Iran - Andrew Burke [3]
Iran Chamber Society (www.iranchamber.com) Historical and cultural summaries about Iran.
Iranian Visa (www.iranianvisa.com) Detailed feedback on visas from applicants across the globe.
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) Destination information plus the latest feedback from travellers on the Thorn Tree bulletin board.
Pars Times (www.parstimes.com) Encyclopaedia of links to sites on just about everything you need to know before you go to Iran.
Tehran Times (www.tehrantimes.com) English-language newspaper and archive.
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Itineraries
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CLASSIC ROUTES
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF EMPIRE
EAST BY SOUTHEAST
ROADS LESS TRAVELLED
CANYONS, FORESTS & PADDYFIELDS…IN IRAN?!
DESERT DETOUR
TAILORED TRIPS
THE CRADLE OF PRE-ISLAMIC RELIGIONS
THE TRANSIT-VISA DASH
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CLASSIC ROUTES
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IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF EMPIRE Two Weeks / Tehran to Tehran
Two busy weeks is just long enough to get a taste of the jewels of Iran’s rich history. Fly into Tehran and spend two days seeing the major sights, including the Golestan Palace, National Museum of Iran and Tehran Bazar. Fly to Shiraz, where in three days you can see the Zand-era mosques, gardens and bazaar, and magnificent Persepolis.
Take a bus or taxi and stop in Abarqu on the way to Yazd. Spend a day wandering the maze of lanes in this ancient desert city, gaping at the Jameh Mosque and taking in the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence. On your second day, tour Meybod, the Zoroastrian pilgrimage site at Chak Chak and the mud-brick village of Kharanaq.
Catch a bus to Esfahan, Iran’s most architecturally stunning city, and explore Shah Abbas’ Imam Sq, the Bazar-e Bozorg, the sublime bridges across the Zayandeh River and the Armenian community at Jolfa. An easy bus trip brings you to Kashan, where you can scramble over the roofs of both the bazaar and the opulent Qajar-era traditional houses, and take a day trip to Abyaneh, before heading back to Tehran.
This 1500km-long loop takes in most of Iran’s highlights. Without getting too far off the beaten track, you’ll get a taste of manic Tehran, Persia’s glorious pre-Islamic legacy, and the stately former capitals. Most journeys are along busy transport routes; still, it pays to plan your next leg as soon as you arrive.
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EAST BY SOUTHEAST One Month / Turkey to Pakistan
Travellers with an adventurous bent have been following this classic overland route from Europe to subcontinental Asia for centuries. A month is the minimum time needed to do it justice. Maku makes a pleasant introduction on the way to Tabriz, from where you can spend three days and check out Jolfa and Kandovan, before heading for Zanjan for a look at Soltaniyeh.
Historic Qazvin is the staging point for excursions into the spectacular Alamut Valleys to walk among the ruined Castles of the Assassins. Head north of Qazvin via Rasht to lush Masuleh, a charming village ideal for chilling out before dashing along the dreary Caspian Coast. From Chalus or Kelardasht zigzag up through the dramatic Alborz Mountains to Tehran. Spend three days in Tehran seeing the museums and taking in the hustle and bustle, and then head south for two days in Kashan and Abyaneh. Bus it to Esfahan where you’ll need at least three days to see the sights, and then head off to Shiraz, where one of your three days will be spent gaping at the ruins of magnificent Persepolis. You could spend a night in Abarqu en route to Yazd, where three days should include a trip to the historic towns of Meybod and Kharanaq, plus the spectacular Zoroastrian pilgrimage site at Chak Chak.
Splurge on a night in the restored Caravanserai Zein-o-din on the way to Kerman, where three days will be enough to Mahan the ‘New Arg’ at Rayen and maybe the Kaluts. Stop in Bam to see what remains of the Arg and just chill out a bit before the long trip to Quetta in Pakistan, and blast through Zahedan, en route to the border at Mirjaveh.
En route you’ll absorb and appreciate Iran’s