This unique trip has been designed to allow female travellers a rare opportunity to discover the lives of local women of Iran through a range of experiences otherwise off-limits to normal mixed gender groups.
Although gender segregation is not typically Iranian, strict dress codes imposed by Islamic Law have meant many places & ways of life have become segregated by default.
This is your chance to experience the hidden world of an Iranian beauty salon, wander through a female only park, and travel by public transport in the female-only carriage of the metro, local buses and an overnight train.
What will you experience on this trip?
This journey will expose you to a range of fascinating local women; young, old, religious, conservative, rural, modern and liberal.
Experience rural nomadic life with Qashqai people, meet young female entrepreneurs, and learn secret recipes from those in the know.
Shop for, prepare and enjoy a five-course meal at a local cooking school in Tehran. It’s a chance to not only experience a lively Iranian bazaar but to learn age-old secret recipes from local women.
Enjoy a picnic in one of Iran’s increasingly prevalent women only parks, one of the few places women can enjoy the sunshine without a hijab.
Immerse yourself in rural nomadic life on a beautifully remote homestay with the Qashqai people. Enjoy a meal, sing songs, try on the local dress, and give bread-baking a go.
Step inside the fascinating hidden world of an Iranian beauty salon and you’ll soon see that these are oases for many local women.
Travel by public transport in the female-only carriage of the metro, local buses and an overnight train.
Join a female scarf shop owner in Tehran to learn the many different ways of tying and wearing the iconic Middle Eastern garment.
Experience the wondrous remains of the ancient capital of Persepolis – the scale and grandeur will leave you in no doubt that this was once the centre of the known world.
While summer is a tempting option (June through to September), there’s the equally attractive option of beating the crowds and going in winter.
Intrepid says it’s their favourite time of year to experience magical Iran so consider booking a departure that runs during the cooler months of December through to February.
What will the positive impact be?
Undoubtedly, this trip will be a life-changing trip for everyone on it.
And that goes for the local Iranian women you’ll meet who will equally get the chance to connect and interact with women from another culture in a safe space.
Intrepid says they would love to open up these real-life experiences to all of their travellers; however, in order to operate in a socially responsible and culturally sensitive manner, this is simply not possible.
At least not yet anyway! If you’re interested in travelling to Iran on a similar itinerary, check out some of their other group departures or speak to your travel agent about a tailor-made itinerary.
Trip details
The trip experience includes;
- Hotel (8 nights), Guesthouse (1 night), Home Stay (1 night)
- 10 breakfasts, 6 dinners
- Overnight train, Private Mini Bus, Local VIP Bus, Subway
With included activities;
- Shiraz – Cafe visit
- Shiraz – Women’s only park
- Persepolis – Entrance and Guided tour
- Shiraz – Shahcheragh guided tour
- Shiraz – Bakery visit
- Shiraz – Women’s only Yoga Class
- Esfahan – Khaju & Si-o-seh Pol Bridges
- Esfahan – Jameh Mosque
- Esfahan – Safavid Chehelsetoon Palace visit
- Tehran – Market shopping & Persian cooking class
- Tehran – Orientation walk
- Yazd – Fire Temple and Towers of Silence visit
- Yazd – Jameh Mosque of Yazd
- Yazd – Gheimeh Yazdi, Cooking Class (Dinner)
- Eghlid – Orientation walk
- Shiraz – Nasir al Molk Mosque
- Shiraz – Women’s only Beauty Salon
- Shiraz – Home-cooked meal
12 days/11 nights from $3495*
Find out more: www.intrepid.com.au/Iran
Ask your local Travel Agent to help design your itinerary for you.
How can you travel to change the world?
Congratulations! By reading this post and taking some of these insights on board, you’ve already made a difference.
Now you can easily create your impact by sharing your new-found knowledge with other friends who you think would also be interested.
Ultimately, responsible travel comes down to common sense – stay curious, keep yourself up-to-date with the challenges at hand and make yourself accountable for your actions on your travels.