Things to do in Bandar Abbas
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bandar Abbas
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
The only comfortable window, with daytime roughly 23 to 26 C, warm sea and workable walking on Hormuz, Qeshm and in the Geno mountains.
Warm in March and hot by April, with Nowruz domestic travel filling ferries and hotels in late March.
Extreme heat and humidity, highs 37 to 39 C and peaks of 45 to 47 C, nights 28 to 33 C, usable hours only early morning and after sunset.
Still hot, with early October highs in the mid 30s C and high humidity before the turn to the good season in late October.
What's on
- Nowruz around 20 to 21 March
Persian New Year and the biggest domestic travel peak of the year, filling Bandar Abbas hotels, ferries and roads.
Best things to do in Bandar Abbas
Hindu Temple
An 1892 Vishnu temple built by Indian merchants, now a museum and the clearest sign of the old Gulf trade.
Bandar Abbas Fish Market
Go early to watch the Gulf catch land and be sold, then eat it cooked at stalls beside the market.
Persian Gulf Anthropology Museum
The best indoor hour in the city, covering Bandari dress, boats, pearls and Gulf seafaring life.
Kolah Farangi Edifice
A Qajar era octagonal customs mansion that recalls the port in its Dutch and British trading days.
Bandar Abbas Old Bazaar
The working covered bazaar for spices, fabrics, shell crafts and falafel, busiest in the morning.
Soro Coastal Park
The old Soro quarter and its seafront park, the easiest sunset walk as the heat finally drops.
Where to stay in Bandar Abbas
Pasdaran Boulevard
longer stays, families and pool time
Seafront boulevard with the Homa Hotel, the anthropology museum and the evening promenade.
City Centre
short stays, bazaar and ferry access
Around Enghelab Square and Imam Khomeini Boulevard, with the top, mid and budget hotels and the shortest ride to the ferry port.
Think twice about
- Shahid Rajaee and Shahid Bahonar port industrial zones
Working container, oil and naval port areas with truck traffic, no visitor facilities and strict photography sensitivity. Use Shahid Haqqani passenger port for ferries and do not linger or photograph in the cargo port zones.
Best restaurants in Bandar Abbas
Badban Seafood Restaurant
A sit down seafood restaurant locals use for grilled Gulf fish, shrimp and Qalieh Mahi.
Mr. Fish Restaurant
A mid range seafood spot for whole grilled fish and rice, useful when the market stalls feel rushed.
Bandar Seafood Restaurant
No frills seafood cooking right by the fish market, where you eat what was landed that morning.
Khorsand Seafood
A small seafood takeaway behind the fish market, strong on fried fish and shrimp at low prices.
Outdoor things to do in Bandar Abbas
Rainbow Valley
Mineral hills striped red, yellow and white on Hormuz, best walked early before the heat builds.
Red Beach
Iron rich red sand and red tinted surf on Hormuz, reached by local three wheeled taxi.
Portuguese Castle
The 1507 Portuguese fort at the north tip of Hormuz, with cannons, cistern and sea views.
Stars Valley
Wind carved pillars and canyons on Qeshm that local legend blames on a fallen star.
Chahkooh Canyon
A narrow slot canyon on Qeshm with sculpted walls and old wells cut into the rock.
Hara Mangrove Forest Protected Area
A boat trip through Qeshm mangrove channels at high tide, with herons, egrets and winter migrants.
Hengam Island
A short boat hop from Qeshm for dolphin watching in the morning and a silver sand beach.
Geno Biosphere Reserve
Cooler mountain air, hot spring pools and hiking north of the city, a winter escape from the coast.
Best hotels in Bandar Abbas
Hormoz Hotel
The city top tier five star listed hotel by Enghelab Square, with pool and business facilities.
Homa Hotel
A large seafront resort style hotel on Pasdaran Boulevard with pool, gardens and Gulf views.
Atilar Hotel
A central four star listed hotel near Hefdah Shahrivar Square, a step down in price from the five stars.
Iran Hotel
A simple central three star listed hotel on Imam Khomeini Boulevard for a cheap, clean base.
Is Bandar Abbas expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | IRR 20,000,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | IRR 45,000,000 a person |
| Splurge | IRR 90,000,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Book the Hormoz or Homa hotels ahead for Nowruz and winter weekends, when domestic visitors fill the city.
- Little else needs booking months out; for now, do not book until conditions change.
Is Bandar Abbas safe?
- Wrongful detention is a real risk in Iran, and there is no home embassy in the country.
- Do not photograph port installations, military sites, officials or checkpoints, and do not fly a drone near the strait.
- From May to September stay outdoors only before about 9am and after sunset, as highs can reach 45 to 47 C with very high humidity.
- If someone claiming to be police approaches you, ask for identification and a uniformed officer and do not hand over documents or cash or get into a car.
Bandar Abbas travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Listing site prices for Iranian hotels in dollars or euros are routinely stale or converted at the wrong rate, so verify the rial price with the hotel.
- Prices are quoted in toman and one toman is ten rials, so a quoted figure is usually a tenth of the rial amount.
- Ferry timetables published online are indicative only.
- Do not buy or accept illicit alcohol anywhere in Iran, as methanol in drinks has caused deaths and serious illness.
Getting around Bandar Abbas: public transport and more
- Passenger ferries for Qeshm and Hormuz leave from Shahid Haqqani port, Qeshm in about 30 to 40 minutes on frequent daytime sailings and Hormuz on a sparser timetable.
- Confirm ferry times at the port the day before and carry your passport for ticket purchase, as sailings change and rough weather cancels them.
- In the city use taxis and local drivers and agree the fare in advance or use the ride hailing apps residents use.
Who Bandar Abbas suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | OK |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Bandar Abbas your trip
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