Grand tour
Basra to Erbil — the whole country
Two weeks, bottom to top: the Gulf, the marshes, Ur, the shrine cities, Babylon, Baghdad, Samarra, Mosul and Hatra, and out through the Kurdish mountains at Erbil.
15 DAYS · ACTIVE PACE · 6–12 TRAVELERS · PRICE ON REQUEST
Fifteen days is what it takes to cross Iraq properly, and this is the only route we run that includes Mosul and Hatra. You start where the rivers end, at Basra, and finish in the mountains at Erbil. In between: the reed houses of Chibayish, the ziggurat at Ur, Uruk where writing was invented, Najaf and Karbala, Babylon, three days of Baghdad, the spiral at Samarra, the rebuilt Al-Nouri mosque in a Mosul that is still rebuilding around it, the Parthian columns at Hatra, the Halabja memorial, and Erbil's citadel. It is a demanding trip — long drives, several very early starts, and two days that are emotionally heavy rather than physically hard. The price depends on group size, season and hotels, so we quote it per group rather than pretend there is one number.
- Best season
- October – April
- Route
- Basra · Nasiriyah & the Marshes · Najaf · Karbala · Babylon · Baghdad · Samarra · Mosul · Sulaymaniyah · Erbil
DAY BY DAY
Day
01
Basra
Land at Basra. The museum in Saddam's riverside palace, the shanasheel balconies leaning over the creek, and a boat onto the Shatt al-Arab to see where the two rivers finish.
Day
02
Qurna and the marshes
North to Qurna and the confluence, then into the marshes at Chibayish: a reed mudhif built without nails, lunch with a family, and a canoe out among the water buffalo.
Day
03
Ur and Uruk
The ziggurat at Ur, which you can climb, and Uruk, where the first written words were pressed into clay. There is nobody else there. There is usually nobody else there all day.
Day
04
Najaf
The Imam Ali shrine and Wadi al-Salam, the largest cemetery on earth. Kufa mosque on the way in, and the Najaf market in the evening.
Day
05
Karbala
The Hussein and Abbas shrines across their square, the tents, and Zainab's hill. A short day, which the group always needs by now.
Day
06
Babylon
The Ishtar Gate, the processional way, the stamped bricks, the basalt lion, and the palace on the mound. Kish and Borsippa if the group wants them.
Day
07
Baghdad: the museum
Into Baghdad. Most of a day in the National Museum, because it deserves it and because everything you have already seen is explained in those rooms.
Day
08
Baghdad: the old city
The Abbasid Palace, the Mustansiriyah School, Mutanabbi Street and the Shabandar, Ctesiphon's arch in the afternoon, and Kadhimiya as the light goes.
Day
09
Samarra
North for the Malwiya spiral, the Great Mosque's outer wall, the Abu Dulaf minaret and the pool palace — the largest archaeological site in the country.
Day
10
Mosul
Into Mosul and the old city on foot. The rebuilt Al-Nouri mosque and its leaning minaret, the churches beside it, and the rubble that has not been cleared. Our guide here grew up two streets away.
Day
11
Hatra and Nimrud
Out to Hatra, whose Parthian temple columns survived both empire and demolition, and to Nimrud, which did not survive it as well. A long, hard, necessary day.
Day
12
East to Sulaymaniyah
Over the mountains into Kurdistan. Dukan Lake, the Qyzqapan rock tombs, and into Sulaymaniyah in the evening.
Day
13
Halabja and the Red Security Museum
The Amna Suraka prison, kept as it was found, the archaeological museum, and Halabja's memorial in the afternoon. We do not schedule anything for the evening.
Day
14
Rawanduz, Bekhal, Korek
West on the Hamilton Road through the Rawanduz gorge, past Bekhal waterfall, and up Korek by cable car. Down to Shaqlawa for the market, and into Erbil at night.
Day
15
Erbil
The citadel, occupied for six thousand years without a break, and the Qaysari bazaar beneath it. The afternoon is yours; the flight home is from Erbil.
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.