Tourism, industry as a dynamic industry is allocated to important part of productive activities and economic countries. One of the types of tourism is rural tourism. Rural areas have limited options for economic development. Traditional ways of earning a livelihood on crops or stock provide the primary sources of income. To stimulate rural economies, it has become inevitable for rural regions to seek alternative uses for local resources. With comparatively advantageous effects in income and employment generation, tourism is an option for enhancing rural lifestyles and for inducing positive changes in the distribution of income in underprivileged regions. development of policies catering for tourism and recreation out of agriculture’s way in rural areas. In addition, tourism development in rural areas is one important strategies in reduce rural poverty, reduce the migration and reduce the social-economic problems of village. The research was used the survey method and data collected through questionnaire. The number of questionnaire was determined by using the formula Cochran (n=190). For determine the reliability of reasearch, 28 questionnaire were distributed in bahmanan village in Kesselian district, and the reliability of questionnaire was obtained by calculating the cronbach alpha coefficient for economic and social indicators, respectively 0.877, 0.776. The purpose of this study were analysis the role of rural tourism on social- economic development of rural areas in kesselian district in mazandaran province, that were examined in three group villages with tourist attractions historical, religious and natural. The research variables were tested by Kruskal-Wallis test, correlation test and factor analysis. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test and correlation test( in level 99, 95 percent) showed that there are significant positive relationships between entering of tourists in rural areas with improve the rural household’s income, health improvement, improve the sewage and waste disposal systems, improve the credit institutions and development of rural houses and rural roads, improve the modern communication systems, improvement of employment of rural women, and increase the cognition of tourists and compatibility with the tourists. Also the results of kruskal-wallis test and correlation test ( in level 99, 95 percent) showed that there are significant negative influence of entering the tourists in rural areas on increase mediate and land prices, reduction of villagers comfort, increase in civilian disputes and increase in theft and delinquency in rural residents, encouraging rural residents to migrate and reduction of native culture values of rural residents. Factor analysis were calculated seprately for each group of villages with tourist attractions historical, religious and natural. The results of factor analysis showed that the most important factors positive of entering tourists and the percentage of variance of these factors, are respectively: infrastructures development ( 35% Variance), welfare and economic development (12%variance), employment development (8.1%Variance). Also showed that the most important factors negative of entering tourists are respectively: destruction of the business environment( 32.1% variance), creation of social and life abnormalities (12.2%Variance), change the structure of cultural and population (7.2%variance).