Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
18 days, Tehran to Shushtar
Go West
This intriguing meander west is ideal for those who've seen the main desert city sites or
are confident in navigating through areas often unaccustomed to foreigners. The route
over mountains and valleys boasts eight of Iran's 13 World Heritage Sites (denoted here
with an
*
), but should be just as memorable for the people you'll meet on the journey. The
remotest sections will require charter taxis, but rides cost only about US$10 per hour.
Note that in winter, mountain roads can be cut by snow.
Starting in
Tehran
, head west to
Qazvin
and spend the afternoon exploring the historic
city, before driving into the
Alamut Valley
to hike among the fabled Castles of the Assas-
sins. From Qazvin go over the Alborz Mountains to
Rasht
, and on through paddy fields
and forests to the stepped village of
Masuleh.
Spend a day exploring the village and sur-
rounding hills, or hiking up to
Qal-eh Rudkhan
. Hire a taxi and, forsaking the dull coast,
spend a memorable day climbing through nomad country to Ardabil via
Khal Khal
. In
Ardabil
visit the magnificent Sheikh Safi-od-Din Mausoleum
*
before settling in bustling
Tabriz
for a few days. Explore the brilliant covered bazaar
*
and the contrasting Valiasr
District, do your laundry, and allow a day for an excursion to the quaint troglodyte village
of
Kandovan
, and maybe another for
Jolfa
and the ancient
Church of St Stephanos*
.
Refreshed, head southeast and use
Zanjan
as a base to see the magnificent Mongol-era
Oljeitu Mausoleum* at
Soltaniyeh
. From Zanjan, take the starkly beautiful mountain road
to lonely
Takht-e Soleiman*
, once the world's greatest Zoroastrian fire-temple complex.
Sleep in
Bijar
and continue to hospitable
Sanandaj
, capital of Iranian Kordistan. Spend a
day exploring the city and another for a trip to
Palangan
or, for adventurers, a taxi ride
through the endless hair-pins of the
Howraman Valley
. Either way, finish the day in
Ker-
manshah
and spend the following day visiting the Achaemenid-era stone carvings of Taq-
e Bostan and
Bisotun*
.
Hop south for a quick stop in the charming Lurish capital of
Khorramabad
, with its
picturesque hilltop fortress, before continuing to
Shushtar
, with its mesmerising, Roman-
built hydraulic irrigation complex
*
. Base yourself here for visits to the ruins of ancient
Shush
and
Choqa Zanbil*
, a magnificent 3000-year-old Elamite ziggurat.
