Bandar Abbas
Introduction
Bandar Abbas is a port city on Iran's southern coast, facing the Persian Gulf. It serves as the capital of Hormozgan Province, as well as of Bandar Abbas County and its Central District.
Before you go
Bandar Abbas is a port town, and many of its residents have come from other parts of Iran for work, so the city has a mixed, working character rather than a resort feel. The original inhabitants, known as Banduris, are often recognisable by their colourful clothing and burqas. Swimming in the sea is inadvisable because it is polluted, so plan your time around the shore rather than in the water. Expect serious heat: much of the city shuts down during the hottest part of the day, when it is too hot for anything but the mildest activities. Build your days around that rhythm, and treat the cooler hours as your window for getting out and about.Getting there
Bandar Abbas is served by domestic flights to Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashad and Tehran, plus an international connection to Dubai. Daily trains run from Tehran and Mashhad, while trains from Isfahan run every second day. The railway station sits north of the city, not within walking distance, but plenty of buses and taxis cover the distance.
- By bus: services connect with Tehran, Kerman, Shiraz and others. The bus terminal is on the east side of the city, around 5 km out by the coast, and is signposted in English from the edge of the city.
- By boat: the Strait of Hormuz has short distances and numerous islands, so boat travel is common. Several weekly international ferries run from Sharjah, an hour north of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, operated by Valfajr Shipping Company. National Ferries Company runs ferries from Khasab, the Omani enclave at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula. Daily local ferries connect with the nearby islands of Hormuz and Qeshm. As a major freight port, freighter travel from Pakistan and India may also be possible.
Getting around
Bandar Abbas is a hot desert city on Iran's southern coast, and summer heat and humidity shape how you'll want to move around. Plan to cover longer hops by taxi or bus, and save walking for short stretches in the cooler parts of the day. There is no metro or tram network, so buses and taxis are the practical options for public transport within the city.
Buses are the main form of public transport and also serve the areas around the city's transport hubs. Taxis are widely available and are the most straightforward way to cover the gaps that buses don't fill well, such as the run between the railway station north of the city and the centre, or reaching the long-distance bus terminal on the eastern edge with luggage. Neither the railway station nor the bus terminal is within walking distance of the centre, and the same goes for the airport, so budget for a taxi or bus on arrival rather than expecting to stroll into town. Walking works for short trips within the central area; winter is far more comfortable for getting around on foot, while summers are extremely hot and humid, making long walks in the middle of the day best avoided. Local ferries are a form of transport in their own right here: daily services connect the city with the nearby islands of Hormuz and Qeshm, and boat travel is common around the Strait of Hormuz because the distances between ports and islands are short.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Bandar Abbas is limited, and budget travellers in particular will find it hard going. The budget options that exist include Mema Pazir Bouali, which offers both four-bed and double rooms, and the Kowsar Hotel, which has twin rooms. Be prepared to spend more than you might expect, or plan to head elsewhere. For a more comfortable stay, the city's upmarket choices are the Hormoz Hotel and the Bandar Abbas Homa Hotel.Food & drink
Bandar Abbas is a port city, and its food reflects that: you will find Gulf seafood and the spiced, aromatic cooking of southern Iran, shaped by trade routes that have passed through the region for centuries. Expect fish and shrimp, rice dishes, and the sour, tangy flavours typical of the south, along with dates and citrus grown in the surrounding hot, humid coastal plain. For drinking, the city's role as a port and its warm climate shape what you'll find: fresh fruit juices and sherbets are common, and tea is drunk throughout the day. Alcohol is not legally available in Iran, so plan around soft drinks, juices and tea.What to see and do
Bandar Abbas has few must-see sights, but the liveliest part of town is the bazaar, which rambles across two blocks just back from the seafront and is probably the most colourful corner of the city. A seafront promenade leads east and hosts an evening flea market; at its far end you'll find the busy fish market, where charismatic old salts are happy to pose for pictures with their catch. A few metres east of the bazaar stands a huge mosque whose construction appears to have restarted, despite local concerns that the engineering is not good enough for a major earthquake zone. You can also visit the Cultural Museum of Handicrafts. For a change of scene, head out of town to the Genoo thermal spring, about 34 km northeast of Bandar Abbas on the Sirjan Road. Its water is high in dissolved calcium and sulfates, and is used both for irrigating the surrounding palm groves and plantations and for bathing. There are two segregated pools, one for ladies and one for gents.When to go
Bandar Abbas has a hot desert climate, but the Persian Gulf shapes it in ways that matter when you plan a trip. Summers are brutally hot and oppressively humid: the onshore flow from the warm Gulf keeps moisture in the air, so heat indices climb well above the already high air temperatures on most days, and the difference between day and night stays smaller than in most desert climates. If you travel in summer, expect to move slowly and seek shade and air conditioning during the middle of the day.
Winter is the more comfortable season, with mild conditions, though nights can still turn cold enough that you will want a jacket. Rain is low year-round, so you are unlikely to have plans ruined by wet weather, but humidity remains noticeable even outside summer. Whenever you go, plan around the heat and humidity rather than rainfall.
Three days in Bandar Abbas
Day one: Start in Bandar Abbas itself, the capital of Hormozgan Province in Iran, sitting on the Persian Gulf. Get your bearings in the Central District of Bandar Abbas County, where the city's bazaar life and waterfront give you a feel for the place. The locals, known as the Banduris, have long looked across the water, and you can too. Swimming is possible, but expect heat and humidity for much of the year, so plan your walking for the cooler hours.
Day two: Build a day around the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that has made this coast matter for centuries. Several ferries and boats work these waters, with services toward Qeshm and onward links that have long connected Iran to Dubai, Sharjah and the wider United Arab Emirates. Valfajr Shipping Company and National Ferries Company are among the names you may come across, with routes reaching Khasab on the Omani Musandam Peninsula. As a port, Bandar Abbas has drawn traders and travellers from Pakistan, India and beyond.
Day three: Plan your onward travel. Buses and taxis connect Bandar Abbas with the rest of Iran, including Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, Tehran and Kerman. Daily services run, and English is not always widely spoken, so it helps to have your destination written down. If you are flying out, the city's links to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates make it a natural gateway between the Persian Gulf and the rest of the region.