Day 01: Arrive Baghdad
Arrival Baghdad meet and assist at the airport and transfer to hotel.
Baghdad tour (depending on your arrival time) – see the Liberation square monument and the place where Saddam’s statue was toppled in 2003. See the Al-Shaheed (Martyr) Monument. Visit the Save Iraqi Culture Monument and see the Green Zone of Baghdad. Traditional Fish Masgouf dinner and overnight in Baghdad.

Day 02: Baghdad
After breakfast Baghdad city tour starting with a visit to the National Museum of Iraq. Reopened in 2015 after notorious looting during the war, it contains various treasure from the Mesopotamian and Babylonian periods. Visit the incredible Al – Mustansariya School. This is commonly known as the oldest school in the world. Stroll through the nearby bazaar with book markets, antiques and cooper galore! Stroll along the Tigris River and see the famous old clock tower. Take a well deserved break in the Shabinder cafe for tea and Shisha.
Lunch in the famous Kubba restaurant next door.

Drive out to one of the greatest historical sites in the Middle East: the ruins of Ctesiphon. These days all that’s left is a gigantic arch which also happens to be the world’s largest span of unreinforced brickwork.
Dinner and overnight in Baghdad.

Day 03: Bagdad – Samarra – Karbala
After breakfast Hit the road and drive north to Samara pass through multiple checkpoints along the route driving by many villages recently destroyed during fighting against ISIS.

Samara is famous for its Minaret (also known as the Great Mosque of Samara). We’ll climb the spiral staircase all the way to the top for the 360 degree view. Not for the faint hearted! Drive back to Baghdad and head straight to Abu Ghraib. Not the prison which is long gone but it’s ancient site of Agargouf Ziggurat. Continue south onto the holy city of Karbala, just in time to catch the historic centre at sunset
Dinner and overnight in Karbala.

Day 04: Karbala – Babylon – Najaf
After breakfast we visit Karbala’s famous Al Abbas mosque and Iman Husayn shrine then Drive to Babylon, once the largest and most important city in the world. We tour the ancient ruins with our local expert and see what’s left of the hanging gardens.
Saddam Hussain Palace – Perched right on top of Babylon, the dictator made sure he had the best view of the site. We spend some time exploring the looted remains of one of his many former palaces.

After extensively exploring Babylon, continue onto Najaf. Visit the most important site of Najaf – the Imam Ali shrine for the daily late night ceremony.
Dinner and overnight in Najaf.

Day 04: Najaf, Nasiriyah and Ur
After breakfast In the morning we’ll go for a walking tour of Najaf, including Imam Ali’s house (the very spot where imam Ali was killed) and the grand Kufa Mosque. Later Drive south to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, a neo-Sumerian construction built in 2000 BC.

Drive south to the Mesopotamian Marshes. We’ll take a boat trip through the maze of marshes stopping by local villages for tea. The marshes once engulfed a whole swathe of Southern Iraq with numerous floating villages. Today the receding waters have led most families to change their livelihood but we’ll still see the few that remain.

It is also home to the Maʻdān population who over the centuries have adapted to life on the water. Stop by a traditional house for lunch and tea. Continue the journey to Nasiriyah, one of the largest cities in southern Iraq ,Explore the exotic spice market and soak up the atmosphere of this vibrant city
Dinner and overnight in Nasiriyah.

Day 05: Nasiriyah – Baghdad
After breakfast Hit the road drive back to Baghdad.
Visit the incredible Suffi shrine – a welcome escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. See the Liberation Square monument, which commemorates the establishment of the Republic of Iraq.

The Al Shaheed Monument is the martyr’s memorial spot for people who died during the Iran-Iraq War. These days it’s a highly controversial monument, as it was originally built during the Saddam era And of course Baghdad can’t be completed with a visit to the Flying Carpet Monument, Alibi Baba and the 40 thieves’ monument and the Magic Lamp monument.
Overnight in Baghdad Hotel.

Day 06: Baghdad – Erbil
After breakfast transfer to airport to catch the flight Erbil.
Upon arrival meet and assist at airport transfer to hotel.Welcome dinner and drinks in Erbil and meet up with those joining us for the Kurdistan tour
Overnight in Erbil.

Day 07: Erbil – Duhok
After breakfast We begin the day with a two-hour drive to Lalesh. This is the most sacred town for the Yazidi religion. We’ll tour the temple, meet the locals on pilgrimage here and learn about their recent dark history with ISIS.

Our next stop is at one of the world’s oldest monastery’s. Algosh is built into the mountains and is technically part of Mosul and Iraq “proper”. lunch in Algosh town Following lunch, we’ll drive on to Duhok and check into our downtown hotel.
Walking city tour around the bazaar.
Overnight in Duhok.

Day 08: Duhok – Rawandas
After breakfast In the morning, we head straight to Amadiya – Saddam Hussein’s former mountaintop palace. You’ll know instantly why he choose this site. We walk to the famous Shamarda cave before stopping at a restaurant for lunch. Following lunch, we embark on one of our longer journeys: the four-hour drive to Rawandas.
Walking tour of Rawandas and our resort before heading for dinner and drinks.
Overnight in Rawandas.

Day 09: Rawandas – Sulaymaniyah
After breakfast Drive the famous Hamilton road. The road was built by AM Hamilton in the 1930’s for what he hoped would unify the peoples of the region. It linked Iran with Iraq and was an engineering marvel of the time. We continue along stopping at various waterfalls before getting on the only mountain cable car in the region for breathtaking views of the surrounding valley. Lunch

We drive a further 3 hours to the second major city of Iraqi Kurdistan – Sulaymaniyah. We will be stopping along the way for snacks and drinks. In the evening, we walk around the night market of this historical city.
Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

Day 10: Sulaymaniyah
After breakfast We drive one hour to Halabja. This was the scene of a chemical attack on the Kurdish people, perpetrated by the Baathist regime towards the end of the Iran/Iraq war. Here we’ll tour the memorial and mass grave sites.

We head to Tawela on the Iran border, and previously the front line in the Iran/Iraq war. Lunch by the border. We head back to Sulaymaniyah for some leisurely time at chavi land funfair.
Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

Day 11: Sulaymaniyah – Erbil
After breakfast morning Free to explore Sulaymaniyah and do some shopping. We again hit the road for the long trip back to Erbil. Lunch in a village near Kirkuk.

On arrival in Erbil we head straight to the Citadel for sunset. We then head into the bazaar where our local guide will help you find some last minute bargains.
Farewell dinner in the christian district.
Overnight in Erbil.

Day 12: Depart Erbil
After breakfast departure transfer to the airport to catch the flight for onward journey.

Day 01:Arrive  Erbil
Arrive and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore. Overnight in Hotel .

Day 02: Erbil      B-L-D
We begin our adventure by exploring on foot the capital city of Erbil, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and in our opinion, becoming one of the new hotspots of the Middle East. We visit the historic Citadel (Qalat Hawler), as well as the Kurdish Textile Museum, and time permitting explore the Qaysari Bazaar, a labyrinth of streets and alleys selling everything from fascinating antiques to sweet delights. Overnight in Hotel 

Erbil
Erbil is known locally as Hewler, meaning ‘seat of the gods’ and lays claim to be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, dating back to at least the 23rd century BC. Throughout history, it has been ruled by a succession of invaders, including Turcomans, the Persian Safavids, Ottomans and the British. More recently it became the seat of the Kurdish parliament. Erbil is most famous for its ancient citadel, a vast fortress situated on top of a steep earthen mound that has been accorded World Heritage Status by UNESCO. The city also contains some impressive old houses dating from the 19th century.

Day 03: Gaugamela – Lalish – Dohuk      B-L-D
After breakfast, we depart for the third century St Matthew’s Monastery and take a tour guided by the local monks, then head to Gaugamela, the site of the famous battle between King Darius and Alexander the Great. Continuing we drive to Lalish, home to the followers of the Yazidi faith, before continuing to Dohuk where we visit a cave used for worship by Zoroastrians. Overnight . 

When we visit the village of Lalish, outer footwear must be removed. It is advisable to take a pair of very thick black socks, especially for this purpose. Socks are allowed.

Dohuk
Close to the border with Turkey, Dohuk is a picturesque town situated in a valley surrounded by mountains. Traditionally the region has been associated with agriculture and is locally famous for its grapes – other crops grown here include rice, tobacco, wheat and all manner of fruit and vegetables. Once known for its colorful houses, Dohuk grew in importance during the period of sanctions imposed on Iraq – its proximity to the border meant that it was a hub for smuggling goods.

Day 04: Dohuk – Zakho        B-L-D
Visit the churches and monasteries of Al Qush, including the third century Hurmiz monastery, once home to around six hundred monks. Then head to the ancient Jewish town of Zakho to see the Delal Bridge, a stunning stone arch bridge over the Khabur river and take a walk through the town. Later in the afternoon, we return to Dohuk and time permitting can explore the bazaar. Overnight.

Day 05: Amadiya – Barzan – Rawanduz      B-L-D

Head to the nearby mountain town of Amadiya where we visit the 400-year-old mosque and see the minaret, with bullet holes from the Kurdish Civil War still visible. We continue south-east to the town of Barzan, the ancestral home of the Barzani family who are central to Kurdish politics in this part of the region and then reach Rawanduz. Overnight in Hotel. 
Please note that the Pank accommodation is very basic as is the food supplied in the restaurant.

Amadiya
Amadiya (dating from the Assyrian era) is located on a high promontory above a breathtaking landscape and fed by a geothermal spring originating far below the mountain. 90km northeast of Dohuk, about 1400m above sea level and surrounded by heights it was once an almost impenetrable fortress. The city Gate (Bab Zebra) is located in the eastern side of the City of Amadiya. Its width was 4 meters, built by Imaduddin Al- Zanki in 5-600 AD. A minaret is located in the middle of Amadiya. It is 30 meters high. The Islamic ornamentation (arabesque) is clearly seen on the minaret. It is said that it was built in the time of Sultan Hussein Wali Amadiya as part of an already existing ancient city.

Day 06: Dukan – Suleimaniyah        B-L-D
Leaving Rawanduz we pass through the mountains and down through Dukan, arriving into Suleimaniyah, the second largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan, and possibly the most relaxed and cosmopolitan. We witness first-hand the terrible legacy of Saddam Hussein as we visit the Amna Suraka (Red Security) buildings including the many prison cells and torture chambers where thousands of people, mostly Kurds were imprisoned, tortured or killed. Overnight in Hotel. 

Suleimaniyah
Suleimaniyah takes it names from Suleiman Baba, the ruler of the emirate of Baban who founded the city in the late 18th century. The city plays an important role today in the promotion of Kurdish culture, and since the war has grown in importance, with numerous factories established here – tourism is also an important part of its economy with people from Iran traveling here. It is home to a couple of fascinating museums – the Amna Suraka which provides an important insight into the horrific treatment of the Kurds under Saddam Hussein, and the Slemani Museum which houses Kurdish and Persian artifacts.

Day 07: Halabja            B-L-D
We travel to the nearby village of Halabja, a place of almost unspeakable horror at the hands of Saddam Hussein’s military forces, and visit the Monument of Halabja Martyrs and the Halabja Cemetery before returning to Suleimaniyah. The afternoon is free to explore the city. Overnight in Hotel. 

Day 08: Suleimaniyah – Erbil Departure          B-L
Visit Suleimaniyah’s museum to see Kurdistan’s largest display of antiquities, dating back thousands of years. Afterward drive back to Erbil via the ancient Qizqapan cave and the old Jewish city of Koisinjak. After lunch in Suleimaniyah, transfer to the airport for your onward flight.