High Light of PERSIA (08 days / 07 nights)

Tehran - Shiraz – Esfahan – Tehran

Flight to Tehran by …….... at ………. Arrival and transfer to hotel.

Full day city tour of capital:

• Visiting Iran Bastan museum (Archeological museum): Object from prehistoric period to Sassanian VIIIth C. the potteries, cylinders, bone or stone made objects…

• Carpet museum: built in 1978, this museum gathered the carpets from Golestan & Saad’abad palaces…presenting both city and nomadic carpets from XVI th to XX th  century.

Lunch in a traditional restaurant.

• Crown Jewelry museum: a vast collection of jewelry with inestimable value.  
• Sa’d Abâd palaces: once occupied by Qadjar dynasty, Sa’d Abâd was once again rebuilt and put to use by Pahlavi during the period of 1920 to 1976… Visiting Green palace (Kakh-e Sabz), and white palace (Kakh-e Mêlât).

• In the evening, transfer to airport for flight to Shiraz at 19:30. Transfer to hotel.

AM. Excursion to Persepolis: capital of achemenains (518 B.C.):

This site of ruins was considered the capital of empire for 2 consecutive centuries. Visiting the entrance staircase of Persepolis; through the Gate of Nations, we have access to the palaces of Darius the Great, Xerxes and Artaxerxes, palace of hundred columns and Apadana.

300 meters of staircases with the walk decorated by bas-reliefs representing submitted countries peoples.

• About 4 Km of Persepolis one of the most important achemenian and Sassanian sites in Iran. It was there, in the mountain Kuh e- Hossein that Darius the first and three of his successors have chosen for building their tombs upon it. Visiting Naqsh –e Rostam: visiting the tombs of four of the achemenian kings: Darius the 1^st.  , Artaxerxes the 1^st., Xerxès the 1^st.,  and   Darius the 2^nd.

Lunch in a local restaurant. Then, return to Shiraz for visiting:

• Hafiz and Saadi mausoleums: lots of Iranians consider these monuments the most important landmarks across Shiraz.
• Bagh-e –Narendjestân (Narendjestân garden) “is one of the most beautiful houses of Shiraz. Situated in a garden, it was reconstructed by one of Shiraz’s aristocratic families of merchant class in 19^th century…
• House of Governor of Shiraz: Zinat-ol Molk

Dinning in a traditional restaurant.

Departure to Esfahân via:

• Passargad (75 Km. in the north of Persepolis). Visiting the Capital of achemenian dynasty founded by Cyrus The Great in 530 B.C. A simple death-bed chamber, built upon a six-staired pedastal; the tombe was contained by a huge garden during the achemenian rulership.

The inspiration for the architecture is still an open discussion: it is told that it may be inspired by the mainframe of Mesopotamian Ziggurats or Ourarturian; on the other hand there are certain beliefs which give the credit to Greece or Anatolian for the mainframe of this specable landmark.

Lunch box.

Then, visiting Yazdkhast caravanserai (17th century).  

Arrival  Esfahân about 18 :30

Dinning in hotel.

Esfahân, pearl of Iran. Golden Domes with enamel covered septum: Esfahan, by the legends, is told to be shaped from an image of Paradise.

• Armenian Jolfa quarter: researchers chase back the precedence of this quarter to the era of Shah Abbas The Great.  Vank cathedral symbolizes implantation of Armenian churches in Iran.  

Exploring the brick and stone-made bridges running over and spreading throughout all Zayandeh roud, five recently built ones and six ancients:

• 33 Archs Bridge: 160m long, built in 1602; this magnificent bridge connects the two quarters of Chahar Bagh St. and Armenians.
• Khadju bridje: Built by the Shah Abbas the second in 1650; it is the most beautiful bridge of Esfahan, serving as a barrage, too.  

PM. Lunch in Hani restaurant.

• Friday Mosque: contains the most ancient relic of the city.  It is one of the most significant mosques of both Iran and Islamic art.

Dinner in a traditional restaurant.

Followed by an interesting visit of Zourkhaneh, the home for Iranians traditional sport.

Continuing the visit of Esfahân:

• 40 columned palace’s (Tchehel Sotun):located in a beautiful garden and built by Shah Abbas the Great the 1^st (1587-1629); the naming of this landmark has its own story to tell. The reason was that the shadows of the 20 standing columns were casted back to the viewer by the crystal clear water of the pool, making it 40 columns to count.  The columns also bear the weight of beautiful wooden roof, painted and decorated by beauteous inlaying work.

Exploring the city: Royal Ground, surrounded by Imam mosque with aquatics minarets and Ali Qâpu palace with its 6 remarkable floors, and the famous Sheikh Lotfollah mosque.

Leisure time for Bazaar, one of the most rich and colored of Iran.

Dinning in hotel. Last night of three overnight in Esfahan.

Departure to Tehran via Natanz city:

• Friday mosque: Built in 1304, rebuilt in 1325, by which its minaret was added to the complex. This stone-made one is alternatively decorated by brick and enamel…

Continuing to Abyaneh village.

Lunch in Kashan, and visiting:

• Fine Garden: a famous royal garden from 16^th century.

• Sialk prehistoric hills: oasis of Kashan was residential by the end of the 6^th millennium. As a proof to this statement, we can appoint to the Neolithic site of Tapeh Sialk, situated in the margin of actual city. This site was abandoned around 8th century B.C. Tapeh Sialk presents us remarkable ceramics, which allow us to trace the evolution of technique: first hand made, then by wheel and kiln…

Arrival Tehran at 19 :00. Farewell dinner, and over night in hotel.

Transfer to Airport for return flight to Beijing by Iran Air ……………….. End of our services.