Things to do in Rasht
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Rasht
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
April and May are the best balance, mild and green and less oppressively humid than summer.
Nowruz on or around 20 to 21 March brings heavy domestic travel, full hotels and busy excursion roads.
Summer is hot, humid and busy with domestic holidays, with the coast and forest as the escape.
Autumn is the wettest period, October is the wettest month, and forest steps and village lanes are slippery.
Winter is cold, wet and quiet, with the least sunshine and lower prices outside holidays.
What's on
- Nowruz 20 or 21 March
Iranian New Year, a long national holiday with heavy domestic travel to Gilan and full hotels.
- Yalda Night 21 December
The longest night, marked in homes with pomegranate, watermelon and poetry, a family occasion not a public festival.
Best things to do in Rasht
Rasht Grand Bazaar
The working heart of Rasht, where Caspian fish, rice, olives, pickles and Gilani herbs explain the local cuisine.
Rasht Municipality Square
The pedestrian central square with the white Municipality Building and clock tower, Rasht's main meeting point.
Gilan Rural Heritage Museum
An open air museum of rebuilt Gilani village houses that explains the rural life behind everything else in Gilan.
Mirza Kuchak Khan House
The house museum of the Jangali leader Mirza Kuchak Khan, a central figure in early 20th century Gilan history.
Rasht Museum
The city museum for Gilan archaeology and anthropology, a short rainy day backup to the bazaar.
Mohtasham Garden
Rasht's historic city garden with the Kolah Farangi Mansion, a shaded green pause in a humid city.
Where to stay in Rasht
Manzarieh and Azadi Boulevard
full service hotel stay
Home to Kadus Grand Hotel, south of the centre, with the city's largest hotel facilities.
Golsar
eating out and cafes at night
The newer, wealthier northern district of cafes and shops, with Shabestan Hotel as its base.
Shahrdari centre
bazaar access and budget stays
Best for walking to the bazaar and Shahrdari Square, with older cheaper hotels such as Ordibehesht.
Best restaurants in Rasht
Razeghi Restaurant
The top of Rasht's traditional market, the formal room for a full Gilani spread including Kabab Torsh.
Shoore Cooli Restaurant
The local favourite named first by Rasht guides, serving the full Gilani canon in one menu.
Moharam Restaurant
A long standing Gilani and Persian restaurant, a reliable sit down alternative when Shoore Cooli is full.
Shekam Ol-Molouk Restaurant
A traditional style Rasht restaurant in the top group of city listings, useful for a group Gilani dinner.
Chelo Shish Restaurant
A cheap chelo kebab place on 15 Khordad Street, the budget pattern for eating well in Rasht for very little.
Outdoor things to do in Rasht
Anzali Lagoon
A large Caspian wetland visited by boat from Bandar Anzali, with water lilies and migratory birds in season.
Gisoom Beach
A forested Caspian beach for picnics and coast air, with segregated swimming only and no mixed beach holiday.
Masuleh
The stepped mountain village where the roof of one house is the path of the house above, often in mist.
Rudkhan Castle
A medieval forest fortress reached by a long climb of stone steps through dense Hyrcanian forest.
Saravan Forest Park
Tall Hyrcanian forest beside the heritage museum, the closest real forest half day from Rasht.
Saqalaksar Lake
A small dam lake with a half submerged tree and rice paddies around it, a short photogenic stop south of Rasht.
Eynak Lagoon
A large urban lagoon in western Rasht shaped like glasses from the air, used by locals for walks and birds.
Best hotels in Rasht
Kadus Grand Hotel
Rasht's best known five star hotel, the best full service option in town rather than a true luxury resort.
Shabestan Hotel
A four star hotel in Golsar with a view restaurant, putting you among Rasht's newer cafes and restaurants.
Ordibehesht Hotel
A cheap two star hotel near Shahrdari Square, central and adequate if you are out all day, status to recheck.
Is Rasht expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | IRR 25,000,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | IRR 60,000,000 a person |
| Splurge | IRR 150,000,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Kadus Grand Hotel: weeks ahead
- Razeghi Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Shoore Cooli Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Book hotels and drivers well ahead for Nowruz in March and for Iranian weekends in summer.
- Reserve a table at Shoore Cooli and Razeghi at peak lunch and dinner, especially on Thursdays and Fridays.
Is Rasht safe?
- State and legal risks are the main risks in Iran, and foreign cards largely do not work so cash must be carried and split up.
- Women must cover hair and wear loose clothing covering arms and legs in public, and men must not wear shorts in the city.
- Caspian swimming is segregated by sex with full cover swim dress for women, and many stretches are unsafe due to currents.
- Do not photograph military, police, government or port installations, and do not fly a drone.
Rasht travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Confirm rial versus toman before paying, 1 toman equals 10 rial and the mistake costs a factor of ten.
- Confirm the total price for whole Caspian fish by weight before it is cooked or packed.
- Do not order only kebabs in Rasht, order a herb stew, an eggplant dish and Caspian fish as well.
Getting around Rasht: public transport and more
- Walk the centre, bazaar and Shahrdari Square, and hire a car with a driver through your hotel for Masuleh, Rudkhan and Anzali.
- Agree the full day driver price in advance and confirm whether it is quoted in rial or toman.
- Rasht Sardar Jangal Airport is north of the city on the Anzali road, about 10 to 15 minutes by car from the listed hotels.
Who Rasht suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Rasht your trip
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