5-Day Cultural and Historical Tour across six cities, exploring heritage sites, ancient ruins, sacred shrines, and historical places
Day 1: Baghdad
• Our tour commences at the Iraqi Museum, immersing ourselves in ancient Mesopotamian antiquities.
• The tour continues with a captivating walking tour through the old quarters of Baghdad, visiting al-Mutanabbi Book Market street—an intellectual haven.
• Mustansiriyah Madrasah, one of the earliest universities in the world.
• A stop at the century-old Shabandar Cafe for a glass of lime tea, a speciality in Baghdad.
• Our path leads to the Abbasid Palace on the Tigris riverbank with its beautiful ornamental designs and carvings.
• Another century-old juice shop that serves refreshing raisin juice which was visited by Iraqi kings and presidents.
• A walk in Khan Al Mudallal Antique Market shops.
• A boat tour on the Tigris River follows.
• Lunch at an old Baghdadi restaurant offering Kubba, a dumpling-like Iraqi dish.
• Strolling through bustling bazaars of Copper Market, Stationery Market and Clothing Market.
• A walk through historical Rashid Street, the center of Baghdad in the past century, seeing several important old mosques and buildings.
• Visiting Firdos Square where Saddam bronze statue was pulled down.
• We end the tour at the iconic Freedom Monument.
Day 2: Babylon - Karbala
• We head to Babylon, exploring the original lower part of the Ishtar Gate and The Lion of Babylon, a 2600-year-old black basalt statue of a lion trampling a man.
• Strolling through the reconstructed palace of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, seeing some ancient bricks with cuneiform inscriptions.
• Following the ruins, we walk to Saddam's abandoned palace, exploring its grandeur and encountering the last standing portrait statue of Saddam.
• Walk to see the remains of the Tower of Babel (the Etemenanki Ziggurat).
• Then we will drive to Borsippa. An ancient Babylonian city whose patron god was Nabu, the god of knowledge and wisdom. The city’s proximity to the capital, Babylon, helped it to become an important religious centre. We will explore its tall ziggurat.
• Our path then leads us to Karbala, where we embark on a walking night tour, marveling at the magnificent shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas.
• Immersing ourselves in the vibrant nearby bazaar. The night concludes with a stay in Karbala.
Day 3: Najaf - Nasiriyah
• The following morning, we head to Najaf to explore the holy shrine of Imam Ali.
• A visit to the immense Valley of Peace graveyard, with over 6 million graves. Gaining a panoramic view from the top of a multistory garage, we gaze at the vastness of the cemetery.
• Continuing our travels, we drive to Nasiriyah province to marvel at the well-preserved Ziggurat of Ur, a pyramid-like stepped temple tower dating back to 2100 BC, during the time when this ancient city served as the capital of the Neo-Sumerian Empire.
• Explore the Great Pit of Ur, the royal tombs cemetery, including that of Queen Puabi. Discovered by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s.
• The day concludes with an overnight stay in Nasiyriah.
Day 4: Chibayish Marshes - Baghdad
• The next morning, we venture to the Chibayish Marshes, home to a community living in reed houses, embracing a way of life dating back to the ancient Sumerians. After interacting with the local Marsh Arabs, we go into an exhilarating boat tour through the marshes, witnessing reeds, swimming buffaloes and various bird species.
• Following the tour, a delightful lunch of masgouf fish awaits us in a reed house and a glass of hot tea comes afterward.
• After that, we head to Baghdad.
Day 5: Baghdad - Samarra
• In the morning, we set out for Samarra city to explore the UNESCO Heritage Sites, including the spiral Malwiya Minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra.
• Visit the Abbasid Pond Palace, a recreational palace named after the pond at its center.
• Another spiral minaret of Abu Delaf Mosque, standing at a height of 32 meters, built in 859 AD of baked bricks by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil.
• End the tour at Qaser al-Ashiq, the Lover’s Palace, is situated on the western side of Samarra. Built in the 9th century when Samarra was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.
• Then we drive back to Baghdad.
The Tour includes:
Experienced tour guide with a deep interest in Iraq’s history.
Modern car and a private driver for transportation.
Airport Pick-up and Drop-off.
Entry fees and special access to all of the mentioned sites in the itinerary.
Boat tours in Baghdad's Tigris River & in the Marshes of Chibayish.
Superb Masgouf roast carp fish.
A pre-trip video call to explain the details of the trip and to learn basic Iraqi phrases and cultural practices.
It doesn’t include:
Accommodation.
Meals