7-Day Dasht-E Kavir (Mesr) Desert Tour

We’ll start our day early in the morning at 6:00 to get the most out of our day. We’ll head to the Mesr desert in the middle of Dasht-E Kavir. We’ll have a nutritious breakfast on the road. Then, it will take us about 9 hours to get there from Tehran. Mesr desert is known as the sand lovers’ oasis. We’ll drop up all of our stuff at the traditional guesthouse in the desert. Then, we’ll head for an adventure through the golden sand dunes of the Mesr desert, experiencing some form of meditation after being on the road for so long. Then, walking barefoot by the crystalized salt flowers and the dry riverbeds would be quite entertaining. We’ll watch the sunset over the beautiful Mesr desert before making a bonfire to enjoy some fresh food under the starry sky.

We’ll lay down and enjoy the night for a while before heading back to our guesthouse to sleep.

We’ll wake up early to watch the sunrise at the beautiful serenity of Dasht-E Kavir. After having a nutritious breakfast, we’ll head for some more fun at the heart of the desert. Camel riding, sandboarding, off-road, and ATV activities could be optional activities not included in the tour, which you might want to partake in as an additional add-on. However, we should not underestimate the joy of trekking in the desert watching the many formations of the ground and the surrounding that happens in the midst of nothingness. Then we’ll be visiting the palm tree gardens and canebrakes. We’ll also pass through some small oasis that still has some traces of the old desert architecture.

Afterward, we’ll trek back to the sandhills to experience another extraordinary sunset and lovely meal freshly cooked by our local guide. We’ll play some social games by the bonfire, and perhaps some traditional music will add up some fire and spice to our starry night as we dance under the stars. When we get too relaxed, we’ll head back to the guesthouse for our last restful night at Mesr desert.

We’ll wake up early at 6:00 am to head to one of the most beautiful desert counties of the region called Tabas, holding several historical and natural gems of Iran at its heart. After having our breakfast, we’ll be on the road for about 3 hours. We’ll drop off our belonging at an eco-lodge in a historic village called Esfahak.  Then, we’ll start our journey through Tabas by exploring the village we are staying at, an old adobe village with desert clay houses surrounded by palm trees.

Afterward, we’ll head to Morteza Ali canyon for some hiking in between the canyon within the warm water. It will be a unique experience. One of the special features of this canyon is that at some point on the right side of the river in which we are walking, there is cold water while the left side is hot! We’ll walk for about 5 km to get to arrive at the magnificent and historical Shah Abbasi Dome. We’ll have a picnic and eat our lunch in the presence of history and our ancestors. Then after taking a short break, we’ll trek down to our car to drive back to Esfahak village. The nights of this village are popular among tourists. We’ll watch the historic houses and palm trees shine bright under the starry sky. After having a light dinner, we’ll rest for the night.

We’ll have some breakfast. Then, we’ll start our second day at Tabas by heading to a village called Ezmeyghan, which is full of wonders. It’s amazing to see vast rice fields and orange trees blossoming next to the date trees in the heart of a desert village! Also, Takhte Arus, which translates to the bridal seat, is one of the many attractions of this village. It’s a white rock located at the bottom of the valley where also the river ends. It will be quite an experience to see how the people of Tabas adapted to desert life in this authentic village.

Then, we’ll head to one of the most amazing valleys of the east of Iran close to Ezmeyghan called Kal Jeni. It’s a historical valley known to the natives as the houses of jinn. They believe supernatural creatures have been living in the holes created inside the mountain. When you visit this gorgeous canyon, you will understand the name is absolutely suitable; it is an overpowering mysterious and atmospheric place created by the erosions and floods over the years. We’ll head out of the valley before the sunset to make sure the aliens don’t attack us at night. Afterward, we’ll picnic over at the vast field by the Kal Jeni mountains and socialize together, sharing our ghost stories while we eat. After we are filled with food and stories, we’ll head back to Esfahak to spend our last night at Tabas.

We’ll get up early and have our breakfast. Then, it’s time to see the next step of the desert evolution by going to Yazd. That city is definitely the most advanced and beautiful desert cities of Iran. We’ll be on the road for 4.5 hours, but we’ll have some pit stops on our way. Our adventure through the diversity of religions in Yazd starts at Chak Chak, which is an ancient Zoroastrian fire temple in the heart of a mountain before we arrive at Yazd. Chak Chak shrine represents one of the most ancient religions of Iran. After exploring the temple and hearing all the mysterious stories about it, we’ll be heading to another historical heritage right outside Yazd. So, we’ll visit Khranaq village.

Tiny ancient adobe houses are neatly aligned in circles. Domed roofs and building material, the color of clay, echoing the deserts of Yazd, will be quite fascinating. The wind catchers, which look like watchtowers, serve as the home’s ventilation system. It’s like stepping back in time and exploring how people built great solutions for a better life in the heart of the desert. Then, it’s time to have a late lunch at the historical Caravanserai of Khranaq before heading to Yazd. Once we arrive at Yazd and drop off our belongings at a traditional hotel, we’ll go for an exploration of this city. We’ll visit the historical Mir Chakhmaq square to have a light dinner and perhaps buy some unique Yazdi sweets as souvenirs. Then we’ll head back to the hotel for a restful night.

We’ll wake up early in the morning to have time exploring the many wonders of Yazd. We’ll have our breakfast at the hotel before heading to Jame mosque with its beautiful Islamic architecture, giving us yet another moment of religion in Yazd. We’ll continue our stroll by walking to the historical neighborhood of Fahadan. We’ll visit a few different historical sites before heading to a rooftop café for some delicious authentic food with a view of the windcatchers in the city.

Next, it’s time for a surprise. So, we’ll visit the Dowlat Abad garden and its greenery in the heart of the desert. After being mesmerized by the ancient Persian garden and the beauty of it all, we’ll head back to say our goodbyes until next time 🙂