Desert Camping Tour
- Duration: Afternoon, early evening, normally 5 hours
- Departure:approx 18:00 (Can change considerably as sunset varies).
- Return:approx 08:30 the next morning (we are quite flexible on returning time)!
- Price:25€ per person
- Stargaze and watch the Milky Way. In case you are reaching us in daylight, you can basically enjoy some sand-boarding as well.
- Tent and all the sleeping equipment (light mattresses, pillows, as many blankets as you want…) will be provided for your comfort. You privacy is 100% secured with as many tents as you order!
- There is a English-speaking guide, and a private car with a private driver with you. Feel free to ask him in various spots on the way, and ask your guide any questions you might have! The price of guide and driver are, of course, included!
- Dinner of course! We’ll make a fireplace where we share our stories and experiences while drinking herbal tea. We will barbecue chicken kebab, and of course lots of vegetables. It is super important for us if you are vegetarian/vegan.
- Watch the sunrise up among the many sand dunes (only if you feel to wake up early)
- Breakfast is served in the guesthouse and included in the price.
We will give you a room in the guesthouse where you can put your luggage and taking a shower after coming back from the desert.
Please note that this tour easily can be combined with our Afternoon Tour, and simply stay in the desert after enjoying the sunset during our Afternoon Tour. We also advice you to bring some warm clothes (mostly of course in cold seasons) for stargazing/walking around as it can get cold at night. As for shoes, sandals are fine for during the day! We will supply all the necessary camping equipment for a comfortable stay.
Morning Tour – Abandoned Caravanserai, Hike a Volcano and more…
- Duration:approx 5 hours
- Departure:approx 05:30 (08:30 in mid-November-February)
- Return:approx 10:30 (12:30 in mid-November-February)
- 1 Person:22€
- 2 People:30€
- 3 People:35€
- 4+ People: 11€ per person.
- If you are on a tight budget, you can always come to guest house and share the taxi with other guest to split the price of tour, there are often some other guests in our guesthouse to share the tour with. So, ready to make new friends?
- Driving along a branch of the Ancient Silk Road, and reach to one of the most authentic caravanserai of Persia.
- There is a English-speaking guide, and a private car with a private driver with you. Feel free to ask him in various spots on the way, and ask your guide any questions you might have! The price of guide and driver are, of course, included!
- Watching sunrise with a picnic breakfast at an abandoned caravanserai (Possible to start the tour after breakfast if you prefer)
- Visiting a water spring and a water reservoir along our route!
- Hiking a volcano and enjoy a magnificent view of the Gavkhooni Wetlands from the top.
- Go bird watching (seasonally possible) at several oases and waterfalls. We have got quite a huge colony of flamingos in particular! You may find the contrast of dunes behind the river extraordinary!
- The idea is also visiting some farms, and see how the farmers spend their day! So, we will visit either of these places: a camel-mill or/ a singing ox-mill/or Henna-mill working.
- The volcano, caravanserai and ox-mill have been the highlight of this tour.
Afternoon Tour – The True Desert Experience
- Duration: Afternoon/Evening
- Departure:approx 15:00
- Return:approx 20:00
- 1 Person:22€
- 2 People:30€
- 3 People:35€
- 4+ People:11€ per person. If you are on a tight budget, you can always come to guest house and share the taxi with other guest to split the price of tour, there are often some other guests in our guesthouse to share the tour with. So, ready to make new friends?In low season, you may ask for little discounts as well!
Please let us know as early as possible whether you will join us on this tour, so we can organize the cars and picnic in the best possible way. Among many Varzaneh desert tours, we try to organize those more environmental-friendly, and easier to contact
- Visit abandoned Zoroastrian temples with a natural water spring. Learn about this ancient pre-Islamic religion of Persia.
- There is a English-speaking guide, and a private car with a private driver with you. Feel free to ask him in various spots on the way, and ask your guide any questions you might have! The price of guide and driver are, of course, included!
- Drive, walk on, and wade in the salt lake. We visit various part of the salt lake, including the polygons, and where there are pools of water
- Watch the sunset from the mystical golden sand dunes
- Sandboard on the 60m high dunes (1.5€ extra)
- Star-gaze and watch the Milky Way in the desert
- Includes a light snack in the dunes.
Please note that this tour easily can be combined with our Desert Camping Tour, so you can stay among the dunes to enjoy the Milky Way, Moonrise and much more fun. If you wish to wade in the Salt Lake, we recommend that you bring a towel and clothes you can wash afterwards. Sandals for the dunes aswell as warm clothes for stargazing is also recommended, especially duing the colder months of the year.
Ghoortan Citadel Tour – Visit the pearl of the Varzaneh desert
- Duration:1-2 hours
- Departure:On Request
- Price:8€ per Car (max 3 people)
- (price is per car not per person)
- Learn about the lives of inhabitants in an ancient citadel. The 1000 year old mud-brick citadel is situated 12 km from Varzaneh. The Ghoortan people have protected the Citadel from numerous external attacks preserving their village and culture
- There is a English-speaking guide, and a private car with a private driver with you. Feel free to ask him in various spots on the way, and ask your guide any questions you might have! The price of guide and driver are, of course, included!
- Enjoy having a nice view of Zayanderud river and mountains from rooftop of citadel with 14 watchtowers
- Explore abandoned houses to get a sense of the traditional way of life
- Visit the mosques, local kitchens, watchtowers and much more
Persian Medicine Tour – Drink different kinds of herbal teas while learning about Persian Medicine
- Duration:approx 3 hours
- Start time:On Request
- 1-2 People: 9 €
- 3+ People:4 € per Person
- Enjoy testing at least 5 different variety of aromatic herbal teas whilst learning about medicinal properties of each
- Learn about the basics of Persian medicine and how the correct nutrition, diet and lifestyle choices can help you achieve a more “balanced body” for your type. The knowledge you gain can be used when you return home to your own country. The idea is to see how staying health is not actually very difficult
- We keep drinking some medicinal tasty herbs, until we fall asleep (as we normally organize it in evenings)
- We can arrange for you to experience this tour under the stars in the desert. For this option we will take a cab together to the dunes that are just a few minutes away. An additional charge of 4 Euro per taxi will be required
- If you prefer we can also arrange for this Aladdin’s Tea Party to be held on our rooftop or in the common area of the Guesthouse instead. Magic genies not included!
Mohammad has been involved with partially and studied herbal medicine for a number of years, yet he admits that his knowledge is limited as this is an ancient tradition and there is much to learn. Persian medicine focuses on how to lead a healthy life. One may see the influence of Persian medicine to modern medicine through Avicenna. Each patient is said to have their own unique humeral composition, learn about yours!
Varzaneh Tour – Culture and History
- Duration:approx 5 hours
- Departure:On Request
- 1-2 People: 15€
- 3-4 People: 24€
- 5-6 People: 30€
- Take a stroll through the city and visit the 600 year old Jamie Mosque, Yusefi Traditional house (and ethnology museum), Pigeon Tower, Zayanderud River and Old Bridge
- Visit an Caravansarai, currently under restoration
- Drive out of town to visit the Camel-mill, Ox-well complex, Henna-Mill, Handicrafts workshop (We cover for sure one of the places mentioned).
*You will of course be accompanied by an English speaking guide during the entire tour. We also advice to bring some money, in case you will get the urge to buy some of the fairly priced handicrafts.
*All entrance fees are included.
Persian Cuisine Tour – Learn to cook a traditional Iranian meal with Mama Fatima
- Duration:approx 4 hours
- Start time:4 hours before lunch/dinner
- 1 Person:12€
- 2 People:15€
- 3 People: 21 €
- 4+ People: 6 € per person
- Cook with Mama Fatima (or any other locals) in their traditionally decorated homes
- You can request which meal to cook as well as other delicacies like traditional healthy sweets. Mama Fatima knows most traditional Iranian meals, though getting the ingredients depend on the season
- You will get to know more of an Iranian kitchen
- You will be served some herbal tea and snacks whilst you prepare the meals
- Occasionally, we may go shopping in the local market to help the chef to purchase the ingredients, or just visit after cooking an Iranian traditional mini-market, to get to know more about herbs, spices, and ingredients we use in Iranian cuisine
If you want to prepare a special dish, please let us know some hours in advance so that Mama Fatima will have the ingredients.
Some of the favorites that guests have appreciated learning and trying Kashk bademjan, Salad Shirazi, Kookoo Sabzi, Fesenjan, Ghormeh Sabzi, Kalajush, …
Hamam Tour – Health Restoring
- Duration:2-3 hours
- Start time:On Request
- Price:12€ per Person
- Sniffing snuff (aka anfieh). It will makes you sneeze a few times, and rising our mouths using natural mouthwash.
- Inhaling some burning esphand (wild Rue or Harlem), and frankincense.
- We then go to the bathhouse for our bath, massage and ointment treatment. We use the traditional herbal soaps, lotions, shampoo and ointment for all treatment. Your body will be treated and cleansed naturally in the traditional way, just as it would in the old days.
- Exfoliating and body scrub with Kisseh and Sefidab by a masseur/masseuse, a second shower and a body scrub with washing-mitt and herbal soap and medicine natural handmade shampoo. We can also offer vacuum cupping if you wish
- “Warm-up” massage by masseur/masseuse (as Persians call it: mosht-o-mal). We will then have a full body massage with olive oil or sesame oil ointment. You will picked up from the Hammam and returned to the guesthouse
- Back at the guesthouse you will be served refreshing hookah (ghalyan/shisha) with natural herbs and tea
Traditional public bathhouses or Hammams, as they are known in Iran, were once a common feature of most towns and villages and important part of Iranian people’s lives. Over times with the introduction of bathrooms in people’s homes and modern life style changes, the use of public bathhouse has diminished. Many of remaining bathhouses, stunning and beautifully designed building have been turned into museums or tea-houses. We are happy to be able to offer you this unique experience in a traditional bathhouse building in Varzaneh.
Please notify us as soon as possible so we can make the arrangements.
Please also notify us about any relevant health issues prior to the tour.
Hair removal is recommended before starting the tour.
Music Night
- Duration:30-60 minutes
- Start time:On Request
- 30 minutes:5€
- 60 minutes:10€
The payment goes directly to the musicians
Enjoy listening to local musicians and artists whilst eating delicious dinner and drinking tea around our fountain. Traditional music in a traditional home! We offer guests the opportunity to enjoy folkloric music and witness how Persian instruments are played. We need some hours in advance for arrangement, if possible!
Whenever you feel like this unique experience, let us know and we will endeavor to organize this with our local musicians.
Hiking Tour
- Duration:4 hours ( but just around 40 minutes walking)
- Departure: depends on sunset hour
- 18 € for 1 person (in a private taxi)
- 25 € for 2 persons (in a private taxi)
- 30 € for 3 persons (in a private taxi)
- 9 € per person, for 4 people or more in a taxi
- Stop by a small village, with a nice castle, some gardens, an incredible qanat (sort of oasis) and water reservoir.
- Walk from one village to another village (or take a tour returning to the same village).
- See numerous beautiful mountain villages with qanats and nice gardens.
- Have time for photos, to enjoy the view, to have good conversations and much more.
- Explore the traditional mud-brick houses and some beautiful gardens (in the village where we arrive after the hike)
- Have a picnic next to a Qanat spring of water, where we will enjoy some seasonal fruits (e.g. watermelon) and herbal teas.
- Be accompanied by a guide who will lead you and tell you some interesting facts.
The hiking tour takes place 40 km from Varzaneh and takes around 4 hours of walking. The starting time of the tour is variable: Either the hike begins with the sunrise or ends with the sunset.