Karaj
Karaj is a city in the Central District of Karaj County, Alborz province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district.
Earliest evidence of inhabitation in Karaj can be dated to the Bronze Age at Tepe Khurvin. The city was developed under the rule of the Safavid and Qajar Empire and is home to historical buildings and memorials from those eras. This city has a unique climate due to access to natural resources such as many trees, rivers, and green plains. After Tehran, Karaj is the largest immigrant-friendly city in Iran, so it has been nicknamed "Little Iran."
Getting to Karaj
Karaj is easily accessible using Metro system of Tehran. Line 5 takes passenger in less than an hour to city. There are 3 metro stations in Karaj at east, center and west. The trains are very comfortable. There are numerous local trains between Karaj and central Tehran. A few long-distance trains call here too.
- 01Karaj
Karaj is connected by to Qazvin (80 km) in the west and Tehran (35 km) in the east.
Worth seeing
Karaj has a very pleasant climate in all four seasons. It is very famous for the natural attractions. The stunning Alborz Mountain Range provide a natural beauty to the landscape of Karaj. Karaj is also the starting point for a pleasant drive along spectacular Chalous Road forced north through the Alborz Mountain to the Caspian Sea. The stony fire-temple of Takht-e-Rostam belong to Parthian and Sassanian eras
- 01Pearl Palace
This large palace commissioned by the former royal family in the 1970s.
- 02Suleymanieh Palace
- 03Shah Abbasi Caravanserai
Pre-Islamic bridge Mausoleum of Shahzadeh Soleiman are among Karaj's cultural heritage.
Things to do
Hiking Azimie Mountain is very fun activity. On Fridays a lot of people come there for picnic and spending the weekend from the early morning. The mountain is easy to climb but gives opportunity to meet a lot of people. Climbing takes 2 to 3 hours to first peak. There are different routes for coming back.
Where to eat
Kare Fast Food (Karaj, Derakhti Street). Some various tasty sandwich and pizza type options here. International Restaurant (Azadegan Square, Roof Tower of Milad Tower) Traditional and international restaurant Safahan (Mulla Sadra Boulevard, Mullah Sadra and Jomhoori intersection) Orkideh Restaurant (Nabovat Square) Arya Restaurant (Jahanshahr, Sepah Square) Fish and Chips Restaurant
Getting around Karaj the local way
- Get inSince there are a lot of people who drive between these two cities every hour, there is a very high chance to do hitch-hiking as well.
From Wikivoyage: Karaj, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Parsa 2au (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.