Travel to Iraq

Iraq at a glance

Why visit Iraq

Mesopotamia, Kurdish mountains, marshes and holy cities

Highlights

Kurdistan, Babylon, Karbala, the southern marshes and Baghdad

A trip to Iraq often has two parts: Kurdistan and its mountains in spring or autumn, then the great historic stops of the centre and south. Here are the places to dream about.

Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and the mountains of Kurdistan

In the north-east, Sulaymaniyah, founded in 1784, spreads between the Azmar, Goizha and Qaiwan mountains: cafes, bookshops and green valleys within easy reach. Erbil, further west, looks down on its old town from its citadel, a mound inhabited for more than five thousand years and UNESCO-listed in 2014. In spring the region turns to meadow; in winter the summits are white.

Babylon, the city of Nebuchadnezzar

About a hundred kilometres south of Baghdad, Babylon has rebuilt walls, palaces and the famous stone lion. The site has been UNESCO-listed since 2019; visitors are still mostly Iraqis, which leaves plenty of room to wander among the ancient bricks.

Karbala, a holy city of Shia Islam

Karbala is home to the shrines of Imam Husayn and Al-Abbas, whose golden domes and minarets draw very large numbers of pilgrims each year. It is a place of devotion: modest dress, a low voice and respect for the rules of the holy sites are expected of visitors.

The southern marshes and Ur

Between Basra, Nasiriyah and Amarah, the Mesopotamian marshes form a world of water and reeds, UNESCO-listed in 2016: reed houses, water buffalo and boats gliding at dawn. Not far from Nasiriyah, the ziggurat of Ur, more than four thousand years old, recalls the great Sumerian era; it was excavated in the 1920s and 1930s.

Baghdad, Hatra and the memory of the caliphs

Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid caliphs from the 8th to the 13th century; people come for its museums, the Tigris riverbank and its souks. Further north, Hatra, a fortified caravan city of the 2nd century, lines up temples and colonnades among the richest Parthian-era sites.

Before you go

Spring and autumn almost everywhere, winter in the south, summer in Kurdistan

Area	Climate	Best time
Kurdistan (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah)	Hot summers, cooler in the mountains; cold winters with snow.	April to June, September to October
Baghdad, Babylon, Karbala	Desert climate: very hot summers, cool winters.	March to May, October to November
Southern marshes and Ur	Intense summer heat, mild and more pleasant winter.	November to March
Hatra and the north-west	Hot, dry summers; cool winters.	March to May, October to November

Avoid midsummer in the centre and south, when temperatures often exceed 40 °C. Entry requirements vary by nationality; check them before fixing your dates. Official travel advice may recommend against some areas: consult your home country's advice before any trip and follow it.

Getting around

Roads, domestic flights and local drivers

Distances are long between Kurdistan, Baghdad and the south, so travellers combine domestic flights, car journeys with a driver and organised tours. A local guide makes it easier to reach the sites and know their opening hours.

Keep some slack in your schedule, especially on long journeys, and ask about road conditions. A local driver or guide also knows the etiquette to follow at places of worship.

Food and culture

Dolma, grilled fish, strong tea and dates

Iraqi cooking draws on more than four thousand years of tradition: stuffed dolma, kubba, fragrant rice, flatbread straight from the oven and grilled river fish. Strong tea accompanies every conversation, and dates, of which Iraq is one of the world's largest producers, finish the meal.

Mesopotamian tablets even preserve the oldest known recipes. In Kurdistan you also discover a mountain culture of waterside picnics and lively cafes.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Iraq