Shrines & pilgrimage
The Shrine Cities
Najaf, Kadhimiya and Karbala, at the pace pilgrims actually keep. Five days of courtyards, Friday prayers, and the largest cemetery on earth — open to travelers of any faith or none.
5 DAYS · GENTLE PACE · 6–16 TRAVELERS · FROM $980
You do not have to be Muslim to walk into these courtyards, and every year we take people who are not. What you do have to do is dress as the place asks and put your camera away — phones are permitted inside the shrines, cameras are not, and women cover their hair. In return you get Najaf at night, when the gold of the Imam Ali shrine is the brightest thing for a hundred kilometres; Wadi al-Salam, where five million people are buried and the mausoleums run to the horizon; Friday prayers in Baghdad; and Karbala, which is quieter than its reputation and more moving. Our guides have made this journey their whole lives. Ask them anything. They would rather you asked than guessed.
DAY BY DAY
Day
01
Najaf, and the cemetery without an end
Arrive into Najaf. The Imam Ali shrine in the evening, when the courtyard is full and the gold catches everything. Then Wadi al-Salam — the largest cemetery in the world, six square kilometres of it — and the old market on the walk back.
Day
02
North to Baghdad and Kadhimiya
By way of Kufa and its mosque, then Salman Pak on the edge of Baghdad. Evening at the Kadhimiya shrine, the twin gold domes lit and the courtyard filling as people come from work.
Day
03
Friday in Baghdad
A day built around Friday prayers. The shrines of Abdul Qadir al-Gilani and Junaid of Baghdad, both quiet at the right hours, and time in the afternoon that is deliberately unscheduled.
Day
04
Karbala
South to Karbala for the Imam Hussein and Al-Abbas shrines, a few hundred metres apart across a square that has held millions of people at Arbaeen and holds a few hundred today. The tents, Zainab's hill, and the walk between the two.
Day
05
Back to Najaf
A last morning in the Najaf courtyards before the airport — most groups ask for it, and we have learned to leave the time in rather than schedule something they'll skip.
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.