• Departure Date (s)

    October to April

  • Duration

    7-day trip

  • Start

    Tehran, Iran

  • Finish

    Tehran, Iran

  • Group size

    minimum 2; maximum 12

  • Adventure rating

    3/5

  • Included meals

    6 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners

  • Accommodation

    4 nights camping, 2 nights local houses

  • Transport

    Fully equipped 4×4 safari vehicle for 7 days

  • Ages

    Min 18

  • Trip Notes

    Printable trip note (Coming soon)

Iranian Desert Expedition

From Rig-Jen desert to Yazd

Price per pax

Contact us

Enquire about this tour

TRIP ITINERARY FOR IRAN DESERT EXPEDITION

Exploring both nature and culture of the central desert of Iran will take us all the way into one of the deepest and most pristine deserts which has not been crossed by humans until a few years ago. We will experience why Rig-Jen desert was abandoned throughout history.

We will learn how people in the vast neighboring desert brought water and civilization to a remote village and named it Mesr Desert. Via old abandoned routes we will visit other desert micro-climates and civilizations. They lead us to our final tour destination Yazd, the main civilization in central Iran.

Tour Highlights

  • Journey through a vast ocean of untouched nature in Rig-e Jen Desert and Mesr Desert in our Iran Desert Expedition
  • Explore the beginnings of different desert civilizations
  • Visit beautiful villages with unique history and stories
  • Visit Yazd, the cultural heart of Iran’s central desert
  • Iran Desert Expedition is an eco-friendly trip

Itinerary

Depending on the starting point, we can visit Naein and Anarak. Then, we will get into the dunes of Rig-e Jen desert which were not crossed by humans until 2009. Locals believe that this area is roamed by jennies. So, we will figure it out by exploring different microclimates in the desert for 3 days.

We will camp, and our chef will prepare the food. On the third evening, we will arrive at a local house in a village at the edge of the desert to experience local hospitality. We will have the chance to refresh and get ready for the next day ride in the desert.

After a short walk in the green farms between the drylands, we will continue our journey to the desert named “Mesr”, which means “Egypt” in Persian.

A few hundred years ago, a camel driver came to this desert to find his lost camel. When he saw the beauty of the place, he said: “I will make my own Egypt here”. So, he started to dig a Qanat for 5 km to bring water to this area and built a small village called Mesr.

The village was destroyed by a flood a few years ago. The beautiful desert in this region is named after the village. During our 2-day expedition, we will pass through some small oases which still bear traces of old desert architecture.

We will do one night of camping in the desert and then, on the second night, we will arrive in Garmeh. This village has the biggest palm gardens in the region and is the beautiful home of the pioneer of traditional local accommodation in Iran, Maziar AleDavood. We will stay at his Ateshooni House overnight.

After a morning stroll through the palm gardens and the water cave in the village, we head for our next desert destination. It is again a unique and different place, so we keep it as a surprise for you to enjoy. The day before we arrive in Yazd, we will visit one of the ancient villages on the way. Kharanagh, with its fortress-like 4-story architecture, is at least 3000 years old.

Upon request of our guests, we might visit the Zoroastrian temple of Chak-Chak before we bring our guests to their hotel in Yazd.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • Fully equipped 4×4 safari vehicle for 7 days
  • All the meals and drinking water during the trip (vegetarian dishes are also possible upon request)
  • Camping and cooking equipment
  • All road tolls and vehicle taxes
  • All entrance fees and local fees, 2-person tents with mattress
  • Extra supplies for emergency situations

WHAT’S EXCLUDED

  • Sandboard/Snowboard (upon request)
  • Sleeping bag (mandatory), 1-person tent (+70 EUR)
  • Optional activities (camel riding, quad bike riding, sand boarding/ snowboarding and…)
  • Tips and items of a personal nature

IMPORTANT NOTES

  1. An arrival transfer is included on this trip
  2. This trip starts at 9:00 in the morning on day 1
  3. The maximum check-in baggage allowance is 17 kg per person plus hand luggage.
  4. Please note deposits for this trip are refundable and transferable (we only deduct the bank transfer fee) as per our terms and conditions.
  5. You are required to pay a refundable deposit of 250 per person per trip for your booking to be confirmed.
  6. A single supplement is available on this trip.

Accommodation

We will do four nights of camping and two nights in traditional local houses. These houses are two of the most beautiful traditional houses in desert regions of Iran.

Transport

During your trip we use a private fully equipped 4X4 safari vehicle for 7 days.

Transfers

The tour includes a 24-hour airport meet & assist service in Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, your arrival and departure airport-hotel transfers and all other transfers.

Entrance Fees

The tour price includes entrance fees to all the tourist sites mentioned in the itinerary.  You will need to cover the cost of entrance to any other extra sites that you may wish to visit.

Booking & Payment

If you would like to book a place on this tour, please complete the online reservation form on our website. We will then contact you with more details about how to complete your booking. Payments can be made by making a bank transfer. Full details will be provided in your booking confirmation email. Please contact us if you would like any more information or have any questions before making a booking.

Passports and Visas

Passports should be valid for at least six months after your departure from your country. Please do not bring an almost full or almost expired passport. Visa arrangements are the responsibility of the traveller. For more information about how to get an Iranian visa please visit this page.

Joining Info

These tour joining details are provided on a provisional basis and may change prior to this tour departing. Any changes to these details will be updated on this page.

  • Joining Point: Watch this space as we announce the point soon.
  • Address: Tehran
  • Time and place: 07:00 am on day 1
Centraldesertexpeditionfromrig ejenntoYazdindays

SPEAK TO OUR EXPERTS

Elham BABAEESAYE SHAMS
saye@surfiran.com
+98 912 880 3921

Saber BAHRAMIPARIA POUR
saber@surfiran.com
+98 912 880 3921

TAILOR-MADE TOUR

This tour is also available for booking privately for travel anytime through the year, and we can also customise the itinerary to fit your personal requirements. Please contact us for details and prices.

ENQUIRE ABOUT THIS TOUR

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    Opening Hours:

    8:30am – 5.00pm Saturday to Wednesday

    Reviews

    We organized a 3 weeks tour in Iran through SURFIRAN. SURFIRAN is a very Professional travel agency who understands their customers needs and expectations. Our stay in Iran was just fabulous, the program built by SURFIRAN was great, we have seen many and many very interesting sites and locations.

    Christiane

    Most we enjoyed the landscape and wildlife we saw, it was just amazing and not comparable with nature we found in Germany and Europe, one of my greatest experiences! Second we enjoyed the kindness of you guys (Mehdi, Negin and her family, and the two houses we stayed) it was like meeting family and friends :)

    Christian Robin and Tim

    We visited Iran on October 2016 with SURFIRAN travel and tours company. Organization of round trip, hotel accommodation and flights were perfect. Our guide Mostafa was absolutely excellent, helpful, friendly and his information about Iran were very informative. Thanks a lot ! Will come back soon.

    Johannes Grumet

    Everything was arranged very efficiently. Nothing went wrong. Our guide, Mostafa Farhadi, was remarkable. Not only was he a brilliant driver, but his knowledge of the culture, history and contemporary life of Iran was amazing. He also had superb contacts in all the places we visited.

    Stephen Barber

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