hidden Iran Autumn Tour

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This year we are spicing things up with our Iran itinerary and taking you to a different side of this must-see country, seeing all the must-see sights as well as the more hidden ones.

In the thriving capital of Tehran you will visit the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini and revolutionary martyrs cemetery before you see the famous anti-US propaganda adjoining the facades of buildings and the former US embassy.

You then hit the road for Esfahan and see royal palaces and mosques, local bazaars and hang out with locals at the gym watching ancient Persian workouts. In Yazd you will see ancient Zoroastrian temples and the famed towers of silence before we stroll around the UNESCO site of Persepolis outside of Shiraz.

For Group B we are really pushing the boundaries and heading to the south of the country where we will see southern coastal cities and spend a night on the island of Hormuz located in the Hormuz Straits, one of the global politics hotspots of the world where we will relax with the locals and swim in the sea on this unique part of the country.

To top it all off those on Group B can exit the country via ferry direct to Dubai across the Persian Gulf!

This tour is open to all nationalities except Israeli, if you are from the UK, the USA, Canada or Colombia we advise booking no later than 3 months before the tour to give us time to secure the visa codes. As always YPT provides full visa support for all nationalities. This is a tour for true Pioneers and comes right after our Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Tours which means they can be easily combined! All tours can be done as standalone, or combined with discounts.

ITINERARY

Wednesday 27th October – Tehran

Morning or afternoon arrival by flight. Those coming from our Kuwait Tour arrive at 14:30 where we are picked up and taken to our hotel.
Meet up with the group at 5pm in the hotel lobby
Visit to the heart of Old Tehran to soak up the night time atmosphere, drink some local tea and people watch.
Traditional Iranian dinner of kebabs at famous restaurant Ayaran restaurant, near Ferdosi square.
Overnight in New Naderi Hotel or similar

Thursday 28th October – Tehran

Head out on our day tour of the main sights of Tehran with first stop being a visit the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini.
Head on to the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery, expect to see a lot of locals around paying their respects
Stop at the Shah’s Monument AKA Revolution Monument for photos
Drive through Tehran past anti-US propaganda and the US embassy (possibility of actually seeing inside the embassy, something which was considered impossible only a couple of years ago!).
Explore the Erbat Museum with its heavy doses of brutality and propaganda, not for the fiant-hearted!
Shopping in the Tajrish Bazaar of Tehran and visit a nearby mosque.
Dinner at the Armenian Club. Armenians are the main ethnic Christian minority in Iran.
Overnight in New Naderi Hotel or similar

Friday 29th October – Tehran/Esfahan

Drive to Esfahan (4-5 hours) with plenty of stops for breaks and photos
Lunch in a restaurant in one of the smaller cities on the way.
Go to the famous old Khaju bridge.
Walk across bridge and mingle with locals.
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.
Dinner in a local restaurant of the local speciality of chelo kebab
Evening visit to the 300-year-old Abbasi Hotel for traditional Iranian tea.
Overnight at the centrally located Esfahan tourist Hotel.

Saturday 30th October – Esfahan

After breakfast we head straight to the beautiful Ali Qapu Royal Palace dating from the early 17th century
Sheikh Lotfollah mosque and Ali-qapoo palace.
Explore the Naqsh-e Jahan Sqaure, the second largest public square in the world after Tian’anmen Square in Beijing!
Lunch in a traditional restaurant at the square.
Visit the Imam Mosque, famed for its traditional architecture, previously called the Shah Mosque before the revolution
Chance to change money for small crisp rial denominations. There is an official change place with good rates but they also have a stack of small denominations that they hold. (They remembered us from last time and changed some money for the group).
Visit Zurkhane gym to watch an ancient Persian sport workout, a strength building exercises done with traditional drum and bell music.
Dinner in a local restaurant
Overnight at the Tourist Hotel.

Sunday 31st October – Esfahan-Yazd

Check out of hotel for the drive to Yazd (4 hours)
We have lunch on arrival before diving straight into the amazing city of Yazd – 5000 years old and a centre of Zoroastrian culture
Visit the must-see Amir Chakhmaq complex and nearby mosque
Explore the old city and the Jame Mosque and head to Rafieian’s Old House, over 250 years old and a great example of traditional architecture in the region
Dinner of the local kebab in one of the old-fashioned Persian restaurants in the city
Overnight in Yazd

Monday 1st November – Yazd-Shiraz

After breakfast we head to the beautiful Dolat Abad Garden and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple as well as the famous Yazd Tower of Silence
Lunch in Yazd before we hit the road for the drive to Shiraz (5 hours)
On arrival we visit the citadel in the centre of the city and mingle with locals.
Free 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.

Tuesday 2nd November – Persepolis-Shiraz

Up bright and early to visit the colour stained mosque when the morning light shines through spectacularly.
Drive to Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Persian Empire during the Achemaenian 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.
Persepolis covers a vast area and we will explore the palaces, forts and treasury
Drive 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 Hafeizieh 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.

Wednesday 3rd November – Shiraz END OF GROUP A, BEGINNING OF GROUP B

End of Group A with YPT able to arrange your onward travel back to Tehran (if required) or airport transfer to Shiraz International Airport where you can catch a flight to Doha, Dubai or Istanbul to connect back home.
Group B continues on with an early morning domestic flight to Bandar Abbas, one of Iran’s main ports on its southern coast.
On arrival we will grab lunch in the local bazaar, trying to spot some of the original locals known as Banduris with their colourful clothing and burqas.
We’ll then catch the ferry straight to Hormuz Island, a small town located in the Straits of Hormuz, previously visited by Marco Polo in 1275.
To say this is one of the hotspots of global politics is probably a bit of an understatement…and in true YPT style we will go to see this place ourselves!
Take in the sunset over the Hormuz Straits and Persian Gulf as people make their way back to the mainland, we will soak up the environment on the island with very few people around
Dinner and overnight at our homestay on Hormuz Island

Thursday 5th November – Hormuz Island

After a relaxing breakfast we’ll check out the Colourful Carpet museum and gallery. Hormuz is known as the most colourful part of the whole of Iran
Visit the Portuguese Castle, a red-stone fort and last remnants of the Portuguese colonies in the region
After lunch we will head to Statue Valley, a unique geological feature leading up to the beach where all the rocks look unique, creating shapes of animals or dragons…
…and then to the Red Beach for a swim
Dinner and overnight at our homestay on Hormuz Island

Friday 6th November – Hormuz Island-Bandar Lengeh

After breakfast we’ll explore more of the rocky coastline and sandy beaches as weekenders from the mainland arrive at the start of the weekend, this will be a great time to people watch in Iran!
In the late morning we will catch the ferry back to Bandar Abbas before hopping straight onto a bus to Bandar Lengeh (3 hours) (***American, British and Canadian tourists may have to fly back to Tehran from here depending on the visa situation)
In Bandar Lengeh we’ll explore the local bazaar where we’ll have dinner before going for a walk along the sea front as we spend our last sunset in Iran
Overnight at a homestay in Bandar Lengeh

Saturday 7th November – Iran-Dubai Ferry

After breakfast we will head straight to the port where we will catch the 11am ferry to Dubai
Enjoy the views on this 5-6 hour cruise over the Persian Gulf as Iran recedes behind us
Arrival into Dubai and end of tour, YPT can arrange airport transfer or accommodation in Dubai if needed

GALLERY