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Trek Kurdistan – Zagros Mountain Trail

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$3,250

Our exciting new trek, through the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq, takes on the Zagros Mountain Trail. The 15-day adventure follows ancient pilgrimage and trading routes, along with shepherds’ paths, to traverse 215km through this beautiful part of the country.

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  • Vacation Style Holiday Type
      Trekking
    • Activity Level Challenging
      5/8
    • Group Size Medium Group
      10
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    All about the Trek Kurdistan – Zagros Mountain Trail.

    Our exciting new trek, through the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq, takes on the Zagros Mountain
    Trail. The 15-day adventure follows ancient pilgrimage and trading routes, along with shepherds’
    paths, to traverse 215km through this beautiful part of the country.

    The trek begins in the village of Sush and trails through lushy valleys, through canyons, past waterfalls, along the Great Zab River and up and over steep mountain passes. The trip then concludes at the base of Iraq’s tallest mountain, Halgurd, near the border with Iran. Along with showcasing the beauty of the area, the route also connects 30 rural communities who live in this remarkable part of the world and passes dozens of
    fascinating archaeological, religious and cultural sites. A phenomenal adventure, which will last long in
    the memory.

    Highlights

    • Experience life in rural Kurdistan
    • Trekking along the Great Zab River
    • Visit Iraq’s highest mountain, Mount Halgurd

    Start point  – Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
    End point   – Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
    Number of days: 15

    The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
    What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
    • All accommodation (mixture of hotels, camping and homestays)
    • Transport
    • International guide
    • Local guiding
    • All tents and camping equipment
    • All food
    • Porterage (horses)
    What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
    • Any necessary visas
    • Insurance
    • International flights 
    • Entrance fees
    • Tips
    1. Day 1 Arrival In Erbil

      Arrive in Erbil
      Transfer from airport to the hotel for briefing.
      Visit the main square and the bazaar in the evening.
      Overnight in Erbil.

      Altitude: 390m

    2. Day 2 Erbil - Shush - Akre

      Drive from Erbil to Shush, where will begin out trek. We will snake through the mountains passing centuries old villages, monasteries and graveyards to the town of Akre.
      Overnight in Akre.

      Trekking: 7-8 hours

      Altitude: 940m

    3. Day 3 Akre - Hashtga

      Continue your trek as the path cuts down and into the mountains, passing mountain fortresses and shepherds grazing their livestock.
      Overnight in Hashtga.

      Trekking: 3-4 hours

      Altitude: 1300m

    4. Day 4 Hashtga - Safti

      Continuing on, we leave Hashtga and descend into a broad valley. The path will lead us through rivers and across rolling terrain to a view point with stunning views of the Great Zab River and the Turkish Mountains.
      Overnight in Safti.

      Trekking: 7-8 hours

      Altitude 1300m

    5. Day 5 Satfi - Alka

      After leaving Satfi we slowly climb into the hills behind behind. The valleys here are lush and green all year round and is a maze of streams and waterfalls.
      Overnight in Alka.

      Trekking: 7-8 hours

      Altitude: 1200m

    6. Day 6 Alka - Harbo

      Once we leave Alka we will climb into the valley behind it. Here we will take in the beautiful views of the valley, with little elevation gain on this day you will be able to fully take in the this stunning corner of Kurdistan.
      Overnight in Harbo.

      Trekking: 7-8 hours

      Altitude: 750m

    7. Day 7 Harbo - Khalan

      For the first 5km of this route we will continue to follow the Great Zab river along some small trails which run parallel to jagged mountain peaks.
      Overnight in Khalan.

      Trekking: 8-9 hours

      Altitude: 600m

    8. Day 8 Khalan - Soran

      This is the longest stage of the trek, however it is one of the most spectacular, after ascending Bradost Mountain we will cross amountain road built by Saddam Hussein in the 1970s. After climbing through the mountain forests we will reach the city of Soran. Overnight in Soran.

      Trekking: 11-12 hours

      Altitude: 1600m

    9. Day 9 Soran - Rawanduz

      Today’s trek will bring a welcome change of pace, this is one of the shorter parts of the trail, which allows you to appreciate the stunning scenery that surrounds you. The route takes you through the territory of of an old Peshmerga training base and along the ridge of a steep canyon overlooking the town of Rawanduz.
      Overnight in Rawanduz.

      Trekking: 2-3 hours

      Altitude: 750m

    10. Day 10 Rawanduz - Saran

      After an early start we will leave Rawanduz and head into the Akoyan Valley. It is another long stretch with a steep ascent at the end, climbing 500 meters up old cow paths to reach the ancient village of Saran.
      Overnight in Saran.

      Trekking: 11-12 hours

      Altitude: 1600m

    11. Day 11 Saran - Dargala

      We begin the day by trekking through hillside orchards to reach the high mountain pass above, where two great mountains of Kurdistan, Karokh and Hendrin meet. Both of which hold reverence in Kurdish Oral traditions. After descending the eastern side of trail we will reach the village of Dargala, famed as the birth place of many legendary Kurdish fighters who fought against Saddam Hussein.
      Overnight in Dargala.

      Trekking: 5-6 hours

      Altitude: 2100m

    12. Day 12 Dargala - Rezan

      We will leave Dargala in the morning following the hills to the south. Passing through the town of Razhukaryan, and then we will follow the animal trails above the town of Omurawah before descending into the village of Rezan.
      Overnight in Rezan.

      Trekking: 6-7 hours

      Altitude: 1100m

    13. Day 13 Rezan - Choman

      The day begins with a slow climb through the hills in to the famous Balakayati region, famed for its high snow covered peaks. From here you will get a clear view of Mount Halgurd to the north-east, and Mount Sakran to the south-east.
      Overnight in Choman.

      Trekking: 5-6 hours

      Altitude: 1300m

    14. Day 14 Choman - Halgurd base camp - Choman

      This the final leg of the journey. After an early start you will begin your steep ascent up to the base camp of Iraq’s highest mountain, Mount Halgurd. Passing Waterfalls, streams and meadows filled with wildflowers this is will be the perfect place to end your Kurdish adventure.
      Overnight in Choman.

      Altitude: 2500m

    15. Day 15 Choman - Erbil

      Return to Erbil for return flight.
      End of Trip.

       

    Accommodation

    We do not and cannot offer a uniform accommodation standard on our itineraries. Even if we wanted
    to, the reality is that standards in Erbil cannot be compared to a home stay in an isolated valley in the
    Zargos Mountains. We consider comfort, location, design, character, historical interest and whether
    the money we spend will go into the pockets of the local community when we make our choices of
    where to stay.
    The accommodation will vary from a hotel in Erbil to homestays and camping when on the trail.
    The accommodation will be based on 2 people sharing a room when in a hotel. A single supplement is
    available for certain nights upon request.
    When camping, each guest will have their own tent.
    When we are in the local home stays, they may only offer central communal areas to sleep.

    The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance.
    Included in the price:
    • All accommodation, including tents during the trek
    • All meals except in Khorog and Dushanbe
    • Transport
    • Experienced international trekking guide
    • Local trekking crew
    • Pack animals
    Not included in the price:
    • Any necessary visas and permits
    • Insurance
    • Flights to Tajikistan
    • Entrance fees
    • Drinks
    • Tips

    Our trekking trips are designed to be physically engaging and provide a level of challenge for most people. As a general guideline, we recommend that you have some prior experience walking with a 10-15kg day pack for up to 8 hours over 5 or more days through uneven & varied terrain (and weather); ranging from hard-packed earth, tussock grass, boulder fields, scree slopes, soft snow patches, and knee-deep rivers.

    We do not directly arrange international flights to Iraqi Kurdistan. However, we can suggest routes and operators.

    For most nationalities, a visa is available on arrival in Erbil airport. The visa is valid for Iraqi Kurdistan only and NOT for southern Iraq.
    If you have an Iraq visa in advance, then it is valid for all of Iraq.

    We will provide all meals on this trip.

    When we choose our vehicles and drivers we take into consideration the road conditions, the length of journey and the competence of the man behind the wheel. We will only be travelling by four-wheel drive vehicles.
    Your comfort, enjoyment and safety of the journey is top priority.

    On this trip you will be accompanied by a local trekking crew plus an English-speaking International guide. This allows for greater flexibility and means that there is a well trained experienced guide to manage medical issues and any emergencies as well as the local team with the local knowledge.

    Trips to Iraq do create dangers of their own and whilst we want you to have as much freedom as possible, we must state that the tour guide has the final word with regards to changes in the itinerary for safety reasons. Whilst the route we have chosen passes through areas which we consider to be relatively stable things can change and we may have to alter the route or cancel sections of the trip at
    short notice.

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    PackageConfirmed DatesTrip StatusCurrent StatusPricein Twin Occupancy
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    3250 $