Southern Iraq & Iraqi Kurdistan Tour Plan

A comprehensive 16-day journey through Iraq and Kurdistan

Duration

16 Days

Distance

Baghdad → Basra → Erbil → Sulaymaniyah

From

$2,899 per person

Day 1 – Baghdad

Bab Al Wastani (the only remaining gate of Baghdad)
Al-Safafir Market is the first market in the world
Mutanabi Street is famous for poets and writers
Abbasid Place
Mustansiriya school
Shabandar Café is one of the oldest cultural cafes in Baghdad have tea and walk around the bazaar
Pass through the Green Zone
Old cultural house on tigress
Lunch in a kurdish restaurant of the owner Of the old heritage house
Martyr's Monument which Saddam built during Iraq and Iranian war
Square or liberation: Where most of the protests against foreign and domestic accrued
Dinner

Day 2 – Baghdad

Ziggurat Dur-Kurigalzu 2200 -2000 BC / 30km outside of Baghdad around 30–40- minute drive
Lunch brake
Ctesiphon / Parthian Empire (247 BCE - 224 CE) until Rome's destruction. Later restored, it became the capital of the Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE)
40km outside of Baghdad around 30–40- minute drive
Dinner

Day 3 – Baghdad to Karbala

Baghdad to Karbala
Babylon / 40–50-minute drive from Baghdad 1:30 hours tour in the ancient city
Saddam's Palace/ in the same location exclusive access for our company to all the areas and rooms in the palace including the roof 1:30 hours tour
Lunch
Karbala (visit the two shrines: Imam Abbas and Imam Hussein) most significant shrines in Shia world
Dinner

Day 4 – Karbala to Najaf

Al-Ukhaidir Fortress /50 km south of Karbala, Iraq. It is a large, rectangular fortress erected in 775AD with a unique defensive style. Constructed by the Abbasid caliph's As-Saffah
Lunch
Visit The Prophet Dhu al-Kifl (Ezekiel) Hebrew Bible prophet
Note the shrine is closed, the mosque next it is open and available to visit
Wadi Al-Salam Cemetery. The biggest cemetery in the world
Imam Ali Shrine/ most important and first Imam in Islam and the son in law of Islam's prophet Mohammed

Day 5 – Najaf to Samawa and Nassriyah

2.5-hour drive to Uruk (5,000 BC). It's where the first written words were created and the first city in the world. Tour the ancient temples for 1.5 hours
Ziggurat of Ur, the birthplace of prophet Abraham 3800 BC, walk around the ancient city tour 1 hour
Dinner and overnight in Samawa city

Day 6 – Nassriyah to Basrah

Boat trip in the Iraqi Marshes unesco world heritage site 1 hour, have fish (Mazgof) 1 45 minutes away from the city
Stay in the reed house with local people for a few hours
Go to Basra 2 hours drive and checkin hotel visit Shanasheel Street, (Old Basrah)
Dinner and overnight in Basra
Optional: have a walk around during the night by the Shat al Arab river
And take a boat ride

Day 7 – Basrah to Baghdad

Basra Cultural Museum
Shatt al-Arab, the point where the two Mesopotamian rivers meet each other
Lunch break
Drive to Baghdad and overnight there

Day 8 – Baghdad to Samara & Mosul

Drive to Samara passing by Abu Ghraib, the famous prison which used by US guards tortured Iraqi prisoners. 2 hours drive
Visit the Malawiya minaret or the grand mosque of Samara and Abo Dalaf Mosque and walk up the tower
Time permitting visit Qasr Sl Khalifa or the palace of the Caliphate
Driving to Mosul 3 hours drive and arrive by the late afternoon around 5 pm
Dinner and overnight in Mosul

Day 9 – Mosul to Erbil

Visit the ancient city of Mosul and the houses which were used by ISIS the Islamic state
Visit the first mosque built in Iraq during the Umayyad period
Visit the ancient walls of Nineveh that are mentioned in the Bible. Three sites in the city
Visit Hatra, the ancient city outside of Mosul, a large, fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom. The temples are Hellenistic and Roman architecture blend with Eastern decorative features, attesting to the greatness of its civilization. 1:30 hours away from the city
Come back to Mousl If Time permitting, visit two museums inside Mousl and go to Erbil
Dinner and overnight in Erbil

Day 10 – Erbil

Highlight: Tour the Citadel of Erbil, a UNESCO site and world's continuously inhabited city in the world for 7500 - 8000 thousand years
Kurdish antique shop, a good place for unique souvenirs
Walk through the Qaysari Bazaar, here you can buy everything
Minaret of Choli (also known as the Mudhafaria Minaret). The minaret was built between 1190 and 1232
Leaving Erbil to Khanzad Castle was constructed during the time of the Kurdish Soran Emirate in the 16th century under the rule of Princess Khanzad and her brother Prince Suleiman Beg. 30 minutes drive
A visit to Dwin Castle which we delve into the secrets of Saladin Ayoubi's heritage by exploring the wonders of Dwin. 1:30 hour drive
Driving back to Erbil and overnight there

Day 11 – Erbil & Duhok

Visit Jerwana, one of the oldest aqueducts in the world. 1:20 hours drive from Erbil
Guided tour of Lalish, the spiritual center and holy temple of the Yazidis
Visit to the village of Al Qush with the tomb of the prophet Nahum, one of the minor prophets of Judaism. 40 minutes drive from Lalish
Go to Duhok 1 hour drive
Dinner Overnight stay in Duhok

Day 12 – Duhok, Amedi and Rawandiz

Drive to Amedi and the famous city gate Mosul Gate. 1:30 minutes drive
Former Sadam Hussein Palace. Nowadays there are only a few walls left. A short stop on the way
Visit Minaret of Amedi that is 30m high and has been erected since the 15th century
Highlight: Drive to Rawandiz, with a regular stop along the way for photos
Mullah Mustapha Memorial (Father of present-day Kurdistan), a very important person and region for the Kurds. 1 hour drive
Shanidar Cave, where many skeletons of Neanderthals dating back to 80,000 years old were found and the discoveries changed the understanding about Neanderthals. 50 minutes drive
Highlight: Walk along the famous Hamilton Road
Walk through the canyon of Rawandiz.1:30 hours drive
Overnight stay in Rawandiz

Day 13 – Rawandiz, Dukan and Sulaymaniyah

Drive to Sulaymaniyah via Dukan. 2:30 hours drive checkin the hotel
Visit to the Red Prison, where Kurds were locked up and tortured during the Iraqi Ba'ath regime
Highlight: Walk over the busy bazaar of Sulaymaniyah
Sha'ab Teahouse, an icon in the city
View over the city from the Goizha mountain. 20 minutes drive
Overnight stay in Sulaymaniyah

Day 14 – Sulaymaniyah, Halabja and Hawraman

Sulaymaniyah Museum
Drive to Halabja 1:30 drive where Ba'ath regime attacked it with chemical weapons and seeing its monument and mass grave
Waterfall on the border with Iran in Tawela. 1 hour drive from Halabja
Driving back to Sulaymaniyah and overnight there. 2:30 hours drive

Day 15 – Sulaymaniyah to Erbil

Drive to Erbil through Koya district. 2:30 hours drive
Zarzi Cave and Dukan Lake. A place to relax and stretch your legs. (Optional) time permitting, boat ride, to visit to Buk u Zawa valley, in Kurdish means the groom and the bride mountain look alike, know the legend behind it
Stop at an old caravanserai. Used for the slick road during many empires Here you'll feel like you're traveling back in time
Arrive in Erbil
Farewell dinner end of tour
Stay over night in Erbil

Day 16 – Departure

Airport drop-off

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Services Included

Accommodations. Hotel
Professional private guide, multi-language speaking, with 5+ years of experience during the entire tour
Lecture at every historical and cultural site
Transportation in an air-conditioned private car
Breakfast
Pickup and drop-off the airport
Entry fees to all historical sites and museums
SIM card and internet valid for one month

Services Excluded

Lunch and dinner
Travel insurance
Alcoholic drinks
Souvenirs

Pricing

Total price for one person: 2899 USD (single room)

Valid for groups of 1 to 6 individuals

Booking deposit: $500 (non-refundable)