Iranian Kurdistan is a vast region on the west side of Iran in the heart of the Zagros Mountain Range sharing borders with Iraq-Kurdistan. This area is an untouched region with scenic landscapes, untouched nature, and rich culture, which has remained less visited and is a heaven for nature lovers, adventurers, and travelers who are interested in visiting Iran for the second time and looking for something further than ancient monuments. Iran is home to 10 million Kurd people mostly living in Kermanshah and Kurdistan Provinces located in this region. Iran Kurdistan Tour of PackToIran is designed for second-time travelers to Iran and explorers who are curious about the Iranian-Kurdish culture and visiting its exotic villages which not many people have heard of. Below, you can read about one of the Kurdistan Tours that was operated by our team in Autumn 2019:
Day 1 - Arriving in Tehran
The tour was started early morning at IKA Airport where we met the guests. They were a group of 5 photographers from Switzerland who had come to Iran in 2017 for the first time and took a 2 week Iran Cultural Tour. After checking in at the hotel in Tehran we started out Tehran city tour and visited the UNESCO listed Golestan Palace, which is a historical complex of royal mansions and palaces dating back to the Qajar Era. Then we explored the National Museum of Iran and the Islamic Art Museum and went for a welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant.
Day 2 – 4 Exploring Hamadan
After having breakfast, we hit the road and moved towards the west of Iran and the historical city of Hamadan (320 km). On the way, we stopped to visit Lalehjin Town, known for its traditional pottery industry. Some of us tried doing some pottery on the pottery wheel. Then we enjoyed visiting the Alisadr Cave, which is the world’s largest water cave and has wonderful stalactites and stalagmites. In the afternoon we arrived at Hamadan and checked in at the hotel.
The next morning, we visited the Ganj Nameh inscriptions related to Darius the Great and Xerxes, the kings of the Achaemenid Dynasty, and the Tomb of Esther o Mardkhai which is one of the most important holy shrines of the Jewish people in the world. In the afternoon we visited the tomb Aveccina Tomb.
Tomb of Aveccina - Hamadan, Iran
Day 4 – Towards Sanandaj
We drove to the Kurdish land of Iran, the city of Sanandaj which is the center of Kurdistan Province. This city has the second largest population of Kurdish people in the country. In the city, we visited the Asef Mansion and the Khosro Abad Mansion and then took a long walk along the traditional bazaar of Sanandaj which was a special experience for the group. They met the Kurdish locals and got acquainted with their traditional outfits and lifestyle. We also visited the Sanandaj Museum to learn about the history of the Kurdish people in Iran.
A Kurdish local in Sanandaj
Day 5 – 7 Uraman Takht Village
In the morning we drove to the highlight of our tour through the breathtaking roads (155 km), the Uraman Takht Village, which has been recently registered on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site (the 26th UNESCO site in Iran). With more than a thousand years of historical background, Uraman Takht Village is located in the Uraman region (Howraman) and what makes this exotic village stand out is its stepped architecture and rich culture.
Uraman Takht Village - Kurdistan, Iran
We spent the day trekking around the village and enjoying the scenic view of the village located on the foothills of a steep valley. Our walking tour got even more pleasant after the light rain that made the colors more vivid. We spent two nights in an ecolodge in this amazing village. On the second day, we continued exploring the village and its untouched culture, and after enjoying a Daf (Iranian percussion instrument) music performance, we had a memorable dinner with a local family in the village.
Uraman Takht Village - Kurdistan, Iran
Day 7 – Palangan Village
We said goodbye to the Uraman Takht Village and moved to the next wonderful destination, the Palangan Village, located 110 kilometers away from Uraman. Palangan is another stepped and mountainous village in the heart of the remote Zagros Mountain Range. We had a relaxing day, spent communicating with the locals, doing some photography, and enjoying the pleasant sunlight. In the evening we went to a small restaurant by the river and had some barbequed freshly caught fish, which was an unforgettable meal.
Uraman Takht Village - Kurdistan, Iran
Day 8 –9 to Kermanshah
The Uraman Takht Village and Palangan Village are located between Kurdistan and Kermanshah Provinces so the next destination was Kermanshah, a historical city which is the center of the province with the same name and is home to the biggest population of Iranian Kurdish people. On the first day in Kermanshah, we visited Tekyeh Moaven ol Molk. This place is a religious building where Shiite Muslims gather for Muharram rituals and exhibits a world of traditional tile working showing different designs from floral and geometrical ornamental designs to painting from historical events and characters. Then we explored the Taq-e Bostan ancient site which includes Sassanid bass reliefs carved on the rocks in vaulted frames, like the coronation of Ardeshir II and the kingdom of Shapur III.
The next day we woke up early to have enough time for our last visit. We drove 42 kilometers to visit the UNESCO-listed Bistoun (Behistoun) complex including heritages from different eras like the Hercules statue, the Shah Abbasi Caravanserai, and most importantly the bass relief and the multilingual inscription of Darius the Achaemenid king. After this visit, we drove back to Kermanshah and caught our flight back to Tehran. After a free afternoon in Tehran, we gathered for the farewell dinner and went to the hotel.
Taq-e Bostan - Kermanshan, Iran
Day 10 – Departure
We checked out and transferred the group to the IKA INTL Airport to catch their flight back home. This was an amazing experience and trip not only for our guests but also for PackToIran team. We had the chance to communicate and collaborate with the hospitable and responsible Kurdish people in the west of Iran and manage this unique tour through off-the-beaten-track Iran and get a perfect result.
