Iran is an exciting country of enormous contrasts, surrounded by mountains on three sides and almost entirely unspoilt by tourism.

It is one of the oldest centres of civilisation in Asia and the Persian Kingdom was one of the great powers of the ancient world. Its magnificence can still be seen in the palaces and rock carvings dating back 2500 years.

With the Arab invasion in the 7th century AD, Iran adopted an Islamic culture and now boasts some of the most wonderful examples of Islamic architecture in the world.

Foreigners are still a novelty in Iran and visitors are invariably overwhelmed by the friendliness and hospitality of the people.

Weather
The climate in Iran is severely continental with very cold winters and hot summers. Summer temperatures in July and August can reach about 40 degrees centigrade but the climate is dry and the evenings are considerably cooler. Spring and autumn are good times to visit; most days are warm and sunny.

Dress Code
Women should wear a long sleeved raincoat or shirt (arriving at least to the knees) over a pair of trousers or a long skirt. A headscarf should be worn at all times and it is nice to have a selection of colourful headscarves to ring the changes. For ladies, the good thing in Iran is that you will never have a bad hair day. In hot weather sandals worn with trousers are acceptable. If you are wearing sandals and visit a mosque, take a pair of dark socks with you. The local cover up (or roupoush) for ladies can be purchased everywhere in Iran quite cheaply and some cool cotton ones are produced for summer wear. Your guide will assist you if you wish to purchase one. Men can wear short sleeves, but sleeveless T. shirts and shorts are not acceptable.

Visas
Along with our invoice / confirmation, we will send you a visa questionnaire which you will need to complete and return to us. We will apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran for your visa. You will then be issued with an authorisation number, and we will advise you of this number. (The process of authorisation can take up to three weeks).

You can then either apply to the Iranian Consulate yourself or we can recommend a visa service that can handle the process on your behalf. The consular fee is £68 per person for British passport holders and less for some other nationalities. The Iranian Consulate will normally keep your passport for 2 working days.

Vaccinations
Nothing compulsory, but we recommend that your protection against Tetanus, Typhoid, infectious Hepatitis and Polio is up to date. Malaria exists only in the south of Iran by the Persian Gulf, areas we do not normally visit on this tour. It is your responsibility to check all relevant recommendations and also to get the most up-to-date health information for the destinations being visited. You can contact your GP or any of the following organisations:

MASTA: Telephone: 0906 822 4100 www.masta.org
Live Travel Health Line: 09068 633414
www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk

Flight Duration
Flight time to Iran from London is 5h40 with Iran Air and British Airways.

Accommodation and Transport
We have carefully chosen the accommodation for our tours with some excellent, clean and comfortable, centrally located 4 star hotels. We can also offer you the 5 Star Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan. This splendid hotel is a converted 17th century caravanserai .

A variety of transportation will be used on tour: cars, 4 wheel drive vehicles, minibuses or coaches, depending on the size of the party.