Itinerary       17 October to 30 October 2010

Day One

Fly from London Heathrowi toTeheran.

Two nights accommodation at the five star Laleh Hotel, formerly the Intercontinental.

Day Two &

Day Three

Visits  to the 19th Century Golestan Palace of Qajar Shahs and to the National Bank to see the amazing Crown Jewels and the Peacock Throne.

Iran Air flight to Shiraz.

Three nights accommodation at the five star Pars Hotel

Day Four

A full day in Shiraz, visiting Eram GArden, the tombs of Hafez and Saadi, the fine 19th century house, the Naranjestan, and the colourful Bazaar.

Day  Five

We drive out to visit the imposing remains of the ancient royal palaces at Perspolis, the tombs of the Persian kings high on the rock face at Naqsh-e-Rustam, and the Sassanian reliefs there and at Naqsh-e-Rajab.

Day Six 

Drive to Yadz across the Zagros Mountains, with some fine views on the way.  En route we visit Cyrus' tomb at the ancient palace site of Pasargadae and a picnic lunch.

Two nights at the lovely 4 star Moshir Mamelek Hotel, a 19th Century town house with a lovely garden.

Day Seven

 A full day in Yadz visiting the fine Friday Mosque and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple and Towers of Silence.

Day Eight

Drive to Isfahan via Nain, where we visit one of the oldest mosques in Iran, and see some weaving in a nearby village.

Three nights at the remarkable five star Abbasi Hotel formerly the Caravanserai.

Day Nine

and

Day Ten

 Two full days in the great city of Isfahan, visiting the finely tiled Imam and Sheikh Lutfullah Mosques and the Ali Kapu Palace around the spacious Maidan, all dating from the reign of Shah Abbas; the mediaeval Friday Mosque; the bazaars; the palace of the Chehel Situn and the Khaju Bridge also dating from Shah Abbas' time; and the Vank Cathedral in the old Armenian suburb of Julfa.

Day Eleven

We leave for Nantanz where we see the fine Friday Mosque and continue to Abyaneh.

One night in this unspoilt traditional mountain village.

Day Twelve

We drive back to Tehran, via Kashan where we visit the classic Persian garden, the Bagh-e-Fin, and a fine, restored 19th Century town house.

Two night's at the Laleh Hotel 

Day Thirteen 

Visit the Archaeological and Islamic Arts Museums in Teheran, and the Carpet Museum.  Farewell dinner in a local-style restaurant in teheran.

Day Fourteen 

Return flight from Tehran to London Heathrow.

 

A Persian Autumn

IRAN has had long and distinctive periods of civilization: the prehistoric period and the empire of Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes, the Persian kings who made such an impact upon Biblical and Classical Greek history; the Parthians and the Sassanians, who earned the continued respect of the mighty Roman empire; the successive dynasties who ruled after the Islamic conquest in 641 AD, including the Mongols, Timur (Tamberlaine) and the Safavids, one of whom, Shah Abbas, turned Isfahan into a brilliant capital city; and, finally, the monarchies of the 19th and 20th century, which has seen the overthrow of the Qajar and the Pahlavi dynasties, and the resurgence of Shia Islam as a political force.

Our tour will start and finish in Teheran, where we visit the great Archaeological Museum with its fine collections from all periods of Persian history.

We visit the palace of the Great Kings destroyed by Alexander the Great at Persepolis, where the magnificent ruins include finely sculptured reliefs, and their spectacular tombs hewn into the cliffs nearby at Naqsh-e-Rustam.

We stay in the lovely city of Shiraz, famous for its gardens and its lyric poets, Hafiz and Saadi, buried there.

We travel to the desert city of Yazd, with its fine mosque, Zoroastrian fire temple and ‘Towers of Silence’.

We spend two full days and more in Isfahan, the city which is ‘half the world’, according to the Iranians, to enjoy the splendour of its tiled mosques and painted palaces, and the lively, colourful bazaars, with their traditional trades and crafts.

 

Please note that the visa (currently £95 plus £20 service charge) is not include in the tour price.

What to expect:

The courtesy and interest we will customarily be shown as visitors will be different from our impression of Iran from the media here in the UK.  Nevertheless, Iran is a strict Islamic country: the dress code for women includes covering the head, arms and legs at all times; men do not wear shorts; and alcholic drinks are forbidden. 

Journeys by bus are sometimes long, but are more than compensated by the rich evidence everywhere of Iran's history and culture, by comfortable hotels and by one internal flight. 

The weather will be warm by day but still cool in the evenings.

Tour Leader:

John Osborne taught Classics at Marlborough College for over thirty years and also worked for the British Council in Iran and Turkey. 

He lectures for NADFAS, overseas cruises and the Marlborough Summer Scholl.  John has led several very successful tours for the Travellers Club.

To contact us about this Tour telephone 01425 480600 or via email here.

To download or print the Cultural Tours Booking Form click here.