All 23 photos
The complete Iran — Tehran to Shiraz via Kashan, Esfahan, Yazd and Kerman, taking in the desert citadels and caravanserais of the southeast and the ruins of Persepolis. Thirteen days across two and a half thousand years of Persian history, personally escorted from first day to last.
Land in Tehran and transfer to your hotel. Time to settle in before a trip briefing. Overnight in Tehran.
A full day in the capital — the National Museum of Iran, the Golestan Palace (UNESCO) and the Grand Bazaar, with the Alborz mountains behind the city. Overnight in Tehran.
Drive south to Kashan on the edge of the central desert — the UNESCO-listed Fin Garden, the great merchant houses of Tabatabai and Borujerdi, and the Sultan Amir Ahmad bathhouse. Overnight in Kashan.
Continue to Esfahan, Iran's most celebrated city, pausing at the historic village of Abyaneh along the way. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Esfahan.
A full day in Esfahan — Naqsh-e Jahan Square with the Imam and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosques and the Ali Qapu Palace, the UNESCO-listed Jameh Mosque, the Armenian quarter and Vank Cathedral, and the famous bridges of the Zayandeh River. Overnight in Esfahan.
Drive east to the ancient adobe city of Yazd, stopping at the desert towns of Nain and Meybod. Overnight in Yazd.
Explore the old city — one of the oldest living cities on earth — the Jameh Mosque and its soaring minarets, the Amir Chakhmaq complex, a maze of windcatchers, and the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence and Fire Temple. Overnight in Yazd.
Drive southeast to Kerman, stopping at the magnificent Zein-o-din caravanserai and the mudbrick citadel of Rayen along the way. Overnight in Kerman.
The Ganjali Khan complex and historic bazaar of Kerman, then an excursion to Mahan — the Shazdeh Garden and the shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali — and the otherworldly Kaluts of the Lut Desert at sunset. Overnight in Kerman.
A long, scenic drive west to Shiraz, the city of poets and gardens, stopping at Pasargadae and the tomb of Cyrus the Great en route. Overnight in Shiraz.
Day trip to Persepolis — the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid empire — and the royal tombs of Naqsh-e Rostam. Overnight in Shiraz.
A full day in Shiraz — the stained-glass Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Eram Garden, the Vakil Bazaar and citadel, and the tombs of the poets Hafez and Saadi. Overnight in Shiraz.
A final morning in Shiraz before your transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Our team has led small-group adventures across Asia, East Africa, the Caucasus and South America since 2006. We know the routes we run inside out — and we run them personally.
Never more than 15 people on this tour. Small groups move differently — you get into places larger groups can't, spend more time in the moment and actually get to know the people you're travelling with.
You book your own flights, so you have full flexibility over your dates, airline and route. We're always happy to advise on the best connections — just ask when you enquire.
No booking engine. Enquire and our team will be in touch within 24 hours to discuss everything personally — and to tailor the trip around your schedule and what matters most to you.
