IRAN IN WINTER

Morning/Afternoon: departure from Italy with a direct/connecting flight

Evening: late-night arrival, transfer to the hotel, and check-in

Morning: visit to the bazaar, one of the largest in the world, and the gardens of the Golestan Palace. Street food lunch near Imam Khomeini Square

Afternoon: transfer by metro to Tajrish, at the foot of the Alborz Mountains. Exploration of the colorful bazaar, less chaotic and more picturesque than the central bazaar, and taxi ride to Darband for hookah and tea in the venues built along the river

Evening: dinner and evening in Tehran

Morning: early wake-up, rental car pickup, and departure for Kashan. Arrival in Kashan before lunch, hotel check-in, and off to bargain in the city bazaar

Afternoon: visit to the Agha Bozorg mosque and madrasa, the Sultan Amir Ahmad bathhouse, and the traditional 18th-century merchant family houses, which make Kashan one of the most pleasant cities in Iran. In the late afternoon, free exploration of the bazaar—one of the best places in Iran to buy spices and rose water—with the possibility of climbing onto the bazaar rooftops to admire a splendid sunset over the city skyline

Evening: dinner and evening in Kashan

Morning: transfer towards Isfahan. Along the way, visit the picturesque rural village of Abyaneh, located in an isolated position within a high mountain valley, with a walk through its mysterious alleys and ancient houses and mosques built of mud brick

Afternoon: arrival in Isfahan, hotel check-in, lunch, and initial exploration of the city—an authentic pearl whose wonders bear witness to a millennial history, which over the centuries has bequeathed the city some of the most impressive monuments in the Islamic world

Evening: tea at sunset in the rooftop venues overlooking Naqsh-e Jahan, the immense square that serves as the beating heart of the city, dinner and evening in Isfahan

Morning: starting from the iconic monumental Naqsh-e Jahan Square, one of the largest and most beautiful in the world, a walking tour of the city and its priceless treasures: the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, the Ali Qapu Palace, and the stunning Shah Mosque

Afternoon: continuation of the visit to Isfahan and the churches of the Armenian quarter, returning to the center by passing across the wonderful covered bridges of the Safavid dynasty. Free time in the Isfahan bazaar

Evening: dinner and evening in the traditional Persian restaurants of Isfahan

Morning: departure for Yazd by private minivan. Along the way, visit Meybod, an ancient city on the edge of the desert dominated by the ruins of Narin Castle

Afternoon: continuation of the itinerary, stopping for a photo at the Zoroastrian temple of Chak Chak, perched in a unique position on the walls of a rocky cliff, and the ancient ghost town of the mud city of Kharanaq. Arrival in Yazd, hotel check-in

Evening: dinner and evening in the restaurants of Yazd

Morning: walking tour of the old city: the Yazd Jameh Friday Mosque, one of the finest examples of Persian architecture in the Azeri style, and free time among the alleys of the old city where you can admire dozens of “wind catchers”—ingenious towers that allowed fresh air to be channeled into local homes even during the scorching hot days typical of the Yazd desert

Afternoon: afternoon dedicated to discovering the cult of Zarathustra, the mystic and prophet who lived in Persia more than 1,000 years ago: transfer out of town to visit the Towers of Silence, used for centuries (and until 1970) by Zoroastrians for funeral ceremonies, and continuation eastward. Arrival at the ancient Zein-o-din caravanserai, dating back to the 16th century and now converted into a boutique hotel; check-in and relaxation at sunset in the desert

Evening: dinner and an evening as true caravanners, sharing chai and fantastic travel stories at Zein-o-din

Morning: early wake-up and departure heading east, off the main tourist routes, along the ancient caravan roads that connected Persia with Pakistan and Afghanistan. Late morning arrival in Shahdad, a remote oasis on the edge of the Dasht-e Lut desert

Afternoon: lunch in the Shahdad oasis, followed by departure in 4×4 vehicles with local guides toward the Kaluts—extraordinary rock and sand formations sculpted by violent Central Asian winds, located in the heart of the Dasht-e Lut. Frequent stops for photos, dune bashing, and trekking among the towering spires and vast canyons of the Kaluts; a fairytale sunset and setup of the tented camp in the Dasht-e Lut

Evening: dinner and evening wild camping in the Dasht-e Lut

Morning: wake up at dawn to admire the sunrise over the Kaluts, return to Shahdad for breakfast, and depart southward along wide and panoramic mountain roads. Stop in Rayen to visit the mud-brick castle, the best-preserved in Iran, dating back more than 1,000 years

Afternoon: continuation of the road trip south, through increasingly arid and sun-drenched landscapes, toward the Persian Gulf. Arrival in the late afternoon in the port city of Bandar Abbas, and boarding the speedboat for Hormuz Island, about a 1-hour crossing. Arrival in Hormuz, transfer, and guesthouse check-in

Evening: dinner and evening in the picturesque local spots of Hormuz

Morning and afternoon: day dedicated to exploring the natural wonders of Hormuz Island, an incredible multicolored world still almost unknown to international tourism. Guided tour by tuk-tuk or mountain bike with a fantastic guide to discover Saffron Valley, Turtle Beach, and the Red Beach, with its beautiful scarlet waters crashing onto the silvery-black sand. Short trek and visit to the Rainbow Cave, a cave where you can admire multicolored walls ranging from red to indigo, and transfer toward the western side of the island to visit Rainbow Valley and the impressive salt formation known as the “Salt Goddess.” Sunset over the Persian Gulf with the possibility of swimming, and return to the town of Hormuz

Evening: dinner and evening in the picturesque local spots of Hormuz

Morning: early wake-up for the first speedboat from Hormuz back to Bandar Abbas. Breakfast and resumption of the road trip toward the southwestern regions of Iran

Afternoon: lunch along the way and arrival in Shiraz mid-afternoon. Hotel check-in and visit to the Tomb of Hafez, a mausoleum built in 1935 dedicated to the most famous poet in Persian history, who was born and raised in Shiraz and remains a true icon of local culture

Evening: dinner and evening in the local spots of Shiraz

Morning: early wake-up and visit to the splendid Nasir ol Molk Mosque, also known as the “Pink Mosque” due to the colored glass of the winter prayer hall, which creates an incredible kaleidoscope of colors when hit by the morning sun. Transfer to the airport for the domestic flight to Tehran / flight to Italy with a layover

Afternoon / Evening: flight to Italy during the night. Arrival on Day 13… and until the next adventure!