We'll pick you up from Baghdad airport and drive you to your hotel for check in, most likely in the Karrada neighbourhood. This youthful neighbourhood is buzzing at night, so we will go out to explore some gems that it has to offer. The cafe and restaurant scene is awesome, with the famous Darbuna restaurant being among the best. We will also check out the nearby park along the Tigris river.

Overnight in hotel.

Today we will cover the main and most important sites of Baghdad, including Muntanabbi Street (famous market street selling books and antiques), Al Shahbander Martyr's Cafe, The Iraqi National Museum, 1001 Nights Monument, and much more.

Then, we will drive outside of Baghdad to the ancient Arch of Ctesiphon, the world's largest ancient archway built by the Persians (super impressive!).

We will leave Baghdad in the early morning and head south, first to the ancient ruins of Babylon. On the way, we will see one of the last remaining murals of Saddam Hussein in the country, before continuing to the ancient ruins, where you will learn all about its history.

We will then visit a former palace of Saddam Hussein (highlight!), before continuing south to Najaf, where we will visit the shrine of Imam Ali. Najaf is also home to the world's largest cemetery, and we know the best spot that overlooks it! We will go there for sunset. In the evening, we will wander around the old city of Najaf.

Overnight in a homestay where we'll be served homemade dinner and drinks.

Today, we will drive further south to the city of Nasiriyah. This place is special because it is home to the ancient Ziggurat of Ur. It's one of the most breathtaking historical sites one can visit in Iraq, where we will see old cuniform writing, as well as learning about the history of the place. Then, we will have continue to the Iraqi Marshes, where we will try Iraq's most famous dish at its source - Masgouf fish!

We will then take a boat ride through the marshes, and see some water buffaloes!

We will socialise with the locals in a traditional reed home, before driving on to Basra.

In the evening, we will wander around the lively waterfront area and perhaps take a boat trip here as well, for those that wish.

In the morning, we will explore the old city of Basra, including some spectacular traditional houses, one of which has been converted into a traditional café and museum. 

After this, we will drive back to Baghdad to visit Zawrah park (busy with locals) and its amusement park, where you can take the roller-coasters or the (highly recommended) ferris wheel with views over Baghdad. Then, we will head back to the hotel.

This day will be busy, but it will also be one of the best. First, we will drive north to visit the famous spiral minaret of Samarra, one of the most photogenic places in Iraq. We will then continue to the ancient city of Hatra, which are some of the best preserved ancient ruins in the country. The Roman-influenced architecture is truly stunning. Finally, we will end the day in Mosul, where we will sample the local cuisine, before visiting a traditional cafe and historical museum known as Beytna.

In the morning, we will explore the old city of Mosul, which is home to some of the most beautiful churches and mosques in all of Iraq. We will also be witness to the destruction that took place during the war against ISIS, as well as the reconstruction efforts that are taking place now.

In the afternoon, we will leave Mosul to visit the nearby town of Bakhdeda, home to the Assyrian Christians. We will visit one of their local museums and get to know locals in their unique town, which was previously occupied by ISIS. We will then drive on to Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region. Here, we will have a final goodbye dinner.

End of tour OR continuation to Syria tour (overnight in Erbil and flight to Damascus the following day).