Deciding to join a tour with Nomad Tours is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Together with the guides from Nomad Tours and two other tourists I accompanied a Bakhtiari nomad family during their spring migration. The few days I spent with them were like a dream to me. As the nomad family had never seen tourists before, they seemed equally interested in us as we were in them. Although we couldn’t speak a mutual language, we were able to communicate quite well. Also, our guides translated a lot for us. We joined the family for every meal, drank a lot of tea and doogh together and even played some games.

As I had very little hiking experience prior to this tour, I found the hiking pretty tough at times. Luckily there were enough possibilities to make a short stop and Mohammad (the guide) always provided me with some energizing sweets and water. Also, I enjoyed my role as shepherd a lot, so this kept me going as well.

Immediately from the pick-up, our guide made sure that all of us felt comfortable and relaxed. This continued during the whole trip. He was friendly, funny and had an amazing amount of energy. Also, it was very clear that he was enjoying this trip a lot as well, that it was an amazing experience for him too. During a trip like this you are very reliant on the guide, so it is important that you can trust him/her. Mohammad immediately gave me this feeling. Also, when I got sick on the last day, more than perfect care was taken of me.

The organization of the trip was perfect as well. The pick-up was as agreed. Although always certain things happen during a trip which force the plan to be changed, Mohammad was flexible and handled everything very well. On the way back, we made some extra stops at a beautiful village and a huge natural spring because we had the time and he said they were worth the visit, which they definitely were. As I had no plans to join a tour like this when I travelled to Iran, I did not bring any hiking equipment. Fortunately, I could borrow all needed equipment (hiking shoes, jacket, sleeping bag, tent etc.) from Nomad Tours, free of (extra) charge!

What I like a lot about Nomad Tours is that their projects create mutual benefit for the nomads as well as tourists. They are very careful not to disturb the nomad’s lifestyle and work with small groups only. The daily schedule is completely depended on the plans of the nomads. For example, when on the morning we would start with the migration the mules were lost, there was no hiking possible on that day and the migration started the next day. This of course requires some flexibility but ensures that the nomads can continue their original lifestyle.

All in all, I can highly recommend this tour. It gives a unique insight in the life of nomads in Iran and is in my opinion the most authentic way to experience this. During the days with the nomads you have the opportunity to really bond with them, which is of course very unique. Also, the amazing landscapes and the living in wild nature is a cool experience as well. Considering that the prices of the tours are extremely reasonable, if you’re physically able to do so, there is no reason not to join one!

I spontaneously joined the Nomads Tour with Hamid and Mohammad and it definitely became the Highlight of my month in Iran.

Unfortunately I didn't have enough time for the whole tour, so I joined the small group of people halfway. It was one of the greatest experiences on all my travels so far.

You get a very authentic impression of how the Nomads live, what they do and how they organise themselves. I never thought that it is possible to experience culture in such a direct and intensive way. Of course you should not expect a lot of comfort, because you sleep in the field, eat together with the Nomads, get up early in the morning and hike with them, but it is totally worth it! And the landscape is overwhelming!

Hamid an Mohammad explain a lot, organise everything and are amazing Tour guides. They really care about nature and culture and want to contribute to the preservation of the Nomads' cultural heritage by offering those tours. And besides that they are so nice and friendly.

For those of you who want to discover a real genuine piece of Iran, this tour is the best you can do! I will definitely come back one day and then take the whole tour :)