8 Day Persian Rock: Climbing in Alamut, Polur & Bisotun
Duration
8 days
Max Group Size
12
Departure Type
Request
Guiding Method
Fully guided
Physical level
hard
Operated In
English
Age Requirement
18 - 65 Ages
About this tour
Limestone and volcanic rock in the Alborz and Zagros the walls of Bisotun and Alamut, with certified mountain guides. Over 8 days the journey runs Tehran – Alamut – Polur – Kermanshah – Bisotun, travelled overland, with climbing on six of the eight days: single-pitch crags in the Alamut valley, bolted sport routes on the basalt of the Haraz valley below Damavand, and a full day of multi-pitch on the great limestone wall of Bisotun. For experienced climbers, safety-led throughout.
Route
- 1TehranAsiaIranStart
- 2Alamut-e Sharqi DistrictAsiaIran
- 3PolourAsiaIranAmol
- 4KermanshahAsiaIran
- 5BisotunAsiaIranEnd
What makes this tour special
Itinerary
Arrival at Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA) and private transfer to your hotel in Tehran (about 50 km, 1 hour). Late afternoon gear check and route briefing with your certified mountain guides: we confirm your grade, lead or second experience and kit, pair up climbing partners and go through the week's crags and safety plan. Welcome dinner. This trip is for experienced climbers comfortable leading or seconding outdoors at around French 6a (5.10a) or above; ropes, quickdraws and shared protection are provided, and harnesses, helmets and belay devices can be rented locally — please confirm your grade and kit with us in advance. Overnight: Tehran.
Morning drive west to Qazvin, then up the winding mountain road into the Alamut valley (about 250 km, 3.5–4 hours with a tea stop). Check in at the guesthouse below Gazor Khan, then a short 15–30-minute walk to a single-pitch crag on the valley's limestone and conglomerate for 2–3 hours of warm-up routes, so the guides can settle grades and partners before the bigger days. Overnight: Alamut guesthouse.
A full day on the valley's limestone: single-pitch and short two- to three-pitch lines with views of the castle rock, about 5–6 hours on the rock with a packed lunch at the crag. Approach walks are 20–45 minutes on steep paths. Your guides lead or set top-ropes on the harder pitches and supervise every belay. Late afternoon, an optional walk up the 400 steps to Alamut Castle (1–1.5 hours return). Overnight: Alamut guesthouse.
A travel day across the Alborz: back down to Qazvin, round Tehran and east up the Haraz road to Polur village beneath Mount Damavand (about 320 km, 5–5.5 hours). Polur sits at around 2,250 m, so the cooler air is a welcome change. Late afternoon, an easy 1–2 hour bouldering and movement session on the volcanic rock near the village to get used to the new rock type. Overnight: Polur climbers' guesthouse.
A full day of bolted sport climbing on the basalt crags of the Haraz valley around Polur, most routes graded roughly French 6a–7a and up to 25–30 m, with a few multi-pitch options. About 5–6 hours on the rock, approach walks of 15–40 minutes, and your guides leading the harder lines. At this altitude we keep the pace steady and drink plenty. Overnight: Polur climbers' guesthouse.
A rest-and-travel day with no climbing. Down the Haraz road, round Tehran and west on the motorway via Hamedan to Kermanshah (about 590 km, 7.5–8 hours with lunch and stops every two hours). Evening in Kermanshah and an early night before the big wall. Overnight: Kermanshah.
An early start for the 30 km (about 30 minutes) drive to Bisotun, a limestone wall up to 1,200 m high and 5 km wide, with more than a hundred routes from about F4 to 8c. A full day on the wall below the ancient Achaemenid and Sassanid reliefs (UNESCO): your guides choose a multi-pitch line to match the group, typically 3–8 pitches at around 5c–6b, with harder routes on request. Approach 30–60 minutes, 6–8 hours on the wall, then abseil descent. Water is scarce on the wall, so we carry enough for the day. Overnight: Kermanshah.
A final morning session (about 3 hours) at Chalabeh, a bolted limestone sport crag on the edge of Kermanshah with routes from the mid-6s upwards, or a rest morning if you prefer. Lunch, then a short transfer to Kermanshah airport (KSH), which has domestic flights to Tehran for international connections; we can book these on request. This suits flights leaving after about 15:00. Departure day.
Trip includes
Included
7 nights in total.
4★ hotels, en-suite double rooms
Tehran (1 night): Parsian Azadi Hotel;
Kermanshah (2 nights): Laleh Bistoun International Hotel.
Special stays as per itinerary: a guesthouse in the Alamut valley (2 nights) and a climbers' guesthouse in Polur (2 nights), both simple and clean, with hot showers.
A 5★ upgrade is offered as a paid add-on (see Rooms & Add-ons).
Certified English-speaking mountain/climbing guides with belay and safety supervision (shared small group of 2–12; private guiding on request)
Guiding Method
Fully guided
EnglishDaily breakfast, plus a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner, and the crag packed lunches on climbing days; other lunches and dinners excluded unless a day lists them
Private vehicle & all ground transfers
Shared climbing hardware (ropes and protection)
Crag/site fees
Entrance fees to the sites on the itinerary
24/7 on-the-ground support
Who it is for: climbers with at least a year or two of outdoor experience who can lead or second confidently at around French 6a (5.10a), belay competently and tie in without help. For the Bisotun multi-pitch day you should be comfortable on stances, abseiling and moving efficiently over several pitches. Tell us your grade when you book so we can match routes and partners.
Grades and routes: grades are given on the French sport scale. Alamut is mostly single-pitch, Polur is bolted sport climbing at roughly 6a–7a, and Bisotun offers more than a hundred lines from about F4 to 8c. Your guides choose routes on the day to suit the group, conditions and grade.
Safety: all climbing is led and supervised by certified mountain guides, with small guide-to-climber ratios and closer supervision on multi-pitch. Helmets are compulsory at every crag. Guides check every knot, harness and belay set-up, and carry a first-aid kit and a phone or radio. Routes may change because of weather, rockfall risk or group fitness, and the guides have the final say on safety.
Equipment: ropes, quickdraws and shared protection are included. Bring your own climbing shoes, harness, helmet, belay device with locking carabiners, chalk bag and a 25–30 litre pack; harnesses, helmets and belay devices can be rented locally, but rental gear is often well used. Approach shoes are useful for the steep paths.
Season and conditions: the season runs from April to October. Spring and autumn are best. In July and August Bisotun gets hot, so we start at first light and use the shaded sectors, while Polur at around 2,250 m stays cooler. Bring layers, sun protection and at least 2–3 litres of water for each climbing day.
Driving: about 1,300 km by road in a private vehicle. The two long days are Day 4 (Alamut to Polur, about 320 km, 5–5.5 hours) and Day 6 (Polur to Kermanshah, about 590 km, 7.5–8 hours, with no climbing).
Insurance: travel insurance with cover for rock climbing and mountain rescue, including evacuation, is mandatory. Please send us your policy details before arrival. Some crags are far from hospitals, so evacuation can take time.
Dress code: in towns, women need a headscarf and loose clothing covering arms and legs, and men should not wear shorts. At the crags the rules relax, but keep clothing modest; many female climbers wear a thin buff or headscarf under the helmet.
Drones: please leave your drone at home. Flying one in Iran needs a special permit, and drones are often held at customs on arrival.
Arrival and departure: the tour starts at Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA), Tehran, and ends at Kermanshah airport (KSH) in the afternoon of Day 8. Kermanshah mainly has domestic flights to Tehran, so most climbers connect there for their international flight home; we can book the connection on request (extra cost).
Excluded
International flights to/from Iran
Travel insurance (required) - climbing/mountain-sports cover mandatory
Iran visa / e-visa authorization (we can arrange it)
Personal climbing gear - harness, helmet, shoes, belay device (rentable locally)
Drinks, tips/gratuities and personal expenses
Anything not listed under Included
Availability
Loading. Please wait.
Make this journey exclusively yours
By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:
Personal
Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
Protected
Travel withing your own bubble.
Professional
Access our Travel Specialists insider knowledge.
Privacy
Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.
Why book with TravelShop Booking
Cancellation Policy
On our global marketplace TravelShop Booking Supplier is recognized globally as an online tourism marketplace connecting travelers, suppliers, and tour operators worldwide. All users acknowledge that TravelShop Booking is a platform not liable for canceled tours, poor services, or unforeseen circumstances occurring before, during, or after the tour.
Need help or have a question about this tour?
if you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We're ready to help.
You might also like these tours
Handpicked trips with a similar vibe — perfect if this one caught your eye.