وطــن یعـــنی کتیبه در دلِ سنگ
وطــن یعـــنی کتیبه در دلِ سنگ
تمدن، دین، هنر، تــاریخ، فرهــنگ
وطـــن یعنی همه نیـــک و بهنجار
چه پندار و چه گفتـــار و چه کردار
به رسم آریـایی ها و بخــــتیاران
به نام نامـی مـردان ایـــــــــــران
Zoroastrian has been the primary and national religion of Iranians before Islam. So, it represents a proud history. And in this tour you can see their temple, their belief and how they worship God.
Day 1
Arrive Tehran, meet & transfer to the hotel. O/N Tehran.
Day 2
Morning visit to Archaeological, Glassware & Ceramic and Ethnological museums as well as Golestan Palace. PM flight to Kerman. O/N Kerman.
Day 3
Full day excursion to the city of Rayen to see Rayen Citadel dating to the 5th century. (This city is similar to the Bam Citadel which was destroyed in the recent earthquake.) On return, visit Shazadeh Garden in Mahan then to the shrine of Shah Nematollah – one of the most prominent Persian Sufis. O/N Kerman.
Day 4
Morning visit to small Zoroastrian temple called “Bound Agha Bad”, Ganjalikhan Public Bath museum and covered bazaar and Jame mosque. Immediate drive to Yazd – the Mecca of the Zoroastrians. O/N Yazd.
Day 5
Full day visit to the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence and Fire Temple. A Temple guardian will give a lecture on Zoroastrianism & the temple itself. Continue our tour by seeing the Doulat Abad garden with its highest ventilation tower of the world, Jame & Mirchaqmakh mosques. O/Nt Yazd.
Day 6
Excursion to a purely Zoroastrian village called Cham (12 km from Yazd). Here a small group of Zoroastrians live on cattle breeding and farming. Not far from the village there is a Tower of Silence on top of which the inhabitants of the village used to put the corpses of their relatives until 60 years ago. The small fire niches in the houses are also worthy of note and signs of their commitments to their ancestors. Return to Yazd. Continue to the village of Chak Chak (known as the Kaba of Zoroastrians) to visit the Shrine of Pir Sabz. O/N at the local inn or tents.
Day 7
Drive to Shiraz, en route visit the 4000 yr old Cypress tree in Abarquo. Next we visit Passargae to see the tomb of Cyrus the Great and the nearby sites in Passargadae. O/N Shiraz.
Day 8
Full day sightseeing including Eram garden, Narenjistan museum, the tombs of the great lyric poets – Hafiz & Saadi, Nassirolmolk mosque, the old bazaar of Vakil as well as its mosque. O/N Shiraz.
Day 9
Full day excursion to Firouzabad to visit Sassanian ruins of palaces, the remains of Shahr-e-Gour and Zoroastrian Fire Temple. Evening flight to Isfahan. O/N Isfahan.
Day 10
Full day sightseeing including the old bridges, the palaces of Hasht Behesht & Chehel Sotoun, Armenian Vank cathedral as well as its museum and the Zoroastrian Fire Temple. O/N Isfahan.
Day 11
Visit in the morning to Jame mosque then continue visiting the magnificent Naqsh-e- Jahan square with its breathtaking mosques of Imam and Sheikh Lotfollah as well as Ali Qapu palace. PM free for shopping in the old bazaar. O/N Isfahan.
Day 12
Drive back to Tehran, en route visiting the sites in Kashan. O/N Tehran.
Day 13
Morning meeting at the Zoroastrian Central Institute for a lecture. PM free at leisure. O/N Tehran
Day 14
Transfer to the airport for departure flight.
