Day 10 | Monday, October 1 | Yazd Yazd, known for its very studious and religious people is also the center of Zoroastrian culture in Iran. Our first visit is to Dakhmeh, the “Tower of Silence”—a circular, raised structure used to expose the dead, much like the traditional Tibetan “sky burial.” Still in use today, we visit the Zoroastrian fire-temple holding a fire that has been kept alight continuously since 470 A.D. On to explore the 15th-century Mirchakhmaq square and the façade of the old Bazaar of Yazd, followed by a look at the precious Water Museum to discover how people have survived in such a dry, barren land for thousands of years. Yazd mosques are well known for their high and lofty minarets and you can find the tallest one on the Jame’ mosque which we will visit today along with the Seyyed Roknoddin holy shrine. From here, stroll through the spiral back alleys of the old quarters of the city, visiting the prison of Alexander, the 12-Imam mosque, and the traditional Lariha house. Lunch in an 18th-century public bathhouse, recently converted into a traditional Persian restaurant. The 18th-century Dowlat Abad garden and its lofty wind tower (badgir) is another wonder of Yazd that we’ll visit today. Wind towers, also referred to as wind trappers or ventilation towers, are inseparable parts of the architecture of central and southern Iran, and have provided natural air conditioning in this hot climate for thousands of years. The wind tower in this garden stands almost 110 feet tall, and is considered an architectural masterpiece. We’ll experience firsthand how one can be so in harmony with nature. While in Yazd, one should not ignore the Iranian traditional sweets of Baklava, Qottab and Halva. For dinner you will enjoy the Yazdi gastronomy. Yazd Hotel (B/L/D)

Day 11 | Tuesday, October 2 | Yazd-Isfahan Drive to Isfahan via Na’in, an ancient Hebrew settlement (538 B.C.) in the center of Iran. In Na’in visit a 17th century traditional Pirnia House with miniature wall frescos that houses the Ethnological Museum. Next see the Jame' Mosque, one of the first four mosques built in Iran after the Arab invasion. We have lunch in a nice mud-brick restaurant before continuing on to Isfahan. Stop in Balabad at a 17th century caravanserai. Also see a 5000 years old Qanat, an underground water system in ancient Iran. Arrive in Isfahan in time for dinner. Isfahan Hotel  (B/L/D)

Day 12 | Wednesday, October 3 | Isfahan Welcome to Isfahan, a wonderful and colorful city filled with Islamic art and architecture. Twice serving as the capital city of Iran, most recently in the 16th and 17th centuries under Shah Abbas the Great, the Persians called it Nesf-e-Jahan (half the world), meaning to see it was to see half of the glories in the world. Our tour begins with the Vank Cathedral, also known as The Church of the Saintly Sisters, which belongs to the Armenian Christians who came to this area in the early 17th century by the order of Shah Abbas the Great. In addition to the main cathedral, it houses a museum, a historic printing press, and a large library, which includes the first book printed in Iran, as well as an array of Armenian textiles. From here we’ll drive to the Sio-Se-Pol and Khajou bridges and then to Chehel-Sotoun Palace, which we’ll view large frescoes depicting court life, counterbalanced by miniature paintings of the 17th-century Safavid dynasty. Later we’ll visit the Jame’ mosque where you can study and enjoy the thousand-year history of the art and architecture of the Islamic world in Iran. At the end of the day we’ll have some time to watch the beauty of a Persian carpet being woven in a carpet shop. Enjoy dinner in the famous Shahrzad restaurant in order to test the delicacies of Iran cuisine. Isfahan Hotel or similar (B/L/D)