Iraq Tours
Itineraries - 2020 / 2021
Iraq is open and welcome to tourism once again. We have tours to Iraqi Kurdistan in the north and Baghdad and beyond in the south.
There is an abundance of incredible and untouched history waiting to be seen. All our Iraq Tours are confirmed departures. Unsure of where you want to go? Check out our Map and FAQs below.
Take a look at our group tour dates below. Dates don’t work? No worries, you can create your own tour.
COVID-19 Update
From Baghdad to Basra – see the highlights of southern Iraq!
- October 16 - 22nd, 2020
- 2895
- 7 days
See the Kurdistan essentials in one action packed week!
- October 22 - 28th, 2020
- 1195
- 7 days
See the North and South of this anicent land!
- October 16 - 28th, 2020
- 3990
- 13 days
Safe again southern Iraq offers incredible ancient and cultural attractions.
- May 14 - 20th, 2021
- 2895
- 7 days
We cover every corner of Northern Iraq in this action packed tour.
- May 20 - 26th, 2021
- 1195
- 7 days
See both the North and South of ancient Mesopotamia!
- May 14 - 26th, 2021
- 3990
- 13 days
If our scheduled group tours don’t suit then we can create your own tour on your own dates.
The tours are all inclusive of twin accomodation in standard hotel, breakfast, private transport, entrance fees, guiding and translations. Excluded are international flights, most meals, tips & insurance.
Iraq tours are not open to Israeli passport holders or those with evidence of visiting Israel in their passports.
Some parts of Iraq are deemed unsafe to visit. We research and meticulously plan our itineraries based on advice from our partners in Baghdad. All places on our itineraries are currently deemed safe.
Southern Iraq – Baghdad – Samarra – Najaf – Karbala – Nasiriyah – Babylon – Basra
Iraqi Kurdistan – Erbil – Duhok – Lalish – Sulaymaniyah – Halabja
You can travel on any date but the best time to visit Iraq is from September to April.
Iraqi Kurdistan is visa free for many nationalities.
For Southern Iraq if you have a group of 4 or more friends then we can arrange the visa for you. We provide an invitation letter that allows you to apply for the Iraq visa at your local embassy.
This depends on how many people and how many days so always contact us for an accurate quote.
For example the 8 day itinerary listed below is €2,400 based on 5 people in a group.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 - Baghdad
- Arrival in Baghdad. Your tour guide will meet you in Baghdad Airport.
- Introductory briefing on travelling in Iraq and a breakdown of the itinerary
- Baghdad tour (depending on your arrival time) – see the Liberation square monument. The victory over America Palace and the place where Saddam’s statue was toppled in 2003
- Dinner and overnight in Baghdad.
Day 2 - Baghdad & Ctesiphon
- After breakfast 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.
- 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.
Day 3 - Karbala & Samarra
- Up early for the drive to Samarra. Pass through multiple militia checkpoints along the route driving by many villages destroyed during the fighting against ISIS
- Head back to Baghdad and straight onto Abu Ghraib. No not the prison! Check out the abandoned and ancient site of Agargouf Ziggurat
- Continue south onto the holy city of Karbala, just in time to catch the historic centre at sunset
- Dinner and overnight in Karbala.
Day 4 - Karbala and Babylon
- After breakfast we visit Karbala’s famous Al Abbas mosque and Iman Husayn shrine
- Drive to Babylon. You’ll tour the ancient ruins with our local expert and what’s left of the hanging gardens.
- Explore the looted ruins of Saddam Hussein’s former palace – perched on top of the ancient city
- After extensively exploring Babylon, continue onto Najaf. Visit the most important site of Najaf – the Imam Ali shrine for the daily late night ceremony.
- Dinner and overnight in Najaf.
Day 5 - Najaf, Nasiriyah and Ur
- In the morning you’ll further explore Najaf and it’s central bazaar before heading further south to the ancient city of Ur and it’s famous Ziggurat.
- Continue the journey to Nasiriyah, one of the largest cities in southern Iraq
- Explore the exotic spice market and soak up the atmosphere of this vibrant city
Dinner and overnight in Nasiriyah.
Day 6 - Basra
- Today we’ll drive towards Basra, the largest city in Southern Iraq and the country’s only seaport.
- 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 (of course) and the Central Railway Station.
- Dinner and overnight in Basra.
Day 7 - Mesopotamian Marshes and Basra
- After breakfast embark upon a long boat tour across the vast Mesopotamian Marshes, a key agricultural area and source of life in the region. 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.
- Head back to Basra for some free time further exploring the city and it’s vibrant market life.
- Dinner and overnight in Basra.
Day 8 - Flight out
- Transfer to either Najaf International Airport, Basra International Airport or Baghdad International Airport.
- End of the tour.
How To Travel to Babylon, Iraq
What is Babylon, Iraq? Babylon was once one of the most important cities in the ancient world. It served as the capital city of Babylonia,
A Narrow Escape From Iraq
Rocky Road Travel Founder Shane tells the story of that time he was forced to go on the run in Northern Iraq. How to Dodge
Palace’s of Saddam Hussein
Inside a Saddam Hussein Palace It’s estimated that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein built 8o – 100 palaces during his 24 year reign. Billions of dollars
Iraq Tours - FAQs
Most frequent questions and answers for our tours in Iraq.
Iraqi Kurdistan has always been generally safe as it has separate borders with the rest of the country. It is protected by the foreign aided fighting force – the Peshmerga.
Southern Iraq has recently become safe to visit. Since the fall of ISIS we have led a successful research tour and brought guests there issue free.
Passports from the EU, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil and others are visa free for 15 days in Iraqi Kurdistan. Passports from other countries can apply for a visa through our partners for an extra cost.
You have to join a tour of 5 people to get a visa for Southern Iraq. The travel agency will supply you an invitation letter which will be needed to apply at your nearest Iraqi embassy. You need to then collect your visa from an Iraqi embassy at a cost of around $60.
For flights into Erbil and Baghdad, the main gateways are Istanbul and Dubai.
USD and Euro are both accepted in currency exchanges. Make sure to bring cash.
Generally it is about 15 in Kurdistan and 10 in the south.