An 8-day Iran history tour through Tehran, Shiraz, Persepolis, Isfahan, Kashan and the Varzaneh desert, with flights and visa included.
Trip highlights
- Learn the history and grandeur of Persia, a superpower of the ancient world
- See the reality of a country under Western sanctions for more than 40 years
- Get close to local culture and famous places that few people yet know
- See the desert without needing a hard trek
Highlight places
Led by historiansEvery trip travels with an expert history lecturer who brings each site to life in plain language.
Off the beaten pathCentral Asia, the Middle East, the Himalayas — places most tour companies never go.
Private groups, no rushingRight-sized groups and unhurried time at the places that matter most.
Beyond ordinary travelEvery tour is designed by writers and professional travellers to create experiences that reflect who you are — for travellers who want more than an ordinary holiday.
About this tour
The Sands of Eternity is an 8-day, 6-night history tour of Iran by The Wild Chronicles. It covers the key historical places that explain how Iran came to be what it is today, from the Achaemenid empire to the Safavid capital and the 1979 revolution.
The route goes from Tehran to Shiraz (Nasir al-Molk Mosque, Eram Garden, Vakil Complex), Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rustam, then Isfahan (Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Shah Mosque, Chehel Sotoun) and Kashan, with a night in a traditional house in the Varzaneh desert. There you can sandboard, watch the sunset and have a barbecue by a campfire.
Two departures are offered in 2026: 27 February – 6 March, led by Khun Kritapas Samanthai (Ajarn Pom), and 1–8 May, led by Khun Pongsorn Phumwat (Khun Pup). The price includes international and domestic economy flights and the Iranian visa. The minimum group is 10 travellers and the maximum is 25.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Bangkok – Tehran
19:00 Meet at Suvarnabhumi Airport, 4th floor departures, where company staff will assist you.
22:30 Depart for Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA) on Mahan Air flight W5050, a flight of about 7 hours 10 minutes.
Day 2Tehran – Shiraz
Arrive at Imam Khomeini Airport at 02:15 (local time is 3 hours 30 minutes behind Thailand) and rest at Rexan Airport Hotel before touring Tehran in the morning.
- National Jewelry Museum: an underground treasury in the Central Bank displaying jewels from the Safavid dynasty onwards; if closed for renovation, the National Museum of Iran is visited instead.
- Former U.S. Embassy in Tehran: traces the conflict between Iran and the United States after the Islamic Revolution.
- Golestan Palace: the Rose Garden Palace, a UNESCO site and former residence of kings of several dynasties.
Then take a domestic flight from Mehrabad Airport (THR) to Shiraz.
Day 3Shiraz: Pink Mosque, Eram Garden and Vakil Complex
- Nasir al-Molk Mosque, the Pink Mosque, decorated with pink tiles and stained glass that fill the hall with colour in sunlight.
- Eram Garden: a UNESCO site since 2011, described as beautiful as the paradise of the Quran.
- Karim Khan Citadel: the fortress and palace of the Zand dynasty with four round brick towers (viewed from outside).
- Vakil Complex and Vakil Bazaar.
- Ali Ibn Hamzeh Holy Shrine, built in memory of a descendant of the Prophet.
Day 4Persepolis, Necropolis and Isfahan
- Persepolis: the vast ruins of the Achaemenid empire, where subject peoples brought tribute, showing Persia as the first world superpower; a UNESCO site.
- Necropolis: the City of the Dead, tombs of four great kings including Darius I and Xerxes I, with rock-cut reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions.
Then travel to Isfahan, Iran's third-largest city and a former capital, praised as Half the World.
Day 5Isfahan: Naqsh-e Jahan Square
- Naqsh-e Jahan Square: a vast square surrounded by Safavid palaces and mosques; a UNESCO site.
- Shah Mosque: one of the most beautiful mosques in Iran.
- Ali Qapu Palace: a royal palace with wall paintings, used to receive foreign envoys.
- Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque: the royal family's private mosque and a Safavid masterpiece, with what is considered the finest dome in Iran.
- The bridge built by Shah Abbas II linking north and south Isfahan across the Zayandeh River, a favourite meeting place for locals.
Day 6Isfahan – Varzaneh Desert
- Vank Cathedral: the largest and most beautiful Armenian church in Iran, built in the time of Shah Abbas II, mixing Armenian and Persian architecture.
- Chehel Sotoun: a 17th-century palace.
- Qeysarie Bazaar: one of the great Silk Road markets, with its ornate Qeysarie Portal.
- Ghurtan Burg: a mud-brick fortress at least 1,000 years old, with traces of over 200 houses, a bathhouse, a mosque and an underground water store.
- Varzaneh Desert: sandboarding, sunset, a campfire barbecue, a picnic meal in the desert and stargazing at night.
Day 7Varzaneh – Kashan – Tehran – Bangkok
Travel about 4 hours to Kashan.
- Borujerdi Historical House: a 19th-century mansion that a merchant spent 18 years building as a gift for his wife.
- Soltan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse: with one of Iran's finest domed roofs, which you can climb for views over Kashan.
- Yakhchal: an ancient Persian domed ice house that made and stored ice even in the desert heat.
Then drive about 3 hours to Imam Khomeini Airport and depart at 21:40 on Mahan Air flight W5051, a flight of about 6 hours 10 minutes.
Day 8Arrival in Bangkok
Arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 08:20.
Included
- Return international and domestic economy airfare
- Transfers and sightseeing transport with experienced drivers
- Accommodation as specified, two travellers per room (tell us in advance if you need a triple room; some hotels may not have rooms with three beds)
- Admission fees as specified in the programme
- Meals as specified in the programme
- Experienced local guide
- Experienced Thai lecturer and tour leader
- Travel accident insurance (subject to policy terms), coverage of 1,000,000 baht per person
- Iranian entry visa (the company arranges it)
Not included
- Upgrade of the international return flights to Business Class, an extra 40,000 baht per person (price varies with seat availability)
- Single room supplement of 8,000 baht per person
- Personal expenses such as passport fees, phone, internet, laundry, minibar, meals outside the programme, extra drinks, excess baggage, seat reservation fees and medical costs for pre-existing conditions
- Baggage over 30 kg on international flights and over 20 kg on domestic flights
- Tips for tour leader, local guides and drivers (recommended 70 USD per person)
- 7% VAT, 3% withholding tax and other taxes
- Fuel surcharges and airport taxes if the airline raises them
About this tour
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Iran: The Sands of Eternity
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