Golestan National Park or Golestan Forest is a protected area in the east of Golestan Province and west of Northern Khorasan.

This area is the oldest registered national park in Iran and a rare wildlife shelter that has included 1350 plant species and 302 animal species, about half the mammal species in Iran in about 900 square kilometers and that is why it has been registered in UNESCO list as the biosphere reserve of the world heritage. One eighth of the plant species, one third of bird species and more than 50 percent of mammal species live in this park.

Just beyond the park’s eastern tip lie a ruined caravanserai and an appealing little village with a Sassanid-era fire temple ruin.

Itinerary

• DAY 1: Tehran – Miankaleh – Zaqmarz 9 h 3 min (645 km)

  Early in the morning, we drive with a comfortable cab or VIP bus to Miankaleh peninsula that is a Biosphere Reserve located at the south-eastern part of the Caspian Sea and watching birds such as: Coot, Purple Swamphen, Smew, Flamingo, White-Headed Duck, Red-Breasted Goose, and Whooper Swan.

  O/N Local Village House in Zaqmarz – B, L, D

• DAY 2: Zaqmarz – Golestan Park 3 h 36 min (258 km)

  In the morning, we’ll drive with a comfortable cab to Golestan National Park with 900 square kilometer area that has 1350 plant species and 302 animal species including half of the mammals of Iran. It is one of the best natural reserve in the Middle East.

  For the first time in 1958 the forests located in eastern parts of Golestan province were selected as a protected area. Later in 1976 it was changed to the first national park in the country and now it is the oldest and biggest national park in Iran and one of 50 UNESCO biosphere reserves on the earth.

  At first, we will start visiting the west entry, called Golbagh, walking and a little mountain climbing around the Golestan National Park at Tange Gol guesthouse (the previous king’s villa), visiting the Mirza Bayloue’s variety museum in this park.

  Then we’ll move to the East of the national park for visiting Alme, Alme Valley and see deers, rams, and ewes, we’ll stay in the Solegerd’s police station in the northeast of the park, a great bivouacking at the Solegerd’s police station.

  O/N Golestan (Camping Included) – B, L, D

• DAY 3: Golestan Park – Tehran 7 h 28 min (620 km)

  Before departing Golestan province, we’ll visit incredible Khalid Nabi Cemetery in the hills of Turkmen Sahra. The ancient graveyard contains some 600 tombstones of unknown origin, many of which are clear representations of the phallus; from a distance they resemble stone pegs. In this mysterious cemetery, gravestones carved from monolithic stones are divided into three general categories:

  • Cylindrical-shaped headstone for men’s grave.
  • Headstone shaped as tow hemisphere for women
  • Gravestones shaped as a ram’s head. In the old culture of Turkmen, ram is a symbol of power and domination.

  Our tour will finish when we head back to Tehran. – B, L, D

RELIABLE, PROFESSIONAL & LOWEST PRICES

Our guides are certified and will enthusiastically tell you about the glorious history of each site. We make use of comfortable cars and we’re praised for the delicious and authentic restaurants we bring our guests to. And because our guides are also driving, we manage to keep the costs down for this incredible tour!