The deserts of Iran are sure to delight any desert lover. They come in every shape and color. Stone deserts, salt deserts, mountain deserts, sandy deserts. Above all sandy deserts, gigantic dune mountains. They promise adventurous new territory, are almost unknown in this country and have hardly ever been traveled by Europeans. The queen among them is Dasht-e Lut in Iran. With 166,000 km2, it is the largest desert in the country and their dunes tower up to 420 meters. It is one of the driest areas on earth. Was never inhabited, in the past it was considered impassable for caravans. To this day, even tried and tested desert drivers hardly trust the center of their dune sea.

Contrary to the fear of many, Iran is an absolutely safe travel destination with an incredibly great hospitality. On our expedition we have special permission to drive through the Iranian desert areas.

This is an expedition trip with at least medium driving requirements. The vehicles must be well equipped and specially checked and prepared before the expedition. You should be physically able to cope with the requirements of such a trip. Especially the climate, deprivation, hygienic restrictions and nervous strain can be exhausting.

We divide this trip to 3 stages. Each stage is about 1000 KM (6 to 7 days) and in between we will not see any civilization. So the cars must be able to carry fuel, water, food and the required equipment for each stage.

STAGE ONE (day 1 to 7)

Dasht-e Kavir, Rig-e Jenn desert, Mesr desert, Maranjaab desert

Dasht Kavir

Dasht-e Kavir and the Great Salt Desert, is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau. It is about 77,600 km² and consist of different deserts like Maranjaab, Rig-e Jenn and Mesr, which we will cross all in the first stage.

This stage will finish in Khur small city, where we can refuel the tanks and do some shopping for the next stage.

STAGE TWO (day 8 to 13)

In this stage we will cross the 2 main deserts which connect the Dasht-e Kavir to Lut desert. Like the other deserts of Iran these areas was abandoned during the history. We will have some surprises in both of these deserts for you. 

This stage will finish in Birjand, where we refresh up and stay in a hotel to get ready for the 3rd stage, the absolute highlight in Iran.

STAGE THREE (day 14 to 20)

Dasht-e Lut

Like Dasht-e Kavir this desert contains different regions. The sand dune area named Yalan dunes (Yalan means heroes), they was impassable until few years ago which we finally cross them through different sides. The dunes pile up like mountains, high, steep, sometimes extremely soft. The level of difficulty can be adjusted according to previous knowledge. We will reach the fingers of Yalan dunes which holds the highest dunes (420 meters) of this desert. We drive across a wide plain from the Lut dunes to the star shaped dunes and Kaluts. These sandstone formations, which have been eroded over thousands of years, sometimes look like sunken castles. This spectacular area is unique in the world and it is the heaven for desert lovers.

This stage will finish in Kerman and we can help you on planning your trip afterwards. According to your time and preferences, we can manage to continue this expedition to the south of Iran for 1 more week or help you to visit 3 main cities of Iran (Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd).

General information about the Iran deserts expedition

Social interaction

Such a journey demands a large dose of tolerance, team spirit and not least a lot of humor from all participants. If you are looking forward to the diverse encounters with other people and can also be open to your own mistakes and weaknesses of other people, you will master the travel in the team very well.

It is expressly an expedition trip with the corresponding requirements for participants and vehicle. The starting point and end point are fixed. In between, there may be adjustments to the planned route for a variety of reasons. The schedule is feasible without stress. Unforeseen events such as breakdowns or waiting times at checkpoints should be dealt with as a team. Helpfulness and joint problem solving are basic requirements for working together on a long expedition. The tolerance mentioned at the beginning is not just a catchphrase.

Vehicle and equipment

A technically flawless, well-equipped and solid off-road vehicle is a basic requirement for participation. The vehicle must be verifiably checked and prepared for this expedition trip. A vehicle-specific spare parts package is mandatory.
The tank range of the vehicle should be at least 1000 km. Drinking water and process water should be calculated for 7 days.
We will discuss our equipment and technology list with you personally.