Heritage & cities
Baghdad & Babylon
A weekend. One day for Baghdad's museum and old streets, one for the walls of Babylon and the lion that has stood over them, uncatalogued, for two and a half thousand years.
2 DAYS · GENTLE PACE · 4–14 TRAVELERS · FROM $480
This is the shortest route we run that still feels like a proper trip, and it is the one we suggest to people with a spare weekend in the region. Day one is Baghdad — the National Museum, the Abbasid rooms, the booksellers' street. Day two goes south to Babylon, where you walk the processional way through the reconstructed Ishtar Gate, past Nebuchadnezzar's inscriptions in the original brick, to the basalt Lion of Babylon standing in the open with nothing between you and it. Saddam's palace still looks down from the mound above; we go up, because the view explains the site better than any plan. Back in Baghdad in the evening. Two days is not long. It is enough to stop being frightened of the place.
DAY BY DAY
Day
01
Baghdad, from the museum to the tea house
The National Museum first, then the Abbasid Palace and the Mustansiriyah School, one of the oldest surviving universities anywhere. Mutanabbi Street in the afternoon, the Shabandar for tea, and Kadhimiya at dusk if the group still has the energy.
Day
02
Babylon, and the lion
South along the Euphrates to Babylon. The Ishtar Gate reconstruction, the processional way, Nebuchadnezzar's stamped bricks, and the Lion of Babylon standing where it has always stood. Up to the palace on the mound for the view over the whole site, then back to Baghdad.
THIS ROUTE, PHOTOGRAPHED
What you will be looking at
What's included
- A guide who has led this route before, not a freelancer we found last week
- Driver and private vehicle for the whole route
- Hotels, booked for you on request
- Meals, arranged on request
- Visa support and your letter of invitation
- Entry tickets to every site in the itinerary
What's not
- International flights to and from Iraq
- Personal spending and tips
- Alcohol — it is not sold south of Baghdad, and we will tell you where it is
BEFORE YOU COME
Questions we are asked about this tour
Is Iraq safe to visit?
We have run group trips continuously since 2008, and the answer we give is practical, not promotional: the cities on our routes — Baghdad, the shrine cities, the south, Kurdistan — receive foreign travelers every week. You travel with an Iraqi guide and driver the whole time, we handle every checkpoint, and we adjust routes if conditions change. We will always tell you plainly what is and isn't sensible.
Do I need a visa?
Citizens of more than 30 countries — including the EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China — receive a visa on arrival at Baghdad, Basra, Najaf and Erbil airports (around US$77, cash). We confirm the current rules for your passport before you commit to anything.
What should I wear? What about women visiting shrines?
Everyday dress in Iraq is modest but relaxed: shoulders and knees covered is enough almost everywhere. At shrines, women need a headscarf and an abaya — the abaya is lent free at the shrine gate, and our guides walk you through the etiquette so nothing is awkward. Many of our travelers say shrine visits ended up being their favorite moments.
Can I pay by card or withdraw cash?
Treat Iraq as a cash country. US dollars exchange easily everywhere; cards work in a growing number of Baghdad and Erbil hotels and malls but nowhere you should rely on. We tell you exactly how much cash to bring for your trip — most travelers are surprised how affordable the days are.
What are the groups actually like?
Eight to sixteen people, usually five or more nationalities, ages from late twenties to seventies. An Iraqi guide and driver stay with the group throughout; hotels are the best available in each city (solid 3–4 star). The pace is curious rather than rushed — long lunches are part of the itinerary, not a failure of it.
Can I join alone?
Most of our travelers come alone. We match roommates by request or arrange a single room for a supplement, and solo women regularly join our groups — see the questions above about dress and safety, and ask us anything else directly.
What is the food like — and can I drink the water?
You will eat well: masgouf grilled over embers by the Tigris, qeema in the shrine cities, Kurdish breakfasts of honey and clotted cream, dates from Basra groves. Stick to bottled water, which is cheap and everywhere. Vegetarians manage easily; tell us about allergies and we brief every restaurant ahead.
The gate is open.
Tell us which month suits you and we will tell you which group fits.