Iraq Tours

Entire Iraq Tour

  • May 14th - 26th, 2023
  • 3150
  • 13 Days
Itinerary

What's it all about?
Due to popular demand we have announced our new brand of Iraq budget 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 Entire Iraq Budget tour will take in all of the major highlights between southern and northern Iraq. 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 Baghdad heading south to Babylon & the holy cities of Najaf & Karbala. We will also head as far south as the Iraqi Marshlands before driving north all the way to Samarra, Mosul and Erbil. From there we start our Iraqi Kurdistan adventure. 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 Iraq budget tour!
 
Wanting eve more adventure? Check out our May Syria tour that leads directly into this Iraq tour!
Highlights
Where?

Baghdad – Najaf – Karbala – Babylon – Nasariyah – Samarra – Mosul – Erbil – Lalish – Duhok – Rawandas – Sulaymaniyah – Erbil.

When?

May 14th – 26th, 2023

Visa?

For Kurdistan, luckily it’s visa free for most nationalities including the EU, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. If you’re not sure if you qualify just ask us and we’ll let you know. We can also arrange VOA for most nationalities.

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. If you are not from one of these countries then we will apply for a visa on your behalf. An invitation letter is issued and you can bring this to your local embassy to apply for the visa.

The Itinerary

Map

May 14th - Baghdad

  • Arrival in Baghdad. We will provide airport transfers for all incoming flights.
  • 10am meeting time in the lobby of our hotel.
  • It’s a full Baghdad city tour starting with a 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 Al – Mustansariya School. This is commonly known as the oldest school in the world.
  • Stroll through the nearby bazaar with book markets, antiques and cooper galore!
  • Stroll along the Tigris River and see the famous old clock tower.
  • Take a well deserved break in the Shabinder cafe for tea and Shisha.
  • Lunch in the famous Kubba restaurant next door.
  • See the Liberation square monument and the place where Saddam’s statue was toppled in 2003.
  • See the Al-Shaheed (Martyr) Monument.
  • Traditional Fish Masgouf dinner and overnight in Baghdad.

May 15th - 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.
  • After extensively exploring Babylon, continue onto Karbala.
  • Visit Karbala’s famous Al Abbas mosque and Iman Husayn shrine at dusk
  • Dinner and overnight in Karbala.
Continue reading

May 16th - Najaf & Ur

  • In the morning we’ll drive to visit the tomb of prophet Ezekiel in the city of Al Kifl. 
  • Najaf, including Imam Ali’s house (the very spot where imam Ali was killed) and the grand Kufa Mosque.
  • Drive south to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, a neo-Sumerian construction built in 2000 BC.
  • This used to be the capital of Mesopotamia during
    the Sumerian time and it is a UNESCO world heritage site since 2016.
  • Visit Nasariyah and overnight.

May 17th - Chibayesh and Baghdad.  

  • Early drive south to 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.
  • Tour the local market of Chibayesh and then drive back to Baghdad.
  • Visit the Al-Yassin Shrine arguably Baghdad’s finest.
  • Dinner in the modern area of Karada and overnight in Baghdad.

May 18th - Baghdad - Samarra - Mosul

  • 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!
  • After lunch drive towards Hatra, an important historic religious center with a strategic position along caravan trade routes. Hatra was one of the first Arab states to be established outside of Arabia.
  • Continue driving to Mosul and overnight.

May 19th - Mosul - Erbil

  • Start the day with a local breakfast before we start discovering the reconstruction of the old city including the Al-Nuri mosque and Al Tahira church. See the Bash Tapia castle.
  • Lunchtime with “Kubba of Mosul” the area’s most popular dish.
  • After that, we head to Bakhdida or Qaraqosh to visit Church Square, the
    place where the Pope gave mass on his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021.
  • Before sunset we head to Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
  • Dinner and say goodbye to those leaving us in Erbil.
  • Overnight in Erbil.

May 20th - Mosul - Erbil

  • Take the morning off to sleep in, do some laundry and catch up on those emails if you wish!
  • Meet your new local Kurdish guiding team. Enjoy the free time wandering around the central citadel and exchange some money.
  • Welcome dinner and drinks in Erbil and meet up with those joining us for the Kurdistan tour.
  • Overnight in Erbil.

May 21st - Sulaymaniya

  • We hit the road early and drive to the second major city of Iraqi Kurdistan – Sulaymaniyah.  
  • We’ll stop at the old Jewish town of Koya along the way before lunch. Visit the ancient and crumbling Caravanserai here.
  • On arrival in Sulaymaniyah we head straight to the the infamous “Red prison” – once a torture centre for Saddam Hussein’s regime. The prison is now a fascinating museum.
  • Walk through the bustling central Bazar right next to our hotel
  • Tea in a traditional tea house.
  • At sunset we’ll drive up Goyzha Mountain for the stunning views overlooking Sulay.
  • Get the cable car back down the mountain!
  • Dinner and overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

May 22nd - Halabja

  • We drive one hour to Halabja.  This was the scene of a chemical attack on the Kurdish people, perpetrated by the Baathist regime towards the end of the Iran/Iraq war. Here we’ll tour the memorial and mass grave sites.
  • We head to Tawela on the Iran border, and previously the front line in the Iran/Iraq war.
  • Lunch by the border.
  • Drive onto Ahmed Awa waterfall.
  • We head back to Sulaymaniyah for some leisurely time around the bazaars.
  • Group dinner and drinks.
  • Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

May 23rd - Sulaymaniyah | Rawanduz

  • We depart Sulay this morning and head west towards Lake Dokan.
  • Picnic lunch by lake plus swimming!
  • Drive the famous Hamilton road.  The road was built by AM Hamilton in the 1930’s for what he hoped would unify the peoples of the region. It linked Iran with Iraq and was an engineering marvel of the time.
  • Stop by the Bekhal waterfall.
  • Continue driving through incredible mountain ranges stopping at various points for photos.
  • Overnight in Soran.

May 24th - Duhok

  • Drive to the historic Shanidar cave.
  • Amadiya – the stunning mountain top village. Walk through the quiet streets and visit the mosque and church here.  See the ancient gateway to the town.
  • Qubahan School – the fascinating ruins of an ancient madrassa
  • Drive to stunning Deralook creek. Iraq’s most beautiful blue water swimming spot.
  • Continue towards Duhok
  • Tour the Duhok Bazaar and visit a tea house dedicated to Martyrs killed at the hands of ISIS.
  • Dinner and overnight in Duhok.

May 25th - Lalish | Erbil

  • Depart Duhok for one of the world’s oldest monastery’s – Alqosh is built into the mountains and is technically part of Mosul and Iraq “proper”.
  • We then drive one hour drive to Lalish. This is the most sacred town for the Yazidi religion. We’ll tour the temple, meet the locals on pilgrimage here and learn about their recent dark history with ISIS.
  • Spend the afternoon here mingling. 
  • Drive to Erbil.
  • Final group dinner and overnight in Erbil.

May 26th - Erbil

  • End of tour, we can arrange additional accommodation or transport to the airport.
What else?
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

    Everyone must apply for an eVisa through the official portal on the Iraqi government's website.

  • 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

    Any associated visa fees.

  • 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.

Tour Notes

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 & after each tour we will add you to dedicated email and social media groups so you can 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.

Read More

May 14 - 26th, 2023

Entire Iraq Budget Tour!

Join our Syria tour!

We'll be running a tour to Syria that leads directly into the Iraq tour!

Standard hotel

12 nights in Iraq

The price

€3150

Request Info
Iraq Tours
Description
Itinerary
Included/Excluded
Book Now

Iraq blog

Valley in Kurdistan, Iraq.
Shane

New Iraqi e-Visa

Iraq’s new visa policy On 1 March 2025, Iraq revised its visa policy, moving from visa on arrival to a more streamlinedelectronic visa (e-Visa) system

Read More »