Mashhad Travel Guide
- Razavi Khorasan, Iran
Welcome to Mashhad
Mashhad, the center of religious tourism in Iran is a city with streets full of travelers. The word Mashhad means the place of martyrdom, after the martyrdom of Reza, the 8th Shia Imam. Mashhad is the capital of Khorasan Razavi province in northeast Iran. The Binalood and Hezar Masjed Mountains border this huge city. The city of Mashhad was chosen as the capital of Iran during Nader Shah Afshar’s reign after Shah Tahmasb II’s defeat. To experience an unforgettable trip to Mashhad, read this travel guide and proceed with the complete information.
There are different ways to travel to Mashhad.
- By private driver guide: You can drive on the edge of the desert through Garmsar, Semnan, Damghan, Shahroud, Sabzevar and Neishabour. The highway is about 880 km and 9 hours. If you prefer the greenery, the other road goes through the north lush forest. However, it is not a highway and takes a longer time, it is more scenic.
- By air: Although it costs more, the easiest option is to travel to Mashhad by air. The air distance from Tehran to Mashhad is 740 km and takes about 1h30.
- By train: A convenient way of traveling to Mashhad. The type and price of trains from are different (Fadak, Lux, Raja). The distance from Tehran is 925 km and it takes about 10 hours.
The climate of Mashhad tends to be cold and dry. So, this city has very cold and wet winters and hot and dry summers, and the average temperature reaches 43 degrees in summer and -20 degrees in winter.
The best time to visit Mashhad is April to May and September to October.
During summer, Mashhad is crowded when the travels to this city increases and the hotel rates go up accordingly. But in winter, the city is less crowded and the rates decrease.
Mashhad has numerous historical, natural and religious attractions.
- Natural attractions: Haft Hoz valley, Kuh-Sangi Park, Vakilabad Garden
- Religious attractions: The shrine of Reza, the 8th Imam
- Historical attractions: Malek historical house, the Bread Museum, the tomb of the great Iranian poet Hakim Abolghasem Ferdowsi in Toos, Khayyam and Attar, two great poets in Neishabour.
Due to being a tourist hub, Mashhad has numerous economy to luxury hotels available.
- 5-star hotels include Pars Hotel, Mashhad International Palace Hotel, Mashhad Golden Palace Hotel, Homa Hotel, Pardisan, Si Noor Hotel, and Diplomat Hotel.
- 4-star hotels include Parsian Hotel, Ferdows Hotel, Javad Hotel, Iran Hotel, Aban Hotel, Asia Hotel, Atrak Hotel, Toos Hotel, Mashhad Hotel, and Kosar Nab International Hotel.
- 3-star hotels include Ferdowsi Hotel, Tehran Hotel, Parmida Hotel, Helia Hotel, Atlas Hotel, Sahra Hotel, and Sea Barg Hotel.
- Apartment hotels include Azin, Zagros, Bastami and Haft Aseman.
- Mashhad hostels include Spino, Mahia, Karun No, Madaen, Heidari, Bastan, Kazemin, and many others.
Let us tell you about some famous local foods of Mashhad.
Sholeh Mashhadi (kind of soup) made up of various beans and rice is a traditional delicious and nutritious meal.
Polo Makhlut (mixed rice) is another traditional dish in Mashhad. It is a combination of meat, rice, onion, carrot, tomato paste and various spices.
Saffron is one of the most valuable agricultural products of Khorasan and one of the famous souvenirs of Mashhad. Barberries are the second souvenir of Mashhad. Mashhad is well-known worldwide as the greatest producer of quality saffron and Barberries. Neishabour is the center of turquoise artwork production due to the turquoise mine in the region.
- Bus: Mashhad Bus Organization widely covers all parts of the city. From bus terminals you can access buses, minibuses and intercity taxis, as well as public transport such as BRT, high-speed buses, intercity buses, suburban buses and minibuses, which are active during the day and night.
Subway: Mashhad 2 metro lines connect the north and south, west and east of the city. - Taxi: Intercity taxis are another public transport in Mashhad and due to a large number of pilgrims and passengers, you will have good and easy access to city taxis and the taxi fare in Mashhad is relatively reasonable. Digital and online taxis are also available in this city called Snap, Tapsi and Taxi.
