Iraq Grand
Fourteen Days from the Gulf to the Zagros, Iraq Without Limits
Fourteen days from the Shatt al-Arab to the Zagros. Dawn in Wadi al-Salam, the first written words at Uruk, masgouf cooked with a marsh family, the waterwheels of Heet, the Hadba Minaret rising again in Mosul, Lalish and the tomb of Nahum, a campfire night above Amadiya, the 500 steps of Akre, the citadel of Erbil, the memorial of Halabja. Nights in 4-star hotels, with three exceptions: a reed mudhif in the marshes, a family home in Ramadi, and a camp above Amadiya. Full board, private transport, all tickets, and a local specialist at each region.
Basra: Arrival & the Waterfront
Meet at Basra International Airport. The Shanasheel of the old town, the date palm orchards, and a first boat ride on the Shatt al-Arab. Overnight: Basra.
Basra: Museums, Old City & Beyond
The Basra Museum in its riverside complex. The Jadha Al-Nakhla stadium, Iraqs largest. Old Basra and its heritage cafes. Overnight: Basra.
Qurna, Chibayish & the Marshes
Qurna, where the Tigris and Euphrates meet to form the Shatt al-Arab, and Adams Tree. Drive to Chibayish. Traditional lunch, a mashoof boat ride through the reed channels, dinner with a local Ma'dan family. Overnight: reed mudhif in the marshes.
Dawn in the Marshes & Ur
Before sunrise, breakfast cooked by the marsh dwellers. Deeper into the channels by mashoof. The water buffalo, the reed houses, the silence of the marshes. Afternoon: the Ziggurat of Ur, crown of the Sumerian civilization. Overnight: Najaf.
Najaf, Nippur & Uruk
The shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf and Wadi al-Salam, the largest cemetery in the world. The ziggurat of Nippur, religious capital of Sumer. Uruk, where the first written words were inscribed. Overnight: Najaf.
Babylon to Baghdad
The archaeological city of Babylon: the Ishtar Gate, the Lion of Babylon, the Processional Street. Continue to Baghdad. Overnight: Baghdad.
Baghdad
Al-Mustansiriya School. The Iraqi National Museum. Al-Mutanabbi Street and the bookshops. The Abbasid Palace. Evening along the Tigris. Overnight: Baghdad.
Anbar: Heet & Ramadi
Khan Dhari, ground of the 1920 Revolution. Heet: the ancient citadel, the natural bitumen springs, and the waterwheels of the Euphrates. A workshop where sesame paste and date syrup are made the old way. Night with a local family in Ramadi.
Nineveh, Nimrud & Mosul
The Malwiya spiral minaret of Samarra, the Pool Palace, the historic prison of Imam Ali al-Hadi. Hatra, the first Iraqi site on the World Heritage List, and its sunset. A heritage hotel in Mosul.
Nineveh & Mosul
The ancient wall of Nineveh and its gates, the Shamash Gate. The shrine of Prophet Jonah. The reconstructed Al-Nuri Mosque and the Hadba Minaret. Hosh al-Bieaa, the churches quarter. The Baytna Foundation Mosuli Heritage Museum. Overnight: Mosul.
Alqosh, Lalish & Amadiya
The Rabban Hormizd Monastery carved into the mountain. The old village of Alqosh and its heritage museum. The restored tomb of the Prophet Nahum. Lalish, the holy temple of the Yazidis. Camp on the mountain above Amadiya, watching the sunset over the mesa.
Akre to Erbil
Akre: the climb of 500 steps between the old houses to the citadel, the path the town follows at Newroz. The Erbil Citadel, one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban centers in the world. The Mudhafaria Minaret. Overnight: Erbil.
Sulaymaniyah & Halabja
The Halabja Monument and its war relics. Byara in the Hawraman mountains, a UNESCO cultural landscape: a light hike on the Iraqi-Iranian border. Sulaymaniyah: the Grand Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, Salim Street. Overnight: Sulaymaniyah.
Kirkuk to Erbil
The archaeological Kirkuk Citadel, where mosques, churches and shrines of prophets stand together. Ankawa on the edge of Erbil. Assisted departure at Erbil Airport. End of program.
- 14-day guided program from Basra Airport pickup to Erbil Airport drop-off
- English-speaking guide throughout, with specialist local guides at Ur, Nippur, Hatra, Lalish, Erbil and Mosul
- Private transportation including fuel and driving
- 13 nights in 4-star hotels (or best available equivalent), including a reed mudhif in the marshes and a family home in Ramadi
- Full-board meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
- All entry tickets to the listed archaeological and cultural sites
- All activities: marsh boat, Shatt al-Arab boat, river tours, hikes
- The Chibayish marsh experience (traditional lunch, boat tour, dinner, mudhif overnight)
- The program is open to adjustment to suit the traveler
- International flights to/from Iraq
- Iraqi visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, minibar, laundry)