Things to do in Hamadan
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Hamadan
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is a best window after the Nowruz rush, roughly 10 to 25 C with green hills and some rain.
Summer is hot and dry by day, roughly 25 to 35 C, but cool in the evening at altitude, and peak season for Ganjnameh and Alvand.
Autumn is the other best window, cooling from about 20 C to 5 C, with mountain colour and thinning crowds.
Winter is cold and snowy, roughly minus 10 to 5 C, with ski season at Tarik Darreh and disrupted roads to outlying sights.
What's on
- Nowruz around 20 to 21 March
Persian New Year and the biggest domestic travel peak of the year, filling Hamadan hotels and Ali Sadr Cave.
- Sizdah Bedar 13th day of Nowruz, early April
The national outdoor picnic day, when the whole city heads outside, including to Ganjnameh valley.
Best things to do in Hamadan
Mausoleum of Avicenna
The tower tomb of Avicenna, physician and philosopher, and the emblem of Hamadan, with a small museum and library.
Hegmataneh Museum
The museum on the excavated hill of ancient Ecbatana, Median capital and a UNESCO listed site since 2024.
Gonbad-e Alavian
A Seljuk mausoleum with plain brick outside and extraordinarily dense carved stucco and a crypt inside.
Tomb of Baba Taher
The park mausoleum of Baba Taher, the 11th century poet of short Persian couplets, in the northwest of the city.
Tomb of Esther and Mordecai
A small domed mausoleum held to hold Esther and Mordecai, and the most important Jewish pilgrimage site in Iran.
Stone Lion
A weathered ancient stone lion on a plinth, one of the oldest monuments in Hamadan and a five minute stop.
Hamadan Bazaar
The covered Qajar bazaar for carpets, leather, copper and spice, and for Hamadan sweets such as komaj bread.
Hamam-e Qal'eh Museum of Anthropology
A restored Qajar bathhouse turned anthropology museum showing traditional Hamadani trades, dress and ritual.
Where to stay in Hamadan
Abbas Abad and Eram Boulevard
quietest, greenest base
Near Ganjnameh and the theme park side of town, with the city's top local hotel and a well regarded smaller hotel.
Bu Ali Sina and the centre
walking to the main sights
Best for the bazaar, Hegmataneh, the Avicenna tomb and the Alavian Dome on foot, with a central mid range hotel.
Baba Taher Square
northwest sights
Handy for the Baba Taher tomb and the Stone Lion, with a large mid range hotel on the square itself.
Best restaurants in Hamadan
Shandiz Haji Restaurant
A traditional restaurant inside the historic Haji bathhouse, best for kebab, baghali polo and the celebrated sides.
Aryaeiyan Traditional Restaurant
A top ranked traditional restaurant in District 1 serving classic Persian dishes for lunch and dinner.
Nal Eshkeneh Restaurant
A long running local restaurant on Kulab Boulevard known for eshkeneh and hearty Hamadani dishes at lunch.
Abdi's Potage House
A no frills ash and haleem house on Bu Ali Sina Street, open from early morning and ideal winter food at altitude.
Spiyas
A small Italian and fast food spot near the centre, the budget change from kebab and ash at local prices.
Outdoor things to do in Hamadan
Ganjnameh Inscriptions
Trilingual cuneiform inscriptions of Darius and Xerxes carved into Alvand rock, beside a waterfall and valley cafes.
Ganjnameh Telecabin
The gondola from Ganjnameh valley up to the Mishan Plain on Alvand, for high meadow views and summit trails.
Mount Alvand
The 3,574 metre mountain above Hamadan, climbed from Ganjnameh and Mishan Plain, a serious highland day in season.
Ali Sadr Cave
One of the world's largest water caves, toured by boat and on foot through lit water filled chambers north of Hamadan.
Lalejin
Iran's pottery capital north of Hamadan, with working kilns, workshops where visitors can try the wheel, and shops.
Best hotels in Hamadan
Parsian Hamedan Hotel
The top of Hamadan's local market on Eram Boulevard, a large full service hotel in the green Abbas Abad side of town.
Baba Taher Hotel
A large mid range hotel on Baba Taher Square with big rooms, a praised breakfast and a handsome lobby.
Katibeh Hotel
A smaller hotel in the Abbas Abad neighbourhood with two restaurants, a rooftop terrace and a cafe.
Parsian Buali Hotel
The long established central Parsian hotel on Bu Ali Sina Street, large rooms at fair value with visible wear.
Amaday Hostel
A family run hostel with dorms and private rooms, praised for hands on help with taxis and Ali Sadr day trips.
Is Hamadan expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | IRR 20,000,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | IRR 50,000,000 a person |
| Splurge | IRR 120,000,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Ali Sadr Cave: a few days ahead
- Parsian Hamedan Hotel: a few days ahead
- Amaday Hostel: a few days ahead
- Book Iranian stays direct or through an Iran specialist, as global booking platforms do not list them.
- Go to Ali Sadr Cave early in the day, and avoid midday on Nowruz and summer holidays when queues are longest.
- Confirm the Ganjnameh Telecabin is running before building a day around it, as operation is weather dependent.
Is Hamadan safe?
- Women must wear a headscarf in public by law, and alcohol is prohibited nationwide.
- Never photograph military, police or government buildings.
- At about 1,850 m, expect strong summer sun, cool nights in every season, and bitter cold and snow in winter.
Hamadan travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Paying the official exchange rate instead of the licensed sarrafi bureau rate.
- Assuming a foreign bank card or ATM card will work as a backup. It will not.
- Expecting the Tomb of Esther and Mordecai to be open on arrival. It often is not.
- Confusing rial and toman when paying. Prices are usually quoted in toman, and 1 toman equals 10 rials.
Getting around Hamadan: public transport and more
- Walk the centre between the bazaar, Hegmataneh, the Avicenna tomb and the Alavian Dome.
- Use taxis or the Snapp app in town, agree fares in advance out of town, and hire a driver for Ali Sadr Cave and Lalejin.
- Hamadan is about 360 km southwest of Tehran, roughly four to five hours by road.
Who Hamadan suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Hamadan your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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