In Iran a long succession of native and invading dynasties founded and embellished a wealth of great cities and monuments.  Persepolis is the remains of one of the most outstanding monuments of the ancient world, showing a quality of skill that can rarely have been surpassed.  Isfahan was developed by Shah Abbas on a scale that surpasses any European city, and it contains the most attractive Iranian architecture.  A glittering web of glazed tiles covers the soaring portals, bulbous domes and slender minarets.  Shiraz was beautifully rebuilt by Karim Khan at the end of the 18th century.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Fly from London Heathrow to Iran.

Day 2 – Tehran-Shiraz  Arrival at Tehran airport and transfer to hotel. Later in the morning we visit Iran’s National Museum for the display of prehistoric, ancient and Islamic artefacts, with pottery dating back to 6-7 millennium B.C.; and the Abguineh Museum, which has a wonderful collection of ancient and Islamic glass and pottery. In the evening we transfer to the airport for the flight to Shiraz, where we stay for two nights.

Day 3 – Shiraz-Persepolis  Full day excursion to Persepolis, one of the most important sites of the Ancient World, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid kings with remains of the palaces of Darius the Great, Xerxes and Artaxerxes, with its famous bas reliefs. We also visit Naghsh-e-Rostam to see Ka’be-Zardosht (the fire temple), and Royal Tombs, plus the magnificent Sassanian rock reliefs, including that of Shapur the First’s famous victory over Roman Emperor Valerian,  and Naghsh-e-Rajab, a nearby grotto with more Sassanid reliefs. In the afternoon we drive to Pasargadae, pre-dating Persepolis, site of the simple, but imposing, tomb of Cyrus the Great, the Founder of the Persian Empire, and the remains of his palaces, all located in the beautiful plain of Dasht-e-Morghab.

Day 4 – Shiraz-Isfahan  Full day city tour of Shiraz to visit some of the famous gardens of this city of “roses and nightingales”, including the Eram Garden, the tomb of Iran’s greatest lyric poet, Hafez; the pink tiled 19th-century Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, the Qajar period Narenjestan Garden/House, and the bazaar of Shiraz. Evening flight to Isfahan, where we stay for three nights. 

Day 5 – Isfahan  Full day city tour of the beautiful city of Isfahan, the 17th-century capital of the Safavids, referred to as Nesf-e-Jahan (Half of the World) in Safavid sources, including the famous bridges of Shahrestan/Khajou/Sio-se-pol, and the Armenian Quarter with several churches, including the important Cathedral of Vank. In the afternoon we visit one of the world’s grandest squares, the Maidan-e-Naghsh-e-Jahan, the Ali-Qapu Palace with its enchanting music rooms and balcony overlooking the Maidan, from where the Safavid Kings watched polo games, and two of Islamic world’s greatest mosques – the Sheikh Lotfollah and the Shah – with magnificent architecture and tilework. We finish with a visit to the Qeisarieh Bazaar, which has hundreds of shops displaying the arts and handicrafts for which Isfahan is world-famous.

Day 6 – Isfahan  Full day sightseeing of Isfahan to visit the magnificent Friday Mosque, with the famous Uljaitu Mihrab of the Il-Khanid period, the Harun-e-Velayat Shrine and the Ali Minaret. We also visit the Chehel-Sotun (Forty Columns) Palace and Hasht-Behesht (Palace of the Eight Paradises), both set in beautiful gardens and parks, with a further visit to the Maidan.

Day 7 – Isfahan-Tehran We take the morning flight to Tehran and make further visits to museums to include the Carpet Museum, with a wonderful collection of old carpets and rugs, and the Reza Abbasi Calligraphy and Miniatures Museum.  We stay one night in Tehran.

Day 8 – Tehran-London  Transfer to the airport for the return flight to London.We

Iran Archaeology Tour
Price: £1,350 per person
Single Supplement: £235
Deposit: £200 per person

Price Includes:  6 nights accommodation in 5-star hotels, full board, domestic flights, Visa application (but not Visa stamp fee which must be paid by the participant directly), and a full itinerary of visits accompanied by a Prospect Tour Leader and a local guide.

Travel: Flights to Iran are not included.  We can book your flights for you and will search for the best price available at that time. All flights booked by us must be paid for at the time of booking.

Suggested British Airways scheduled flight timings.

*Next Day

Tour Leader:  Dr Maria Brosius, Reader in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Currently holder of a Major Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2005-2007) to work on Archives in the Ancient Near East and Classical and Late Antiquity. In 2005/06 carried out research on this project in Oxford as a Visiting Scholar of Wolfson College, and will spend next year as a Visiting Scholar at the FU Berlin. Maria’s last book, 'The Persians. An Introduction', has just been published by Routledge