10 Day Iraq Tour From Baghdad to Erbil

Flying to Baghdad – Flying out from Erbil

Day 1: Welcome!

Pick up from the airport and transfer to your hotel for the evening.

Day 2: Explore Baghdad

Visit the Iraqi National Museum. Visit Martyr Monument dedicated to Iraqi soldiers who died in 80’s Iraq-Iran war, Iraqis today generally consider it a commemoration of all the martyrs of Iraq. Visit Zumurrud Khatun Mosque. Visit Al-Kadhimiya is one of the important neighborhoods in Baghdad and enjoy the beautiful night market and also includes the Al Kadhimiya holy Shrine (golden Dome) The tomb of Imam Musa al-Kadhim and his grandson, Imam Muhammad al-Jawad, one of the most prominent Muslims and the seventh imam of Twelver Shiites. Also visit the Liberation Squarelate this afternoon.

Day 3: BAGHDAD- MOSUL 

08:00 am leave hotel and around 10:00 am visit Samarra spiral minaret One of the prominent distinctive Landmarks of Iraq because of  its unique shape because of the ascending spiral conical design, Al burqa Palace One of the historical palaces built by Caliph Abu al-Fadl Jaafar al-Mutawakkil as a palace for convalescence, rest, and recreation at the time.  Go to Mosul and on our way we will Visit Hetra. Overnight in Mosul.

Day 4: MOSUL -BAGHDAD 

Depart the hotel in Mosul this morning at about 9 am. eave Hotel and drive to Mosul city and visit Bash Tapia Castle is a ruined 12th-century its also one of seven castles within Mosul's city wall. The castle was damaged by Timur in 1393, and was later rebuilt by the Ottoman Empire . Visit The Old City of Mosul one of the oldest neighborhoods in the Middle East, this was the last ISIS stronghold, so it was completely wiped out in a matter of weeks, and the several-hundred-year-old buildings were all destroyed. Visited the Great Mosque of al-Nuri, the oldest mosque in Mosul (12th century), today under reconstruction. This is where the historical ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, self-declared the ISIS caliphate, the first and only time he ever appeared in public. 

Visit Al Tahira church, The church was partially destroyed by ISIL during its campaign to destroy cultural heritage during 2014–2017. A reconstruction effort was organized by UNESCO with the support of the United Arab Emirates to rebuild the church. 

Visit the Christian Monastery Mar Mattei (depending to our time ) Drive Back to Baghdad. Overnight

DAY 5 – Day 5 BAGHDAD (Ctesiphon) 

08:30 am leave hotel  Then we will have a short boat trip over Tigris river and cross the river and Al-Mutanabi street : Al- Mutanabbi Street is considered the oldest cultural market for the people of Baghdad, where the trade of books of all kinds and fields flourishes.  Al-Qishla It is one of the heritage buildings of Baghdad, which is located in the building of the Al- Muwaffaqia School. Its construction dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century AD, during the Ottoman era. Al-Mustansiriya School An ancient school that was founded in the time of the Abbasid state in Baghdad in 1233 by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustansir Billah. Then we will walk through the Old bazar And see also the copper Market. Then we will have some rest to drink the traditional Iraqi tea and Dried lime tea in Al-shabander It is one of the most famous old cafes in Baghdad. Visit the Old Abbassid Palace visit Ctesiphon It is considered a landmark in the history of architecture, with its massive arched design which happens to be the largest in the world of unsupported bricks. Visit the Ziggurat of Agarguof located in Iraq, near the capital Baghdad. It was founded by the Kassite king Korigalzu I in the fourteenth century BC. Go to and visit The famous statue of Shahryar and Scheherazade, represented by the famous story of the Thousand and One Nights. 

Where we see Scheherazade standing with her hand raised, telling her stories on Shahryar who is sitting in front of her, leaning on his chair, listening to her stories, watching her start with a common tradition of her tales, which is (Tell me, O happy king......) and ends with (Schherazade realized the morning and stopped speaking). Dinner Time. Overnight in Baghdad 

Day 6: BAGHDAD-KARBALA 

09:00 checkout from the hotel and around 10:00 tour to the ancient ruins of Babylon cradle of Mesopotamian civilization dated 18th - 6th BC, with the Hanging Gardens, that was supposed to be attached to the Palace of King Nebuchadnezzar.  .Saddam Palace nowadays Museum, Perched on top of Babylon, as the palace was inspired by the Babylonian palace of King Nebuchadnezzar. Visit Al-Ukhaidir Fortress a rectangular fortress erected in 775 AD with a unique defensive style. Constructed by the Abbasid caliph, and represents Abbasid architectural innovation in the structures of its courtyards, residences, and mosque. 

Ukhaidir was an important stop on regional trade routes, The complex comprises a primary hall, a large Iwan, a reception hall and servants quarters, The fortress exemplifies Abbasid architecture in Iraq by demonstrating the "despotic and the pleasure-loving character of the dynasty" in its grand size but cramped living quarters. Go to Karbala and visit Imam Abbas shrine that contains the tomb of the Al-Abbas B. Imam Ali was one of the greatest Islamic and historical characters. He reflected the real brotherhood trait during Al-Taff battle when he sacrificed himself to protect his family, in addition to granting his palms for the sake of defending the Islamic values and idealism of Ahlul-Bayt, which Yazid was seeking to alter. Imam Hussein shrine that contain the tomb of the imam Hussein He is the second son of Imam Ali and the second grandson of the Messenger of Allah Muhammad after his brother Imam Hassan. 

Day 7: NAJAF-NASIRIYA 

8:00 leave Hotel to see the the cemetery from high building (Wadi-us Salaam) It is the most important tomb seen in the city of Najaf in Iraq, the largest cemetery in the world, containing nearly six million graves and was included in the World Heritage List . 

Imam Ali holy shrine which contains the tomb of'Alī ibn Abī Tālib. He was a cousin of Muhammad and later became his son-in-law. The Shias consider Ali as their first Imam, and the Sunnis regard him as the fourth Sunni Rashid Caliph 

Go to Nasiriyah city and visit Ziggurat of Ur The ziggurat is the most distinctive architectural invention of the Ancient Near East. Like an ancient Egyptian pyramid, an ancient Near Eastern ziggurat has four sides and rises up to the realm of the gods. However, unlike Egyptian pyramids, the exterior of Ziggurats were not smooth but tiered to accommodate the work which took place at the structure as well as the administrative oversight and religious rituals essential to Ancient Near Eastern cities. Ziggurats are found scattered around what is today Iraq and Iran, and stand as an imposing testament to the power and skill of the ancient culture that produced them. Overnight in Nasiriyah 

Day  8: Nasiriyah Basra 

09:00 am Marshes of Iraq are the largest wetlands in the Middle East. They not only provide habitat to hundreds of bird and fish species, but they are also home to thousands of Marsh Arabs are returning more and more to their historical heartland. Draining of The Marshes We stop to have some rest and drink the traditional tea and meet the locals and have some chat with them talking old stories, then we will take a boat trip using the old traditions boat called “shakhtura” through the maze of marshes and have the famous 12:00 pm lunch time and eat the famous masgouf (fish grilled using reeds instead of woods,) inside one of the houses build by reeds only called “almutheef”. Around 2pm Go to Al-Qurnah We will se the meeting point of Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet and form Shatt al-Arab river 03:30 pm Go to Basra . At 3:00 pm Tree of Adam It is a tree that the people of the region believe grew in the place where the Prophet Adam descended to the earth and where the Prophet of God Abraham prayed. This does not stem from Islamic beliefs. Rather, this place is frequented by many foreign Jews and Christians, and it seems that it constitutes one of their holy places.  04:00 pm Then we will take boat trip in Shat alarab and see the view of sadam Palace for the river side 

05:00 pm check-in Hotel Dinner Time. Overnight Basra.