11-Day Lut Desert & Cultural Cities Tour

The next day, we’ll be flying to Kerman to start our exploration of deserts of Iran. Then, we’ll drop off our stuff at our hotel before taking a stroll through town. So then, we’ll head to the Bazaar to explore the historical sites inside and also buy some traditional souvenirs if we’d like. In the end, we’ll have some dinner at a traditional restaurant before going back to the hotel for a restful night before our trip to Shahdad.

We’ll wake up early to head to the Kalouts of Shahdad! So, our adventure through the Lut desert starts! We’ll have our breakfast on our way in a village very close to the Kalouts called Shafi Abad. The traditional guesthouse we’ll stay at will serve us. Then we hit the road to see the outer space like yardangs in Shahdad. It will blow our minds. We’ll take a hike up one of the kalouts to see the view of the massive desert of Shahdad. After exploring the beauty of it all, it’s time to make a bonfire and enjoy the closest we’ve ever felt to the stars. Then, we’ll head back to Shafi Abad to get a tight sleep for the night!

We’ll wake up early to watch the sunrise over the Lut desert of Iran. Today, we’ll be going a bit closer to Gandom Beryan, which is located 80 kilometers from Shahdad. From one point, the vehicles will drop us off to start our trekking to the hottest point on earth called Gandom Beryan! We’ll see the many formations of the ground underneath our feet as we walk. The Volcanic area is covered with black volcanic rocks that cover the same intense heat rising in the region. It will be an experience like no other we’ve had so far. After spending some time there, we’ll trek back to where we were dropped off and enjoy another night by the fire and the starry sky. We’ll cook some fresh food on our fire and play social games at night. Finally, we’ll head back to our guesthouse for another night.

We’ll wake up, and after having a nutritious breakfast, we’ll say our goodbyes to Shahdad and go back to the desert city of Kerman. Then, we’ll visit a natural surprise! Shazdeh garden, with its diverse form of greenery, will be quite fascinating to see in the heart of a deserted region in Iran. After spending some time there, we’ll head on 4.5 hours ride to Yazd. We’ll be tired when we get there.  So, after a light dinner, we’ll say our good-night and head for a restful night at the 4-star traditional hotel we’ll stay at that night.

It will be a day to remember as Yazd is one of the unique desert cities of Iran that has been so modernized but yet holds its ancient elements inside. From the garden to the fire temple and the mosque, we’ll see many beautiful, diverse sites. Then, we’ll chill at the historical neighborhood of Fahadan, having an authentic dinner on a roof café. Afterward, we’ll walk to Amir Chakhmaq square to buy some sweets and souvenirs before heading to get some sleep for the night.

It’s time to head to another desert of Iran! We’ll be on the road for 2.5 hours before we reach the Varzaneh desert. We’ll drop off our belongings at the traditional guest house in the middle of the desert in which we’ll stay for the night. Then, we’ll head to the heart of the highest sand dunes of the middle east in the Varzaneh desert. So, we’ll explore the serenity and peace of walking barefoot in the deserts of Iran. We’ll have a picnic and eat our prepared lunch. Then, we’ll go on trekking a bit more inside the heart of the Varzaneh desert. Afterward, it’s time to experience yet another bonfire under the starry sky. We’ll have some fire snacks and watch the beautiful sky before heading back to the guesthouse for the night.

This is the day to head on the road to visit half of the world as Persians name it: Isfahan! Before that, though, we’ll experience our last sunrise watching in the deserts of Iran. Then, we’ll have some breakfast and hit the road afterward. When we get to Isfahan, we’ll drop off our stuff and visit the most historical bridges inside this lovely city. We’ll experience some local life as we partake in the singing and dancing session held underneath the Khaju bridge with people from all over the world and Iran. In the end, we’ll head to our hotel to sleep for the night.

We’ll continue our adventure through Isfahan. We’ll visit the Naqsh-E Jahan square with its many wonders and historical sites. Then, we’ll have some traditional authentic lunch before heading to see moments of other religions in Isfahan. So, we’ll visit the Armenian neighborhood afterward. Vank Cathedral will mesmerize us with its beautiful paintings on the ceiling and walls. At the end of our day, we’ll head back to the hotel and say our goodbyes to Isfahan.

As we wake up early at 6:00 am and have our breakfast, we’ll hit the road towards the last desert city we’ll see in Iran called Kashan. Sp, we’ll be visiting the last historical sites of our trip before we head back to Tehran. We’ll start by visiting the Borujerdi historical house. Afterward, we’ll go to the ancient hills of Sialk in Kashan to see some archeological remanence of past desert life. Then, we’ll have dinner at a traditional royal house to feed our body and soul at the same time.

It’s time to say our goodbyes to the adventure of the deserts in Iran and head back to Tehran.