Yazd Transportation

We flew from Tehran to Yazd by Iran Air - a 70 minutes flight on a very modern and comfortable Fokker 100 plane. We bought our ticket in Italy, and it costed about 30 euros, including delivery. This route is served 3 times a day. As far as I know it's the only route out of yazd by Iran Air. Iran Aseman Airlines serves the same route while Iran Air Tours also flies twice a week to Mashhad.

Other transportation facilities include buses to Tehran (10 hours), Esfahan (5 hours), Kerman (6 hours), Bam (9 hours), and Shiraz (7 hours) - as well trains to Tehran via Kashan and Qom (overnight) and to Bandar-e Abbas (9-10 hours). We took a taxi from Yazd to Esfahan, and the scenery was very deserted and barren, a bit repetitive in the long run. Considering the cheap flights, it would make more sense to fly from Tehran, rather than bus it all the way through.

Walk as much as you can! I made a walk to Ateshkadeh. It was not that near my hotel (Silk Road hotel), but I don't regret the time I spent. It was interesting to see the small shops, people talking or running dressed in traditional Asian clothing. It was a pleasant walk.

I went from Yazd to Esfahan by old Mercedez bus. The journey took 5 hours and the cost of ticket was only 12 500 rials. The taxi ride from Yazd center to bus station cost 10 000 rials in the day (when I went for ticket) and 15 000 rials in very early morning.

I rented the car in Pars tourist office - http://www.key2persia.com/. I paid 60 usd for the trip. The driver was very nice man speaking average English. In Pasargadae he explained some facts about the places we visited. He even made a quick stop in Abarqu, so I was able very quickly to see few interesting places there.

I bought the bus ticket for Esfahan, from Yazd, at the bus station two days before going (on the way to the Tower of Silence). The ticket was IR 24 000 (July 2006) and the bus was a comfortable, air-conditioned one.

As on many of the Iranian buses a movie was shown. From the beginning I didn’t pay attention, but after a while I realised someone spoke English and it continued to be a mixture of English and Farsi spoken. The movie was very easy to follow and was about an American man falling in love with an Iranian woman, and the name was something about an Iranian wedding. I wonder if it was to have a good view of the movie the driver had told me to have another seat than on my ticket. At least he glanced at me a few times when there were funny parts as to see if I enjoyed it.

The journey to Esfahan took about 4,5 hours and the bus stopped at Jey Bus Terminal east of the city. From the bus terminal to Aria Hotel the taxi was IR 15 000. In Yazd the taxi from Silk Road Hotel to the bus terminal was IR 10 000.

A popular day tour from Yazd is to visit Kharanaq, Meybod, Ardakan and Chak Chak. I asked for it at Silk Road Hotel and they arranged for the driver and guide Hassan to come the next morning. The tour was IR 350 000 (July 2006), so it is good if you can find someone else at the hotel to share the price with.
We first went to the village Kharanaq and after to Meybod. I asked for Ardakan, but Hassan wondered what I wanted to see there, as there was nothing to see. We went there (as it is very close to Meybod), but the bazaar was closed and people were going to Friday prayer at the mosque. The last stop was Chak Chak. We didn’t stay to have lunch, but only ate snacks. But I’m sure if you want to stay for lunch somewhere it is okay. Bring a lot of water as it is very hot. It was 46 degrees C the day I went on this tour.

In Yazd I met some people who had taken a tour from Shiraz in the morning and during the day visited the four sites; Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam, Naqsh-e Rajab and PAsargadae. And after they drove on to Yazd. The price was IR 500 000 (July 2006), and I heard it was the same going the other way round.

Seeing the sites along the way between Yazd and Shiraz, instead of making a daytrip from Shiraz and another day take a bus between the cities, will save you a day.

I visited the four sites on a tour from Shiraz and for that I paid IR 350 000 (July 2006).

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I booked my bus ticket for Yazd via Pars Tourist Agency, which was very easy and it didn’t cost any extra. I took the morning bus, which leaves at 7.30 from Carandish Bus Terminal. It was an old Merzedes bus without air-condition (the 2pm bus is a better bus) the price was IR 18 000 (July 2006). Unfortunately I got a seat on the sunny side and not close to a window that could be opened. It was a very hot journey! During the seven hours the trip took the bus stopped only once for passengers to go out and buy things and visit the bathroom.
A taxi from the bus terminal in Yazd to Silk Road Hotel was IR 10 000.