Iraq Tours

Iraq Tour Itineraries

2025 / 2026

The world’s leading Iraq travel specialist. Join us throughout the year where we explore the “Land between two rivers” – Mesopotamia.

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Iraq is open and welcoming tourists once again. We have tours to Iraqi Kurdistan in the north and Baghdad and beyond in the south.

All tours start and finish in either Baghdad, Basra or Erbil. All three have major airports which can easily be reached from Turkey or the Gulf.

There is an abundance of incredible and untouched history waiting to be seen. All our Iraq Tours are confirmed departures. Unsure of where you want to go? Check out our Map and FAQs below.

Tour dates don’t work? No worries, let us know when you want to travel and we will create a private tour for you.

Where?

Entire Iraq!

From Erbil – Duhok – Sulaymaniyah – Samara – Baghdad – Karbala – Najaf – Babylon – Basra & everywhere in between.

When?

See our group Iraq tour itineraries below. Get in touch for a private tour quote.

Current Weather?

Weather data of this location not found.

Visa?

Iraqi Kurdistan is visa on arrival for most European countries as well as the US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Brazil & more.

For Southern Iraq a new eVisa scheme has been announced for all countries. Everyone must apply for an eVisa in advance.

Tour Itineraries

2025

2026

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Overland all the way from the southern city of Basra to the Kurdish capital of Erbil.

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Visit Kurdistan during the Yazidi Autumn Assembly Festival!

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It’s a big one! All of Iraq – from Basra to Erbil and everything in between.

It’s our Basra to Baghdad classic arriving in the capital on new years eve!

It’s our Basra to Erbil classic covering everything in between!

We cover every corner of Northern Iraq as we celebrate the new years festival of Nowruz.

It’s our favorite Iraq tour of the year – See the whole country and the iconic Nowruz fire show!

Overland all the way from the southern city of Basra to the Kurdish capital of Erbil.

Visit Kurdistan during the Yazidi Autumn Assembly Festival!

It’s a big one! All of Iraq – from Basra to Erbil and everything in between.

It’s our Baghdad to Erbil classic arriving in the Kurdish capital on new years eve!

Tour Maps

Create your own Iraq Tour

If our scheduled group tours don’t suit then we can create your own tour on your own dates.

The tours are all inclusive of accommodation in standard hotels, breakfast, private transport, entrance fees, permits, guiding and translations. Excluded are international flights, most meals, visa fees, tips & insurance.

Southern Iraq tours are not open to Israeli passport holders or those with evidence of visiting Israel in their passports. Iraqi Kurdistan is the exception for this.

Some parts of Iraq are deemed unsafe to visit. We research and meticulously plan our itineraries based on advice from our partners in Baghdad. All places on our itineraries are safe to visit.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 - Baghdad

Arrival in Baghdad. Your tour guide will meet you in Baghdad Airport.
Introductory briefing on travelling in Iraq and a breakdown of the itinerary
Baghdad tour – See the Liberation Square monument, which commemorates the establishment of the Republic of Iraq.
Visit to the National Museum of Iraq. Reopened in 2015 after notorious looting during the war, it contains various treasure from the Mesopotamian and Babylonian periods.
Visit the incredible and well renovated Al–Mustansariya School. This is commonly known as the oldest school in the world.
Walk through the book market and adjoining copper market. A great place for souvenirs and photography.
Visit the Al-Shaheed (Martyr) Monument.
Traditional Fish Masgouf dinner and overnight in Baghdad.

Day 2 - Baghdad & Ctesiphon

After breakfast it’s another full Baghdad city tour starting with a visit to the Save Iraqi Culture Monument and see the Green Zone of Baghdad.
Visit the Al-Yassin Shrine arguably Baghdad’s finest.
Stroll along the Tigris River and see the famous old clock tower and Abbasid Palace.
Lunch in a traditional Baghdadi restaurant.
Drive out to one of the greatest historical sites in the Middle East: the ruins of Ctesiphon. These days all that’s left is a gigantic arch which also happens to be the world’s largest span of unreinforced brickwork.
Dinner and overnight in Baghdad.

Day 3 - Karbala & Samarra

Up early for the drive to Samarra. Pass through multiple militia checkpoints along the route driving by many villages destroyed during the fighting against ISIS
Visit the incredible Great Mosque of Samarra and it’s iconic spiral minaret. Climb all the way to the top if you dare!
Drive back south onto the holy city of Karbala, just in time to catch the historic shrines at sunset.
Dinner and overnight in Karbala.

Day 4 - Karbala and Babylon

After breakfast we visit Karbala’s famous Al Abbas mosque and Iman Husayn shrine
Drive to Babylon. You’ll tour the ancient ruins with our local expert and what’s left of the hanging gardens.
Explore the looted ruins of Saddam Hussein’s former palace – perched on top of the ancient city
After extensively exploring Babylon, continue onto Najaf. Visit the most important site of Najaf – the Imam Ali shrine for the daily late night ceremony.
Dinner and overnight in Najaf.

Day 5 - Najaf, Nasiriyah and Ur

In the morning we’ll drive to visit the tomb of the prophet Ezekiel in the city of Al Kifl.
Najaf, including Imam Ali’s house (the very spot where imam Ali was killed) and the Imam Ali Shrine itself.
Visit the Wadi-Us-Salaam – the world’s largest graveyard. It is said to contain tens of millions of bodies. Many shiites request to be buried here in one of the numerous catacombs.
Leave Najaf and drive south to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, a neo-Sumerian construction built in 2000 BC. This used to be the capital of Mesopotamia during the Sumerian time and it is a UNESCO world heritage site since 2016.
Drive to Nasariyah city and overnight.

Day 6 - Mesopotamian Marshes and Basra

Up super early for sunrise in Mesopotamian Marshes! We’ll take a boat trip through the maze of marshes stopping by local villages for tea. The marshes once engulfed a whole swathe of Southern Iraq with numerous floating villages. Today the receding waters have led most families to change their livelihood but we’ll still see the few that remain.
It is also home to the Maʻdān population who over the centuries have adapted to life on the water. Stop by a traditional house for lunch and tea.
Tour the local market of Chibayesh and have lunch in a traditional reed house.
Drive south towards Basra, the largest city in Southern Iraq and the country’s only seaport.
Visit the Ashar and Shanashil Al Basra area to witness the old Basra – old style merchant houses with balconies leaning over the narrow streets. Stop by the Souq, History Museum, Saddam Hussein Palace (of course) and the Central Railway Station.
Dinner and overnight in Basra.

Day 7 - Basra

Airport transfer & end of tour.

Gallery

Wadi Al-Salam Cemetery

Lalish

Cooking Fish Masgouf

AL Mustansirya School

Martyr Monument

Overlooking the Rawanduz Valley in Kurdistan

Baghdad sidestreet

Our group in Iraqi Kurdistan

Marshes Lunch

Abu Haider

Ctestiphon

Al-Shaheed monument in Baghdad

Climbing the great mosque of Samarra!

Saddam's Palace

Samarra Mosque in Iraq

Rasheed Street, Baghdad

Babylon Procession way

Selfie in Iraqi Kurdistan

Waterfall in Iraqi Kurdistan

Tahrir Square

Abu Haider in the Marshlands

On the Iraqi Marshes.

Iraq blog

What to Know Before Traveling to Iraq | Guide

What to know before traveling to Iraq? This comprehensive guide comes from our years of experience leading travelers to one of the world’s most misunderstood

New Iraqi e-Visa

Iraq’s new visa policy On 1 March 2025, Iraq revised its visa policy, moving from visa on arrival to a more streamlinedelectronic visa (e-Visa) system

What are the differences between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq?

Iraqi Kurdistan vs Federal Iraq Iraq is a complicated place. Sectarian divisions have long characterised the country, be that between the various factions of Islam

Most frequent questions and answers for our tours in Iraq.

IS IT SAFE?

Iraqi Kurdistan has always been generally safe as it has separate borders with the rest of the country. It is protected by the foreign aided fighting force – the Peshmerga.

Southern Iraq has recently become safe to visit. Since the fall of ISIS we have led successful research tours and organized numerous group tours there without issue.

How do I get a visa for Iraqi Kurdistan?

Passports from the EU, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil and others are visa free for 15 days in Iraqi Kurdistan. Passports from other countries can apply for a visa through our partners for an extra cost.

How do I get a visa for southern iraq?

For Southern Iraq a new eVisa scheme has been announced for all countries. Everyone must apply for an eVisa in advance.

do i need travel insurance?

Travel insurance is a must. We have teamed up with IATI Travel Insurance because they provide cover for all our destinations. You’ll also automatically receive a 5% discount with them as a Rocky Road Travel customer.

What's the best way to get there?

For flights into Erbil and Baghdad, the main gateways are Istanbul and Dubai.

what currency should i bring?

USD and Euro are both accepted in currency exchanges. Make sure to bring cash.

What is the group size?

Our groups are capped at 10 people for added flexibility and comfort.

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Iraq Tours

Iraq Tour Itineraries