ETHNIC DIVERSITY AND PERSIAN HERITAGE
March 16 ⇾ March 28
In addition to our regular group departures to Iran, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our customised journeys to Iran!
DAY 1 to DAY 3 - Tehran
Meet-and-greet at Tehran International Airport, transfer you to our hotel of choice in central Tehran and introductory briefing about the region, the route and the set of rules to observe while travelling in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During our time in Tehran, the country’s capital, we’ll focus on the rich and diverse architectural heritage of this gargantuan metropolis, which is way too often overlooked by international travellers and local tour operators alike.
Architectural Highlights of our sojourn in Tehran will include: the Grand Bazaar, the Golestan Palace, the Imam Khomeini Mosque, the International Grand Hotel, the Mirza Alikhan Police Station, the Bank Melli Headquarters, the University of Tehran, the former Senate of Iran, the Laleh International, the Freedom Tower, the Iranian Carpet Museum, the Telecommunication Building and the brutalist-modernist satellite town of Ekbatan.
Our architectural gallivanting around the city will be, of course, accompanied by Soviet Tours' signature delights: unique and non-contrived encounters with the city dwellers, participation to local events and celebrations, delicious local recipes and plenty of offbeat sights and unusual experiences, such as the precious Omidvar Brothers Museum, a little hidden eden of charming photographs, bizarre objects, exotic paraphernalia and other curiosities collected by two Iranian travelling siblings back in the golden 50s.
Overnights in Tehran.
Leaving Tehran, we will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey across some of the least visited provinces in the country. Iran’s astounding ethnic diversity and astonishing architectural variety will be the leitmotifs of our Unseen Iran Tour. Culinary delights, breathtaking natural sceneries, bizarre experiences, offbeat sights, and enthralling encounters with the locals will be the perfect corollary to our gallivanting around the Islamic Republic of Iran. The exact tour schedule may slightly vary according to the specific events, festivities, rituals, and parties happening during our time in Iran. A specific day-to-day itinerary (including accommodation details) will be provided depending on which group departure you wish to join.
DAY 4 to DAY 5 - Gilan
The first “ethnic area” we will visit on our Unseen Iran odyssey will be the Gilan Province along the shores of the Caspian Sea, a lush tropical region renowned for its cultural and ethnic diversity—being inhabited by several different Caucasian populations—and for being the very birthplace of the legendary Soviet Republic of Iran, a short-lived USSR-aligned state that lasted from June 1920 until September 1921.
Gilani Highlights: charmingly melancholic seaside towns, picturesque mountain villages, jungle-covered castle ruins, placid lagoons thriving with fish and migratory birds, exotic bazaars filled with goods coming from the former Soviet Union and elegant late-Persian summer residences.
Overnights in traditional guesthouses and/or boutique hotels.
DAY 6 TO DAY 7 - Persian Azerbaijan
From Gilan we’ll move north-northwest and enter Persian Azerbaijan, a historical region in northwestern Iran that includes three different provinces (West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan and Ardabil) and is mostly inhabited by ethnic Azerbaijanis, with minority populations of Kurds, Armenians, Tats, Talysh, Assyrians and Persians. The region also fell briefly under the control of the Azerbaijan People's Government, a secessionist client state of the Soviet Union that existed between November 1945 to December 1946 at the height of the Iran Crisis, which was a precursor to the Cold War.
Azerbaijani Highlights: awe-inspiring ancient mosques dominating the urban landscapes with graceful minarets and turquoise-blue domes, monolithic mausoleums featuring mesmerisingly intricate Islamic artworks, isolated Armenian churches perched on rocky hilltops, loud and chaotic street markets bursting with Oriental scents and traditional Azerbaijani traditions, rituals and recipes—don’t miss on trying toşəkərbura, a delicious sweet pastry in half-moon shape, filled with ground almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts, and sugar!
Overnights in traditional guesthouses and/or boutique hotels.
DAY 8 - Iranian Kurdistan
Leaving the Persian Azerbaijan, we’ll drive south and head for the Kurdistan Province, a secretive region characterised by spectacular mountainscapes dotted by end-of-the-world traditional settlements inhabited by the Iranian Kurds, the largest ethnic group of the area. Similarly to Persian Azerbaijan, the unruly Kurdistan Province also saw the creation of a separatist Soviet-supported Marxist-Leninist government during the mid-40s—the so-called Republic of Mahabad, which existed between January and December 1946.
Kurdistani Highlights: postcard-like Kurdish hamlets where time seems to stand still, authentic provincial towns few international visitors have ever set foot on, rugged landscapes of harsh natural beauty and mystifying temples of obscure religious faiths.
Overnights in traditional guesthouses and/or boutique hotels.
DAY 9 to DAY 10 - Lorestan
The rarely visited Lorestan Province is up next! Lorestan is a mysterious and fascinating land extending over the impervious Zagros Mountains—close to the border with Iraq—that is derives its name from the Lurish people, an Indo-European ethnic group closely related to the Kurds but speaking a very distinct Iranic language known as Luri.
Lorestani Highlights: alpine meadows, medieval citadels, crystal-clear mountain lakes, deep gorges and photogenic canyons, snow-capped peaks and the unique chance to meet with Lur farmers and herders, who will share with you their food, their home and the mystic secrets of their endangered culture.
Overnights in traditional guesthouses and/or boutique hotels.
DAY 11 TO DAY 12 - Khuzestan
The final leg of our Iranian adventure will bring us to Khuzestan, a mostly arid region bordering the Persian Gulf, inhabited by Iranian Arabs, and famed for its baking hot summer temperatures, which can easily exceed 50C / 122F.
Khuzestani Highlights: lonely Ziggurats towering over a bleak scenery of arid badlands, hellish natural gas fires and sulphur vapours continuously blazing out of the depths, Arab souks brimming with palm dates, fresh fruits and Iraqi goods, chaste mosque made of sun-baked earth bricks and a fascinating complex system of ancient aqueducts, wells and water mills providing a lifeline for the dwellers of this ever-thirsty Iranian province.
Overnights in traditional guesthouses and/or boutique hotels.
Day 13 - FAREWELL TO PERSIA
After enjoying a last Khuzestani-style breakfast together, we'll take care of your transfer to Ahvaz International Airport.
For those wishing to further explore Iran’s many wonders: we can arrange any sort of bespoke extensions around the country; see below for some ideas.
End of the tour.
ESFAHAN-YAZD-SHIRAZ EXTENSION (590 € | 5 days)
A five-day classic tour through Iran’s eulogised ancient cities. Upon completion of our Unseen Iran tour, we will board a direct flight from Ahvaz to world-famous Esfahan—the so-called “Half the World”—and then head for the desert town Yazd, before eventually reaching the famed ruins of Persepolis and the splendid city of Shiraz, the capital of Fars, from which the very name “Persia” is derived from.
SISTAN-BALUCHESTAN EXTENSION (690 € | 5 days)
A long-weekend adventure across the wildest and least visited province of the country. The journey will begin with a domestic flight from Ahvaz to Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan. We’ll spend two days in Zahedan and then undertake a southbound overland journey towards the remote port town of Chabahar, stopping en route at Khash and Iranshahr and visiting traditional Baluchi settlements, where we’ll be able to learn more about this highly misunderstood and unjustly feared people inhabiting the inhospitable endless barrens that stretch between Southwestern Pakistan and Southeastern Iran.
2490 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Iran (car/minivan), all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.
Iran is home to a wealth of architectural wonders, and among its diverse styles, one that stands out is brutalist architecture. Characterized by its expressive use of rough, exposed concrete, this movement is prominent in the country's urban landscape. Remarkable examples of brutalist architecture in Iran include the iconic Azadi Tower in Tehran, with its soaring, angular form that embodies the spirit of freedom, and the imposing Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, with its massive concrete façade that commands attention. These structures encapsulate the grandeur and boldness that define brutalism, while also reflecting the cultural heritage of Iran. Through their raw and unapologetic aesthetics, brutalist buildings in Iran provoke a powerful sense of awe and admiration for their magnificent and uncompromising design.