Hi,
Here is the feedback of my last trip in Iran end of Sept 2015
Day 1
- Arrival in IKA late at night (5h)
Visa upon arrival = 50€ + 11€ for health insurance (mandatory)
Night in Tehran, Escan Hotel (144$) - nice but too much expensive ... better go to SAINA Hotel for same service and better price
Day 2
Tehran sightseeing :
- Golestan Palace (not worth it and too much expensive (850.000R)
- House of artists at night : very nice atmosphere to wander, take pictures, spend time... A nice restaurant on the rooftop.
Night in Tehran
Day 3
- Rezza Abbasi Museum : ceramics, calligraphy... - interesting
- Sa'd Abad Cultural Complex : very nice. Visited white & green palace (summer residence of the Shah) + Omidvar Brothers museum : very interesting
Then leave to Qom
- Visit Holy Shrine of Lady Masumah : interesting specially for the atmosphere. A warm welcome from the foreign office with drinks and biscuits
- Walk in the city - very nice atmostphere, I liked staying there overnight.
Night in Qom, Mahan Hotel (1.600.000R) - cheap, very very basic, but good location and ok for 1 night
Day 4
Leave Qom and drive to Kashan:
- Ajhabozorj Mosque and school
- Boroujerdi House
- Tabatabaei house
- Fin garden and bath
Lunch & Drive to Abyanieh, Walk around.
Sleep in a basic guesthouse (600.000R). Very basic food stores for diner, better plan it ahead.
Day 5
Drive to Esfahan
Bazaar (mainly clothes and spices and jewels) and ceramics
Chehel sotun palace (under renovation)
Naqsh-e-Jahan Square along with the Isfahan Bazaar, Lutfollah and Shah (Imam) Mosques and Ali Qapu Palace (under renovation)
Si-o-Se pol Bridge at night
Night in Esfahan, Atigh hotel (90$ night) - very nice hotel, I warmly recommend it.
Day 6
- bazaar next to the jameh mosque
- Jameh Mosque of Isfahan
- Grave and shrine of the holy man alameh madjlesi
- Hakim Mosque
- bazaar
- Churches of Jolfa (armenian district) : Vank cathedral Et Beyt Lahm Church
Lunch at Romanos : a good restaurant in Armenian district. If necessary: there's a very good wifi there, including VPN (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr can be reached there)
- hasht behesht palace and garden
Night in Esfahan
Day 7
- drive to Shahre Kord
- drive to the nomads
- diner & overnight in a guesthouse in Shahre Kord
Day 8
- drive to meybod, an adobe town in the desert. (very nice) Visit of the caravanserail Abbassi
- castle narin (Narin Qal'eh)
- drive to Yazd
- amir Chakhmaq Sq & mosque
Night in Yazd, Silk Road hotel (50$) - absolutely no charm, very touristic (only western people!), basic room, but good location.
Day 9
- masjed-e Jameh
- Bogheh-ye Sayyed Roknaddin
- An Anbar (water reservoir), not possible to go inside.
- Alexander's prison : no interest
- Zoroastrian fire temple : crowded, few interest
- walk in Dolatabad garden & residence, nice, worth the visit
- Saryazd castle in Mehriz : super great
Night in Yazd, Silk Road hotel
Day 10
- drive to Bavanat and Then to emamzadeh Bazm
- Persepolis
Night in Shiraz, Niyaesh Boutique Hotel (44$) - equivalent of the hotel in Yazd (basic, touristic, but good location)
Day 11
- pink mosque to be done between 8 and 9 : unmissable
- vakil bazaar
- vakil mosque prayer room
- eram palace
- drink at emarat shapoori : a beautiful palace to have a drink or diner.
- Shahe cheragh mosque : incredible atmosphere.
Night in Shiraz
Day 12
- imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze, next to Esfahan Gate Bridge
- Hafez tomb
- Flight to Qeshm - to be avoided in the summer, it's burning hot!! impossible to go outside.
Night at Mr Amini's guesthouse
Day 13
- drive to berkreh khalaf
- drive to Qeshm city. Old city market (bazaar), fish market.
- Laft for the sunset
Overnight in the guesthouse
Day 14
Qeshm
Fly back to THR
Night in Tehran, Saina hotel (92$) - very good value for Tehran, recommend it, but booked it in advance, always full!
Day 15
- museum of contemporary art
- house of artists
- diner at nayeb, a very famous restaurant in Iran.
Fly back home at night
In bold, what I did enjoy the most.
During this trip, I got the support for a great freelance guide. Unfortunately, he was not available for the dates of my Iranian trip. But he did provide me with lots of tips and great addresses all my trip long. He speaks a very good English and is a nice chap, I warmly recommend him: Mr Saeed ALIZADEH saeedfromiran@gmail.com
I hope this summary can be useful. Keep in mind this is my own experience, built up according to my way of traveling, my desires and center of interests; now it’s time to build up yours!
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