In April there is still snow in the route to the peak in last two days of the hike. If the weather will not be stable and we cant hike to the peak, we will choice another hiking route for these two days.
If you travel out of the season (Dec- Feb), the grade level of this tour will be CHALENGING and you should be prepared for rain in lower altitude and snow at higher altitude. You have to have a good level of fitness and your cloths and equipment list is different when you travel during the season.
As most of hikers would like to have long distance hike in their holiday, this tour design to visit the most important destinations of Iran, which is called IRAN CLASSIC ROUTE as well as one week hiking in the heights of the Zagros mountains. So it would be perfect for first Iran visitors to explore the best UNESCO heritage sites of this beautiful country and having an unforgettable hiking in DENA national park, one of the best hiking routes in Iran which is listed on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve destination. The journey will start from Shiraz and will finish in Tehran. In the hiking part you will have 6 days hike which in combination of 5 days with moderate level of difficulty and one day optional climb up to the peak with a bit challenging grade as we will climb up to one of the highest Zogros peaks (4350 m).
In the cultural and historical part of this trip you will visit the most highlights of Shiraz, Isfahan, Yazd, Kashan and Tehran with their all UNESCO sites. The season for this trip starts from April and we can perform it till November.
Depending on your arrival time you'll likely have free time to relax, get adjusted and explore the famous city of Shiraz. Overnight stay at hotel.
In the morning we will start a walking tour to visit Karimkhan citadel, Vakil mosque & baths, Nasirolmolk mosque, the grand bazaar and the old part of the town. Afternoon we will spend a while for visiting Hafez mausoleum Persia’s beloved poet and Eram garden registered in UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Drive to Persepolis we start a full sightseeing of Persia’s imperial past and visiting Naghseh Rajab and Nagshe-Rostam. In the afternoon we will leave Perspolis towards Sisakht “ Dena mountains foothill” which is 216 km away. Overnight stay in a traditional guesthouse
After breakfast start your long day hiking. Starting point is National Park’s gate for 6 days. The altitude of starting point is 2500m from sea level. More or less we will traverse around 18 km per day taking us to the central part of the region. Overnight stay in the local house
Second day walk is also around 20 km passing forest and Mountain Foothills. Today we will visit a waterfall which is the highest waterfall in Dena region. Overnight stay in the local house.
Third day walking length is also approximately 14 km crossing some rivers and visiting another waterfall. We will arrive in the late afternoon to the 1st camp, having dinner in our tents.
After breakfast we will collect our camps and continue hiking towards a shelter at 3780m height. Hiking will start from 2580m from sea level, the length of Hike is around 10Km and the end of the Hike leads us to Sisakht. Overnight stay in the guesthouse.
6.00 A.M wake up for breakfast to get ready to start at 7.00 A.M. We will hike to the shelter and after lunch to the shelter we continue ascending to the summit to reach the peak of Hozdal (4350 m). Descent to the Shelter. Overnight stay in the shelter
After breakfast we will leave shelter and decent to the basecamp. From there you will back to Sisakht and then you will be picked up by our vehicle to drive towards Yazd. Overnight stay at hotel.
After breakfast you will have full day sightseeing tour visiting its touristic attractions such as Zoroastrian sites of Dakhmeh (old cemetery & tower of silence), the fire temple, Amir Chakhmagh complex and the main Grand Mosque next to bazar.
After breakfast drive to Esfahan and en route we will visit the historical city of Meybod and Naeen and Varzaneh desert. Overnight stay in Esfahan.
A full day Esfahan city walking tour to visit all of the UNESCO’s world heritage sites on Naqshe Jahan Square, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Imam Mosque as well as Aali Qapu Building, Chehel Sotun (Forty Pillar) and Hasht Behest (Eight Heaven) building on this day. Overnight stay at hotel.
After breakfast in the hotel you will drive to Kashan, First you will visit Abyaneh village Afterward we will drive to Kashan. you will check in the hotel. In the afternoon you have a half day Kashan tour. visit a couple of historical houses as well as Aghabozorg old mosques and the Grand Bazaar. We will visit Fin garden and bath before leaving the city by drive to outside of the town. Fin garden is one of the Persian gardens UNESCO world heritage list.. Over night stay in a hotel.
After breakfast we will countinue our trip to Hamedan. On the way we will stop in Qom and visit the holy shrine of Hazrat-e Masumeh. Afterward we will drive to Hamadan. After some rest we will have sightseeing with a visit to Avicenna Mausoleum, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Base of Hegmataneh (Site of an ancient city, with archaeological ruins & a museum showcasing found artifacts) and the Tombs of Esther, the Jewish wife of Xerxes I and Mordecai, her uncle. Continue a short drive to Ganjnameh, the Treasure Book. Overnight stay at hotel in Hamadan.
In the morning we will drive to Marivan. we will stop in Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province. We will visit the local Bazaar in the town and Kord house (Kurdish ethnology museum). Afterwards we will drive to Marivan town. There is a beautiful lake of Zarivar and we have a boat trip on the lake with spectacular view of the mountain. Overnight stay in Marivan
After check out the hotel we will drive the Karaftu cave in divandarreh city. The Caves of Karaftu is a lime cave created in the Cenozoic Era. Some parts of the cave are carved and different inscriptions and reliefs of animals are visible in them. There is a Greek inscription above the entrance door of one of the rooms on the third floor of the cave that has mentioned this cave as "The Temple of Heracles". Afterwards we will drive to Takhte Soleyman, one of the three main Zorastian fire temples in Iran and it's the birthplace of Zoroaster. Also we will visit Solayman prison. Overnight stay in hotel.
Drive to Zanjan and we will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Soltaniyeh, stopping to see the 13th-century mausoleum of Oljeitu, the IL-Khanid sultan. We will also visit the dragon temple, Zangan Bazazar and historical edifice of Rakhtshooy Khaneh which translates to the wash-house. This place was used for washing clothes by women around the city. After short walking tour of the city, we will visit the local ethnographic museum. Dinner this evening is in an atmospheric converted caravanserai.Overnight in a hotel in Zanjan.
In the morning we will drive to Hashtjin and from there we will walk towards Pir Taqi spectacular suspension bridge. Then we will continue to drive to Ardebil city which is the capital of East Azerbaijan province. We will visit Sheikh Safi al-din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil which is one the world heritage UNESCO site in Iran. Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble was built as a small microcosmic city with bazaars, public baths, squares, religious buildings, houses, and offices. Also we will visit the old Bazaar of Ardebil. Afterward, we will drive to Sarein town which is the center of the mineral hot spring and spa of Iran which is useful health and pain therapy. Overnight stay in a hotel. (B)
We will continue our trip to Astara in the Caspian Sea and on our way to the coast we have to cross Heyran pass which is one the most beautiful Iran roads. After short stop in Astara, we will continue the trip through costal road towards Anzali port. En route we will have another stop in Talesh and having a short visit of the town. When we arrive Anzali we will check in to the hotel and in the afternoon we have a visit of the lagoon by boat and after photography and explore the nature we will have a nice view of the sun set in the porter near the beach. Overnight stay in hotel.
Today we will drive to Ghaleh Rudkhan (Rudkhan Castle). After exploring the castle thoroughly,we will drive to Masuleh historical village which is one the most beautiful village of Iran. In the late afternoon drive to Tehran. Overnight in a hotel.
After breakfast there will be Tehran sightseeing and city tour. It will be a walking tour and we will include all of important sites of the capital on it. Golestan Palace world heritage site, Iran anthropology museum and the Grand Bazaar are the sites till afternoon. Drive to Tehran IKA to take departure flight.
Dena is a protected area because of its vast range of plants, several endangered endemic mammals and natural resources. Oak species dominate the highlands, while wild pistachio and almond plants are common at lower elevations. Hackberry, walnut, and pear trees are scattered throughout this eco-region. A variety of animal life, such as brown bear, eagles, wolves, various wild cats including caracals, lynxes and leopards, and wild goat have long made their homes in the region. Dena is home to a vast range of plant species and several endangered and endemic mammal species. On the other hand many large rivers, including Karun, Dez, and Karkheh originate from this area flowing into the Persian Gulf. Scenic waterfalls, pools, and lakes add beauty to the mountainous landscape.
The central part of Dena (Dena National Park) was registered by UNESCO on their list of Biosphere Reserve sites. A biosphere reserve is an ecosystem with plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest. It is a label given by UNESCO to help protect the sites in the world.
Up to the present time, the vast majority of people living in the area practice a nomadic lifestyle.
The cultural diversity of the local communities, including the nomad communities are manifested by their languages, traditional production activities, herding, food products, dresses, festivals and dances.
Adventure Iran fixed group departure tours.
