Which of these tours to Iran would you prefer and why???

I am an American citizen who wants to go to Iran. I know that I must take a tour. I wanted to post these two tours and get some reaction to them. It boils down to Mashad and Kerman vs. a nomad stay and a caravanserai stay. I love scenery and architecture...those are very important to me.

I am aware that some parts of the shrine in Mashad are off limits, but are the parts of the shrine I can see, very interesting???

The two tour companies are Gap and Intrepid. Would you prefer one better than the other and why???
They are priced about the same.

Thanks,

Delmar
Tour 1

Day 1 Arrive Tehran

Day 2 Mashhad

Day 3 Kashan & Abyaneh

Day 4-5 Esfahan

.
Day 6-8 Shiraz

Day 9-10 Kerman

Day 11-12 Yazd

Day 13 Tehran

Day 14 Depart Tehran

Day 1
Tehran
Days 2-3
Shiraz
Day 4
Nomad Stay
Day 5
Abarqu
Day 6
Zein-o-din Caravanserai
Days 7-8
Yazd
Days 9-11
Esfahan
Day 12
Abyaneh
Day 13
Kashan
Days 14-15
Tehran

Tour 2

Day 1 Arrive Tehran

Day 2 Mashhad

Day 3 Kashan & Abyaneh

Day 4-5 Esfahan

.
Day 6-8 Shiraz

Day 9-10 Kerman

Day 11-12 Yazd

Day 13 Tehran

Day 14 Depart Tehran

hi,
I like Tour No.2 better (the very last one on your list) although I can see three tours and not two! Am I right? I am curious though. how much the two travel agency charging for their tours? and have they promised you Iran visa for sure? by when? Bye.

The arrangement of this one (which I don't know is #1/2) of course is better. The other one is not wisely arranged!!!

If you miss the shrine in Mashad, you can visit to some others in Shiraz instead.

Day 1
Tehran
Days 2-3
Shiraz
Day 4
Nomad Stay
Day 5
Abarqu
Day 6
Zein-o-din Caravanserai
Days 7-8
Yazd
Days 9-11
Esfahan
Day 12
Abyaneh
Day 13
Kashan
Days 14-15
Tehran

Meanwhile, where is GAP based? Mention the website please.

I'd go Mashad it was a highlight for me
but I'm an architect and I enjoyed the drive and calling at Nishapur.
I'd want to go Mashad Tabas Kerman ..and loop back thru Shiraz Yazd (or Yazd Shiraz ) Isfahan and Kashan ( I could miss Abayeneh but the houses in Kashan are fabulous)....

We did see and stopped at old caravanserais off the road between Shiraz and Yazd I think .

Going Tehran Mashad Kashan must mean you are flying back from Mashad to Tehran and then to Kashan
or flying strait to Kashan otherwise it is crazy.

Great Country
Id try and get to the sites south of Shiraz on the way to Firuzabad if you can.
Khub safar

Atossa

From my own experience with Nomad visiting in Iran I'd go for the Mashad option. The nomad area I went to was run as a bit of a racket - no actual guarantee of seeing any nomads and when you do it's embaressing like being on safari!