2025 Bandar Abbas Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

#getgoing2025 During my stay at an old southern Iranian guesthouse, I was immersed in the warmth and authenticity of traditional architecture. The walls of the guesthouse were made from the local clay, offering a cool, comfortable atmosphere even under the hot southern sun. The rustic charm of the building, with its wooden beams, handwoven rugs, and vintage furnishings, made me feel like I was living in a bygone era. The hospitality of the southern hosts was unparalleled; they greeted me with a warm smile and shared stories of the region’s rich history. The quiet courtyard, shaded by palm trees, was the perfect spot to relax and soak in the peaceful atmosphere, reflecting the simple, yet meaningful lifestyle of the locals.

#getgoing2025 While exploring the city, I came across a unique square shaped like a ship’s anchor, a beautiful tribute to the region’s maritime heritage. The square was surrounded by lush greenery and well-maintained pathways, with the anchor-shaped design standing prominently in the center. The intricate pattern of the square, resembling the very symbol of the sea, brought a sense of connection to the city’s history as a port town. The subtle maritime elements woven into the design made it feel like a place where the past and present harmoniously came together, offering a peaceful spot to reflect on the city’s deep ties to the ocean.

#getgoing2025 When I stayed at the coastal hotel in Bandar, I felt like I had found the perfect escape. The hotel, just a short walk from the beach, offered stunning views of the Persian Gulf right from my room’s balcony. The sound of the waves was a constant, calming backdrop to my stay. The rooms were cozy yet elegant, decorated with light, airy colors that complemented the seaside setting. I spent my mornings strolling along the shore and evenings enjoying fresh seafood at the hotel’s restaurant, with the sunset painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange and pink. It was a peaceful and rejuvenating experience, surrounded by the beauty of the sea.

#2024mapped #2024mapped , located in the Persian Gulf, is famous for its colorful landscapes, rich history, and mineral-rich soil. The island is known for its unique red, orange, and yellow sands, attracting both tourists and nature enthusiasts.

Good trip

💕 Hormuz Island is a salt island, right? It's the colorful salt ✏What to see🙊 There are mainly seven or eight attractions on the island, and half a day is enough. It is recommended to take a tuk-tuk to tour the island. There are many at the pier, and the price reference is 💰 $12 for 3 hours, $16 for 4 hours. We played quite slowly, it took 5 hours not including one hour for dining, and finally paid $22 (the driver was tipped for good service) 1⃣Salt Goddess From a distance, the salt mountain looks like a silver-white waterfall pouring down, with red sand and white salt. The terrain can produce a sci-fi feel. Since it was the first spot we visited, we spent quite a while there, but if you hurry, ten minutes is also possible 2⃣Salt Cave A cave that gets lower and lower as you go inside, not very interesting but worth experiencing. Pass by the popular Majara Hotel for a distant photo 3⃣Rainbow Valley Actually also a salt mountain, I think the highlight is the wax-yellow 'salt river', it really looks like a caramel pudding or salt-baked cheese sprayed with a paint gun, anyway, I didn't see where the rainbow is, but it's indeed stunningly yellow 4⃣The Valley of the Statues As the name suggests, it's about seeing what the rocks look like, so I didn't care much about the driver's introduction, but walking straight to the strait and climbing the cliff, the suddenly open view is spectacular 5⃣Red Beach The brick-red beach shimmers, it's enough to take photos from the cliff, no need to go to the coast. Also, don't be like me wearing all white, it took half a day to wash 6⃣Rainbow Cave It's not an exaggeration to describe it as another world, from a distance it's just a pit, but with the spirit of 'since we're here, let's do it', I climbed down, and my god, this is the rainbow, you must climb to the very inside, bring a flashlight, the phone flashlight is not quite up to the task 7⃣Turtles Beach No turtles if it's not the season, the view of the strait is so-so, but this part of the island tour is quite nice 8⃣Saffron Valley Heard it's similar to the previous salt mountains so I didn't go to see ✏How to arrival🛳 Hormuz Island is very small with no airport, only a pier, with daily boats to and from Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. Currently, one-way is 4 million Rials *Hormuz to Bandar Abbas 7 am/9 am/11 am/2:30 pm/7 pm *Bandar Abbas to Hormuz 7 am/9 am/1 pm/5 pm/9 pm *Hormuz to Qeshm 8 am/3 pm *Qeshm to Hormuz 7 am/2 pm 💁I can tell you very responsibly that the official schedules above are not accurate, mainly depending on the situation of the day, the boat leaves early when full. 🤷We went from Qeshm Island to Hormuz, and then to Bandar Abbas. Be sure to arrive at the Qeshm Island pier before 6:30 to buy tickets

🇮🇷Iran’s niche travel destination｜Qeshm Island guide is here! Qeshm Island is the largest island in southern Iran. It is visa-free for Europeans and Americans, but they can only stay on this island and cannot go to Iran from the island. 🚕 We didn't book any accommodation or itinerary before going to the island, so we just had to find everything when we got there. After we got off the ship at Bandar Abbas, there was a taxi right outside the door. We negotiated 25,000 local currency to take us to several attractions on the island. (I personally felt ripped off, but 25,000 was not much money, so forget it) Attractions on the island: ⛰️ Vally of stars: Picture 1, I think it is the most beautiful place on the island! You must go! It's so shocking, a bit like Türkiye's Cappadocia Kia, but not exactly. You have to walk a distance inside the scenic spot, so remember to wear flat shoes. The point is there is no one, no one, no one! You can capture the feeling of interstellar travel by finding any high place. The thing I regret most is not bringing a drone. 🗻 Namakdan Cave: Picture 2 is actually a salt cave. We went there just for this place. When we got there, we found that the reality was actually quite different from the pictures on the Internet. It might be because too much time has passed, and there are more and more salt bodies, which have completely covered the colorful rocks, so the colorful cave has become white. But it is still quite shocking. You have to wear a headlamp before entering the cave. It feels like the Tomb Robbers' Chronicles. 🏜️ Chahkooh Canyon: It is a relatively large attraction on the island. You can meet tour groups from all over the world. Personally, I feel that it is not as beautiful as Xingxing Valley. If there are too many people, the experience is not very good. To see the good scenery, you have to go inside. When you walk to a very narrow valley and look up, you can see the Chahkooh Canyon. About accommodation: There are many popular homestays on the island, and the price is about US$40 a night. However, it is more than 60 kilometers away from the port, and transportation on the island is not very convenient, so it is not recommended to stay here. We temporarily found a hotel 2 kilometers away from the port. You can walk around the city on the island during the day, and $30 per room is not bad. 🛍️About entertainment: There is a very large shopping mall on the island, which has everything you need for eating, drinking and having fun. There is even a large entertainment center for bowling, billiards, and game consoles. There is also a floor full of places to eat delicious food, which makes you feel that this place is not very similar to Iran.