Return to Persepolis

12 nights from
£3595
Return to Persepolis
An Escorted Tour Exploring the Wonders of Iran
22 October 2016, 22 April 2017, 21 October 2017,
This unique journey takes in destinations that are rarely experienced by the Western visitor which makes it all
the more special. Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes all belong to our cultural memory, as do their palaces and tombs and
now it is again possible to visit the ancient land of Persia, a crossroad of Asia, with its infinitely varied
countryside and outstanding monuments. It is the home of Shia and Sunni Muslims, fire-worshipping
Zoroastrians, as well as Armenian Christians and Jews remaining from the days of the Babylonian Captivity.
The sparkling turquoise domes of Islam are equally renowned, especially those of Isfahan. Since the Islamic
revolution, the country has rebuilt its tourist infrastructure and the visitor will find the sites virtually unchanged
from earlier days. As well as Persepolis, we will visit Tehran, Shiraz – the ‘City of Wine and Roses’, the great
desert city of Yazd – home of Zoroastrianism, and Isfahan - ‘Pearl of Persia’. We will stay in the best available
hotels and the food will be traditional Persian cuisine.
Itinerary
Day 1 - London to Tehran, Iran.
Fly by scheduled indirect flight.
Day 2 - Tehran.
Arrive early this morning and transfer to the Espinas Hotel for a two night stay. After a morning at leisure
we will visit the National Museum of Iran, an excellent introduction to Iran’s rich history. We continue to
Abguineh Glass and Ceramics Museum, one of the most impressive in Tehran, not least for its
architecture from the Qajar period.
Day 3 - Tehran.
This morning we visit the Saad abad Palace complex with its many museums. The royals of the Qajar
dynasty in the 19th century used this palace as their summer capital. The palace was then converted into
many museums after the Iranian Revolution, including the military museum and the museum of
calligraphy. After lunch we visit Golestan Palace in downtown Tehran with its renovated
Versaillesinspired mirror-encrusted Marble Throne Hall used for the coronation of the last Shah. Most of
the remaining brick and tile buildings date back to the 19th century Qajar dynasty. Our final visit of the
day is to Iran’s National Jewels Museum in the Central Bank of Iran Building, with its vast array of crown
jewels used by the Qajar and Pahlavid royalty.
Day 4 - Tehran to Shiraz.
Morning flight to Shiraz, the delightful ‘City of Roses and Nightingales’ for a three night stay in the
Shiraz Homa Hotel. Shiraz has many strings to its bow: poetry, literature, wine, flowers and amazing
gardens and fruit trees. A highlight of our tour is the Eram Garden, one of the oldest and the most
beautiful gardens of Shiraz. This garden with the magnificent central building was once used as a place to
receive foreign guests by the local chiefs of the Qajar dynasty and later by the Pahlavi kings. We will also
see the tomb of Hafez which is the symbol of Shiraz as Hafez is the most famous and popular Persian
poet of the 14th century, the Naranjestan Palace, a delightful Qajar pavilion set in an ornamental garden
and the Vakil Mosque, a beautiful mosque built in mid-18th century by Karim Khan, Regent (Vakil) and
the founder of Zand Dynasty.
Day 5 - Persepolis.
We spend the day in the magnificent ruined city of Persepolis, the winter capital created by Darius in 512
BC and burnt by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, perhaps accidentally in revenge for the destruction of
Athens. The monumental staircase of the Palace has friezes of all Darius’ vassal states bringing tribute, or
chained as prisoners. We also see the nearby Zoroastrian Fire Temple and the Royal rocktombs of Darius
I and three of his successors at Naqsh-i Rustam and that of the Sassanian, Shapur I at Naqsh-i Rajab.
Day 6 - Bishapur.
Today’s excursion takes us through the mountain passes, crossed by Alexander, to the Sassanian capital
of Bishapur. Here we see the well-preserved palace complex founded in 266 AD, the nearby Zoroastrian
Fire Temple and the rock reliefs of Shapur I and his successors.
Day 7 - Yazd.
Today we embark on what will be a long but rewarding day’s drive to Yazd, stopping to see the ruins of
the first Archaemenian capital at Pasargadae, created by Cyrus the Great in 546 BC and including his
austere tomb. Continue to Yazd, an important centre of Zoroastrianism, for a two night stay at the Hotel
Moshir Al- Mamalek Garden.
Day 8 - Yazd.
The Three Magi may well have travelled to Bethlehem from Yazd and Marco Polo passed through on his
way to China. Today we will explore this desert city and see the Friday mosque of 1324, home to one of
Persia’s finest mosaics, the famous Water Towers and the old covered bazaars. We also see the Fire
Temple, the 17th century Towers of Silence, where in accordance with Zoroastrian beliefs dead bodies
were not buried but left in these uncovered stone towers so that vultures could pick the bones clean. The
18th century Dowlat-Abad garden complex and the Khan-e Lari, one of the best preserved Qajar-era
houses in Yazd with stained glass windows and elegant archways.
Day 9 - Isfahan.
Another rewarding drive today during which we will stop for lunch to visit the 11th century Friday
Mosque in Na’in, an important trading post on the old Silk Route. We reach Isfahan, the ‘Pearl of Persia’
for a three night stay at the Abbasi Hotel.
Day 10 - Isfahan.
Today we explore Isfahan, one of the finest cities in the Islamic world, created by Shah Abbas the Great.
This enchanting city, which served as Persia’s capital from 1598 to 1722, is 2500 years old and one of the
oldest in Iran. As a crossroad of international trade and diplomacy, Isfahan has a rich mix of languages,
religions and customs. We will visit the many splendid palaces, mosques and medresses built round the
Naqsh-e Jahan Square which is the largest historical public square in the world after Tiananmen Square
and is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Our visit includes the Chehel Sotun (Palace of forty
columns) and Hasht Behesht, reportedly built for residence purposes of the King’s harem. Our visit today
will end with a stroll in the old bazaars.
Day 11 - Isfahan.
We visit New Julfa to explore the Armenian Quarter and Vank Cathedral which is the historic focal point
for the Armenian church in Iran. The interior is richly decorated and shows a curious mixture of styles,
Islamic tiles and designs alongside Christian imagery. This is followed by a visit to the Friday Mosque
which can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries,
starting in AD 841. It is the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque
designs throughout Central Asia. Close by is the old Jewish colony of Yaduddiyeh which dates back 2700
years to the Jewish Captivity in Babylon. We will also walk besides the three old bridges of Isfahan that
span the Zayandeh-rud River. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure.
Day 12 - Isfahan to Tehran.
Today we drive to Tehran stopping at the village of Abyaneh and the town of Kashan en route. Overnight
stay in the Espinas Hotel.
Day 13 - Tehran to London.
Transfer to the airport for the return scheduled flight to London.
Dates and Prices
Prices per person based on double occupancy
22 October 2016 to 3 November 2016
Category
Price
Twin
£3595
Single
£4195
22 April 2017 to 4 May 2017 • 21 October 2017 to 2 November 2017
Category
Price
Twin
£3795
Single
£4395
Tour Reference Code: LAPERSEPOLIS
Price Includes: Economy class scheduled air travel, 11 nights hotel accommodation, all meals with soft drinks,
excursions, Noble Caledonia Tour Manager, tour guides, entrance fees, transfers, airport taxes, gratuities.
Not Included: Travel insurance, visa.
N.B. Itinerary subject to change based on local conditions. Please note that hotels used may vary but will be of
a similar standard to those mentioned. Participants need to be aware that the consumption of alcohol is strictly
forbidden in Iran and both men and women need to be conservatively dressed, with head scarves worn at all
times by women.
Destinations
Iran
Middle East
To see our current selection of tours in Middle East click here.
Iran
To see our current selection of tours in Iran click here.
Iran ought to be one of the world’s most treasured travel destinations, blessed as it is with extraordinary
historical sites, exquisite landscapes and a fascinating culture. But international tensions and a tough domestic
regime have prevented that from being the case – it has remained a destination for the intrepid.
Things are changing, though. Since the election of a moderate president in 2013 and the gradual thawing of
relations with the West, this once out-of-bounds country has started to open up. No one’s pretending that its
current leadership can’t be shockingly hard-fisted in matters of civic law. But most foreigners are likely to find
their preconceptions shattered. They will find Iranians warm and friendly, keen to practice their English and
quick with the tea invites.
Rich Persian heritage dating back 3,000 years is evident throughout the country. Historical sights like the
ancient ruins of Persepolis and the still-glorious former capital of Isfahan are abundant. Iran has a distinct
cultural identity too, with its predominately Shia-Muslim population, which sets it apart from most nations in
the Islamic world.
Parts of the country are very conservative, but Tehran will strike many visitors as extremely modern. Despite
the image perpetuated of religious dogma, in the capital women walk around in skinny jeans and make-up,
while couples openly hold hands. There’s a lively café culture and a youth culture comparable to Mediterranean
countries. Persian cuisine can be sampled in countless traditional and more contemporary restaurants.
Ancient Persia has the potential to attract millions of tourists per year, but it's the modern reforming Iran that
could be of as much interest. Flashpoint travel advice should be heeded and tourists still won’t be flocking to the
country on a whim. But those who do travel will find street-level Iran to be almost unrecognisable from the Iran
making headlines around much of the world.
Key Facts
Money
Climate
Key Facts
Capital:
Tehran.
Geography:
Iran is located in the Middle East, bordered to the north by Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, the east by
Afghanistan and Pakistan, the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and the west by Iraq and Turkey.
The centre and east of the country are largely barren undulating desert, punctured by qanats (irrigation canals)
and green oases, but there are mountainous regions in the west along the Turkish and Iraqi borders and in the
north where the Elburz Mountains rise steeply from a fertile belt around the Caspian Sea.
Government:
Islamic Republic.
Head Of State:
Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khameni since 1989.
Head Of Government:
President Hassan Rouhani since 2013.
Electricity:
230 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style plugs with two round pins are used.
Timezone:
Iran Standard Time: GMT/UTC +3:30 (GMT/UTC +4:30 from 20 March to 20 September 2016)
Money
Currency Information:
Iranian Rial (IRR; symbol Rs) = 100 dinars. Notes are in denominations of Rs50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000,
2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of Rs500, 250, 100 and 50.
Credit Cards:
MasterCard is accepted in some places, but credit cards should emphatically not be relied on as the sole means
of payment. Be aware too that if the card was issued in the USA, it may not be usable due to the US trade
embargo.
ATMs:
ATMs can be used only by holders of local bank accounts.
Travellers Cheques:
It is not possible to exchange travellers' cheques.
Banking Hours:
Sat-Wed 0730-1330, Thurs 0730-1230.
Currency Restrictions:
The import and export of local currency is limited to Rs500,000. Any amount larger requires authorisation from
the Central Bank. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, provided declared on arrival. The export of
foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.
Currency Exchange:
It is advisable to bring hard currency for exchange purposes.
Currencies: Exchange Rates:
1 AUD = 9.00 IRR
1 EUR = 33098.70 IRR
1 GBP = 38944.50 IRR
1 USD = 31712.00 IRR
Climate
Best Time To Visit:
The size of Iran means that can temperatures can vary hugely, depending on which corner of the country you
find yourself in. Days can be incredibly hot between May and October, particularly in the desert regions and
along the Gulf Coast, while the mountain ranges of the north become freezing over winter.
Nights can be especially cold. In general terms, major cities like Tehran, Esfahan and Tabriz have seasons
broadly equivalent to those in Mediterranean Europe. Iran has a relatively low rainfall, but is prone to
earthquakes. Those travellers hoping to ski will find most action between November and March, while it’s
advisable for all visitors to look into timings of festivals like Ramadan before booking a trip.
In Tehran, lightweight clothing is worn from April to October while mediumweights are advised from
November to March. Be reminded, however, that dress should always err on the side of conservatism,
particularly for women – the wearing of headscarves is obligatory in public.
Required Clothing:
Tropical attire is worn from April to October. Mediumweights are advised from November to March.
Return to Persepolis
Whilst in Iran we will be staying in four different hotels over the course of 11 nights. The hotels we have
selected are 4-5 star by Iranian standards and usually the best available in our location. We have chosen a
centrally located hotel in Tehran, a hotel in Shiraz which benefits from glorious views and attractive gardens
whilst our hotel in Yazd is a fine example of the traditional architectural style of Yazd and retains many original
features dating from the 19th century. Finally our hotel in Isfahan is centred on a stunning 300 year old royal
Caravanserai with its focal point being a lovely Persian garden.
Please note that hotels used may vary but will be of a similar standard to those mentioned.
Hotel Espinas, Teheran
Hotel Espinas, Teheran
Hotel Espinas, Teheran
Espinas Hotel Teheran
Homa Hotel, Shiraz
Homa Hotel, Shiraz
Homa Hotel, Shiraz
Moshir Al-Mamalek Garden Hotel
Moshir Al-Mamalek Garden Hotel
Shiraz, Homa Hotel
The Shiraz Homa Hotel is situated next to Azadi Park, offering glorious mountain views. The property was
formerly managed by Sheraton and offers a superior standard of accommodation. There are three restaurants
(offering Iranian and International cuisine), a coffee shop, small shopping arcade, currency exchange facilities,
indoor swimming pool, and fitness centre. One of the most attractive features of the property are its gardens. All
rooms are spacious and comfortably furnished.
Tehran, Espinas Hotel
The Espinas Hotel is situated right in the heart of Tehran city centre. The superb location means the hotel is
surrounded by Tehran’s most spectacular attractions. Offering great city views, the rooms offer spacious and
comfortable accommodation with contemporary furnishings. The hotel also offers an indoor climate-controlled
pool.
Yazd, Moshir Al-Mamalek Garden Hotel
The Moshir Al-Mamalek Garden Hotel was created within the garden and pavilions of a Qajar nobleman. The
Hotel has considerable charm and character, and is a fine example of the traditional architectural style of Yazd.
The ochre coloured property is a short drive from the centre of town and retains many original features dating
from the 19th century. The property’s 70 newly built air-conditioned rooms are simple in style and have been
designed to fit in with the traditional surroundings. A highlight of the Moshir Al- Mamalek Garden Hotel is its
extensive garden and orchard. Set within the garden are large benches covered with carpets which are the ideal
place to relax at the end of the day. Hotel facilities include an internet station and Persian restaurant.
Isfahan, Abbasi Hotel
The Abbasi Hotel is centred on a stunning 300 year old royal caravanserai. Formerly called the Shah Abbas
Hotel, in honour of the Isfahan’s great 17th century ruler, the Abbasi has as its focal point a lovely Persian
garden. Complementing the gardens, are the Abbasi’s grand public areas which were designed to impress the
last Shah of Iran’s guests. All rooms are equipped with individual climate control, satellite television, minifridge, and wireless internet access and facilities at the Abbasi Hotel include a choice of restaurants, coffee
shop, in-door swimming pool, currency exchange facilities and several shops.
Video/Image Library
Palace of Darius at Persepolis
Persepolis
Isfahan
Isfahan
Siosepol Bridge in Isfahan
Teheran shop
Persepolis
Onboard Experts
Peter Graham
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Peter Graham
Peter has lived in London and has worked in the travel industry for many years.
He first went to sea as an entertainer and after 6 months working on a Russian cruise ship, M/V Mikhail
Lermontov, Peter was offered the position of Cruise Director, making him then. the youngest Cruise Director in
the UK.
After several years in the shipping industry he decided to return to the theatre and again appeared in Television,
radio, commercials and several productions in the West End. Peter still kept very involved with the travel and
cruising industry and was offered the chance to assist with the ground arrangements for the Concorde charter
division of British Airways and Goodwood Travel from Canterbury and was fortunate enough to travel on this
special aircraft numerous times, including the very first Concorde Round the World Air cruise in March 1987.
He was also invited to travel on the aircraft on the very last flight from New York to London.
In the early 90’s Peter was offered the opportunity to work as Cruise Director with Expedition ships, travelling
to some of the most remote places in the world. He has been to Antarctica over 100 times and has travelled to all
seven continents. When not at sea he enjoys theatre and travelling, especially discovering new and unusual
destinations.
In addition to Expedition cruising, Peter has also enjoyed successful seasons on European waterways, including.
The Rhine. Egypt and Russia, cruising between, Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Peter now lives on the Kent coast in Britain and Palm Springs, California. A lot of his free time is also spent in
the Peruvian Amazon, where he is very involved with conservation programs.
Peter Graham will be on the following tour dates: 22 October 2016 to 3 November 2016
Angela Carpenter
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Angela Carpenter
Born in the beautiful county of Somerset, Angie moved to London when she joined the world of banking in The
City, which proved to be an excellent career in the financial world.
Angie spread her wings and took a break for 2 ½ years and travelled independently around the world, crossing
many continents and visited many remote locations. On her return she resided in Greece for a couple of years,
learning the language and improving her knowledge of Greek History. In 1984 Angie joined the world of
tourism, first based in Egypt as a Tour Representative and then as Regional Manager of Africa for a British
company, where she was based in Kenya for 10 years. Later she moved to work as a Tour Director escorting
groups to China, Russia, South America, Australasia, India and as far afield as Antarctica, Bhutan, Nepal and
Uzbekistan. 10 years ago Angie joined Noble Caledonia and the world of luxury small ship cruising, river trips,
under sail on Sea Cloud II and regularly on board MS Island Sky, also working on many land, train and Opera
tours.
When not escorting tours, she enjoys the theatre, classical music, the Opera and hiking - in the past she has
climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Simian Mountains of Ethiopia, along with Gorilla Trekking
in Zaire
Angie enjoys greeting new passengers, meeting our regular guests and making everyone’s holiday to worldwide
destinations very special and memorable. She knows that Travel and Tourism is the right career for her.
Angela Carpenter will be on the following tour dates: 22 April 2017 to 4 May 2017 • 21 October 2017 to 2
November 2017
Book with Confidence
Speak to one of our advisors on 020 7752 0000