Basra to Baghdad Tour

What's it all about?

Due to popular demand we have announced our new shorter and more budget friendly Iraq tours!

What’s the difference? Our budget trips are one day less and will not have a western tour leader accompany the group. Don’t worry though, the group will be no bigger than 6 people and will be led by our expert local guides.

The Basra to Baghdad tour will take in all of the major highlights of Southern Iraq between the two cities. The area is spoiled with world-class heritage and is completely unspoiled by tourism meaning we will feel like the only foreign travelers in town.

There is a huge amount of ancient and modern history waiting to be explored. We’ll travel from Basra north to the holy cities of Najaf & Karbala, and onto Babylon, Baghdad & Samarra. We cover a huge amount of ground with our expert local guide keeping us entertained and explaining all as we go.

Join us for this one of a kind southern Iraq tour!

Where?

Basra – Najaf – Babylon Karbala – Baghdad – Samarra – Baghdad.

When?

November 4 – 9th, 2023.

Visa?

For Southern Iraq a new visa on arrival scheme has been announced for citizens of the EU, UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Russia, China, Japan & South Korea.

The Itinerary

Basra to Baghdad

November 4th - Basra

Arrival in Basra. Your tour guide will meet you in Basra Airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Meet the rest of your group in the hotel before heading our for your full Basra city tour.
Visit the Ashar and Shanashil Al Basra area to witness the old Basra – old style merchant houses with balconies leaning over the narrow streets. Stop by the Souq, History Museum, Saddam Hussein Palace, and the Central Railway Station.
Dinner and overnight in Basra.

November 5th - Marshes, Ur & Najaf

Up bright and early to drive towards the Mesopotamian Marshes. We’ll take a boat trip through the maze of marshes stopping by local villages for tea. The marshes once engulfed a whole swathe of Southern Iraq with numerous floating villages. Today the receding waters have led most families to change their livelihood but we’ll still see the few that remain.
It is also home to the Maʻdān population who over the centuries have adapted to life on the water. Stop by a traditional house for lunch and tea.
Drive north and stop to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, a neo-Sumerian construction built in 2000 BC.
Continue driving to Najaf, visit the Imam Ali Shrine & Imam Ali’s house (the very spot where imam Ali was killed)
Visit the Wadi-Us-Salaam – the world’s largest graveyard. It is said to contain tens of millions of bodies. Many shiites request to be buried here in one of the numerous catacombs.
Dinner and overnight in Najaf.

November 6th - Babylon & Karbala

Drive to Babylon, once the largest and most important city in the world. We tour the ancient ruins with our local expert and see what’s left of the hanging gardens.
Saddam Hussain Palace – Perched right on top of Babylon, the dictator made sure he had the best view of the site. We spend some time exploring the looted remains of one of his many former palaces.
Drive to Karbala and visit the holy city’s famous Al Abbas mosque and Iman Husayn shrine. Enjoy the shrines at dusk and wander through the surrounding markets.
Dinner and overnight in Karbala.

November 7th - Baghdad

Early rise and head towards Baghdad. Baghdad city tour – See the Liberation Square monument, which commemorates the establishment of the Republic of Iraq.
Visit to the National Museum of Iraq. Reopened in 2015 after notorious looting during the war, it contains various treasure from the Mesopotamian and Babylonian periods.
Visit the incredible and well renovated Al–Mustansariya School. This is commonly known as the oldest school in the world.
Walk through the book market and adjoining copper market. A great place for souvenirs and photography.
Stroll along the Tigris River and see the famous old clock tower and Abbasid Palace.
Visit the Al-Shaheed (Martyr) Monument.
Dinner, Tea, shisha and overnight in Baghdad.

November 8th - Samarra

Hit the road and drive north to Samara. We pass through multiple checkpoints along the route driving by many villages recently destroyed during fighting against ISIS.
Samara is famous for its Minaret (also known as the Great Mosque of Samara). We’ll climb the spiral staircase all the way to the top for the 360 degree view. Not for the faint hearted!
Drive south back towards Baghdad and stop at the magnificent Ziggurat of Agar Qouf.
Drive out to one of the greatest historical sites in the Middle East: the ruins of Ctesiphon. These days all that’s left is a gigantic arch which also happens to be the world’s largest span of unreinforced brickwork.
Dinner and overnight in Baghdad.

November 9th - Baghdad

Transfer to the airport.
End of tour.

Inclusions

Exclusions

Secure Hotels in Iraq

Twin share accommodation (single supplements are available for an extra $60 per night)
Entrance fees

All entrance fees (unless otherwise stated)
Guides

Expert local guide only on budget tours. Both a local guide and western tour leader on regular tours.
Transport

Air-conditioned bus and driver.
Visa Support

If you do not qualify for the visa on arrival - We will supply you an invitation letter which will allow you to apply for the Iraqi visa at your nearest embassy.
Airport Pickup/Dropoff

Airport transfers included.

International Flights

Flights in and out of Iraq.
Lunch and Dinner

Most lunch and dinners are extra charge.
Visa Fee

$80 on arrival in Baghdad, Najaf and Basra airports.
Tips

Tips are expected for your Iraqi local guides and driver.
Pre/Post Tour Accommodation

If you would like to spend a day or more pre or post tour, let us know and we'll reserve the hotel for you.

You’ll be in the vastly experienced hands of our English speaking local guides & fixer. We visit Iraq regularly, so we know the best spots and have perfected the itinerary accordingly. Given the unpredictable nature of travelling in Iraq, the itinerary may change slightly, but we will always go above and beyond with added extras to the itinerary such as stops at local cafe-bars, shisha lounges and amusement parks. We are in constant communication with our local partners on the ground who advise the safest routes to take.

Before each tour we will add you to a dedicated Whatsapp group so you can chat about the tour and share photos easily with your travel mates. Just let us know is you want to opt out of this.

To book simply hit the button below and start the conversation today.

November 4 - 9th, 2023

Basra to Baghdad Tour

Extensions

Add days before or after the tour!

Standard hotel

5 nights in Iraq

The price

€2090

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Keep in touch with the latest travel news surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

Get in touch

Request more info or book a tour.

Fill in the form and we’ll get back to you in no time!

Our Story

ROCKY ROAD TRAVEL

Rocky Road Blog

ALL DESTINATIONS

ALL DESTINATIONS

AFGHANISTAN

AFGHANISTAN TOURS

IRAQ

IRAQ TOURS

MAURITANIA

MAURITANIA TOURS

SOUTH SUDAN

SOUTH SUDAN TOURS

SOCOTRA

SOCOTRA TOURS

SYRIA

SYRIA TOURS

PAKISTAN

PAKISTAN TOURS

Basra to Baghdad Tour

What's it all about?