For more information contact the Travel Department Phone: 215-561-4700 x 209 or 217 Toll free: 800-942-5004 x 209 or 217 E-mail: travel@wacphila.org Website: www.wacphila.org/travel

Tour Price: $6,720 Single Supplement: $1,340

INCLUDED Accommodation as listed in the itinerary in double occupancy • All meals • All sightseeing in a deluxe, air- conditioned coach • Internal flight Special meetings • WAC Study Leader * • Pre-departure materials and reading list • Services of local Iranian guides • Gratuities

NOT INCLUDED International airfare into Tehran and out of Isfahan (approximately $1,250 in economy) • Visa fees for Iran ($140 at time of printing) • Luggage charges • Medical expenses • Trip Insurance • Items of a purely personal nature

*Based on a minimum group size

ACCOMMODATIONS

Tehran: 3 nights Espinas Hotel

Shiraz: 2 nights Homa Shiraz Hotel

Yazd: 2 nights Moshir Garden Hotel

Kashan: 2 nights Manouchehri Hotel

Isfahan: 3 nights Abbasi Hotel

Visit the home of AyatollahKhomeini

Marvel at the spectacularCrown Jewels in Tehran

Explore the ancient city ofKashan

Learn about Zoroastrianism inYazd, the religion’s center

Enjoy a day trip to the ruins ofPersepolis

“It’s hard to pick out a highlight as

the whole trip was excellent and

filled with introductions to so many

aspects of the country, its culture,

its history and its people.”

Martey Rhine, CT Join Jim Falk, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, to learn about ancient Persian civilization while traveling to golden deserts, glittering canals of water, crumbling clay-baked caravanserais and a horizon pierced by mosques and turquoise minarets.

Beginning in Tehran, spend a morning at the Archaeological Museum with its fine collection, marvel at exquisite Persian miniatures housed in the Reza Abbasi Museum and enter the basement vault of the Bank Milli Iran to view the spectacular Crown Jewels.

Then, fly to Shiraz, a city of beautiful gardens and marvelous poetry. Spend the day at the vast archaeological site of Persepolis. In Yazd learn more about the Zoroastrian religion. Drive to the ancient city of Kashan and end the day in the magnificent city of Isfahan whose monuments are recognized as the perfection of Islamic architecture. Throughout this journey a highlight will be the Iranian people you will meet – in markets, in parks and by visiting their country’s magnificent sites.

Explore Isfahan, the mostbeautiful of all Iranian cities

April 21 - May 4, 2017

With Jim FalkPresident and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

Reservation form for “Inside Iran 2017” tour 

Name(s):

Our Iran tour leader Jim Falk, President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth since 2001, has personal connections to the Middle East and familiarity with the history and dynamics of the region. During high school, Jim lived in Tunis, Tunisia, and attended a French lycée (secondary school), earning his baccalaureate in philosophy and modern languages. After graduating from Washington and Lee University, where he studied political science, he earned a Master’s Degree in International Law and Middle East Studies at the University of Virginia. His advisor was Rouhollah K. Ramazani, regarded as the “dean emeritus” of American scholars on Iran and U.S. foreign policy. In 2013, Jim was appointed Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Morocco for the State of Texas. A veteran global traveler, Jim has led several successful Council tours. Lana Ursprung of Hartford, Ct., a traveler on a Falk-led tour of Morocco in 2014, captured the benefit of having a veteran leader when she said, “Jim Falk’s enthusiasm and knowledge enhanced our tour experience.”

Address: Email: Single Twin Roommate*

(*If we cannot find a roommate, you must pay the single supplement).There currently is a state department warning for Iran. More can be read at: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/iran-travel-warning.html Please acknowledge you have read the above cancellation terms and travel warning and accept them. (Final payment due 90 days prior departure: Jan. 21)

Signature:I am a member of the Council Distant Horizons-Contact me about air

Sunday, April 30 - KashanMorning visit to the Garden of Fin, Abbasian House, typical of the 18th century, and later, Tabatabei House, renowned for its stained glass work. Afternoon at the historic Kashan Bazaar, a center of trade for almost 800 years. Shop, then enjoy a cup of tea and excellent cookies! BLD.

Monday, May 1 - IsfahanDrive to Isfahan, stopping in the traditional village of Abyaneh, designated an Iranian Cultural Heritage site. In Isfahan, visit the Garden of Nightingales, one of Isfahan's two surviving Safavid pavilions. Dine in the hotel’s beautiful courtyard, a converted caravanserai. BLD.

Tuesday, May 2 - IsfahanExplore Isfahan, perhaps the most beautiful of all Iranian cities. Visit the Palace of Forty Columns, a charming pavilion used to receive dignitaries and ambassadors, Imam Square, which is actually a huge rectangle measuring 1,674 feet by 540 feet and is enclosed by double-storied arcades. Four jewels of 17th century architecture adorn each side of the square, and Lotfallah Mosque, constructed between 1603 and 1617, which served as a private chapel for the Imperial family. Enjoy lunch in the bazaar with free time. BLD.

Wednesday, May 3 - IsfahanVisit the Friday Mosque, a veritable museum, with its tiled iwans, vaulted ceilings and lofty domes displaying 800 years of Persian religious architecture. Tour the Five Bridges. Drive to the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, home to fourteen churches and Vank Cathedral, with an interior covered with gilded carvings and Biblical paintings. BLD.

Thursday, May 4 - Depart IsfahanTransfer early morning to the Isfahan airport for your departure flight.

General Information:The infrastructure in Iran is quite good with modern roads and buses. Hotels are comfortable with private bathrooms and air-conditioning. Food is freshly prepared and we eat at delightful local restaurants. Participants should be dressed modestly and women will be required to have their head's covered while in public areas. Please note that alcohol is illegal in Iran.

Cancellation Terms:Up until January 20: a refund less a $300 cancellation charge. After January 21 (final payment deadline): No refund issued. No refunds shall be issued after the tour has commenced. No refunds shall be issued for any unused services. The World Affairs Council sells travel insurance which is highly recommended.

Please return with a $600 per person deposit made out to Distant Horizons to: World Affairs Council of Philadelphia One South Broad St. 2M Philadelphia, PA 19107 800-942-5004 x 209 or x 217 travel@wacphila.org www.wacphila.org/travel or Distant Horizons at 800-333-1240

Friday, April 21 - Depart the U.S. and arrive Tehran Saturday, April 22. Arrive in Tehran, and transfer to your hotel. Meet Jim Falk and your fellow travelers for dinner this evening. D.

Sunday, April 23 - TehranVisit to the Archaeological Museum and Glass and Ceramics Museum. After lunch, view the spectacular Iranian crown jewels including the world’s largest uncut diamond and Peacock Throne. Meet Nazila Noebashari, owner of a private art gallery. BLD.

Monday, April 24 - TehranVisit the Niavaran Palace and Museum, a complex of two palaces, a pavilion, Persian gardens, a museum and a smaller gallery. Close by is the modest home of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Meet staff of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, promoting science, research and conservation. BLD.

Tuesday, April 25 - Tehran to ShirazExplore the Islamic Museum prior to flight to Shiraz. Tour the Eram Gardens, meaning heavenly, within the Shiraz Botanical Garden. Visit the tombs of Iran’s most famous poets, including the celebrated poet Hafez, well-known to Iranians. BLD.

Wednesday, April 26 - Shiraz This morning drive to Persepolis, perhaps one of the most beautiful and spectacular archaeological sites surviving today. Work began in about 520 BC. Afternoon, visit Naghsh-E Rostam, located near Persepolis, containing the carved tombs of four Achaemenian kings. In Shiraz, visit the city’s citadel and the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, derived from the color of the tiles. BLD.

Thursday, April 27 - YazdMorning drive to Yazd, stopping en route at Pasargad, site of the first Achaemenian capital in 550 BC. Then explore the small village, Taft, where a large number of Zoroastrians still live. BLD.

Friday, April 28 - Yazd Yazd is perhaps the most Persian of all cities. Learn about the Zoroastrian religion, whose practitioners are followers of Zoroaster, born about 550 B.C. in what is now Afghanistan. It was one of the first religions to postulate an omnipotent, invisible god. Dinner at a café frequented by many young professionals. BLD.

Saturday, April 29 - KashanMorning drive to Kashan, stopping in Meybod, an ancient city dating to the pre-Islamic era. Continue on to Na’in, well known for its carpet-making. Kashan is the epitome of everything Persian - from its mosques, caravanserais and stately gardens to its carpets, ceramics and delicate embroideries. BLD.