Iranian Coast to Coast 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)