There are now many options for Iraq Tours from the UK. Since the fall of ISIS in Iraq, Rocky Road Travel conducted numerous research trips and concluded that many places in southern Iraq are now considered safe to visit.
How do you get there from the UK?
The main entry gateways to Iraq are Baghdad, Najaf & Erbil international airports. here are many daily flights to these cities from middle eastern hubs like Istanbul & Dubai. In turn these cities are easily reached from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh with Turkish or Emirates airlines.
On our group tours, the whole group must fly into Iraq together. We’ll usually meet up in Dubai or Istanbul depending on the tour.
Booking an Iraq Tour
These days Iraq only issues tourist visas to a minimum of 5 travelers from the same country. They consider these to be tourist groups. Rocky Road Travel and our partners work around these rules and have have conducted tours with multiple nationalities however it’s easier if you can find 4 other friends of the same nationality!
Another way of travelling to Iraq is with a Ziyarat or religious visa. These are popular with Shia pilgrims who want to visit the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf. We can also facilitate Ziyarat tours from the UK.
How Do I Get A Visa For Iraq From The UK?
That’s where we come in handy. Once you confirm a place on our Iraq tours we will send your details to the foreign ministry in Baghdad. They will then issue an invitation letter which you can use to apply at the Iraqi embassy in London. The invitation letter is sometimes issued at the last minute, then applying for the visa is usually just a formality and a speedy process.
Iraq has both an embassy and consulate in London. Be careful though as only the consulate processes visas. It is located here. Luckily for you it’s probably the most efficient welcoming Iraqi consulate out there so you shouldn’t encounter any issues there.
If you are only planning on visiting Northern Iraqi Kurdistan then you do not require a visa. This region is visa free for 15 days for UK citizens.
So what are you waiting for? Contact us now and travel to this ancient land while it is safe ans well and truly off the tourist trail!