Grand tour
Baghdad to Basra
The length of the country in a week, following the rivers south: Baghdad, Samarra's spiral, Babylon, the shrine cities, the marshes, and out at Basra where the two rivers finish.
6 DAYS · STEADY PACE · 6–14 TRAVELERS · PRICE ON REQUEST
This is the route we have run more than any other, and the one we would put a first-time visitor on. It follows the water. You begin in Baghdad,, then turn and travel south the whole length of Mesopotamia — Babylon, Karbala, Najaf, the ziggurat at Ur, the marshes at Chibayish — until the Tigris and Euphrates join at Qurna and run out into the Gulf below Basra. A week is enough time to watch the landscape change from dust to date palm to water, and to notice that the people change with it. Two days involve four hours of driving. Nobody has ever told us it wasn't worth it.
DAY BY DAY
Day
01
Baghdad
The National Museum, the Abbasid Palace, the Mustansiriyah School, Mutanabbi Street, and the Shabandar. Ctesiphon in the late afternoon, and Kadhimiya after that if the group is still standing.
Day
02
Babylon
South at last. The Ishtar Gate, the processional way, Nebuchadnezzar's stamped bricks, the basalt lion, and the view from the palace on the mound above the ruins.
Day
03
Karbala
The Imam Hussein and Al-Abbas shrines across their square. Cameras stay in the vehicle, phones are fine, and women cover their hair. Quieter than you have been led to expect.
Day
04
Najaf
The Imam Ali shrine, gold and enormous, and Wadi al-Salam — five million graves running to the horizon. The old market in the evening, which is the best in the south for silver.
Day
05
Ur, and into the marshes
The ziggurat at Ur, restored enough to climb, with Abraham's supposed house beside it and an American airbase on the far side of the fence. Then Chibayish, a reed mudhif, and a canoe among the buffalo.
Day
06
Basra, where the rivers finish
Qurna, where the Tigris and Euphrates join. Then Basra: the museum in the old palace, the leaning shanasheel balconies over the creek, and a boat on the Shatt al-Arab before the flight.
THIS ROUTE, PHOTOGRAPHED
What you will be looking at
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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.