Razavi Khorasan Province · Iran
Mashhad travel guide
Mashhad is a city in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, home to about 3,001,000 people.
- Best months
- April, May, September and October
- Nearest airport
- MHD8 km · Mashhad International Airport
- Currency
- IRRIranian rial
- Time zone
- Asia/Tehran
- Language
- Persian
About
About Mashhad
Mashhad, historically also known as Mashad ( mə-SHAD), Meshhed, or Meshed, is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the north-east of the country about 740 kilometres (460 miles) east of Tehran. In the Central District of Mashhad County, it serves as the capital of Razavi Khorasan province, the county, and the district.
Mashhad started life out as Sanabad, a village pitstop for trade caravans headed towards Turkmenistan. But in the ninth century, the eighth Shi'ite Imam Ali Bin Moosa Al Reza — the great-grandson of Imam Ali who was the cousin & son in law of Prophet Mohammad — was poisoned by the jealous caliph of the time. Imam Reza was buried in Mashhad, and his shrine became one of the holiest sites to the Shi'ite Muslims after the Holy Kaaba in Saudi Arabia and Karbala in Iraq.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Mashhad
See
Apart from Imam Reza shrine there is a number of large parks, the tombs of historical celebrities in nearby Tus and Nishapur, the tomb of Nadir Shah and Kooh Sangi park and Mellat Park that have modern attractions for children such as the tallest Ferris wheel or fanfar in Iran and Koohestan Park-e-Shadi Complex that includes a zoo, where many wild animals are kept and which attracts many visitors to Mashhad. It is also home to the Mashhad Airbase (formerly Imam Reza airbase), jointly a military installation housing Mirage aircraft, and a civilian international airport.
- Imam Reza Shrine Complex
- Central Museum
- Carpet Museum
- Nader Shah Park & Mausoleum
- Ferdowsi Park & Mausoleum
- Gombade Sabz Mausoleum
- Torghabeh
- Shandiz
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Mashhad to stay in
Mashhad attracts huge number of visitors specially during the summer months, so be sure to make travel reservations in advance. Mashhad can also be very cold during winters, hence heavy woolens are required during winters. Even in summers nights are pretty cold and requires light woolens. Five-star hotels in the city are: Pars Hotel, Ghasr Talaee international Hotel, Ghasr International Hotel and Pardisan Hotel. There are also couple of good hotels near the Imam Ali Bin Moosa Al Reza Shrine, namely Khayyam Hotel, Ghadir International to name a few.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Mashhad
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Mashhad are April, May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; March is the wettest, with about 52 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Mashhad: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mashhad International Airport (MHD), about 7.7 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Mashhad has a rapid transit system, which operates from 06:00-22:00 and cost 20,000 rials per trip.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MHD · Mashhad International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Mashhad
Eat
Iranian cuisine is one of the best in the world. They do not eat spicy food but even then their food is very tasty. Chello Kebab is a very popular dish as well as Bakhtiari Kebab. There are also different kinds of breads available. You can find lots of great restaurants and all kinds of fast-foods are available. The most advertised restaurant of Mashhad (and one of the most expensive) is 'Padide Shandiz'. There are also numerous other decent restaurants in Shandiz. Full meals with rice cost US$5-20. Padide Shandiz address: Shandiz town. You can find a kind of ice-cream named ice pack "Persian: آیس پک" in mashhad. it's really great to taste it. There are lots of Ice Pack bars in Mashhad.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Mashhad: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Mashhad?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Mashhad are April, May, September and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 35 °C; March is the wettest, with about 52 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Mashhad?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mashhad International Airport (MHD), about 7.7 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Mashhad?
Iranian rial (IRR).
Nearby
Destinations near Mashhad
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.