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Iraq Travel Itinerary
I’ve spent more than 45 days in the country, but I know that most travellers tend to stay for shorter periods and visit one place after another, stopping only at the main places of interest. If that’s the case, I’ve put together a simple itinerary that covers the historic sites and major tourist towns to visit in Federal Iraq in 10 days, plus a stopover in Kurdistan.
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Day 1 & 2 : Baghdad
Baghdad is the city you should arrive in if you want to visit federal Iraq and Kurdistan. The Iraqi capital is an essential stop on any trip to Iraq. I counted on spending at least two days in Baghdad, so as not to leave on the run as soon as I arrived in the country. Take the temperature in the city, visit the many places of interest, then set off for Karbala.
Day 3 : Karbala – Babylon
1. Karbala
Distance: 116 km from Baghdad
Karbala is an ancient and holy city of Shiite Islam to which many pilgrims go, as the tomb of one of the 12 Imams is located there. This very religious city is full of fervour. Be sure to dress modestly here. Karbala can be visited in half a day.
- How to get to Karbala:
From Baghdad, go to the “Garage Alawi” and take a shared taxi. The fare is 10,000 IQD per person.
2. Babylon
Distance: 50 km from Karbala
Babylon is one of Iraq’s most important and unmissable tourist sites. You will arrive in the town of Hillah before reaching the ruins. Babylon can easily be visited in half a day.
- How to get to Babylon:
From Karbala, go to the “Garage Hillah” where you can take a shared taxi to the town of Hillah, near the site of Babylon. The fare is 2,000 IQD per person. If you’re not interested in visiting Karbala, you can go directly to Hillah from Baghdad from the Alawi Garage for 10,000 IQD.
📍 Garage Hillah (to Babylon)
Once in Hillah, you’ll have to take a private taxi. The first one cost me 3,000 IQD on the way out and 4,000 IQD on the way back.
Day 4 : Najaf
Distance : à 62 km de Hillah (Babylone)
Najaf, or Najaf, is also a holy city in Iraq and in the Shia Muslim world, as it is the site of the tomb of one of the twelve Imams. This historic city also boasts the world’s largest cemetery, with almost 5 million mainly Shiite tombs. The faithful believe that they will find absolute peace and be cleansed of their sins by being buried here.
Also visit nearby Kufa and its great mosque, the founding capital of the Abbasid Empire. It’s a place full of myths and mysteries. For example, legend has it that Adam was buried here. It is also the place where Noah built his ark, according to Shiite beliefs.
- How to get to Najaf :
From Hillah, go to the bus station where you will take a shared taxi to the town of Najaf. The fare is around 7,000 IQD.
Day 5 : Nasiriyah
Distance: 250 km from Najaf
Nasiriyah is a town in southern Iraq. From here, you can visit the must-see ziggurat of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham, and the Mesopotamian marshes with their traditional reed huts made by the inhabitants of an atypical Arab culture.
- How to get to Nasiriya :
From Najaf, go to the “Garage Al-Najaf” where you will take a shared taxi to the town of Nasiriya. The fare is around IQD 10,000. To visit the Ziggurat of Ur, you’ll need to take a single private taxi to and from the site, which is deserted. There were absolutely no visitors when I was there!
📍 Garage Al-Najaf (to the South)
Day 6 : Samarra
342 km distance between Nasiriyah and Bagdad
127 km distance between Bagdad and Samarra
Samarra was one of the capitals of the Abbasid Empire. Today it is one of Iraq’s holiest cities, with pilgrims visiting the tombs of Imams Ali and Hassan Askari and visitors coming to see the famous Malwiya minaret and its mosque.
- How to get to Samarra:
From Nasiriya, go to the bus station where you will take a shared taxi (25,000 IQD per person) to Baghdad, where you will spend the night.
The next morning, get up early and go to the Alawi bus station of Baghdad to go to Samarra. You won’t be able to sleep there, as it’s forbidden. You will have to leave the same day for your next destination, Mosul, which is at least 5 hours away.
Day 7 : Mosul
Distance: 294 km dfrom Samarra
Mosul is one of Iraq’s most important cities, with exceptional ethnic and religious diversity. It is also the meeting point of the Kurdish and Arab worlds, and home to the mighty city of Nineveh: a must-see on your Iraq itinerary. Find out more in the guide below:
- How to get to Mosul:
From Samarra, go to the bus station where you will take a shared taxi to Tikrit (there is no direct service to Mosul).
From Tikrit, go to the bus station where you will take a shared taxi to Mosul. It will take you a full day to visit Samarra and drive to Mosul.
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Day 8 : Mar Mattai / Bakhdida
Mar Mattai
Distance: 40 km from Mosul
Mar Mattai is an Orthodox monastery on the border with Iraqi Kurdistan. If you decide to visit it, you will need to take a private taxi to get there from Mosul. You won’t be able to find a shared taxi from Mar Mattai unless you hitchhike. Visitors generally make the round trip, as the monastery is not far from the city.
Bakhdida
Distance: 32 km from Mosul
Bakhdida is the largest Christian town in Iraq. It is easily accessible from Mosul by public transport, from the Al-Shemal bus station.
Day 9 : Akre
Distance: 97 km from Mosul
Akre is one of the most beautiful towns in Iraqi Kurdistan and one of my favourites. It’s close to Mosul and gives you a great overview of the region. It’s a human-sized town that can be visited in a day, but it makes you want to stay longer. I spent at least 10 days there!
- How to get to Akre:
From Mosul, go to Al-Shemal bus station, where you can take a shared taxi to Akre. Make sure you get there before 1 p.m. otherwise it will be very difficult to find a driver for this destination. The fare is 10,000 IQD.
Day 10 / Erbil
Distance : 94 km from Akre
Erbil is the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan and there’s a lot to see here, so take a look at my guide. It’s from here that you can fly out of Iraq, with prices similar to Baghdad.
If you’re thinking of visiting the region, check out all the places to see in Iraqi Kurdistan and get all the information you need to know in this travel guide. You should know that Kurdistan is absolutely different from Federal Iraq, which do not share the same culture, apart from Islam. Think of these worlds as separate and distinct countries, even though they are both on the same territory.
- How to get to Erbii:
You can easily stop a shared taxi at the entrance to Akre. The fare is 10,000 IQD.
Iraq Travel Guides
Find a complete travel guide for visiting Iraq on your own. You’ll find all the information you need to make your stay in the country as easy as possible:
Must see places – formalities – visas – safety – getting around – where to stay (…)
🔎 Federal Iraq Travel Guide
🔎 Iraqi Kurdistan Travel Guide
You might like also:
- Visit Akre
- Visit Babylon
- Visit Bagdad
- Visit Erbil
- Visit Karbala
- Visit Lalish
- Visit Mosul
- Visit Samara
- Places to visit in Iraqi Kurdistan
- 35 Old photos of Iraq
