Iraqi Kurdistan Tour

Guests arrive by own means and make their way to our hotel located in the center of Erbil.
For people who arrive early, we will take a trip to the bazaar to exchange money at the best rates and grab some kebabs in the square.
In the evening, we head for the welcome dinner nearby the hotel followed by some shisha.
Overnight in Erbil.

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”.
We head for 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.

In the morning, we head straight to St Matthew’s Monastery – one of the oldest in existence.
Amadiya – the stunning mountain top village. Walk through the quiet streets and visit the mosque and church here.
Drive to Saddam Hussein’s former mountaintop palace. You’ll know instantly why he choose this site. Explore the ruins and admire the views.
We walk to the famous Shanidar cave before stopping at a restaurant for lunch.
Following lunch, we embark on one of our longer journeys: the four-hour drive to stunning Rawandas.
High in the Kurdish mountains we’ll take an optional walk here and settle in for the night at our hotel.
Overnight in Rawandas.

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.

Visit the infamous “Red prison” – once a centre torture for Saddam Hussein’s regime. The prison is now a fascinating museum.
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.

Free morning 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.

End of tour, we can arrange additional accommodation or transport to the airport.