A 10-day trip, which travels through the heartland of Iraq, covering a vast swathe of the country – stretching from the Arbian Sea at Basra, right up to Mosul in the north and Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Tracing back through history, we travel to the home of some of the first civilisations, visiting the ancient Sumerian sites of Ur and Uruk, along with ancient Babylon and the riches held at the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. We will see the legacy of Iraq’s place as the centre of Islamic world through a visit to Samarra, a UNESCO world heritage site, with its iconic spiral minaret. We also explore modern Iraq by mingling with the pilgrims in Karbala and Najaf, the two holy places of Shia Islam, as well as visiting some of Saddam Hussein’s old palaces. We venture south to Iraq’s marshlands, where the great Euphrates and Tigris Rivers converge, exploring the area by boat and we spend time in the city of Basra. The tail end of the trip sees us head north, to the UNESCO sites at Hatra, the capital of the first Arab Kingdom, then on to the city of Mosul, before finishing in Erbil.
Highlights:
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Want to see more of Iraq? Combine your trips and join our Kurdistan departure, available directly after this trip.
If you are travelling in March, don’t miss out on the Kurdish Newroz festival!
Arrive in Baghdad in the morning.
Transfer to Hotel for briefing.
We begin the trip by spending time in the old city. We will explore Firdos Square, the Copper Market and Mutanabbi Street with its famous Shabander Cafe.
Overnight in Baghdad at hotel.
A full day in the Iraqi capital.
Highlights may include the Al-Shaheed monument, Liberation Square and Al-Kadhimiya mosque.
After lunch we explore the National Museum.
Overnight in Baghdad at hotel.
Travel from Baghdad to Karbala.
En route visit the remains of the city of Babylon, now heavily reconstructed. At Babylon we will also visit an old palace of Saddam’s.
Once in Karbala we can visit the shrine of Imam Hussein.
Overnight in Karbala at hotel.
A morning visit to Al Khifal and its’ ancient souk before driving to Najaf. You will be able to witness some of the holiest places in Shia Islam including Kufa, Najaf Cemetery and the Shrine of Imam Ali.
Overnight in Najaf at hotel.
Drive from Najaf to Nasiriyah.
Visit the remains of the ancient cities of Uruk and Ur.
Overnight in Nasiriyah at hotel.
A day experiencing life in the marshes of Iraq.
We will take small boats through the marshes seeing water buffalo and traditional reed houses. We will also visit Al Qurna to see the point where the Tigris and Euphrates meet to form the Shatt al Arab waterway.
Finally travel to Basra.
Overnight in Basra at hotel.
Enjoy a relaxed morning tour of Basra.
We will explore the traditional merchant houses of the city, and take a boat ride with views of one of Saddam’s old palaces.
In the afternoon we return to Baghdad.
Overnight in Baghdad at hotel.
Day trip to Samarra to visit the archaeological site, a UNESCO world heritage site and former Abbasid capital. This includes the 8th century great mosque and the iconic spiral minaret.
We then continue north, visiting the archeological site of Hatra before finally reaching Mosul.
Overnight in Mosul at hotel.
Morning tour of Mosul, including visiting the old city, Bashtabya castle and the archeological site of Ninevah.
Drive to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Visit the main square and the bazaar in the evening.
Overnight in Erbil at hotel.
Transfer to Erbil Airport.
End of trip.
