Gold nanorods were prepared by seed-mediated growth method. The influences of NaBH4, AgNO3 and ascorbic acid were investigated and the optimal conditions were determined. The gold nanorods were characterized with ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The uniform gold nanorods with a longitudinal axis of 35 nm and an aspect ratio of 3.4 were successfully synthesized under the optimal conditions.