North of Iran

We are going to greet you at IKA in Tehran and take you to the Espinas Palace Hotel to rest and stay the night. You can get more sleep and get fully charged for upcoming visiting places in the morning. Depond on your arrival time we can prepare some visits in Tehran. Meals of today is also included.

We start our tour at 8:30 and we drive to the National Museum of Iran. The national museum of Iran is one of the wealthy treasure of historic and pre-historic Iranian artifacts which located in Tehran. Then we walk to Golestan Palace to visit the only UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Tehran. It’s an Iranian garden full of palaces and we will visit the main palace as the biggest one, where the king used to meet his guests, then one of the other palaces would be enough to visit. Afterward, we visit Tehran Grand Bazaar close to the Golestan complex and have lunch at Moslem restaurant. Later on the day we go to walk and chill out for a while in Abo Atash park and see the beauty of Tabiat bridge. The artchirecrue of this three floors bridge was a lady with name of Leila Araghian. We will have dinner in Rahe Chubi restaurant. You will be amazed by its great environment.
________________________________________
In the case of an unexpected closure of a place or have more time we can visit:
– Reza Abbasi Museum
– Abgineh (Glassware & Ceramic) Museum – Tehran
– Holy Defence Museum
________________________________________
Breakfast: Espinas Palace Hotel
Lunch: Moslem restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Tehran
Midday Catering: carrot juice or mellon juice
Dinner: Rahe Chubi restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Tehran
Overnight: Espinas Palace Hotel or Azadi Hotel, one of the 2 best hotels in Tehran

Today we start our plan at 09:00 am and we go to visit Sa’dabad Palace, in the north of Tehran where you will be informed about the Pahlavi era. The Green Palace and White Palace are the two main palaces that we should visit and if we had more time we can visit other palaces as well. The complex is very big and we spend at least 2 hours there. After lunch, we visit the Iranian Art Museum Garden and then walk to Tajrish Bazaar to see the old bazaar with a variety of shops in the north of Tehran. In the end, we have dinner at Tehrani house.
________________________________________
In the case of unexpected closure of a place or have more time we can visit some of the following places:
– Niavaran Complex
– Zaman Museum (Time Museum)
– Carpet Museum
– Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine
– Darband
________________________________________
Breakfast: Espinas Palace Hotel or Azadi Hotel
Lunch: Chargah Restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Tehran
Midday catering at: Coffee or tea with cookies/milkshake
Dinner: Tehrani house, or one of the best restaurants in Tehran
Overnight: Espinas Palace Hotel or Azadi Hotel, one of the 2 best hotels in Tehran

We have breakfast and leave Tehran at 08:00 am to visit the Salt Mines of Garmsar. Chasing Dr. Alfons Gabriel, after lunch, we head to visit the paved road from the Safavi era, Qasr-e Bahram Caravanserai, and Eynolrashid Caravanserai. To visit them all, we have to get off the road and go through the desert to reach them, so we should check the weather the day before. If we were lucky, we might see a desert deer in this area. Later, we drive to Mehdi-Shahr. We will have dinner and spend the night at Sangsar Hotel.
________________________________________
In the case of unexpected closure of a place or have more time we can visit some of the following places:
– Qale Bala in Semnan
– Water Reservoir in Garmsar
– Stonavand Castle
– Deir-e Gachin Caravansarai
________________________________________
Breakfast: Espinas Palace Hotel or Azadi Hotel
Lunch and midday catering: Arkadash Traditional Restaurant, or one of the best restaurants in Garmsar
Dinner and overnight: Sangsar Hotel, the best hotel in Mehdi-Shahr

We will have breakfast and then visit the second limestone cave in Iran named Darband Cave and then we move on to visit Badab-e Soort. We will visit the beautiful and strange stairs of nature. Then, after drinking tea and some snacks, we go to have lunch in the city of Damghan and visit Jameh mosque of Damghan. We continue our way to Shahrood to do check-in and sleep there.
________________________________________
In the case of unexpected closure of a place or have more time we can visit some of the following places:
– Pire Alamdar
– Parvar Protected Area
– Imamzadeh Tajoddin
– Opert Ridge
________________________________________
Breakfast: Sangsar Hotel
Lunch: Qajarieh restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Damghan
midday catering: tea with cookies (Sohan of Qom) or some local fruits
Dinner and overnight: Paramida Hotel, the best hotel in Shahrood

Today we start at 7:00 am and head to the north. On the way, we go to the special jungle with name of Abr forest. In Farsi Abr means cloud and in case of cloudy weather, we have this chance to see the ocean of clouds at this jungle, especially in spring. We will do hiking to have a good view of clouds from the top of the hills. After snack time we back to the car and drive to the Kalaleh for lunch. Then we experience a different accommodation which is close to the Khalid-Nabi cemetery. We have a green landscape view around us and we can explore it in the afternoon and have dinner in eco-lodge. For tonight, you can enjoy Turkman traditional music.
________________________________________
In the case of unexpected closure of a place or have more time we can visit some of the following places:
– Jameh Mosque of Bastam
– Khali Nabi Tomb
________________________________________
Breakfast: Paramida Hotel
Lunch: one of the best restaurants in Kalaleh
Midday catering: tea with cookies (Sohan of Qom) or some local fruits
Dinner and overnight: Hezar Dare Khalid Nabi eco-lodge (at this eco-lodge we’ll experience a group accommodation on the floor in Turkman style tents and we need to share toilet and bath with the others)

After breakfast in our Turkman eco-lodge, we move to Gonbad-e Qabus city. After about 2 hours, we can visit Voshmgir Tower (Mil-e-Gonbad) which is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is the world’s tallest brick tower and you can see it from a far distance. This city is popular with horses and you can try riding the Turkman horse there. In case of any horsemanship, we go for watching. Then we leave the city to stay at night in Gorgan.
________________________________________
In the case of having more time or unexpected closure of a place we can visit:
– Bandar Torkaman
– Golestan Dam
– Horse Riding
– Carpet Museum
– Russians Bazaar
_______________________________________
Breakfast: Hezar Dare Khalid Nabi eco-lodge
Lunch: Gandom Restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Gonbad-e Qabus city
Midday Catering: special Halva or bread with taste of ginger + tea or coffee
Dinner and overnight: Jahangardi hotel or Botanic Palace Hotel, the best two hotels in Gorgan

We continue our overland journey to Sari. Depending on the weather, we would have two different plans. The first plan is to visit 2 or 3 sites in Gorgan. We want to visit Gorgan Craft Museum, which is actually an old house that becomes a museum. Afterward, we visit Gorgan Palace Museum and Jameh mosque in Gorgan’s bazaar . The other plan is to visit Behshahr-Mehdi Rajeh, where you can see Gorgan gulf from there and experience paragliding upon Gorgan Gulf . Finally, we go to the Salar Dareh Hotel in Sari, to have dinner and stay overnight.
________________________________________
In the case of having more time or unexpected closure of a place we will visit:
– Taqavi House
– Naharkhoran Park
– Gorgan Tower
– Abbas Abad Garden
________________________________________
Breakfast: Jahangardi hotel or Botanic Palace Hotel
Lunch: Meykhosh Restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Gorgan
Midday Catering: Baqeri’s House
Dinner: Saravi house or one of the best restaurants in the Sari
Overnight: Salar Dareh Hotel, the best hotel in Sari
________________________________________
Note:
In the case of proper weather, you need to pay 50 euro per person for paragliding.

In the morning at 8:00 am we will visit Kolbadi house in Sari and then continue our overland journey to Ramsar. We will have lunch at Angels Old Hotel restaurant and visit Ramsar palace. It’s not a very old palace but you must visit it. The garden is very nice and at the end of the garden, there is a spring that supplies the water and there is a bamboo garden that is interesting. We should take the Ramsar cable car to reach the hotel on top of the mountain and check-in in heart of the forest. There is a nice view of the Caspian Sea and forest from the hotel.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Ramsar Telecabin Complex
– Caspian museum
– Hammam
________________________________________
Breakfast: Salar Dareh Hotel
Lunch: Angels Old Hotel Restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Ramsar
Midday Catering: fruit/cookie with tea
Dinner & overnight: Bame Sabz Hotel, the best hotel in Ramsar

Today you have a free day in Ramsar, and you can rest at the hotel or visit around.
Overnight: Bame Sabz Hotel, the best hotel in Ramsar

Our plan is to go to a very nice place with enjoyable hiking, so we take the road and after 2 hours we arrive at Fuman and we leave our luggage at the hotel, then we are going to visit Rudkhan castle. An amazing castle in the jungle and mountain that takes at least 45 minutes hiking (not very easy) from the parking to the castle. The view of the jungle and castle from the royal room is perfect. We have lunch with local food and then we go to another popular and amazing village known as Masuleh to walk in the village and having dinner. This village is a stair-like village and the roof of each house is the yard of the upper house. After having dinner at Masuleh we back to the hotel to check-in and sleep.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Fuman break bridge
________________________________________
Breakfast: Bame Sabz Hotel
Lunch: The best restaurant at Rudkhan village
Midday Catering: Fuman’s cookie (Kolouche of Fuman) with tea
Dinner: Bamdad restaurant or one of the best restaurants at Masuleh
Overnight: Moein hotel, the best hotel in Fuman

we will go to another part of Gilan province with name of Asalem. It takes less than 2 hours but before arriving there, we have to visit Espi Mazget mosque. This is a very old mosque which used to be a fire temple before Islam. Then we go to see a nice waterfall known as Visadar to seat close to it and drink a cup of tea with snaks and chillout. The road to this waterfall is nice as well. Gisoom is the name of a green area that many years ago has been made by government. There are many tall cedars and cypresses that by passing them we can reach the Caspian Sea and Gisoom beach. We will seat and chill out there and afterward go to the hotel.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Masal
________________________________________
Breakfast: Moein hotel
Lunch: Hod Hod restaurants or, one of the best restaurants in Talesh
Midday Catering: special bread of Asalem (Nan Halva)
Dinner: Gilaki house or, one of the bestrestaurants in Asalem
Overnight: Hod Hod hotel, the best hotel in Asalem

Today at 8:00 am we go to Ardebil to visit a special place wich has beautiful architecture with name of tomb of Sheikh Safi. The name of Safavid dynasty is coming from his name but he had nothing to do with this kingdom. Sheikh Safi was a very knowledgeable, respected and well-known man at his time and he has spent most of his life in Gnosticism. The tomb is also belonging to some of the other Safavids Kings. The tile work and painted interiors are magnificent as well as the use of metal for doors and around the tombs. Ardebil used to be the first capital of the Safavi era and that’s why the architecture of this place is very similar to palaces in Isfahan. To reach Ardebil we take a very beautiful road from Asalem to Khalkhal which goes among the mountain. After having lunch in Ardebil, we head to Meshkin-Shahr to do check-in at Dorna eco-lodge and have dinner there.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Meshgin Shahr Suspended Bridge
– Sareyn
– Qaynarja Geothermal Water Complex
– Bridge
– Yeddi Goz Bridge
– Jame mosque of Ardabil
– Maryam church
– Haji Fekr mosque
– Shourabil Lake
________________________________________
Breakfast: Hod Hod hotel
Lunch: Dizisara Sheikh Safi, the best restaurant at Ardebil
Midday Catering: Black Halva/special soup (Ash Dough)
Dinner & overnight: Dorna eco-lodge, the best eco-lodge in Meshkin-Shahr

After having breakfast at Dorna eco-lodge we will drive for 3 hours to Kandovan. A special village in south of Tabriz and it is One of the few manmade cliff dwellings in the world where people still live the traditional life. The houses are in different way of structure and our plan is to spend our night in the rock village Kandovan, in Kandovan Laleh International Rocky hotel. We will walk around to see the village and the people. The view of the village during the night and day is different and very nice. Beyond Kandovan, smooth steep foothills mask a full view of Sahand mountain whose hidden volcanic summit rises to 3707m.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Bazaar of Kandovan
________________________________________
Breakfast: Dorna eco-lodge
Midday Catering: cookie + tea or coffee/dried fruits like apricot and plum
Lunch: Kandovan Laleh hotel or one of the best restaurants in Kandovan
Dinner overnight: Kandovan Laleh hotel, the best hotel in Kandovan

Today we leave Kandovan behind and go to Tabriz, the biggest and most crowded city in the northwest of Iran, where another Iranian tribe is living there. We go directly to Jameh mosque of Tabriz. It is located in Grand Bazaar of Tabriz and has built in several stages. The Mihrab of mosque has a Kufi inscription decorated with stucco-work. Then we will visit one of the oldest and largest covered bazaar in the middle east named Grand Bazaar of Tabriz. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites and it was one of the most important commercial centers on the Silk Road. We have lunch at Haj Ali restaurant to taste the Tabrizi kebab. Then we go to explore the city more in the afternoon by visiting the Kabood mosque which also named Goy mosque and blue mosque. Then we walk to Azerbaijan Museum, and Behnam House. Our day will finish by having dinner at El-goli complex.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Sa’at Square
– University of Tabriz
– Constitution House of Tabriz (Khane Mashrooteh)
– Iron Age Museum
– Poets Tomb (Maqbaratol Shoara)
________________________________________
Breakfast: Kandovan Laleh hotel
Lunch: Haj Ali restaurant , or one of the best restaurants in Tabriz
Midday Catering: Baklava of Tabriz + tea or coffee
Dinner: Elgoli complex , or one of the best restaurants in Tabriz
Overnight: Elgoli Pars Hotel, the best hotel in Tabriz

Another day and another UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We go to the city of Jolfa, where many years ago Armenian people used to leave there and a very important church with the name of Monastery of Saint Stepanos is there and we are going to visit the church and the old rooms of priests. While we drive to Jolfa, at some parts of the road you can see Nakhchivan on the other side of our water border. We will have easy hiking to the church. It takes our whole day so in the evening we back to Tabriz.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Khajeh Nazar Caravansaray
– Kordasht Bath
– Namaz Khaneh Choopan
– Bazaar of Jolfa
– Heidarzade House
________________________________________
Breakfast: Elgoli Pars Hotel
Lunch: Haj Ali Khorram restaurant or one of the best restaurants in Jolfa
Midday Catering: sweets of Tabriz (Noqa, Loz or Qarabiyeh) + tea or coffee
Dinner: Tabrizi house, or one of the best restaurants in Tabriz
Overnight: Elgoli Pars Hotel, the best hotel in Tabriz

We continue our overland journey to Maragheh. This city used to be the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty and we will visit Maragheh observatory. This observatory was established in 1259 CE under directorship of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. Many other prominent astronomers worked with Tusi at the observatory, especially Chinese astronomer. Then we go to visit Mehr temple which back to Parthian and Iron age era. This temple is one of four known Mehr temple in Iran. After having lunch at Sofi luxurious restaurant we continue our way to Takhte Soleiman to spend our night.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Gonbad-e-Kabood
– Gonbad-e-Sorkh
– Ilkhanate Museum of Maragha
________________________________________
Breakfast: Elgoli Pars Hotel
Lunch: Sofi luxurious restaurant, or one of the best restaurants in Maragheh
Midday Catering: sweets of Maragheh (Basloq, Halva) + tea or coffee
Dinner & overnight: Takht-e Soleyman ecolodge (traditional eco-lodge and you will sleep on the floor with sharing toilet and bath)

Our accommodation is very close to Takht-e Soleyman and after breakfast, we start our visiting. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites and includes the principal Zoroastrian sanctuary partly rebuilt in the Ilkhanid (Mongol) period (13th century) as well as a temple of the Sasanian period (6th and 7th centuries) which was dedicated to Anahita. The ensemble of Takht-e Soleyman is an exceptional testimony of the continuation of cult related to fire and water over a period of two and half millennia. Then we head to Zanjan to have lunch at Khatoon restaurant. After lunch, we will visit the Salt men museum. It’s an old house with 2 floors that became a museum and one of the oldest full-body prince of ancient times of Iran is kept in this museum. Then we walk to Rakhtshooy Khaneh Edifice to visit the old amazing and unique way of laundry system in Iran.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Kūh-e Zendān-e Soleymān
________________________________________
Breakfast: Takht-e Soleyman ecolodge
Lunch: Khatoon restaurant, or one of the best restaurants in Zanjan
Midday Catering: Cookie of Zanjan (Nan Shasti) + tea or coffee
Dinner & overnight: Dadaman traditional hotel, the best hotel in Zanjan

We leave Zanjan at 8 am to the Dome of Soltaniyeh (UNESCO World Heritage Sites), the biggest brick dome in the world and the Mausoleum of Ilkhan Oljaytu. This place used to be the center of an old city with the name of Soltanieh even before the time of Zanjan exististance. We drive 1.5 hours to Zanjan to have lunch and visit some attractions. In the time of Safavid era, this city used to be their capital for a while. We start our tour by visiting Aminiha Hosseiniyeh which is an old house and devoted to religious ceremonies. The Jameh mosque of Qazvin is the heart of the city and also the border between the old and new parts of the city. In the evening we go to walk in the old bazaar and visit Sa’d al-Saltaneh seray. Tonight we will have our last supper in a Qazvini house.
________________________________________
If we had enough time to visit we can:
– Dragon temple (Dashkasan)
– Takestan
– Qajar Bathhouse & Anthropology Museum
– Chehel Sotoun Palace
– Qazvin Gateway
– Ali Qapu Gate
________________________________________
Breakfast: Dadaman traditional hotel
Lunch: Behroozi house restaurant, or one of the best restaurants in Qazvin
Midday Catering: Baqlava of Qazvin + tea or coffee
Dinner: Qazvini house, or one of the best restaurants in Qazvin
Overnight: Iranian hotel, the best hotel in Qazvin

We drive to IKA for your departure to fly back with comfort. We hope you enjoy one of the best journey of your life.