Melody of Persia

On the way to the northern part of the country, an amazing experience makes us stop near Qazvin, where you have this chance to play a couple of ancient instruments. A musician lives there, a master with the knowledge of decades of research about ancient music of Iran and you will hear the story of the ancient music of Iran while hearing him play ancient harps of Persia for you.

You will see:

Master Shokri’s workshop

You will Experience:

Playing ancient harps of Persia

Distances:

Tehran to Rasht is 320km (about 4 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Rasht

A full day of excursion in Guilan province to visit a famous old village in a valley as well as Hyrcanian forest. In the afternoon we have a look at the Caspian Sea and a live performance to represent the folk music of Guilan and Avaz- Dashti (one of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Masouleh village, Hyrcanian Forest (UNESCO World Heritage) and Caspian Sea.

You will Experience:

different cultures and different sceneries in the north.

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Rasht

Leaving Guilan driving through mount Alborz to Zanjan province, where Turkish people live. Visiting the third largest dome in the world is in the itinerary for this day. In the afternoon we have a live performance to present Avaz-e Bayat-Turk and Afshari (two of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Soltaniyeh Dome (a UNESCO World Heritage)

You will Experience:

Visiting the largest brick-made dome in the world. Being stunned at the magical melody of Iranian national music.

Distances:

Rasht to Zanjan is 200km (about 4 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Zanjan

Leaving Zanjan to the south. We have a stop on the way just before Hamedan to visit the most spectacular cave in Iran with amazing sedimentary limestone-made structures and pure water. After check-in and a rest at the hotel, the tour continues in Hamedan with visiting Ganjnameh inscriptions and water fall; the inscriptions are left from 500BC by Darius the great. The day ends with a live performance to present Dastgah-Segah and Avaz-e Abu-Ata (two of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Alisadr water-cave, Ganjnameh inscriptions and waterfall

You will Experience:

Boat riding in the longest water cave on the earth

Distances:

Zanjan to Hamedan is 250km (about 4 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Hamedan

Before leaving Hamedan, we visit two mausoleums, the first belonging to a poet and mystic from the 11^th century, whose poems are very popular among Iranian singers and the other one belonging to a polymath, scientist, philosopher, poet and a musician from the 11^th century. On the way to Kermashah, we have a stop to visit a UNESCO World Heritage, an ancient and sacred place with a couple of reliefs and inscriptions. In the afternoon, you have a different experience meeting the folk instrument and listening to the music of Kurd people as well as Kurd-e Bayat (a melodic figure in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Baba-Taher and Avicenna mausoleums, Bisotun ancient site

You will Experience:

The melody of “Tanbur”, a folk and mystic instrument in Iran

Distances:

Hamedan to Kermanshah is 200km (about 3 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Kermanshah

Before saying goodbye to Kermanshah, we have a look at an ancient site with fascinating reliefs and inscriptions and then have a drive to Lorestan province to stay one night there, and finally visit an amazing ancient fortress and an anthropology museum. The day ends with a live performance to present the folk music and instruments of Lurs as well as Dastgah-e Mahour (one of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Taq-Bistan bas-reliefs, Falak-Al-Aflak fortress and castle

You will experience:

Lurish folk music, telling us their story through history

Distances:

Kermanshah to Khorram-Abad is 200km (about 3 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Khorram-Abad

The day starts with spectacular sceneries of mount Zagros to reach the southern part of the country, land of history and oil with three world heritage sites. At first, we stop in Susa to visit an ancient site and museum, then we drive to the Ziggurat, a civilization from 2000 BC. At the end, we arrive to Shushtar to spend the night there but before that, our amazing cultural day would be complete with the ancient hydraulic system of Shushtar, which is a unique place in the world. Like the other days, the live performance for you to represent Dastgah-e Homayoun (one of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Susa, Choqa-Zanbil ziggurat and the hydraulic system (three UNESCO World Heritage sites)

You will experience:

being amazed by the structure of the ziggurat and the complex engineering of the hydraulic system of Shushter.

Accommodation:

A boutique hotel in Shushtar

Izeh is located in Khuzestan as well, but in the mountainous part, in the heart of Zagros. Where the nomad people are still living in compatible with their own culture, these people are called Bakhtiari, similar dialect to Lurs. In Izeh, we visit a couple of bas-reliefs, which proves and shows musical ensembles from 600 BC. The live performance of this day belongs to represent the folk music of Bakhtiari people and also Dastgah-Chahargah (one of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Kul-Farah bas-reliefs

You will experience:

The culture of nomad people in Zagros.

Distances:

Shushtar to Izeh is 150km (about 3 hours)

Accommodation:

An eco-lodge in Izeh

A long drive through Zagros range to reach the central part of Iran, a road full of spectacular sceneries. In the afternoon, we arrive to Isfahan, the capital of art in Iran. Visiting two magnificent bridges of Isfahan in the evening.

You will see:

Si-o-se-pol and Khaju bridges

You will experience:

Spectacular sceneries of Zagros mounts

Distances:

Izeh to Isfahan is 330km (about 5 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Isfahan

A full-day sightseeing in the beautiful Isfahan. Isfahan was the capital of Iran in 17^th century and so many amazing mosques and palaces have remained from that era, Savafid dynasty, which called as the third Persian Empire in the history. The Naqsh-e Jahan square with its space and glorious art in the palaces and mosques makes there the most popular place in Iran for tourists. After visiting the monuments and Bazaar, music museum of Isfahan is waiting for us to experience another live performance to present Bayat-e Isfahan (one of the melodic figures in the national music of Iran).

You will see:

Naqsh-e Jahan square (UNESCO world heritage), Shah-Abbasi and Sheikh-Lotf-Allah mosques, Ali-Qapu and Chehelsotoun palaces and Bazaar, music museum

You will experience:

Being amazed at the cultural sites of Isfahan

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Isfahan

Driving to Shiraz, city of mystery and poetry. But, three amazing sites on the way will make our day. The first one is the tomb of Cyrus and the remains of his glorious capital. The next one is a burial complex with a terrific size of tombs and reliefs on the rocks. And finally the most famous heritage of Iran, a piece of Persian Empire in 500 BC. The day ends at the hotel in Shiraz.

You will see:

Pasargadae (UNESCO world heritage), Naqsh-Rostam (Necropolis), Persepolis (UNESCO world heritage)

You will experience:

The impressive structures of Persian Empire

Distances:

Isfahan to Shiraz is 460km (about 5 hours)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Shiraz

A full-day sightseeing in Shiraz, a city with amazing gardens and charming people. We visit a couple of monuments there including colorful mosques and gardens, amazing castle and Bazaar and also two famous poets’ mausoleums, which are very popular for the Iranians and whose poems are usually used by the traditional or even modern musicians. The day ends with a live performance to represent two melodic figures (Bayat-e Shiraz and Dastgah-e Nava) of the national music of Iran.

You will see:

The pink mosque, Narenjestan and Eram gardens (UNESCO world heritage), Karmikhani citadel, Bazaar, Hafez and Saadi mausoleums

You will experience:

Walking in the beautiful gardens of Shiraz

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Shiraz

Leaving the southwest of Iran to the northeast, Khorasan province. Driving directly from Mashhad to Neyshabur, a town next to Mashhad, on the ancient Silk-road and Neyshabur was an important town in the history of Persia. There, we visit two mausoleums of two famous poets. One was a Sufi and a great mystic man and the other one was a great mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher as well. Also, a different live performance is waiting for us. This day you meet the folk music of Khorasan and “Dotar” (the folk instrument of Khorasan region).  Late in the evening, when we are in Mashhad again, we visit the largest mausoleum of Iran “Imam-Reza holy shrine”.

You will see:

Omar-Khayyam and Attar mausoleums, Imam-Reza holy shrine

You will experience:

The difference in the melody of Khorasan and “Dotar”

Being amazed at the size and decoration of the holy shrine

Distances:

Duration of the flight is 1 hour and half.

Mashhad to Neyshabur is 120km (about 1 hour and half)

Accommodation:

A 4star hotel in Mashhad

On the last day of the tour, we fly back to Tehran to visit the northern part of the capital. At first, we visit the music museum of Tehran and now you know much more about everything there. Then we have a walk in Darband gorge in the northern part of the city and then in the afternoon the tour ends with a live concert to present Dastgah-e Rast-Panjgah (the last melodic figure in the national music of Iran). After the concert and farewell to your guide and fellow travelers , your transfer will be done to hotel or the airport according to your flight schedule.

You will see:

The Music Museum, Darband gorge

You will experience:

The last amazing concert of the tour

Distances:

Duration of the flight is 1 hour and half.