Day 1: Arrive Tehran
Arrive Imam Khomeini Airport, Tehran. Transfer to hotel. Evening: Tabiat Bridge at dusk — Tehran’s modern architectural icon. Overnight Tehran.
Day 2: Tehran — Capital of Persia
Morning: Golestan Palace (UNESCO), the opulent Qajar-era royal complex with the Marble Throne, Mirror Hall, and gardens. Afternoon: Crown Jewels Museum — the Darya-ye Noor (Sea of Light) diamond (182 carats), the Peacock Throne, and gem-encrusted globes. Grand Bazaar — 10km of covered lanes selling everything from saffron to Persian carpets. Overnight Tehran.
Day 3: Tehran to Isfahan
Morning: National Museum of Iran (prehistoric to Islamic art), Saadabad Palace complex in north Tehran. Afternoon flight to Isfahan. Evening walk along Si-o-se-pol bridge. Overnight Isfahan.
Day 4: Naqsh-e Jahan Square — Full Day
Full day at the UNESCO square: Imam Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Ali Qapu Palace, Grand Bazaar. Evening: Khaju Bridge and traditional Zurkhaneh performance. Overnight Isfahan.
Day 5: Isfahan to Yazd — Desert Outpost
Morning: Vank Cathedral in Jolfa Quarter. Drive to Yazd (4 hours) through desert landscapes. Afternoon: Yazd’s UNESCO-listed old city — the largest adobe city on Earth, a labyrinth of mud-brick alleys, wind-catchers (badgirs), and domed rooftops. Evening: rooftop tea at sunset overlooking the desert city. Overnight in a restored caravanserai hotel, Yazd.
Day 6: Yazd — Zoroastrian Heritage
Morning: Atashkadeh (Zoroastrian Fire Temple) — a sacred flame burning continuously since 470 AD, housed in a modern building with a Faravahar symbol above the entrance. Visit the Towers of Silence (Dakhmeh) — two hilltop structures where Zoroastrians placed their dead for sky burial until the 1960s. Afternoon: Amir Chakhmaq Complex, Yazd Water Museum (qanat system), Dowlat Abad Garden with Iran’s tallest wind-catcher (33m). Evening: free to explore Yazd’s old alleys. Overnight Yazd.
Day 7: Yazd to Shiraz via Persepolis
Morning drive to Shiraz (6 hours). En-route stop at Persepolis — the 2,500-year-old Achaemenid capital. Walk the Grand Staircase, Gate of All Nations, Apadana Palace with its famous tribute-bearers reliefs, Hundred Column Hall, and Treasury. Then: Naqsh-e Rostam — four royal tombs carved into a cliff. Continue to Shiraz. Overnight Shiraz.
Day 8: Shiraz — City of Poets
Morning: Nasir al-Mulk (Pink Mosque) for the stained-glass light show. Narenjestan-e Ghavam mansion. Afternoon: Vakil Complex (mosque, bazaar, bathhouse), Eram Garden (UNESCO Persian Garden). Evening: Hafez Tomb for poetry and divination. Farewell dinner. Overnight Shiraz.
Day 9: Departure
Transfer to Shiraz International Airport.
