Tabas region is one of the historical regions of Iran, which is considered one of the oldest human settlements in the country. There are many historical monuments and especially religious and historical places in this area, and every year it hosts millions of tourists from Iran and different parts of the world.
The city of Tabas was formerly known as Golshan and is a desert city with a large number of citrus and date trees. One of its attractions is a 300-year-old public garden known as Bagh-e Golshan and a shrine frequented by thousands of pilgrims each year. Although its history goes back to the Sassanids of ancient times is most famous for the Ismaili (popularly known as Order of Assassins) siege and occupation and later Safavid architecture. There are still a lot of historical remnants from the 11th and 15th centuries although the city has been destroyed many times by foreign invasions and a recent earthquake. Historical Sites near the City of Tabas include the famous Kurit Arch Dam and Shah Abbasi Arch Dam which are some of the oldest arch dams in the world after The Kebar Dam in Qom.
Around the city of Tabas, there is a desert called Halvan which is part of our best Iran tours packages. This desert is known by this name because of its proximity to Halvan village, although there are many people who know it as Tabas desert.
Tabas desert is known as the bride or jewel of Iranian deserts, and it is a region with unique views, absolute silence and a starry sky. In this area, there is both unique and rare vegetation and animals. The region’s is rich in desert vegetation and due to this vegetation, there is a diversity of rare animals in the region.
The desert animals of Tabas Halvan desert include the desert rat, agama, golden eagle, wolf, flycatcher, , jackal, vulture, falcon, and many more. Desert travelers who want to travel to Halvan desert are always advised to bring a map of the location of animal habitats of the area with them so as not to enter their territory and stay away from possible dangers. It should be noted that by creating a border using burnt oil or diesel, prevent them from approaching.
In the Halvan desert, like other desert areas, there are attractive and exciting routes for off-road, but in the distant past, in the Halvan desert and especially in the surrounding areas and villages, due to the presence of many mines, various dirt roads were built in the area and hence access to the desert and sightseeing in the area is not difficult thanks to the existence of these routes.
Where is the Halvan Desert?
Halvan desert is located in the west of South Khorasan or Birjand province. Around the Halvan desert, the villages of Bisheh Alia, Khairabad, Naskanj, etc., are located. To access the Halvan desert, the desert travelers must enter the Khor-Tabas road, and when they reach the village of Bisheh Alia, enter the Hodar road and reach Halvan village.
In general, to access the Halvan desert from the west side, you have to reach Khor village and then the Khor road to Tabas, and from the east side, you first reach Tabas city and then reach Bisheh Alia village in Tabas city through Khor road. To access the city of Tabas, you can use the villages of Ferdos, Dihok and Bardeskan, and to access the village of Khor, Damghan to Jandaq and Nain to Khor are the best routes.
The Best Time to Travel to Tabas Desert
Halvan desert is located in the east of the central desert of Iran and is one of the hot and dry regions of the region. The summer season is definitely not the best time to travel to the Halvan desert because at this time, the weather in the region is scorching hot, and you cannot stay in the desert even for a few minutes.
In the summer season, the water evaporates quickly, and many salt fields will be created in the region. Autumn and early spring will be the best time to travel to Shahriar. With the start of the Keze desert tourism season, it is early autumn, many people travel to Halvan desert; and this area will be full of desert tourists, but in the winter season, the number of desert tourists will decrease because Halvan has cold weather in the cold days of the year. It is dry, and the weather in the region is extremely hot.
Access Routes to Halvan Desert
To access the Tabas desert, the travelers will have access to the western and eastern parts. To access the Halvan desert from the east, the desert wanderers have to reach Tabas and reach the village and the Halvan desert in the northwest of Tabas from the west.
Distance from Tehran to Tabas desert
Most of the guests of Halvan desert are the desert wanderers of Tehran. To travel to Halvan desert from Tehran, prepare for a 10-hour journey. In general, there are two routes to reach Halvan desert from Tehran, one of which passes through Isfahan and the other through Semnan.
If you want to access the Halvan desert from Isfahan city, enter the Persian Gulf freeway in the south of Tehran and reach the small city of Nain by passing through the cities of Qom and Kashan. In the northeast of Nain, there is a road that takes you to the villages of Misr, Khor, and Biabanak, and after passing through the village of Khor, you will finally reach the village of Halvan.
The second access route to Tabas desert from Tehran is the road from Tehran to Mashhad. On this road, first, get to the city of Semnan and in the southeast of Semnan, enter Hosseinian or Semnan to Sarkvir road to reach Hosseinian village. There is also a road in the south of Hosseinian.
Through it, you will have access to the villages of Jandaq, Khor, and Halvan. This route has a distance of less than 800 km, and it takes more than 10 hours to reach Halvan desert through Semnan.
Distance from Isfahan to Halvan Desert
Tabas desert is one of the most remote deserts near Isfahan. Tabas desert is less than 7 hours away from Isfahan city, and desert travelers have to travel a distance of 560 km to reach Halvan from Isfahan city.
The route from Isfahan to Halvan passes through the city of Nain, and you should enter Nain road in the east of Isfahan and continue the route straight until you reach the villages of Chupanan, Farkhi, Khor, and finally the village of Halvan.
Distance from Birjand to Tabas Desert
Halvan desert is located in South Khorasan and is very popular among Birjandi desert travelers. From the city of Birjand, there are two routes to reach the Halvan desert, one of which passes through the village of Dihok and the other through the village of Ferdos.
The nearest route is Dihok village, and it enters the road in the west of Birjand and reaches Dehnu village at the end of the road. Leave the village to the north, and you will reach Halvan by passing Dihok and Tabas. This route has a distance of over 350 km, and the average time is 4 hours and 30 minutes.
The second route is located in the north of Birjand, and you enter the road in the north of Birjand, and at the end of it, you reach Ferdos village. You will leave the village to the west, and you will reach the city of Tabas by passing through the villages of Qani Abad and Naravan, and you will see the Halvan road in the west of Tabas. This route has a distance of less than 500 km, and the average time will be less than 6 hours.
Distance from Tabas to Halvan Desert
Halvan desert is less than 100 kilometers away from Tabas city, and for this reason, most desert travelers know Halvan desert as Tabas desert. The distance of 90.3 km from Tabas to Halvan desert passes through the villages of Javadieh and Bisheh Alia, and it takes a little more than an hour from Tabas city to reach Halvan.
Halvan desert is less than 100 kilometers away from Tabas city, and for this reason, most desert travelers know Halvan desert as Tabas desert. The distance of 90.3 km from Tabas to Halvan desert passes through the villages of Javadieh and Bisheh Alia, and it takes a little more than an hour from Tabas city to reach Halvan.
Halvan desert of Tabas does not have many places to see, and only the desert tour in this area is enjoyable, but Halvan village, which is located in the vicinity of Tabas desert, was a historical village and has still been preserved its old and historical texture.
In the distant past, Halvan village was an area with 13 military towers, and for this reason, it had a high value. Today, out of these 13 watchtowers, only five remain intact, and some have been destroyed due to natural factors and some during various wars.
Halvan Desert Entertainment
There are many salt flats and velvet sands in Halvan desert. The main entertainment for tourists in this area, which is one of the most pristine deserts in Iran, is walking on the sands and hills. But for walking, keep this point in mind; you have to move slowly and continuously so that you get tired later. If you’re eager to discover more breathtaking Iran tourist places, there are many other natural wonders across the country waiting to be explored.
In general, one kilometer of walking in the desert is equivalent to 3 kilometers of walking on a normal asphalt road. If you want to travel to Halvan desert with off-road tours and off-road vehicles, don’t miss the exciting safari and hill climbs.
It should be noted that there are many salt marshes in Halvan desert, the largest of which is located in Khairabad village, and stay away from these areas because there is a possibility of getting stuck in salt marshes.
There are smooth paths in Halvan desert, and one of the most attractive activities for tourists in this area is sandboarding. Some go to the top of the hills and experience sliding on the sand using sand boarding, and some are connected to an off-road vehicle utilizing a rope and experience sand skiing, which is very exciting in its own way. Among the other entertainments of Halvan desert, we can mention camping in the desert, the pleasure of vacations in eco-tourist lodges, and watching the beautiful desert scenery.
There are various mountains in the south of Halvan desert, and on some days of the year, mountaineering conferences are held there. If you are interested in mountain climbing, we suggest you participate in these activities and enjoy the group climbing and find new friends.
Halvan Eco-Residences
Halvan desert is so beautiful that most desert travelers decide to spend the night in the desert with tents and sleeping bags. Camping in Halvan is the most popular recreation among desert travelers, but still, there are many people who want to stay in ecotourism accommodations. In Halvan village, there are various eco-tourist accommodations that we would like to introduce the best of them.
Halvan Desert Setare Ecotourism Resort
The most famous ecotourism resort in Halvan village is Setare Kavir Ecotourism Resort. This accommodation is popular among people because of its reasonable prices and various facilities, and during the desert season, you should make a reservation one to two weeks in advance. Halvan Desert Setareh ecotourism resort is located in the north of Halvan village and has closer access to the desert.
There are six rooms in this ecotourism residence, which have facilities such as sleeping facilities, but all the rooms are on the floor, and the toilet, bathroom, and kitchen of the restaurant are public. Also, in order to provide a traditional sense of life, there is no television in all the rooms.
Setare Kavir Halvan ecotourism accommodation is one of the most beautiful ecotourism accommodations in the region, and in the courtyard of the accommodation around which the rooms are located, in addition to a small pond, beautiful flowers and plants are also placed so that travelers can sit together in this courtyard at night and enjoy Enjoy the sky and the night. Also, Setare Kavir Halvan ecotourism resort was established in 2014, and until today, it is considered one of the best ecotourism resorts in the region.
Nastaran Eco-Resort
Among other popular residences in Halvan village, we can mention the Nasreen eco-residence, which is located near the Halvan mosque. Nastaran Ecotourism Lodge has a capacity of 40 people and has five rooms. Of these rooms, two rooms have a capacity of 8 people and three rooms have a capacity of 6 people, and all the rooms have sleeping floors.
Nastaran eco-residence has good facilities for a traditional lifestyle, which includes a table fan and an electric heater. Also, like other eco-residences, there are no toilets and bathrooms in the rooms; they are located in the courtyard of the residence.
The yard of the Nastaran ecotourism residence has colorful flowers and plants and is well decorated. It is placed in the center of Khayat Hoz, and spending the night in the courtyard of Nastaran ecotourism resort is one of the most attractive activities that desert travelers do here.
Important Points of Travel to Halvan Desert
Not everyone knows how to travel to the desert, and one must take training courses to travel to the desert or travel to the desert many times with professionals to learn the important tips and techniques of desert travel. To travel to the desert, you must carry many essential items, the most important of which are water and food.
Every person consumes an average of 4 liters of water per day, but more water is needed in the desert due to the heat of the air and heavy activities such as walking. You must bring it with you. Along with water and food, covering in the desert is the most critical factor necessary for traveling to the desert, and it is always recommended to wear a hat, scarf, and thin, long-sleeved clothes instead of using sunscreen.
Whether you want to spend the night in the heart of the desert or you want to go to ecotourism resorts in the region, you should bring a sleeping bag to protect you from the animals and the cold nights of the desert. Very dangerous desert animals live in the desert that can cause fatal harm to humans.
If you want to spend the night in the desert with a tent, be sure to create a border between you and the animals by using diesel or burnt oil, and on the other hand, make sure that the zippers of your tent and sleeping bag are closed.
To travel to Halvan desert, try to travel in a group and have professionals with you. Halvan desert is a lonely and unspoiled area; traveling alone will be dangerous. There are no mobile antennas in this area, and you must use maps and locators for navigation.
Ecotourism accommodations near Halvan desert are very affordable, especially since Halvan desert is less popular than other famous deserts such as Mesr, Maranjab, etc., and the daily rental rate of ecotourism accommodations in the region is much lower. And with a more reasonable cost, you can have the experience of traditional life in the desert area.
If you are interested in exploring Iranian deserts check out our very popular 2-Day Maranjab Desert & Kashan Tour where we explore vast desert lands and flower fields.
