Lut Desert

The Lut Desert is a land of extremes. With the highest temperature ever recorded on the Earth's surface, at 70.7°C (159.2°F), it's famous for its intense heat. And, because of its climate, it's also known for its vivid landscapes of desolation. The desert's common name, Dasht-e Lut, literally means 'empty plain' in Persian, but there is actually much hidden here for adventurous travellers to discover.

Located in the southeast of Iran, the Lut Desert is vast, spanning about 250 kilometres from east to west, with a total area of around 23,000 square kilometres. Within its boundaries are remarkable geological formations including soaring sand dunes, corrugated sand ridges, depressions, rivers, and the large plateau called Gandom Beryan that is covered with dark lava.

One of the main attractions of the Lut Desert is its corrugated sand ridges known as 'yardangs'. These massive formations that have been carved and streamlined by sandblasting are considered the best examples in the world. Stretching for kilometres, the dramatic landscapes that the yardangs create can be seen from space, with the tallest reaching up to 155 metres high.

Another highlight of the Lut Desert is its extensive sand-seas, also known as 'rigs' or 'ergs'. These active dune fields cover about 40 per cent of the desert's core area and are home to some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, reaching incredible heights of up to 475 metres. The variety of dune shapes – some resembling crescents, stars, or funnels – adds to the visual appeal of the dramatic arid landscapes.

The geomorphologic conditions of the central part of the Lut Desert are developed as a pebble and sand plain, with the material coming from rocky outcrops in the mountains that is decomposed by the hot daily temperature. In this area, the barren landscape known as a 'hamada' has a reverse triangular shape pointing towards the south to Shurgaz Hamun playa.

Another unique feature of the desert is the 2000-kilometre-long Shur river which flows into the heart of the desert but has such high salinity that there's no obvious vegetation, with its banks lined with salt crystals.

Although the region has sometimes been described in the past as having 'no life', scientists have been finding more evidence of flora and fauna here as they've done research within the desert. Beyond the barren appearance, it turns out there's a healthy ecosystem with animals like insects, reptiles, and desert foxes. It's still not exactly clear how these species are able to survive out here in such extreme conditions, but a popular theory is that there is actually some water under the surface.

Humans of the Lut Desert

Apart from the unique natural landscape of the Lut Desert, there's also a fascinating cultural heritage on the area's western fringe. Archaeological evidence suggests that people have lived in the region of the Lut Plain for at least 7000 years, since as early as the 5th millennium BC.

Over the past thousand years, when the city of Shahdad was known as Khabis, it was an important trading place on the Silk Roads, connecting the seaports of the Persian Gulf to Central Asian regions, as well as distant destinations to both the east and west. There are still about 28 villages on the western edge of the desert, the largest with about 700 residents.

These days, tourism is an important activity and there are a number of larger cities that offer access to the Lut Desert, including Kerman, Shahdad, Bam, and Nehbandan. There are tourism facilities including hotels, restaurants, and transportation in those cities, as well as places like Birjand, Fahraj, Zahedan and Nosrat Abad. Within the western and southern parts of the desert itself, there are ecolodges and ecocamps, with some facilities also in villages in the north.

One of the main features you'll see in the Lut Desert are the enormous corrugated ridges of sand, known as yardangs, with their beautiful pattern imprinted by the wind for more than 120 kilometres. But there's much more to discover on Earth’s geothermal pole, including seasonal rivers drying and reappearing, as well as the world’s highest sand dunes measuring more than 475 metres. In this ever-changing landscape, you can trust the night sky to be a constant feature, devoid of urban lights and clouds, creating the perfect spot to gaze at the celestial bodies and stars. With human settlements since the 5th millennium BC, Lut Desert is also a great place to learn about local culture and ancient history as you get lost in the nearby cities of Kerman, Shahdad, Bam and Nehbandan.

How to get there

The easiest way to get to the Lut Desert is to fly to the city of Kerman, from where a variety of desert tours operate. There are flights to Kerman from Tehran or regional cities including Ashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Isfahan, Qeshm Island, Kish Island, Bandar Abbas, and Ahvaz.

A cheaper way of reaching Kerman is by bus and it's well connected with multiple buses during the day and night. The most common route, from Tehran to Kerman, takes about ten hours, with buses leaving every hour from 7:30 to 22:00. You can also reach Kerman by train, which takes about 14 hours from Tehran.

How to Visit

To visit the Lut Desert, there are tour operators in nearby towns, such as Kerman and Shahdad City, that will help you plan your journey. It is not recommended to visit the desert alone without a guide.

There are lots of things to do in the Lut Desert, including visiting archaeological sites, biking, hiking, camel riding, taking a desert safari, taking a balloon ride, buying local handicrafts, and taking a night tour.

If you want to visit nearby attractions you can see Arg-e Bam World Heritage Site, Prince’s Garden World Heritage Site in Mahan, the historical bazaar in Kerman, and the Shahr-i Sokhta World Heritage Site.

For accommodation, the area offers many different options such as hotels and ecolodges. The most adventurous option is camping in the desert, although you need to stay at a registered campsite.