Ahvaz

Understand

Ahvaz sits on the banks of the Karoun River, which splits the city into two large districts. The western half is mostly housing with some government departments. The eastern half is both residential and industrial. The main train station is on the western side and the airport is on the eastern side. It is extremely hot in the summer. Expect 45°C in July and August.

Getting there

By plane There are daily flights from Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. There are weekly flights from Dubai-Kuwait City-Mashad. Airlines serving Ahvaz airport are Iran Air-Caspian Airlines-Mahan Airlines-Eran Air-Aria Air-Iran Air Tours-Iran Asseman Airlines. There are many travel agencies. OXIN travel agency sits on the corner of the 7th street in Kianpars. They have flight tickets for all the destinations in Iran, and provide vacation tours to Asian countries like UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, and Vietnam.

By train There are daily trains from Tehran-Khorramshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini. Ahvaz is the major junction for trains heading from the southern ports to Tehran, and from Tehran you can change trains and go further to Mashad or Tabriz. There are 3 daily trains to Tehran. 1 Ahvaz railway station (ایستگاه راه آهن اهواز) is located on the western side of the city, with Saat (ایستگاه مترو ساعت) being the nearest metro station.

By car There are several highways that lead to Ahvaz, including Route 5, which goes to Ahvaz from the capital of Iran, Tehran.

By bus There are daily buses to many destinations in Iran:

Ahvaz-Tehran Ahvaz-Isfahan Ahvaz-Shiraz Ahvaz-Mashhad Ahvaz-Khorramabad The main bus station is in Kampelo for buses headed north (i.e., Tehran). For buses headed east (Isfahan and Shiraz-Masjed Suleiman), the station is at 4 Lions Square. Southbound buses leave from Khorramshahr Square.

By boat

Getting around

Taxis roam around the city 24 hours a day and are relatively inexpensive. Around 30,000 rials for the longest trip in the city. There are also taxi agencies everywhere, if you can't find one on your own, all the hotels have taxi agencies. Buses ply most inner city routes and are very cheap.

See

Karoon county or known as "Kut Kut" is where most of the Ahvaz tourist attractions are gathered. Kut Kut is the home to water buffaloes. Its Arab residents have a culture that is unique in the country. They live a simple village-like life just 10 minutes drive away from city center. They answer every "hello" with sincere "welcome". They bring their cattle to the water during the day, making a breath-taking view. Also their simple yet strong breakfast is offered to every traveler who knocks on the door. Ghazaviyeh Village is one of the most elegant villages in the region. It is 6 km away from the city, filled with date palm farms and vineyards which are all green even in the dead of summer. Here, you can see the famous classic Arabic gatherings every day at noon, and participate in their coffee ceremonies hosted by the head of the village. Riverside Park, Kianpars, Ahvaz. The best places in Ahvaz are along the river. The river boulevard is a nice place to stroll and has many parks. The oldest park of the city is in Kianpars beside the White Bridge. The view of Karoun river, white bridge, other side of the city and the islands are interesting. White Bridge. The white bridge was the first bridge crossing Karoun river made by German engineers in the 1930s. The bridge is now considered as the main symbol of the city. One of the attractions of Ahvaz is the oil well flares on the border of the city, but it's only nice at night time.

Do

1 Sailing on the river. You can rent a boat and go sailing on Karoun river in many parks nearby the river. (updated Jun 2018)

Buy

All the Ahvaz neighborhoods have a local market place. The upscale shops are mostly situated alongside Chamran Blvd. (Kianpars), Zeitoon Karmandi (Cheetah Square), and the main bazaar is on Taleqani Street.

Eat

Budget There are many sandwich shops and fast food shops in the city. Most are average. A good ice cream store is in a cellar below a cake store. Haji Baba Coffee Shop can be found next to the bazaar, heading towards the white bridge.. No English spoken.

Mid-range Oxin Hotel Restaurant- Try the Shir Mahi (fish) kebabs and they also serve great meat kebabs. They have specials that change daily.

Splurge Astoria Hotel Restaurant-Expensive and below average food.

Drink & nightlife

You cannot legally find alcohol in Iran so your drinking is limited to soft drinks and fruit juice. There are many good fruit juice shops in Ahvaz and you will find them easily. In the summer stay away from cantaloupe juice and banana milk shakes.

Sleep

Budget There are many mehmansara (guest houses) in Ahvaz. Most don't admit foreigners and the ones that do are not up to foreign standards. But they are inexpensive. Naderi Hotel is a decent one.

Mid-range Oxin Hotel is near the airport and is moderately priced. It has an excellent restaurant and the rooms are clean and they have great air conditioning. They also have large screen televisions in the lobby and mostly show football games. They speak very good English and can help you arrange any kind of tour or transport. Hotel Iran is reasonably ok. Ask for a renovated room; there is plenty of hot water and good AC in refurbished rooms. Basic English is spoken. The restaurant is good and reasonably priced at around 90,000 rials for a chicken kebab.

Splurge 1 Hotel Pars (هتل پارس), ☏ +98 61 3222 1091. The former Astoria Hotel, now Hotel Pars, is the best hotel in the city. It is on the riverside and has great views; however, it's expensive and not fully up to international standards. (updated Nov 2016)

Go next

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