Mahdishar sits about 20 kilometres west of Semnan, the provincial capital, which is the natural gateway. Semnan has bus connections to Tehran (roughly 3–4 hours on the expressway) and to other provincial cities. From Semnan, shared taxis and minibuses cover the road to Mahdishar regularly throughout the day.
The nearest significant railway station is at Semnan, on the line connecting Tehran to Mashhad. Long-distance buses also stop at Semnan. There is no commercial airport in the immediate area; travellers flying in will use Tehran (Imam Khomeini International Airport) and continue overland.
If you are driving from Tehran, the route runs east along the Tehran–Mashhad highway (Route 44) to Semnan, then northwest on the regional road to Mahdishar. The drive from Tehran takes around 3 hours in normal traffic.