Iranian desert dream

Hello Travellers!

In will be visiting Iran this October and I would like to ask about some information before arriving there.

I would love to see places with beautiful landscapes, desserts, oasis etc, maybe some small desert villages. I am between the 2 big desserts on the center-south east, Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, but im having difficulty pinpointing the best areas to visit there, as these deserts are huge. Anybody has info-recommendation about a more specific place we could visit?

I would prefer to avoid any kind of organized touristic tour, guides, people in general.

Also, has anyone been recently to Queshm island? It is in my bucket list and I plan to eventually end up there, where I will take a flight back to Teheran to depart.

Ayn additional information would be highly appreciated.

Best,

Savas

Hi Savas,

Why would not you consider Varzaneh? Also a desert town?

http://wikitravel.org/en/Varzaneh

Hi Sinasina, Varzaneh looks really nice. Do you know if it is easy from there to explore some parts of the desert?

Well, from Varzaneh town, to Varzaneh sand dune desert, it is basically 10 minutes driving! :) You will have a vast plane of sand dunes, 60km by diameter!

About options for desert tours below text is an explanation about the 4 main desert options that I can suggest you.
Of course there are so many other options for desert tours. On the other hand, if I was in your place , I select Maranjab desert ( No. 3 ) in Kashan city and Mesr desert ( No. 2 ) in east of Isfahan province:

1- Varzaneh desert in east of Isfahan: i don't have any special idea about Varzaneh desert. I was there 1 night and it was interesting. But it isn't depth of desert. The most important point about Varzaneh is that it is near to Isfahan and located en route of Isfahan to Yazd cities and you can reach there by 2 hours driving.

2- Mesr, Garmeh and Tabas in east of Nain city: is one of the most famous deserts of Iran after Shahdad desert.

my best recommendation about Mesr village is walking to a reedy ! near Mesr village in depth of Lut desert, a village surrounded by sandy dunes, and set your tent up beside the reedy and stay overnight there and watch stars.

You can reach to the reedy with a short walking in sandy dunes -2 hours- from Mesr desert and watch sunset in heart of central desert of Iran.

In Garmeh village visit salt lake, hot spring lagoon, palm - grove, Sassanid castel and accommodating in traditional cottage in Garmeh village and tasting local food.

There is a traditional deserty guesthouse, Ateshoony, in Garmeh village . there are some local houses in the region that introduce their selves as Ateshoony house because of its fame. And mpst of foreigner travelers aren't familiar with true Ateshoony gursthouse !

drive to Garmeh village (or Tabass city), visit depth of desert with its wonders (salt lake, hot spring lagoon, palm - grove )

After Garmeh village drive to Tabas city and visit Golshan garden inside city and Morteza Ali fountains. 2 kinds of hot and cold water are exiting from walls of a strait and flowing in the strait and at least in long of 300 meters the don't mix together because of their difference in density and flow rate.

http://seeiran.ir/چشمه-آبگرم-مرتضی-علی/

I think 3 nights is good for this region.

3- Maranjab desert ( east of Kashan city ):

You can drive there in 1.5 hours from Kashan city and stay overnight in a old caravanserai in depth of desert. The caravanserai isn't luxury but you can stay inside its traditional rooms.

There is a salt lake and also you can visit the highest dunes of iran in Maranjab desert.

4- Shahdad desert as the hottest point of our planet in southeast of Kerman city:

You can visit Kerman city + Mahan garden + Bam and Rayen ancient citadels + Shahdad desert and Sirch village as a combination desert and culture city sightseeing.

You can visit them in 3nights/3days.

Gandom beryan is the hottest point of World.

www.untoldiran.com/kerman/lut%20desert.shtml

Its Kaluts ( nature Sandy cliffs ) are beautiful.

untoldiran.com/kerman/shahdad%20desert.shtml

You can stay overnight in Shahdad desert camp inside arbours was made by leafs of palm tree. ( of course inside your sleeping bag ).

But a wonderful matter is Sirch village near to Shahdad desert that has snow even in spring and its ski resort in winter is famous in the region ( less than 1 hour ). This village located between Shahdad and Mahan cities.

So, thanks to above member that provided some information about Varzaneh, I would like to hereby add some supplementary information.
* In Varzaneh, you have like 10 min driving to arrive a vast sand dune desert. They are ranked to include highest sand dunes in Iran, in average.

*Continuing further toward khara village, you have the option to see the salt lake. Then, along the Zayanderud river, that is also passing the town, you can continue toward Gavkhuni wetland, where you can hike also black volcanic mountain, watch flamingos, so on. Generally, in that direction, it is very rich in wildlife. Do not forget to catch Shakhkenar waterfall in the way to wetland. The landscape of river, with dunes in behind worth stopping over.

*If you are interested in culture, you can track lots of Zoroastrian monuments. The language people speak is also a Zoroastrian dialect. You may catch camel-mill, and pigeon towers.

*10 minutes driving to direction of Isfahan, from Varzaneh, you have a huge 1000-years-old citadel, worth mentioning also here.

*Coming back to nature, you may consider going to warm spring, called Cheshmeh Hasanabad, like 20 min driving from Varzaneh, along some ancient temples, and Dakhmeh. If you are interested a place to stay as a traditional guest house, you may catch following with lovelyvarzaneh@gmail.com :

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g7644800-d8799461-Reviews-Yasna_Varzaneh_Traditional_Guest_House-Varzaneh_Isfahan_Province.html

*Villages such as Teminan, Hashem-Abad, Mollah-Ahmad, are worth stoping by, if you are interested to a bit more mountain villages, having qanats so on.

Wow thank you both for the super interesting and detailed information that you wrote down. It seems I have to make much much research before going there :)) I think I am deciding towards Maranjab desert, Kashan and also maybe try to visit the Kavir national park. Any ideas about where is the park accessible from?

Well, Kavir national park is so huge, meaning accessible from various directions. One may go through Shahrud though!

Is it possible to access the park from Kashan or Qom?

Sorry, in my previous comment, I meant through Garmsar.
As from Qom, and Kashan. There should be a way even from Maranjab desert, but sadly I do not any further information!

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