TOUR PERSIA
zagros@ts.co.nz
Ph ++64
(0)3 5402513
ITINERARIES
With such a multitude and variety of places to see and experience in Persia we vary the tour itinerary from season to season. Always included are the highlights of Shiraz, Persepolis, Isfahan and Tehran.
Second time tourists have been astounded at what they missed taking in on their initial tour and are delighted with the additional unique sights included.
Examples of alternative 18 day itineraries:
TOUR 1: Tehran, Kashan, Abyaneh, Nain, Yazd, Pasargade, Persepolis, Shiraz, Bishapur, Yasuj, Isfahan, Hamedan, Soltanieh, Tabriz, Tehran.
TOUR 2: Tehran, the Caspian Coast, Ramsaar, Masuleh, Anzali, Ardabil, Tabriz, Soltanieh, Hamedan, Bisatun, Isfahan, Yasuj, Shiraz, Firuzabad, Bishapur, Tehran.
SPECIALISED TOURS:
Zagros Ltd has over the past years conducted geological field trips for academic groups and oil exploration companies. These are normally of 7 to 10 days duration and can be based in Shiraz and/or from fully serviced tented camps. The emphasis is on the stratigraphy and structure of the Zagros fold belt, the active plate margin to the NE of Shiraz and visits to the unique emergent salt domes and salt glaciers for which Fars Province is renouned.
ADD ON TOURS:
Some tourists often wish to extend their tours to visit other areas including the Mashad region in the north east and western Iranian Azerbaijan with its Lake Urumia and Mt Ararat on the Turkish border. Others wish to see the oil field belt in Khuzestan Province and the archaeological sites of the Elamite ceremonial Ziggurat at Choga Zanbil, the nearby Susa Achemenian palace and the tomb of Daniel. We are able to arrange such extensions to our tours.
Itinerary for May 1 to May 18 2010
May 1. Arrive Tehran, transfer to Laleh Hotel. After lunch visit the Golestan Palace and Jewelry Museum. The Carpet Museum is in Laleh Park adjacent to the Laleh Hotel.
May 2. Tehran. In the city's northern suburbs along the Alborz Mountain Front visit palaces of the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasty rulers at Saadabad and Niavaran. Lunch at the downtown Firdowsi Hotel and later visit the Archaeological (pre-Islamic) Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art and, time permitting, the Glass and Ceramics Museum.
May 3-5. Shiraz. By air to Shiraz. Transfer to Pars Hotel. In this ancient city of Saints and Poets we visit many places of interest including the gardens of Bagh-e Eram and Narenjestan, the garden tombs of the 12th and 13th century poets Saadi and Hafez, the exquisite Nasir-al Molkh mosque and the Shah-e Cheragh mausoleum. In the Vakil Bazaar we mix with the Qashqai Nomads and bargain to purchase some of the many handicrafts on display. In a day trip to the SW we travel via the Dasht-e Arjan depression and descend 2000 feet to the partly excavated Sassanian (AD 224) city at Bishapur.
Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achemenian Persian Empire (550 BC), lies 50 km north of Shiraz. This highlight of any tour to Persia will be visited in the mid to late afternoon when light conditions for photography are optimum. Close by we visit the tombs of Achemenian Kings cut in the sheer limestone cliffs at Naqsh-e Rustam. A chance to experience the exotic flavour combinations of Persian cuisine will be had when we have dinner with a Persian family in their home.
May 6-7. Yazd. To the north of Persepolis the road passes through impressive mountain scenery. On the elevated plain of Dasht-e Morgabi at Pasargade we briefly visit the tomb of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire. Thence via a desert stretch to Abarqu and across the central ranges to Taft and Yazd.
Transfer to Moshir al Mamalek garden hotel.
During a full day in Yazd we visit a Zoroastrian fire temple, see the tallest minarettes in all Persia at the Jameh Mosque and lunch in a converted hamam (bath house) in the heart of the bazaar. An afternoon excursion takes us to a Zoroastrian family home and a Dakhmeh (tower of silence). In the evening we attend a display at the Zurkhaneh (house of strength) where pahlavans perform their exercise ritual which embodys a mix of sport and religious devotion.
May 8-11. Isfahan. En route from Yazd to Isfahan we visit the pottery town of Meybod before continuing on to Nain where, before lunch, we see local weavers producing camel hair and woollen fabrics. We reach Isfahan later in the afternoon and transfer to the Abbasi Hotel. Before dinner we lounge amongst a mountain of fine Persian carpets drinking tea while the intricacies ,designs and origins of these collectables will be explained.
Three full days in Isfahan enables us to see many of the wonders of this well preserved jewel of Safavid Persia. Around the periphery of the huge Maidan-e Imam (square) we visit the Ali Qapu Palace, the Imam Mosque and the exquisite Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque where some of Persia's finest mosaic tile work is quite breathtaking. Close by is the Chehel Setoon reception palace renouned for its magnificent frescos depticting scenes from Safavid history. The bazaar surrounding the Maidan -e Imam extends for a kilometre to the north to the 11th Century (Seljuk) Jameh Mosque. The intricate and varied brick design work and later tile decoration of this masterpiece has been well documented by the American Iranologist, Arthur Upham Pope, whose tomb is on the banks of the Zayandeh Rud river. The bridges over the Zayandeh Rud will be visited as well as the Bagh-e Golha garden which is set out in the design of a Persian carpet. In the Armenian quarter south of the Zayandeh Rud we visit the Vank Cathedral and adjacent Armenian Museum. Isfahan is a shopper's paradise and plenty of free time will allow for exploration in the bazaar. One day will be spent on a day trip by coach to Natanz and the mountain village of Abyaneh. Set in a tree filled high mountain valley with views to Mt Karkas (13,000ft) this village of ochre coloured clay dwellings is recognised by UNESCO for its antiquity and uniqueness.
May 12. Chelgerd (KuhRang) A three hour drive via the town of Shahr-e Kurd takes us deep into the summer pastures of the Bakhtyari nomads on the north flank of Zard-Kuh (15000ft) culmination of the Zagros Range. In the Chelgerd area during April and May wild flowers abound. Of especial note is the flamboyant display of hectares of Fritelleria Imperialus (Crown Imperials) and many other wild flowers. The KuhRang hotel offers an evening show of Bakhtyari tribal dancing by tribal folk we visit in their black tent encampments during the day.
May 13. Kermanshah. The drive from Chelgerd to Kermanshah takes us NW along the northern flank of the Zagros Mountain range via Dorud and Borujerd. Transfer to Bisotun Hotel. Kermanshah dates back to the 4th Century AD. Here we meet with Kurds and Lurs.
May 14-15. Hamadan. Ten km north of Kermanshah on the road to Hamadan we visit Taq-e Bostan where in limestone cliffs we see some well preserved bas reliefs of Sassanian age. Further on in the bold escarpment of Bisotun are Achemenian ( 480BC) carvings and extensive cuneiform inscriptions in three ancient languages proclaim the greatness of King Darius. In 1835 Henry Rawlinson of the British Army copied these texts and later deciphered them to provide an ancient historical breakthrough. Continuing on towards Hamadan at Kangavar we have a brief stop at the Sassanian ruins of the Anahita Temple. Arrive Hamadan (6000ft) and transfer to the Azadi Hotel.
Present day Hamadan has a long history dating back to pre 1000BC. This was the Medes capital of Ecbatana in 650BC and later fell to Achemenian Persians in 521BC. Near the city centre we visit the tomb of Esther and her guardian Mordecai. A Jewish orphan, Esther married Xerxes 1 and persecution of the Jews was much reduced as a result. At Hekmatana hill we visit recent archaeological excavations and the adjoining museum.
Later we see the mausoleums of the early medical writer Ibn Sina(Avicenna) and the poet Baba Taher. On a granite mountainside at Ganjnameh near Hamadan we visit Achemenian inscriptions in Elamite, Old Persian and Babylonian commemorating the achievements of Darius1 and Xerxes 1.
May 16. Zanjan. Travel north west from Hamadan through Kurdish areas to Tacob and Takht-e Suleyman. This ceremonial centre of the Zoroastrian Sassanians is a UNESCO World Heritage site set in a lonely high huge volcanic caldera and built around a crater lake. Continue on to Zanjan and transfer to our hotel.
May 17. Tehran. The Soltanieh mausoleum towering 48m high is the world's tallest brick dome.This UNESCO world heritage site was built by the last Mongul Ruler for himself. Oljeitu Khodabandi was buried here in 1317AD. From Soltanieh we proceed to Tehran via Qazvin and Karaj. In Tehran transfer to the Laleh Hotel where we have a farewell dinner.
May 18. The tour ends today. Transfers to Imam Khomeini international airport where assistance with departure formalities will be provided.
GUIDES:
In our efforts to be informative regarding all the new and different sights and experiences encountered during our tours we are fully aware of the tedium of standing listening to lengthy descriptions and details of sometimes trivial matters. We realise that having travelled around the world tourists desire to have sufficient time to explore the sites we visit and so we streamline the descriptive dialogue. Should further explanation be requested personal attention is provided. Harry McQuillan provides explanations of many of the sites and tries to bring to life the history surrounding them. Leila Farmani, our English speaking assistant is a qualified tour guide who is able to give in depth explanations if required but has now adapted her style with brevity in mind.
In some instances we seek assistance from local guides if considered necessary. Having led these tours for several years we have assembled a group of efficient personnel including competent and cooperative coach drivers and their assistants. Hotel staff know us and are always waiting with a warm welcome.
Maureen McQuillan's guiding abilities are helpful in dealing with personal matters, shopping and local etiquette for women. Being familiar with the traditional Persian kitchen she is adept at ensuring that we are served a varied selection of dishes. Her Persian language ability assists in circumventing any misunderstandings that occasionally arise.
DISCLAIMER: The itinerary outlined above may require some modification should circumstances such as closures of some sites on certain days occur. In such cases a change of timing of visits will be made or an alternative place of interest will be included. Our tours frequently encounter unexpected treats such as tribal weddings, musical functions and other entertainments.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We have just returned from the most wonderful tour we have ever experienced. Our escorts lived in Iran for 20 years when Harry was leading oil exploration surveys Also he has lectured extensively at many Universities in Iran. The tour took in not only historical sites and places of interest but also we were given a unique tour of the Zagros Mountains where we searched for fossils and were made aware of the geological significance and history of the region.We had plenty of time to shop, we dined for lunch and most dinners at local restaurants, but most of all our escorts could speak the Persian language , were well versed in the history of Persia and took us to remote villages and nomad camps where we gained experience in the local customs and everyday life of those polite, very friendly people. A unique and first class tour in every respect, relaxed, thoroughly enjoyable and ALL expenses were pre-paid, so we were not continually paying for extras, even water was included! We consider that this tour with the McQuillans is a Must.
Julie and Alastair Rose,
Nelson, New Zealand.
Zagros Ltd.
www.tourpersia.co.nz
Email: zagros@ts.co.nz
Phone: ++64 (0)3 5402513