Day 1: Landing to PERSIA (Tehran)

Welcome to Iran. You will Arrival at Tehran’s IKA airport; meet your guide and transfer to hotel for the rest. In afternoon, after an introductory lecture, we visit Reza Abbasi museum and Nature bridge of Tehran.

O/N Tehran

Day 2: Tehran

After an introductory lecture in the morning, we visit the National Archaeological Museum, which collected many famous sculptures of the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian Empires. Then we enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Golestan Palace*, part of a complex of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran’s historic arg, or citadel.  The oldest of the historical monuments in Tehran, this opulent palace dates back to the Qajar Dynasty.

O/N Tehran

Day 3: Zanjan - Takab

Today we drive to Zanjan. In archaeology museum, we visit the mummified remains of five miners that are discovered in one of the salt mines in Zanjan. These “salt men” are in fact ancient corpses had been killed in a mining accident and mummified under extreme conditions. It is a disaster for the victims, but a sensation for modern archaeology.

After that, we visit the mausoleum of Oljeitu Khodabandeh, known as the Soltanieh Dome and noted in Unesco list as an architectural masterpiece of its period. This brilliant turquoise-brick dome sitting on the plains of Soltaniyeh is a vivid remnant of a land once ruled by the Mongols. This unique 700-year-old brick dome is the first double-shelled dome in the world sitting on an octagonal base surrounded by eight minarets and iwans. Then we will continue to Takab and check in to our hotel.

O/N Takab

Day 4: Takab

This morning we take you a World Heritage Site, Takht-e Soleyman* (Solomon's Throne). The holiest shrine of Zoroastrianism and the most important relic of the former Sassanid Empire. Its temple homed one of the three great fires of Zoroastrianism, which believed to have existed since the start of time.

This archaeological site dates back to the 6th century. It was partially rebuilt during the Ilkhanid period and they added new constructions to it and reused the site as a palace. Folk fiction relates that King Solomon used to imprison monsters inside the crater of the nearby Zendan-e Soleyman "Prison of Solomon".

Another crater inside Zendan-e Soleyman is filled with spring water and Solomon is said to have created a flowing pond that still exists today. The site officially comprises one location, but there are some sub-locations such Takht-e Soleyman with its fire temple and Anahita temple, the small hill Zendan-e Soleyman(‘Solomon’s prison’), the archaeological mound Tappeh Majid and Belqeis Mountain with a citadel.

o/N Takab

Day 5: Hamedan

Today we will move toward Hamedan. It was the summer capital for the Achaemenid kings in the 5th century BC. Hamadan then finally collapsed after the Arab invasion at the end of the 7th century AD. Today, Hamadan is still an important city, having re-established itself under the planning of a German engineer in the 19th century.

In classical times, Hamadan was known as ‘Ecbatana’ or ‘Hegmataneh’ and held a legendary reputation. Hegmatane Archeological Palace structure is from the times of the 'Medes'. It was built along a grid system and even a sewerage system. The city walls were allegedly composed of seven layers, enclosing two walls lined with gold and silver in the center. Houses boasted wind towers (Badgirs) similar to those at Yazd today as well as clay ovens.

The next fascinating step will be Gonbad-e Alavian (or Alavian Mosque) which is a four-sided interesting 12th-century mausoleum belonging to the late Seljuk period. Alavian Mosque resembles the Gonbad-e Sorkh of Maragheh from the exterior side.

Then visit one of the beautiful sightseeing is called Esther and Mordecai Tomb. This is the tomb of Esther, the wife of Xerxes of Iran and Mordecai (Mord Khay) was her uncle. Its structure has been constructed of brick and stone about 11 centuries ago, in order to respect these two personalities. This vicinity is a place for pilgrimage of the Jewish sect and is also held in regard to the Moslems.

Our next site to visit is the Stone Lion. It seems that this statue dates back to Alexander the Great’s invasion of Iran in the Hellenistic period. With its Grecian style, the stone lion is believed to have been built by Alexander in honor of his close companion and one of his top generals, Hephaestion.

The Last place is Ganjnameh Inscriptions. These inscriptions are a set of trilingual rock carvings in cuneiform engraved on the mountain by Darius I and his son, Xerxes of the Achaemenian era.

O/N Hamedan

Day 6: Hamedan - Kangavar

Today we will drive to Tepe Nush-e-Jan, an ancient Iron age settlement. This site is truly an awe-inspiring ruin and will have you all surprised. It is a mud-brick complex that has been excavated by the French on top of a huge mound in the middle of a flat plain about 60 kilometers south of Hamadan. It is said that it belongs to the 'Medes'.

The complex consisted of a multi-storied castle with heavy walls and large storerooms, several palace-like rooms, a hall with 12 columns, a water tunnel that started in the hall and a cross-shaped building that has been interpreted as a fire sanctuary.

We will go to an exciting site to explore it. The Anahita temple is the name of two archaeological sites in Iran that is belonged to the ancient deity, Anahita who is associated mostly with wisdom, fertility, and healing. The one we are going to visit today is the larger one and it is located in Kangavar. Anahita was worshipped in ancient Persia alongside Ahura-Mazda, the supreme creator goddess in Zoroastrian religious practice. The temple still contains remnants of some fascinating Irano-Roman mosaics.

From here we will drive a couple of miles to Darband Goor Dakhma. Goor Dakhmas were cemeteries that were dug into the mountains and cliffs. They had a chamber used as a burial place for one or more decedent. This Goor Dakhma is located in the north of Sahneh city, with a dimension of 14.5 in 11 meters.

In front of it, there is a porch with two meters width, which has stone columns and a winged sun image above it. There are platforms where the grave is embedded inside it and also places to put up the gifts for the decedents. Depending on the shape of the rocks, this Goor Dakhma belongs to the Medes or Achaemenids era.

O/N Sahneh

Day 7: Kermanshah

We will proceed to Kermanshah, one of the ancient cities of Iran which used to be an important station on the Silk Road.

Evidence indicated that this region has been inhabited since the Paleolithic and Neolithic age. Considering the historical monuments found in Kermanshah, it was a glorious city in the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras and was highly regarded by the kings of those times.

On our way, we will visit Trilingual inscription of Bisotun* that is located on Mount Bisotun. It was written in three different cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian.

The Bisotun relief above the inscription depicts Darius I facing the nine rebel kings, whom the Achaemenid rulers uppercased when he came to power.

At the foot of the hill, there are three Parthian reliefs believed to be the oldest Parthian reliefs, badly damaged by ravages of time and land endowment carved by Sheik Ali Khan Zanganeh, the premiere of Safavid king Shah Soleiman.

In fact, these carvings and inscriptions tell us a story of Darius the Great and his victories in battlegrounds. The details of carvings leave you wondering how Achaemenians managed to leave such a rich legacy behind, a legacy that still remains today and still managed to surprise the modern man.

In Kermanshah city tour, We will go to one of the historical and impressive buildings known as Tekyeh Biglarbeygi (Tekyeh is a place where Muslims hold their mourning ceremonies and religious occasions). This Tekyeh was built during the Qajar era and its construction is well known for unique mirror decoration. Nowadays it is used as a museum. A part of it is a museum of inscriptions and scripts and the other part is the Zagros Paleolithic museum that is the Middle East’s first museum showcasing antiquities belonging to the Paleolithic era. The museum contains a large collection of stone tools and animal fossil bones from various Paleolithic sites in Iran.

We will end our day exploring the Sassanian Bas-relief at Taq-e Bostan in the heart of the Zagros mountains. The carvings mostly depict a series of royal hunting scenes and victories of Sassanian Kings. What is most interesting is that these carvings have endured hundreds of years of strong winds and rain and yet they are still firmly standing.

O/N Kermanshah

Day 8: Kermanshah

We travel to the north of Kermanshah, close to Sarpol-e Zahab to visit a rock relief from the third millennium BC. The Anubanini petroglyph is believed to belong to the Lullubi culture. In this rock relief, Anubanini, the king of the Lullubi, puts his foot on the chest of a captive. There are 8 other captives, two of them kneeled behind the Lullubian equivalent of the Akkadian goddess Ishtar and six of them standing in a lower row at the bottom of the rock relief. This rock relief is very similar to the Behistun Inscription to such extent that it was said that the Behistun Inscription was influenced by it. Although it was damaged during the Iran-Iraq war, it is worth to visit.

On the way to Sarpol-e Zahab, we visit Taq-e Gara (Taq-e Shirin), a stone structure which is Belonged to the Sasanian Empire. It is built in the Patagh pass in the heights where is known as the Gate of Zagros in Kermanshah Province of Iran. There are conflicting views as to the time of its construction. Parthian and Sassanid eras have been proposed, but most archeologists and historians believe that it has been built during the late Sassanid Empire for a variety of reasons.

Then we continue to Qasr-e Shirin to visit another historical monument of the Sassanid era is called Chahar Qapi fire temple. It was constructed of stone and gypsum and was counted as one of the largest five temples of the Sassanid period. The fire temple has a square shaped chamber in the center with a domed ceiling, which closely resembles the other fire temples of the period. After that, we come back to Kermanshah.

O/N Kermanshah

Day 9: Ilam - Khoram Abad

Today we drive to Khoram Abad, the center of Lorestan province. Along the way, we visit the remains of the two Sasanian bridges. One of them, Gavmishan bridge on the Simreh river. It was one of the most massive bridges of that period and the structure of this bridge was very technical and highly complex for its time.

Another bridge called Pol-e Dokhtar. It is huge and nearly 900 feet long which is rising 90 feet above water level and with eight arches needed to cover the Kashkan river. The bridge was located on a royal road that connected Istakhr city to Bishapur, and from there into Mesopotamian cities such as Ctesiphon and Hatra.

In the end, we visit Falik-ol Aflak Castle in Khorammbad was built by Shapour I in the 3rd century B.C. Originally as a fortified caravanserai, first a town, and later a city, grew up around it. There is also a small museum on site.

O/N Khoram Abad

Day 10: Shush - Chogha Zanbil

We start our day tour by visiting Shush or Susa*. Archaeologists have traced signs of life at Susa as far back as 7000 BC, but the first settlements were probably established around 4000 BC. Dating back to around 6000 BC, Susa was one of the great ancient cities of Iran and an important Elamite center until it was destroyed by the Assyrians in the 7th century BC. Darius I made it into the Achaemenid winter capital.

Across the river, visit the Tomb of Daniel, said to hold the remains of the Jewish prophet, and still a place of pilgrimage. Our next site is Haft Tappeh, the site of an ancient city built about 3,500 years ago and an imposing feature rising about the surrounding plain. Here are found elaborate vaulted graves and a temple of the Middle Elamite royalty. Within the courtyard were found two broken stone stelae inscribed with the name of Tepti-Ahar, the Elamite king believed to have built the Haft Tappeh complex.

We continue to Chogha Zanbil, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is one of the few remaining ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia. Distinctive construction techniques and elaborate glass-based materials were used for this great structure. From here we drive a couple of miles to the ancient city of Shushtar where is popular for watermills.

The historical hydraulic system* can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. One of them is still functioning, were used to grind wheat and barley. They were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list in 2009 and described as 'a masterpiece of creative genius'. Later, we continue our way to Izeh city.

O/N Izeh

Day 11: Izeh, the Petroglyph City

Izeh county is named the “Petroglyph city” of Iran and today we explore this city and its surrounding. Izeh has had a major and important role in Elamite civilization. This cultural-natural-historical city encompasses Eshkaft Salman, Koul Farah, Khoung Azhdar and many other properties dating back to 1300 to 700 years ago.

There are so many rock paintings and the figures have been painted one after another in a way that they make a background and a nice perspective. It is the first time that women have been painted with men in Iranian paintings.

Kul-e Farah petroglyph includes 6 embossing from Elamite era (the ancient Ilam) and according to the pictures on these petroglyphs and reliefs such as tombs, water channels, buildings and scouting areas remaining from people of that era, it can be stated that this place has been the temple of Narsina (one of the Elamite gods).

Eshkaft-e Salman (Tarisha Temple) has embraced the greatest cuneiform script of modern Ilam. Eshkaft-e Salman includes four embossing from Elamite era and remains of a building of Atabakan. This place has been the temple of worshipping Tarisha, one of the Elamite gods. Apart from inscriptions, this area includes a mineral spring and cave from the heart of a mountain.

There are four embossing in Eshkaft-e Salman, two of them are inside the cave and the other two are outside the cave. The greatest cuneiform script of Elamite era exists in this cave that has been there since Elamite prince, the native king Ayapir or Ayatem.

O/N Izeh

Day 12: Bishapour - Shiraz

We have a full day driving today to reach our destination of Shiraz in Fars province. We cross of Khuzestan province and the tribal areas of Mamasani and Boyer-Ahmadi. At Bishapur, we explore the remains of the city of King Shapur I and six important rock carvings at nearby Tang-e Chogan.

The temple at Shapur’s palace has been identified by several archaeologists as sacred to Anahita, the Zoroastrian goddess associated with the waters. Bishapour was situated on the ancient road between Persis and Elam. The road linked the Sassanid capitals Istakhr (very close to Persepolis) and Ctesiphon. We are in Shiraz for 2 nights.

O/N Shiraz

Day 13: Shiraz

After breakfast, we start our day tour of Shiraz. At first, we begin in Eram Garden*, with its beautiful cypress-lined avenues leading to an elegant summer palace. After that, you will visit Nasir-al-Mulk Mosque (Pink Mosque) few steps far from Vakil Bazaar.

Then you’ll have time to explore and shop in the bustling Vakil Bazaar, home to hundreds of stores, beautiful courtyards, and even an ancient caravanserai. Then we visit Ali Ibn Hamzeh Holly Shrine and feel the intimate atmosphere of this place. Look up at the Shirazi dome to see the full capacity of the artwork. At the end of the day, visit the tomb of Hafez, Iran’s greatest lyric poet.)

O/N Shiraz

Day 14: Shiraz - Firooz Abad

We take a day trip from Shiraz to Firuzabad to visit several Sassanid monuments; including ancient town of Gor, Ardeshir Babakan Palace, Ghaleh Dokhtar (The Maiden Castle), and two Sasanian rock arts. Firoozabad is the current name of Ardeshir Khoreh (Glory of Ardashir) city. This city was the capital of Ardashir I (A.D. 224-241), founder of the Sasanian Empire. Gor city was built in a circular plan two kilometers in diameter and encircled by double walls, but so far, the scientific excavation has not been done in this city.

In the Palace of Ardeshir Babakan, we can see the greatness of the Sassanid architecture that dazzles the eyes of every visitor. There is also a fire temple next to the palace. Then we head back to Shiraz.

O/N Shiraz

Day 15: Shiraz - Pasargad

We visit Persepolis*, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid kings that tells the story of the Achaemenid Empire’s magnificence and grandeur. Here, we walk through a complex of palaces and temples that is said to be one of the most spectacular surviving archaeological sites in the world and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nearby, we visit Naqsh-e Rajab, a magnificent archaeological site dating back to the early Sassanid era. This site is located near the ruins of the ancient Achaemenid city of Istakhr. It is the site of four limestone rockface inscriptions and bas-reliefs that feature the investitures of Ardeshir I and Shapur I, as well as Shapur's military victory over the Romans.

After that, we visit the ancient Achaemenid city of Istakhr. The importance of Istakhr is not only for its close association with Persepolis, but also commanded the western end of an ancient caravan-route that ran from the Indus Valley via Kandahar and Drangiana to Persia. It also temporarily became as Sasanian capital during the reign of Ardashir I, before the capital was moved to Ctesiphon, in Mesopotamia.

Then visit Naqsh-e Rostam, where we find the carved tombs of Achaemenid rulers Darius the Great, Xerxes, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II. Just below these tombs are eight large reliefs from the Sassanian dynasty, depicting imperial victories and royal investitures. On one of them, the Roman Emperor Philip the Arab is shown kneeling in respect before the renowned Persian king, Shapur I.

From here we will drive a couple of miles to another UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pasargadae* to see the impressive, elevated Tomb of Cyrus and to walk through the different sections of the ancient city: the Residential Palace, the Audience Hall, and the Gatehouse.

O/N Pasargad

Day 16: Isfahan

Drive this morning to Isfahan. Iranians say that their lovely city is “half the world”. On our way, we have one stop to visit the old Izadkhast castle. Izadkhast fortress city is built on a singular bedrock and once was a part of the Silk Road in Sassanid era.

One of the unique properties of this castle is its significant safety and the deep trench around it has made it one of the most unattainable buildings of the ancient times for robbers and the enemies. The fire temple of Izad Khast Castle is the first fire temple in Iran which was turned into a mosque by the advent of Islam to Iran. This castle is very similar to Arg-e Bam in Kerman. It is noteworthy that this ancient castle is the first adobe castle in the world in terms of history and it is the second adobe building in the world after Arg-e Bam in terms of extent.

Upon arrival in Isfahan, check-in to our charming hotel, then we start the city tour by visiting Meidan Imam*(“Naqshe Jahan historical square”), a UNESCO World Heritage site. This enormous open plaza is framed by a wall of arches and surrounded by four jewels of 17th-century architecture, symbolizing the political, economic, and religious spheres of Safavid Persia. Two of these monuments that we visit, is the Islamic world’s most impressive mosques, the Masjid-e Sheikh Lotfollah* and the Masjid-e Imam*. Both of them contain magnificent architecture and tile-work.

Then we walk through the Ali Qapu Palace* with its enchanting music room and balcony overlooking the Meidan where the Safavid kings sat to watch polo matches. We finish our day in the Qeisarieh Bazaar, located just off the Meidan. Isfahan is said to have the most beautiful bridges. Time permitting, you can view two of them, Si-o-Se Pol as well as the ornate Pol-e Khaju.

O/N Isfahan

Day 17: Kashan - Tehran

Before leaving Isfahan, we visit the magnificent Jameh Mosque* with its famous Uljaitu Mihrab of the IlKhanid Period and with UNESCO World Heritage status. There are nine gardens in Iran designated UNESCO World Heritage, and we visit two today – Chehel Sotun Palace*, a pavilion constructed as a reception hall for visiting dignitaries by Shah Abbas II.

Leaving lovely Isfahan behind, we travel north to Kashan to walk through the famous Fin Gardens*, another one of the UNESCO Persian Gardens. It is noteworthy that the Persian garden was conceived to symbolize Eden and the four Zoroastrian elements of sky, earth, water, and plants. They typify the diversity of Persian garden designs that evolved and adapted to different climate conditions while retaining principles that have their roots in the times of Cyrus the Great, 6th century BC. Always divided into four sectors, with water playing an important role in both irrigation and ornamentation.

We end our day in Kashan by visiting a large ancient archeological site in central Iran, Tappeh Sialk. Tappeh Sialk is a wondering site for archeology enthusiasts to wonder at it. It is the oldest of four ziggurats in Iran constructed by the Elamite civilization. Dating back some 7,500 years, it is a testament to an ancient civilization that was truly sophisticated beyond its time.

Strolling through Tappeh Sialk on rickety boardwalks, visitors can make out walls and rooms. Two 5,500-year-old encased skeletons unearthed here add an element of reflection as one stands, imagining the past, on these seeming heaps of dust; also able to look upon the present and the rapidly encroaching city of Kashan. The oldest plain living people were people of Sialk near Kashan whose living signs are found there. Late afternoon, we drive to Tehran.

O/N Tehran

Day 18: Missing Persia

At the end of the tour, the group will be transferred to the IKA airport for departure flight.