2020 GeoEx Catalog

Treasures of Persia

As always, we make the most of our driving journey, pausing to behold the windswept ruins of Pasargadae, the former capital of Cyrus the Great. Next we mar- vel at one of Iran’s most visually striking cities, Esfahan, home to intoxicating gardens, tree-lined boulevards, and famous archi-

TOURING | 20 DAYS, OR 23 WITH OPTIONAL MASHHAD EXTENSION · GROUP

ANTONIO CIUFO / ALAMY

T  he governments of Iran and the United States are . . . well, you know the story. And by now, you may also know that since we began our groundbreaking trips to Iran in 1993, our many travelers have been almost univer- sally grati ed by the openhearted, open-minded welcome of the Iranian people. Geopoliticians we’re not, and our warm people-to-people encounters in Iran remind us that we made the right career choice. As our Jessica Silber says, “It’s a joy to hear from our returning travelers who are always so genuinely surprised to discover a very dif­ ferent Iran from the country we hear and read about in the news.” We start our adventure in Tehran, Iran’s dynamic capital that stirs up emotions in unforeseen ways. We spend a couple days absorbing the city’s subtle appeal before setting out to explore the bazaar hub of Tabriz, Zanjan’s picturesque mosques, and the far-flung archaeo- logical site of Takht-e-Suleiman, or Solomon’s Throne. Then we’re off to Hamadan, site of the tomb of the bibli- cal Queen Esther and the square-shaped Alavian Dome— a former Dervish monastery turned mausoleum. We con- tinue on to Shiraz, a refreshingly laid-back city with a reputation for “its wine, its women, its songs, and its luxuriant roses,” in the words of geographer Sven Hedin. From here we devote a day to the magnificent ancient treasures of Persepolis before heading into the desert to ponder the brooding Towers of Silence at arresting Yazd.

BELOW  Glorious tilework inside the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (or Pink Mosque), Shiraz. Still, as GeoEx traveler Monica M. shared, “The freedom to interact with Iranians (who are incredibly friendly and warm) meant more to me than even the most beautiful mosques.” Day 1  arrive in Tehran ✦  2  Tehran ✦  3  Tehran, fly to Tabriz ✦  4  Tabriz ✦  5  excursion to St. Stephanos Monastery ✦  6  drive to Zanjan via Takht-e-Suleiman ✦  7  drive to Hamadan via Soltanieh ✦  8  excursion to Bisotun ✦  9  Hamadan, return to Tehran ✦  10  fly to Shiraz ✦ 11 & 12  Shiraz and Persepolis ✦  13  drive to Yazd via Pasargadae ✦  14  Yazd ✦  15  on to Esfahan via Meybod ✦  16–18  Esfahan ✦ 19  drive to Tehran via Abyaneh ✦  20  depart. tectural glories (a room under one of its cobalt-roofed domes—said to be the most breathtaking in the world— moved the well- and smartly traveled Robert Byron to write, “I have never encountered splendour of this kind before”). We enjoy Esfahan’s historic square and haggle for goods at its tremendous bazaar before returning to Tehran with a stop at Abyaneh, a traditional Iranian village about which past GeoEx travelers rave endlessly. Anyone with a few extra days is encouraged to join our pre-trip jaunt to Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran and one of the country’s most important religious sites. apr. 6–25; sept. 21–oct. 10 from $11,650

BRUNO MORANDI / ROBERT HARDING