WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF IRAN
A cultural tour of Iran

Modern day Iran changes its name from Persia as recent as in 1935. At its height about 500 BC, the founding dynasty of the Persian empire, the Achaemenids, had conquered Asia as far as the Indus River, Greece, and North Africa including what is now Egypt and Libya.

Day 01 (THU): Arrive Tehran
This afternoon you are scheduled to arrive Tehran.  Once clearing through Customs & Immigrations, you will be met at the exit gate by our local representative for a transfer to your hotel.  Check in time starts from 1400 hrs.
Overnight: Laleh Hotel (1 night) (D)

Day 02 (FRI): Tehran / Urumieh (Flight)
After a good night’s rest you are transferred to the airport for a flight to Urumieh.  You are met & transferred to your hotel.  If time permits then a brief city tour of Urumieh will be provided.
Overnight: Darya Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 03 (SAT): Urumieh / Tabriz (443 kms)
This morning we depart for Jolfa to visit the Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, in the north-west of the country, consists of three monastic ensembles of the Armenian Christian faith: St Thaddeus and St Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor. These edifices - the oldest of which, St Thaddeus, dates back to the 7th century – are examples of outstanding universal value of the Armenian architectural and decorative traditions. They bear testimony to very important interchanges with the other regional cultures, in particular the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian. Situated on the south-eastern fringe of the main zone of the Armenian cultural space, the monasteries constituted a major centre for the dissemination of that culture in the region. They are the last regional remains of this culture that are still in a satisfactory state of integrity and authenticity. Furthermore, as places of pilgrimage, the monastic ensembles are living witnesses of Armenian religious traditions through the centuries.  Continue onto Tabriz to visit its bazaar, which has recently been added to the UNESCO list.
Overnight:  Gostaresh Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 04 (SUN): Tabriz / Zanjan (280 kms)
Today’s tour starts with a visit to the archaeological site of Takht-e Soleyman, in northwestern Iran, is situated in a valley set in a volcanic mountain region. The site 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) dedicated to Anahita. The site has important symbolic significance. The designs of the fire temple, the palace and the general layout have strongly influenced the development of Islamic architecture.Next stop is the mausoleum of Oljaytu was constructed in 1302–12 in the city of Soltaniyeh, the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, which was founded by the Mongols. Situated in the province of Zanjan, Soltaniyeh is one of the outstanding examples of the achievements of Persian architecture and a key monument in the development of its Islamic architecture. The octagonal building is crowned with a 50 m tall dome covered in turquoise-blue faience and surrounded by eight slender minarets. It is the earliest existing example of the double-shelled dome in Iran. The mausoleum’s interior decoration is also outstanding and scholars such as A.U. Pope have described the building as ‘anticipating the Taj Mahal’.
Overnight: Park Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 05 (MON): Zanjan / Kermanshah (414 kms)
Today`s tour starts with visiting Bisotun, which is located along the ancient trade route linking the Iranian high plateau with Mesopotamia and features remains from the prehistoric times to the Median, Achaemenid, Sassanian, and Ilkhanid periods. The principal monument of this archaeological site is the bas-relief and cuneiform inscription ordered by Darius I, The Great, when he rose to the throne of the Persian Empire, 521 BC. The bas-relief portrays Darius holding a bow, as a sign of sovereignty, and treading on the chest of a figure who lies on his back before him. According to legend, the figure represents Gaumata, the Median Magus and pretender to the throne whose assassination led to Darius’s rise to power. Below and around the bas-reliefs, there are ca. 1,200 lines of inscriptions telling the story of the battles Darius waged in 521-520 BC against the governors who attempted to take apart the Empire founded by Cyrus. The inscription is written in three languages. The oldest is an Elamite text referring to legends describing the king and the rebellions. This is followed by a Babylonian version of similar legends. The last phase of the inscription is particularly important, as it is here that Darius introduced for the first time the Old Persian version of his res gestae (things done). This is the only known monumental text of the Achaemenids to document the re-establishment of the Empire by Darius I. It also bears witness to the interchange of influences in the development of monumental art and writing in the region of the Persian Empire. There are also remains from the Median period (8th to 7th centuries B.C.) as well as from the Achaemenid (6th to 4th centuries B.C.) and post-Achaemenid periods. 
Overnight: Azadegan Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 06 (TUE): Kermanshah / Ahwaz (487 kms)
After breakfast we depart for Ahwaz with enroute stop at Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.

Continue onto Susa to visit the ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam, surrounded by three huge concentric walls, are found at Tchogha Zanbil. Founded c. 1250 B.C., the city remained unfinished after it was invaded by Ashurbanipal, as shown by the thousands of unused bricks left at the site.
Overnight: Pars Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 07 (WED): Ahwaz / Shiraz (659 kms)
This morning we depart for the city of Roses & Nightingales via Persepolis, which was founded by Darius I in 518 B.C. and was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of kings created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site.
Overnight: Pars Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 08 (THU): Shiraz / Kerman (571 kms)
Pasargadae was the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus II the Great, in Pars, homeland of the Persians, in the 6th century BC. Its palaces, gardens and the mausoleum of Cyrus are outstanding examples of the first phase of royal Achaemenid art and architecture and exceptional testimonies of Persian civilization. Particularly noteworthy vestiges in the 160-ha site include: the Mausoleum of Cyrus II; Tall-e Takht, a fortified terrace; and a royal ensemble of gatehouse, audience hall, residential palace and gardens. Pasargadae was the capital of the first great multicultural empire in Western Asia. Spanning the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt to the Hindus River, it is considered to be the first empire that respected the cultural diversity of its different peoples. This was reflected in Achaemenid architecture, a synthetic representation of different cultures.
Overnight: Pars Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 09 (FRI): Kerman / Yazd (361 kms)
This morning we depart for Bam, which is situated in a desert environment on the southern edge of the Iranian high plateau. The origins of Bam can be traced back to the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries BC). Its heyday was from the 7th to 11th centuries, being at the crossroads of important trade routes and known for the production of silk and cotton garments. The existence of life in the oasis was based on the underground irrigation canals, the qan?ts, of which Bam has preserved some of the earliest evidence in Iran. Arg-e Bam is the most representative example of a fortified medieval town built in vernacular technique using mud layers (Chineh).
Overnight: Daad Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 10 (SAT): Yazd / Esfahan (300 kms)
Today we will be heading for Esfahan, which is considered the most beautiful city in all of Iran.
Overnight: Abbasi Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 11 (SUN): Esfahan / Tehran (439 kms)
We will be visiting the last UNESCO site of the program.  Meidan Emam Built by Shah Abbas I the Great at the beginning of the 17th century, and bordered on all sides by monumental buildings linked by a series of two-storeyed arcades, the site is known for the Royal Mosque, the Mosque of Sheykh Lotfollah, the magnificent Portico of Qaysariyyeh and the 15th-century Timurid palace. They are an impressive testimony to the level of social and cultural life in Persia during the Safavid era.  Drive back to Tehran.
Overnight: Laleh Hotel (1 night) (B, D)

Day 12 (MON): Depart Tehran
Check out by 1100 hrs.  You are transferred to the airport for your flight out. (B)

---

Departure Dates
2012 English Speaking Departures Apr 05, Jul 19, Sep 27
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Accommodation as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes International Airfare & Airport taxes Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast, D=Dinner) Insurance / Visa Fees Domestic air tickets Tehran/Urumieh Tips/Gratuities to Drivers & Guides All Sightseeing and Transfers   Entrance Fees to Museums and Sites   Services of local English speaking guide
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2012 US $ 4195 US $ 680
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast US $ 1300 USA - West Coast US $ 1100 Canada - East Coast US $ 1100 USA - East Coast US $ 900
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 08 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.