15-Day Deserts to Historical Cities: Tehran, Yazd, Kerman & Isfahan — Persian Wilderness

Days 1-2: Tehran to Kerman

Day 1: Arrive Tehran. Evening orientation. Day 2: Morning flight to Kerman. Afternoon: Ganjali Khan Complex — a 17th-century Safavid-era ensemble with caravanserai, bathhouse (now an anthropology museum), mosque, and bazaar all still functioning. The bathhouse’s wax figures reenact traditional bathing scenes. Overnight Kerman.

Days 3-4: Mahan & The Lut Desert

Day 3: Morning drive to Mahan. Visit Shazdeh Garden (UNESCO) — a Persian Garden cascading down a desert hillside, with fountains that flow by gravity alone for 6km from a qanat source. Then: Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine — a stunning Sufi mausoleum with turquoise domes and reflecting pools. Afternoon: Rayen Citadel — a 1,000-year-old adobe fortress that rivals Bam, remarkably intact with its governor’s quarters, bazaar, and residential areas. Day 4: Full day expedition into Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert, UNESCO). Marvel at the kaluts — surreal wind-carved sandstone yardangs rising from the desert floor like giant termite mounds, stretching to the horizon. The Lut holds the record for the hottest land surface temperature ever recorded (80.8°C/177.4°F). Sunset over the kaluts is an otherworldly experience. Overnight camp in Lut Desert.

Days 5-6: Meymand & Zein-o-din Caravanserai

Day 5: Morning drive from Lut to Meymand — a 3,000-year-old troglodyte village where people still live in 400 hand-dug caves. The villagers follow a seasonal migration pattern: caves in winter, pastures in summer. Walk through cave rooms, meet the residents, and see the village mosque carved directly into the rock. Afternoon drive toward Yazd. Day 6: Arrive Yazd. Afternoon: Jameh Mosque (Iran’s tallest minarets), old city walking tour. Evening: sunset at Zein-o-din Caravanserai — a perfectly circular 16th-century Silk Road inn, restored and atmospheric. Overnight Yazd.

Days 7-8: Yazd Heritage

Day 7: Atashkadeh Fire Temple, Towers of Silence, Amir Chakhmaq Complex, Dowlat Abad Garden, Water Museum. Day 8: Free morning. Afternoon drive to Isfahan. Evening arrival. Overnight Isfahan.

Days 9-11: Isfahan & Kashan

Days 9-10: Isfahan full immersion — Naqsh-e Jahan Square, mosques, palaces, Grand Bazaar, Jolfa Armenian Quarter, Vank Cathedral, bridges. Day 11: Drive to Kashan. Fin Garden, merchant mansions, Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse. Evening return to Isfahan.

Days 12-14: Persepolis & Shiraz

Day 12: Drive to Shiraz via Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam. Day 13: Shiraz — Pink Mosque, Vakil Complex, Eram Garden, Hafez Tomb. Day 14: Free day — optional Qalat cave village or Pasargadae. Farewell dinner. Overnight Shiraz.

Day 15: Departure

Transfer to Shiraz Airport.

What’s Included

• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Driver
• Fuel Cost, Parking Fee, Toll Fee
• Accommodation in selected hotels
• Daily breakfast

What’s Not Included

• Entrance fees to attractions
• Tour Guide
• Meal (lunch and dinner)
• International flights
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses