Deserts are areas that are defined by their incredibly hot weather and dryness, because of the extreme heat water evaporates quickly and thanks to that, no plants grow there. Pure silence prevails in these areas and because there are no settlements in these areas, there is no light pollution and so they have starry nights. Zardgah desert is one of the famous deserts of Iran Desert Tours, which is located in the Zardgah region of South Khorasan province. Why is the Zardgah desert called the greenest desert in Iran? Join us to get to know the Zardgah desert and the sights of this beautiful region.
A Look at the Zardgah Desert
Zardgah desert is one of the most famous deserts in Iran, and most of the residents of the east of the country visit this area for desert tourism. Zardgah is actually the name of the nearest village located in this area and because of that, they chose the name Zardgah for this beautiful and lovely desert. Zardgah village has warm and kind people who welcome tourists and desert wanderers. The population of the village is very small and the villagers know each other.
Zardgah village is a green area and various gardens and groves can be seen here. One of the charms of Zardgah village is an old woman named Khadija, who earns her living through the tourism industry and is well known in the region. In fact, his job is mat weaving and he has attracted many customers with a variety of mat products that have very low prices and good quality. Other villagers spend their time in activities such as animal husbandry, agriculture, and handicrafts.
Where is the Zardgah desert?
Zardgah desert is located in South Khorasan province or Birjand. Zardgah desert is a large area in the west and part of the southwest of South Khorasan. Zardgah desert is located northwest of Zardgah village, and Zardgah village is also located northwest of the famous Nay Band village. Around the Zardgah desert, Nay Band mountain can be seen, which has made this area have beautiful nature with different flora and fauna. On the other hand, it has much more favorable weather than other desert areas of Iran.
Best Time to Travel to the Zardgah desert
All the deserts of Iran spend their hottest days in the summer season and the weather in these areas is so hot that no one will survive even for a few minutes. Therefore, from autumn to early spring, the best time for desert trekking is among the best deserts in Iran, and on the other hand, some deserts are so cold at night that desert trekkers prefer to stay in Go there in autumn and spring.
In terms of climate, the Zardgah desert is very different from most deserts in Iran. Zardgah desert is located in a mountainous area, and some people consider this area to be a resort. Most of the Zardgah desert travelers are residents of Birjand, and since Birjand is considered a hot and desert city, people are used to this weather and go to this area in summer, which is the quietest time to travel to Zardgah. Although the best time to travel to the Zardgah desert is from autumn to early spring, in the summer, the weather in Zardgah is much lower than in other deserts, and various desert travelers visit Zardgah during these days. It should be noted that during the low season of Zardgah, eco-tourism accommodations in the region have the cheapest prices.
Access Routes to the Zardgah Desert
From different cities, desert wanderers come to Zardgah desert to get to know the greenest desert of Iran and spend different and fascinating moments of desert wandering in this area. In general, there are two routes to reach Zardgah village, one is through Tabas city and Dihok village, which is located in the north of Zardgah, and the other is the road from Jafroud village to Zardgah, which is located between Kerman and Zarand cities. In the following, we would like to introduce the best access routes to the Zardgah desert from some cities.
Distance from Tehran to Zardgah Desert
There are three routes to reach the Zardgah desert from Tehran. The closest route and the most popular route among Kavir Gardani who want to go to Zardgah from Tehran is Isfahan Road. In the south of Tehran, you enter the Persian Gulf Freeway, and after passing through the cities of Qom and Kashan, you reach Isfahan, and in the southeast of Isfahan, you go to the city of Nain. In the northeast of Nain, you will enter the Anarak road, passing through the villages of Anarak and Khor, you will reach the city of Tabas, and in the southeast of Tabas, you will reach the village and desert of Zardgah through the Zardgah road. This route has a distance of approximately 1000 km and it takes more than 12 hours to reach the Zardgah desert from Tehran through this route.
The second route is also popular in the Tehrani desert, which crosses the Tehran-Mashhad road. In the east of Tehran, enter the Tehran-Mashhad road and after passing Semnan city, you will reach Shahroud. Entering Khartoran National Park ahead of Shahrood, after Miami, enter Biarjumand road and through Khankhori and Kashmir road, you will reach Dihok village and Zardgah desert in the south. This route is less than 1200 km long and you will be on the way for more than 13 hours, but this route is more popular among Zardgah deserts because of its attractions.
The closest route from Tehran to Zardgah in terms of distance is Semnan Hosseinian road. Like the previous route, in the east of Tehran, you enter the road from Tehran to Mashhad and in the city of Semnan, you go to the Hosseinian road. In the south of Hosseinian village, you will enter a road at the end of which you will reach the village of Khor, and on the east side of Khor is the access road to Tabas, Dihok, and Zardgah. This route has a distance of 1016 km and in terms of time, it is a little longer than Tehran-Isfahan and Nayin road.
Distance from Isfahan to Zardgah desert
After Maranjab, Mesr, and Abu Zaid Abad deserts, Zardgah desert is one of the closest deserts to Isfahan, but the distance from Zardgah desert or in other words, Zardgah village to Isfahan is less than 800 km. The route from Isfahan to Zardgah is more straight and does not have many twists and turns like the route from Tehran to Zardgah. If you want to go to Zardgah from Isfahan city, first go to the east of Isfahan and enter Nain road. When you reach the city of Nain, turn to the northeast and enter the road that reaches the villages of Anarak and Khor, and then to the east of the village of Khor, you will have access to the cities of Tabas and Zardgah. It will take you less than 10 hours to travel the 800 km route from Isfahan to Zardgah.
Distance from Tabas to Zardgah Desert
Desert travelers have two ways to enter the Zardgah desert from Tabas city. Some people from the south of Tabas go to the northern part of the Zardgah desert, which has its own sights, and some people start their desert tour to the Zardgah desert from Zardgah village. To reach the village of Zardgah, you enter the road near Tabas and pass through the villages of Khosroabad and Estefak to reach Dihok. In the southeast of Dihok, you can reach the village of Zardgah by road. In general, the distance between Tabas and Zardgah village is over 200 km, and it takes an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Zardgah from Tabas.
Distance from Mashhad to Zardgah Desert
If you want to go to the Zardgah desert from Mashhad, prepare yourself for a 6-hour journey. To access the Zardgah desert from Mashhad city, first, go to Torbat Heydarieh, and in the southwest of Torbat Heydarieh, go to Dihok road and in Dihok village, you will access this beautiful and lovely area through Zardgah road. The distance from Mashhad to the Zardgah desert is more than 600 km, and there is another route to reach Zardgah from Mashhad, which is more than 800 km long, and few people use it to reach Zardgah.
Distance from Birjand to Zardgah Desert
Zardgah is the closest desert to Birjand city, and Birjandi deserters travel to this area for off-road riding. The average distance between Birjand and Zardgah is 260 km and it takes 3 hours to reach Birjand from Zardgah. The route from Birjand to Zardgah is like this: in the west of Birjand, you enter the road along Shahadai Ebadi Boulevard and go to the end of the road until you reach Ezzatabad village. Then enter the road to the south and you will reach Zardgah by traveling for an hour.
Sightseeing in the Zardgah Desert
In the Zardgah desert, there are various sights, some of which have been observed in other deserts, and some of them are special features of the Zardgah desert, which distinguish this region from other desert tours, such as the popular 7-Day Dasht-E Kavir (Mesr) Desert Tour. In the following, we would like to introduce some of the most famous and best places to visit in the Zardgah desert.
Kuh-e (Mountain) Nay Band
One of the most famous mountains in the region, and especially in South Khorasan province, is Nay Band Mountain, which is known by this name because of its location near the Nay Band region. The village and desert of Zardgah owe their favorable and lovely weather to Nay Band Mountain. Nay Band peak is nearly 3005 meters high and is known as Bam Birjand because it is the highest peak in South Khorasan province. Nay Band peak is located in the northwest of Zardgah and the distance from the mountain to Tabas city is nearly 220 km and from Raver city in Kerman province is 180 km.
Even though Mount Nay Band is the highest peak in South Khorasan, it has an easy route and most amateur climbers can climb the peak. At Nay Band peak, you can see a unique view of desert areas, mountains, and different plains, which makes it a pleasure to climb in addition to sports and entertainment.
Zardgah Gardens and Groves
Zardgah village is a much greener and lovely area compared to the villages that are located in the vicinity of the famous deserts of Iran, and if you live in Tehran, Zardgah is considered like Kurdistan for Birjundis and Lavasan to some extent for Tehranis. Green plains, vast palm groves, and date, orange, tangerine, orange, and lemon gardens have made this village an attractive area for nature tourism. Most desert wanderers and nature walkers spend time in Zardgah village under the shade of large palm leaves to enjoy the silence of nature to the fullest.
Nay Band Village
Nay Band village is one of the most important and valuable villages around the Zardgah desert, which is considered one of the most popular among the villages of South Khorasan province. Nay Band village has a historical texture and has preserved its own traditional and historical architecture. Since Nay Band is part of the Lut desert, it is one of the few green areas that can be found in the hot and dry region of the Lut desert. Nay Band village is 210 km away from Tabas city and the distance from the village to Birjand city is more than 250 km.
The settlement in Nay Band village dates back hundreds of years ago. At that time, people decided to build and live in this area because of the fertile land and the very good weather that Nay Band had along with being on the route of the caravans.
Available Recreational Activities in the Zardgah Desert:
The best activities in the Zardgah desert include off-road riding, sand boarding, camping in the desert, picnic tables under palm trees, etc. Off-road camps in the Zardgah desert offer fun, such as off-road riding tours in the heart of the Zardgah desert.
Zardgah Ecotourism Residences
If you don’t want to camp in the middle of the desert to stay in the Zardgah desert, you can visit the area’s ecotourism lodges. In Zardgah village, Nay Band village, and even Dihok village, there are various eco-tourist accommodations that have variable facilities and prices. In the following, we would like to introduce some of the best accommodations in the region.
Mohsin Glanbary Ecolodge
Mohsen Glenbari eco-residence is one of the small eco-residences in Zardgah village, which has few bedrooms and, naturally, it has a small capacity. This lodge is very popular among the desert tour groups, which are few in number so the desert tourers can sit together and enjoy their stay at this eco-tourist lodge. Mohsen Glenbari eco-residence is an old building with historical architecture, and therefore, it is considered one of the oldest buildings in the region, which has seen partial restorations and renovations. It should be noted that the Glenberry ecotourism resort is located northwest of Nay Band and southeast of Zardgah.
Nay Band Ecotourism Residence
The most famous eco-tourism accommodation in Nay Band village is Nay Band Eco-tourism Accommodation, which has more facilities than other eco-tourism accommodations, and besides that, reasonable fees are paid for each night of rent. Nay Band eco-residence is located on a hill and offers a beautiful view of the surrounding nature and Nay Band village. The residence has 7 rooms and a total capacity of 54 people. The rooms are separate from the rest of the accommodation, and in the center of the accommodation, there is also a small courtyard, a public bathroom, and a kitchen.
Tahud Ecolodge
In front of the Naiband eco-residence is the Tahud eco-residence, which is another famous residence in Naiband village. This residence also has different rooms that are separate from each other, in other words, each room has a separate building. All the rooms of Tahud Ecotourism Residence are floor-sleeping, and the residence has a suitable capacity. The rooms have bed linen and TV, but it is necessary to bring a sleeping bag, etc. The bathroom and kitchen of Tahoud’s residence are also public.
Important Points of the Desert tour in Zardgah
Zardgah desert a part of our best Iran tours packages is quite different from other deserts in Iran because of its greenness, but this greenness is at the beginning of the desert and when you travel to the heart of the desert, you will encounter an area like other deserts. Zardgah desert is in a mountainous region with a pleasant climate, which has more favorable weather due to the Nay Band mountain, and in the summer season, various desert birds travel to this area, but in the summer season, the desert birds are only at the beginning of the desert, and the air does not allow them to go further.
Desert travel is not for everyone, and if you don’t have enough experience, you should take professionals with you, because in desert areas, due to sand dunes and salt marshes, there is a risk of getting stuck, and since mobile phones do not receive antennas in these areas. Be sure to travel in a group.
Ahead of Zardgah village, where the Zardgah desert groves end and you enter a dry and desert area, you will encounter various salt marshes, so it is recommended to carry a map of the marshes in the area to avoid them. Also, unlike most desert areas, the Zardgah desert has rocks and difficult paths that are rugged and require powerful off-road vehicles.
