Adventure Iran

This tour is a combination of three different activities. The main activity is 4 days’ mountain biking for nature lovers (moderate to challenging), second part would be an exploring tour to main attractions of northern Iran, the valley of assassins, Alamut castle, Masuleh exotic village, Rasht sightseeing and Caspian Sea and third activity would be hiking in Gale Rudkhan “Rudkhan Castle”. The biking route is between central Alborz mountains to the Caspian Sea. This route follows millennia old routes that have been established in humans, which their origins are lost in the fog of time. More recently our journey was made famous by a British lady who came to these parts about one hundred years ago in search of the valley of the assassins and wrote a book about her adventures. Her name is Freya Stark and her book is available in English. This is a memorable trip not only because of biking in extraordinary landscapes and the variety of terrains, but also because we cross paths with history and myth some of which have acquired world renown. This is a voyage through a region that was the territory of Ismaelies and the famous Hassan Sabbah and his infamous Alamut Castle. The castle and quite a few other fortifications belonged to the Hashashin or what in the west is more commonly known as the Assassins. Biking will start from around 1200m altitude from the sea level and we will bike up some hills and mountains on the way. The highest point of the trip would be around 2800m and when tour finishes we will be at sea level in the Caspian Sea.

Highlights:
Exceptional Biking route through spectacular mountain scenery
4 days’ mountain biking in Alborz Mountain range
One-day sightseeing in the Alamut Valley and hiking to the Castle
Taste Persian local cuisine
Sightseeing & photography around Ovan Lake & village
Photography from Andej canyon” Red rock”
Visiting fabled ruins of Alamut historic castle
Local home stay & socializing with indigenous peoples
One-day exploring tour in the Caspian Sea, visiting tea plantation & factory, pottery workshop, rice farms, local fresh market and Anzali lagoon
Visit historic village of Masuleh & Rudkhan Castle

Central Alborz Mountains in northern Iran is one of the best locations for both amateur and experienced cyclists. Depending on your preparation and fitness level, we offer easy to moderate cycling routes on dirt roads or challenging downhill on single track roads for small groups. The itinerary below is recommended for end of spring, summer and early autumn, but can be adjusted in accordance with your time of travel and preparation level.

For road cyclists, we customize a route running between towns and villages in the Central Alborz Mountains, starting or finishing in Tehran with overnight stays in hotels or private houses.

Passing rivers and canyon by Bicycle
Local home stay in non-touristic village in Iran
Dizin and Darbandsar single track mountain biking
Crossing two protected areas in Central Alborz mountains
Overnight staying in Shemshak village near the ski resort
Crossing Lar National Park with mountain bike
Adventure mountain biking in Lar national park
Camping inside of the protected area 
Spectacular view of Mt Damavand in cycling route

As Adventure Iran office is based in Lavasan (northern Terhran countryside) in central Alborz mountains, we have designed a lot of mountain biking route in the heart of Alborz mountain for who would like to have activity in neighbouring village near to capital city of Tehran. This trip has been designed to be moderate and is perfect for people who have limited time in Tehran or it’s perfect for those who want to escape the crowded and polluted Tehran to a quiet village with fresh air. The highlights of this tour are: meeting local people in the village, Persian food, staying in a renovated local house and beautiful mountain biking route ring around the Shemshak ski resort.

In the afternoon of the first day we will transfer you from Tehran to Shemshak village to stay overnight. This will acclimatize you for a better ascend tomorrow. Early morning the next day, we will start mountain biking from the village toward the pass through a dirt road. Before the pass we have a great view of the Shemshak ski resort and a couple of villages around the area. In the pass if the weather will be clear you will have an amazing view of Mount Damavand and a couple of high peaks in central Alborz mountains. Afterward continuing mountain biking to complete our ring around the ski resort. We will have decent to another village and from there we will back to the starting point of the village. Please inform us your bike size before your arrival. The length of the route is 14.7 km and our total ascent is 976 m and total decent is 976 m.

Visiting Shemshak and Sepidestoon villages
MT Damavand view in a pass
One night sleep in high altitude village of Shamshak (2700 m) 
One day Mountain biking around the ski resort of Shemshak

Most travelers who visiting Iran and Tehran have no chance to see the countryside while there is great offerings around Tehran for adventure/cultural tourists. There are ski resorts, wildlife, protected areas, rock climbing opportunities, seasonal ice climbing and mountain biking areas around Tehran. It would be a good idea to escape Tehran and relax in the villages nearby for a couple of days. In this village you will experience fresh weather and calmness forgetting the pollution and noise of Tehran. The altitude of the village is around 2000 m from the sea level and is covered by mountains of Central Alborz.

In autumn, the weather is a bit colder and color of nature changes, making one of the best seasons for biking between villages. Also, you can expect the rain during the autumn.

You spend two days mountain biking in Northern Tehran in the central Alborz Mountains in two regions. We run Mountain biking trips from Tehran into the nearby mountains. They are Fantastic Mountain biking tours based in Tehran and this tour is a short one. A short overnight mountain bike tour will start from the capital and we pick you up at your hotel in the afternoon and head to a village one hour out of the capital. The first day is just relaxing and arrival. The next day, you will have a full day biking through a combo of paved and dirt road. There is the trails and mountain tops for a great day of mountain biking.

This is an opportunity for who has not much time to take a Mountain Biking tour to a remote area and seek to experience two days biking in Tehran countryside. Also the bikes are included on this tour package and different sizes of the Mountain Bikes are available to pick and you can choose one of them.

Escape from Tehran to a village in country side 
Staying overnight in the village inside of the Mountain
Beautiful landscapes, rivers, sounds and colors of nature in a non-touristic area
Mountain Biking through asphalt and dirt road
Passing through Mountains ideal for photography

This package covers 350 km biking in central Iran mostly in desert areas plus visiting two main touristic cities of Esfahan and Yazd. There are two world heritage sites in Esfahan and lots of interesting attractions in Yazd. The biking route is part of ancient Silk Road disconnecting you from daily life by taking you to the remote areas. We will come across various mountain slopes, dried-up rivers as well as the magical desert with its different colors and formations. The biking route in this itinerary is a mixture of paved and dirt roads. The journey is led by professional crews and supported by vehicles. An English speaking MTB guide will be with the group during biking activity in the field. The tour will start from Esfahan with a short sightseeing of the city. A biking loop will take us to Yazd, after visiting this ancient city we will cycle back to Esfahan to complete the circle. There will be 7 days of biking between two cities. The main part of the route is flat but sometimes for having the best view and visibility we will go up the sand dunes in the desert. There is the possibility of seeing wild life such as camels, rabbits, foxes and so on.

Biking through many villages and oases
Associating with locals
Biking on parts of the historic silk road
Exploring historic villages such as Garmeh, Iraaj and Bayazeh
Visit main highlights of two ancient cities, Esfahan and Yazd
Visit two UNESCO world heritage sites of Esfahan, Masjed-e Jame (Friday mosque) and Meidan Emam

It’s an efficient Iran cycling holiday trip to cover the most famous UNESCO cities of Iran for who like to combine the cycling activity with cultural-historical holiday. You will be cycling along Iran classic route from Shiraz to Tehran with passing Yazd, Isfahan, Kashan which is main Iran heritage cities and Abyaneh historical village. Also on this route you will visit the main important sites by your bicycle. Distance between Shiraz to Tehran via minor road is about 1000 km and your cycling part will be about 350 km. The route for cycling design via minor roads between small town/villages and you will pass through different landscape from Shiraz to Tehran. You will pass through high mountain roads, flat desert dirt roads and single track of the villages. The accommodation is combination of classic hotels, Persian historical house (boutique hotels) and historical renovated caravanserais. You will have cultural guide for main cities and your mountain guide will be with you for cycling part of your journey.

A cultural- cycling Iran holiday on Iran’s classic route
Visiting the main historical & cultural sites of Iran
Sightseeing of Shiraz, Yazd, Isfahan, Kashan and Tehran
Covering 9 UNESCO cultural worlds heritage sites of Iran
Amazing experience stay in Iran’s historical caravanserais
Cycling alongside Zagros Mountains
Visiting Abyaneh historical Village by Bicycle

Imagine you can cycle from unspoilt beaches with palm trees, going through deserts, across forests to high mountains, experiencing a wide range of altitudes: from 28 meters below sea level to 2500 meters; Achaemenid era ancient trails, with snow-capped Mt. Damavand (5,610 m) in the distance, through 8 of Iran’s provinces, crossing National Parks, visiting UNESCO Heritage sites like Shiraz, Persepolis, Yazd, Isfahan, Kashan and Tehran.

Adventure Iran launches a 700 km cycling tour from the South to the North of Iran. The terrain is a mixture of coast, hills, mountains, deserts and forest roads. Our route crosses national parks, protected areas, villages and some of Iran’s world famous cities like Shiraz, Esfahan, Yazd, Kashan and Tehran. The level of difficulty can vary from moderate mountain biking to challenging routes in steep mountain areas. The road surfaces are a combination of dirt roads, a few single-track roads and paved road in non-tourist areas.

The climate will change from the south of Iran on the Persian Gulf to the north and the Caspian Sea. Depending on the time of year, we can have a difference of around 20°C to 30°C between the hottest and coldest places. Where we can swim in Persian Gulf coast in March, April, October and November, we will have snow-capped mountains on our way to the north. One of the main highlights of this route is a variety of food in each region. The route passes through 8 of Iran’s biggest provinces, so there will be the spicy seafood of the Persian Gulf and vegetarian food of the Caspian Sea making for a unique experience. You will fly into Tehran and take a night train to Bandar Abbas where you will start cycling. From Bandar Abbas you will have three weeks’ journey with 14 days of cycling north to the Caspian Sea. We have chosen a variety of terrain which is a combination of Persian Gulf costal roads, paved back roads between small towns, tarmac roads between villages, dirt road in the deserts, short single tracks in the villages, dirt roads in the forests, showing many of Iran’s hidden spots. In the main cities you will visit UNESCO sites as well as other highlights of the towns and also experience the local food in typical Iranian restaurants. The journey is led by a professional crew and supported by a vehicle. An English speaking MTB (Mountain Bike) guide will be with the group from the beginning to the end. In the main cities for the cultural visits, an English speaking local guide will join us to give a more detailed explanation of the local ancient country. With the support vehicle, anyone who would like to skip a part of the cycling can travel in the vehicle. You can bring your own bicycle or rent your MTB from us. Some areas on our cycling route are protected regions managed by the Iranian Department of Environment, and we cross Hyrcanian forest which is the UNESCO natural heritage site. We need to apply in advance to get permits to enter to the parks for each cyclist. If you would like to reduce the length of the journey and just choose some part of this trip, please get in touch.

Experience the different climates of Iran
The variety of coastal, mountains and desert roads
Visiting the most famous Iranian UNESCO world heritage, cultural/historical sites
The historical exotic village of Abyaneh and meet the local people
Crossing the Dasht-e Kavir desert and unforgettable night Maranjab Caravanserai
Crossing Kavir National Park in Dasht-e Kavir desert
Cycling through Hyrcanian forests in the south of the Caspian Sea (UNESCO Natural site)

It’s an Adventure & Active mountain biking tour to the Qeshm, Hormoz and Hengam islands in the Persian Gulf. On this journey you will experience totally a different aspect of other regions in Iran. The local people, ethnics, food, language, customs, architecture of the village and amazing mix of Arabic and Persian culture is the key to experience in travelling to the Persian Gulf.

You will have experience plus cycling around 300km in the islands via mix of dirt and asphalt road. You will pass a plenty of villages and attractions en route and we will go across of local tribe which they has kept their own old tradition and custom. The coast which you will visit in this journey is dotted with small villages and towns. Small wonderful islands of this itinerary are located around Qeshm, each with its own attraction and characters.
In Qeshm you will see Hara Forest (Mangrove), Stars Valley, Chah Kuh canyon, Laaft Historic Port.

In Hormoz Island you will explore the Portuguese Castle and enjoy swimming in the Persian Gulf. You will have a full day biking in some non-touristic & unexplored regions around the island.

We will also have a short visit to Hengam island by boat to watch the Dolphins wandering in the Persian Gulf.
At the end you will fly to the Capital which you will have one day city tour with visiting of the main attraction of the city and visiting Tehran Golestan Palce. (world heritage site).

Visiting Qeshm Island and Geo park
Bird watching in Hara mangrove forest (Jangale Hara)
Bandar Laaft, England historic graveyards, Lenj factory (handmade boat factory), Qeshm Star valley, Chah Kuh valley, Salt cave, Kharbas caves, Naz island
Visiting Laaft historical village and seaport with its special architecture, water reservoirs & wells including wind catchers
Visiting Hormuz rainbow Island: Remaining of Portuguese Castle
Visiting world heritage site of Tehran (Golestan Palace)
The amazing taste of local food in Persian Gulf region

This adventure single track mountain biking has been designed to be challenging and is perfect for who have experienced riders in the mountain. The region of biking is Dizin, Shemshak and Darbandsar ski resorts which are the three main ski resorts of Iran. All of the three ski resorts are around each others in the high mountains of central Alborz. As these resorts are in north of the capital, in the Tehran countryside, its perfect for those who want to have a short mountain biking trip outside of polluted. Most of riders book this trip in summer time when Tehran temperature is above 40 degrees as we have a breeze and pleasant temperature in the mountain. Also, this trip will be available from mid spring (early May) up to mid autumn (end of November). In Spring you will face spectacular scenery of mountain which still snow in the top of mountains and make amazing picture of nature. There are a wide range of flowers and plan make the terrain green and colourful. In beginning autumn temperature a bit cold and sometimes we have the wind on the ridge and you have to be prepared for fall rain. The first day is warm up mountain biking in Shemshak ski resort and its half on the dirt road and half downhill on a single track. The second day is ascending to the top of Dizin ski resort in 3700 m height and we will take a mountain ridge from the peak of Dizin towards the peak of the Darband sure ski resort. We will cross Darbandsar on our way and then finish our mountain biking in another village at the end of the valley. In some part of the day we have to carry the bike for a while sometimes and also we have to find our own track in some part as there is no official track on the ridge line. All riders must have good shape with experience mountain biking single track roads. The length of the route is 11 km and our total ascent is 600 m and total descent is 1200 m.

Visiting Shemshak and Sepidestoon villages
Spectacular views of Dizin and Darbandsar ski resort
Climb up to Cichal peak, top of Dizin ski resort – 3800m 
Spectacular view of MT Damavand
Mountain biking on the ridge line from Dizin ski resort to Darbandsar ski resort 
One night sleep in high altitude village of Shamshak (2700 m) 
One days challenging Mountain biking

This is an amazing opportunity for all travelers to have an exciting adventure mountain biking in one of the closest national Park in the Capital’s countryside. We will send you to the heart of the Alborz Mountains in the park, which is surrounded with many mountains and for two days. We have a challenging biking from Northern Tehran towards the Damavand mountain through Lar national park. We will finish our mountain biking trip in Polor which is in south of massive mount Damavand. From there we will collect the bikes and we will back to Tehran from Haraz main road to the capital takes two hours. We will be Tehran by the evening on the day 3. We will have approximately 100 km cycling this tour and we will cross a couple of mountains, canyon and rivers to reach polor which is the foothill of Damavand Mountain. The valley is a vast area and on early in the season in May will cover different type of flowers. We have to cross the Lar rivers for a couple of times and that would be a good to be prepared with extra cloths and sandal. Also, there is an amazing canyon on our way to the camp area and we have to carry the bike for an hour through a magnificent river of Lar. We will have camping in the National Park and we will supply all of the camping stuff and gears and sleeping arrangement as well.

To get the permit to a National Park for foreigners takes time and extra paperwork so advance booking is mandatory.

Passing Lar National Park with bicycle
Visiting nomads and shepherd areas on the trail
Camping in heights of Mountains inside of the park
Crossing the vast valley of Lar protected area
Adventure biking with crossing rivers on the single track roads
Untouched landscapes, rivers, sounds and colors of nature in a non-touristic area
Spectacular view of central Alborz mountains, ideal for photography