Target your Iran Family Adventure in Qazvin

Leave the bursting capital city for a two-day trip to the splendid city of Qazvin among orchards and history. As the main city of the Silk Road, the Safavid capital has been a centre of Persian culture for centuries. To appreciate it, start by visiting the delicate ChehelSotoun Palace, a legacy of the Safavid and Qajar Dynasties, whose stories are depicted on the walls of the palace in stunning murals miniature. In the museum of the palace, kids and grown-ups can be initiated to the art of Iranian calligraphy painting.

Nearby is Sa'd Alsaltaneh caravanserai, one of the best-preserved and prettiest Caravanserais in Iran, and nowadays still the heart of the city. Wander quietly in the covered brick alleys to be amazed by its stunning domes and take the pulse of Qazvin's bazaar. In this peaceful atmosphere, you can observe craftspeople making traditional local handicrafts while learning more about the remarkable Persian architecture.

Discover the traditions of rural life

Enjoy local Qazvini food and have your children discover some tasty specialities. Then, head toward the small village of Alolak, 15 kilometres away. Nestled in green scenery, meet with local villagers and kids. You soon realize how family and kids are crucial and beloved in Iranian culture through the warm welcoming of the village's inhabitants.

In the glimpse of an eye, your children are already playing traditional games and having some outdoor fun with the other kids. Gather with a local family to learn how to make cute Persian dolls, an ancestral local custom, before cooking some delicious meal altogether and enjoy the calmness of the village for the rest of the day.

From the fruit gardens to the holy shrines

Wake up with the sound of birds and animals, which invites your family to explore the small paths of the village. This gentle walk is leading you to heavenly gardens where you can enjoy handpicking fruit in fruit season or simply wandering in the green sight of remote landscapes. After a delightful lunch in absolute native taste, embark your family back to Qazvin to rejoin more cultural and historical monuments.

Inside the traditional house and holy shrine, the beauty of Persian architecture over the centuries is another way to be introduced to the history of Iran. The Friday Mosque is indeed one of the oldest of it, recalling the stories of Zoroastrians, the Safavid Empire, and the Mongol invasion while standing in awe in front of the blue tiles mosaics covering its dome and minarets.

Walk through the first street of Iran designed in the Safavid era when this city was once the capital of the Safavid kingdom and get to feel the beating heart of Qazvin city going forward to the Ali Qapu portal.   

Brief Itinerary:

Day 1: Departure from Tehran. After two hours of driving, we reach Qazvin. Start by visiting ChehelSotoun Palace and being introduced to calligraphy. Then visit the SadolSaltaneh Caravanserai with Qazvin’s bazaar, to learn about its architecture. Have the most well-known food of Qazvin as lunch in a restaurant before leaving for Alolak Village, 15 kilometres away. In the village, meet local people, play traditional games with kids, experience creating Persian local dolls, and prepare dinner with your host. At night, stay in a local house in the village.

Day 2: In the morning, walk through the village's paths, rest and pick fresh fruits in beautiful gardens. Have lunch in the village, before getting back to Qazvin where you can visit more historical monuments, such as the Mosque, crypt and traditional house.