Page 169 - 2018-2019 Worldwide Journeys by Alexander + Roberts

2 Tabriz
2 Tehran
IRAN
3
2 Yazd
3 Shiraz
Dubai 1
U.A.E.
CASPIAN SEA
Isfahan
PERSIAN GULF
GULF OF OMAN
We include round trip international flights to Iran from Dubai , plus 2 internal flights.
Persepolis
OUR JOURNEY
DAY 1 | Welcome to Dubai On arrival, you’ll be warmly
greeted and chauffeured to
Le Meridien’s Hotel luxury Royal Club near the airport.
DAY2| FromDubaitoIran
We take you to the airport for your flight to Tehran. On arrival, our VIP Services whisk you to a lounge where you can relax while entry formalities are handled – and your luggage is retrieved. Upon clearing immigration and customs, fly to Tabriz where you’ll be escorted to the El-Goli Pars Hotel. meals b+l+d
DAY3|Tabriz+Kandovan
Begin your day at the famed Blue Mosque where brilliant azure tiles anddelicatecalligraphyattesttothe artistry of Iran’s ancient dynasties. Echoing the days when it was an important stop on the Silk Road,
the Grand Bazaar is the only bazaar on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. Explore the ancient passages and meet its friendly merchants. At the cave dwellings of Kandovan, get to know the residents and learn about a way of life that goes back 700 years. meals b+l+d
DAY 4 | Jolfa + Tehran Stand before the lovely facade of
the 1,000-year-old St. Stepanos
Monastery in Jolfa and learn about the lively cultural exchange thatflourishedbetweenArmenia and Persia since the origins of Christianity. Fly to Tehran and stay at the Hotel Espinas. meals b+l+d
Tehran + the DAY 5 | splendors of Iran
Visit the Sa’ad Abad Palace – the residence from which the last Shah of Iran fled after the Revolution. Now a museum, our exclusive tour includes a gallery devoted to the 20th-century art collection of the last Empress. At the Treasury of National Jewels, you’ll be dazzled by one of the world’s richest collections of gems and bejeweled royal artifacts. End your day at Golestan Palace . meals b+l+d
DAY6 FromaPersian
| garden to Isfahan
Visit the Carpet Museum of Iran andtraveltoKashantostroll through Bagh-e Fin , an early Persian garden laid out more than 400 years ago. It’s a delightful place to mingle with young Iranian families out to enjoy the day. Then visit an old merchant’s home with splendid mosaics and 130-foot
tall wind towers that can catch lofty breezes to cool the house. In Natanz, you’ll see the 13th-century tomb of Sheikh Abd al-Samad. Continue to Isfahan for a 3-night stay at the Abbasi Hotel, the finest in Isfahan. meals b+l+d
DAY7|HistoricIsfahan
See the imposing 700-year-old Shahrestan Bridge and stand in Meidan Emam Square , home to several of Iran’s most venerated landmarks. Marvel at the fine tile- work and soaring minarets of the Shah Mosque and visit Ali Qapu Palace. End your day mingling with residents at the Qeisarieh Bazaar. meals b+l+d
Isfahan’s splendid
architectural gems
The Friday Mosque features decorative elements and stylistic innovations that trace 1,000 years of architecture and art. Admire
the Ali Minaret and behold the amazing dome of the 15th-century Harun-e Velayat Shrine. At Chehel Sotun , you’ll tour another magnificentPersianGarden.End your day with friendly residents in Meidan Emam Square. meals b+l+d
Through the DAY 9 | desert to Yazd
Leaving Isfahan behind, you’ll make a stop in Na’in where a home of the Safavid era now offers enlightening exhibits on the people and culture of the region. In Meybod, explore an ancient caravanserai with verandahs, shaded passages and nearly 100 rooms – some of which are now used as artisan workshops. Continue to Yazd and check in to your hotel. meals b+l+d
DAY10 AncientYazd |
This desert town is the center of Iran’s Zoroastrian community. At the Tower of Silence, learn about the “burial” traditions of this pre-Islamic religion. At the Fire Temple, a flame that has been burning for 1,500 years continues to draw pilgrims who follow one of the world’s oldest monotheistic faiths. Then see the landmarks of Amir Chakhmaq Square and visit Zendan-e Eskandar, an ancient domed structure said to have been built by Alexander the Great as
a prison during his conquest of Persia. End your touring at Dowlat Abad Garden with its hexagonal pavilion and graceful wind tower, the tallest in Iran. meals b+l+d
DAY11| Pasargadae+Shiraz
Explore Pasargadae , founded
in the 6th century BCE as the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire - the first Persian Empire and the largest the ancient world had ever seen. Surrounded by
the ruins of the palace and city he founded stands the remarkably intact tomb of Cyrus the Great. These remains bear witness to
the soaring cultural heights of the ancient Persian world. Continue
to the Zandiyeh Hotel in Shiraz. meals b+l+d
DAY 8 |
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