Iran Saffron Barberry Tour | 5 Days Eastern of Iran
Iran Saffron & Barberry Tour| 5 Days unique Trip in Eastern of Iran ;
Iran is the first and largest producer and exporter of saffron and barberry in the world. Khorasan Jonobi Province and Ghaenat district as important centers produce about 90% of Iran’s saffron and barberries. In this tour you learn about everything to do with saffron and barberries; planting, harvesting, production and packaging and you visit saffron fields during the harvest season and join the locals in the process of picking the flowers and separating the stigmas, and learn about the traditional grinding process.
Destinations: Tehran- Birjand- Ghaenat- Mashhad – Tehran
Day 01: Tehran- Birjand, By Flight
Fly to Birjand and transfer to the hotel. Full day city tour of Birjand to visit: Shokatieh School (the 3rd European School in Iran, built in 1905), Birjand Castle, a 16th Century building and The Shokatieh Gardens (A UNESCO World Heritage site). Birjand overnight.
Day 02: Birjand – Ghaenat (156 km)
Early morning drive to Ghaenat. We will stay at an old local house. We will be welcomed by saffron tea, fresh squeezed barberry juice and some local pastries and sweets. After a short rest and refreshment, we will drive to a barberry orchard to participate in barberry picking. Our next destination will be one of the largest barberry production facilities in Iran. After lunch you have an opportunity to visit the many cultural features of a desert city. Local home overnight.
Day 03: Ghaenat
In this special day, we will wake up at 5 a.m. to drive for a Saffron field. We will accompany the local women folk for a morning of saffron picking. You will have your breakfast in the field. It will be one of the most unforgettable breakfasts of your life: Iranian sweetened tea served with homemade cheese, fresh, hot milk, hot loaves of flat bread flavored with walnuts and garlic, mountain honey, fresh cream, butter, sesame Halva, rice Halva, eggs and chamomile and finally a cup of hot local Osh will turn this cold morning into a warm memory— Nush-e jan.
After breakfast, we will visit the women folk in their homes while they are separating the saffron stigma and we will see the traditional process of preparing the saffron. Then we will visit a modern, mechanized saffron processing facility. We will have lunch at a local family home. You will see the way of life, culture and hospitality of the people of this land. After a short rest, we will visit the nature of the desert and do some other sight- seeing around the city. Ghaenat overnight.
Day 04: Ghaenat – Mashhad (402 km)
En-route to Mashhad we wille stop over to visit the longest Iranian Qanat. These underground aquifer systems were developed by Iranians in the first millennium BCE to bring water from the mountains to the foothills. Ghaen’s Qanat chain is composed of 800 wells.
Mashhad is Iran’s holiest and second-largest city, it is famous for having the Shrine of Imam Reza which is one of the most beautiful pilgrimage sites in the world. Visit Imam Reza’s holy shrine and Naderi Museum and have evening excursion at Reza Bazaar. Mashhad overnight.
Day 05: Mashhad, Departure Day
Transfer to the airport for the flight home/ Tehran, or continue Iran adventure by visiting Iran’s highlighted destinations; Shiraz, Yazd, Isfahan and Kashan.
Included Services: Accommodation with Breakfast, Local Tour Guide, All Transfer with Private Coach, Domestic Flight Ticket
Best Time to go: From 27 Oct to 21 Nov
Tour Grade: 1/5
Highlights: Cultural, Historical and Nature Sightseeing Tour
From 249 € per person.
150 € per week
Note: * price per person based on a minimum of 2 persons.