from $5,985* per person	15 Days	May
Boutique accommodations		Exertion level: 4
Operator: Geographic Expeditions		18 people max

Getting to know Iran intimately and well (and, if we may say, far better than any other American company) has allowed us to branch off from the classic destinations of Tehran, Esfahan, and Shiraz into fascinating corners of this overwhelmingly interesting country. Just south of Shiraz is the homeland of the Qashqai nomads, a Turkish-speaking tribe of pastoral nomads who migrate between winter pastures near the Persian Gulf and the summer pastures where we’ll encounter them. We’ll spend a couple of days getting a feel for their ways, becoming familiar with the sheepherding, cooking, and daily routines of these resilient people. (As Bruce Chatwin memorably wrote, they, like all true nomads, look upon fences and borders “as a form of insanity,” a worldview of subtle depth and richness.) Buttressing our nomadic sojourn are extraordinary visits to the glittering jewels of Shiraz, Persepolis, Esfahan, and the religious center of Qom.