Iraq

Ancient Babylon: Come here to see the reconstructed Ishtar Gate and to walk the processional way of Nebuchadnezzar. Climb up to Saddam's abandoned hilltop palace as well, purely for the panorama over the ruins.
The Ziggurat of Ur: If you are asking what to see from deep antiquity, this 4,000-year-old pyramid in the desert is the answer. Set out from Nasiriyah early in the morning and you can cover the base and the excavations in a day.
The Chibayish marshes: Worth a detour for boat rides between reed houses. The Marsh Arabs have kept a way of life that goes back to the Sumerians, and you can spend the night in a traditional Madan reed house.
Lalish: For something genuinely mystical, head to the main Yazidi sanctuary in the mountains of Kurdistan. You walk barefoot over the old stones here, light candles and tie knots for luck among the stone temples.
Rawanduz canyon: Head north for vertiginous views and waterfalls. This is the country's best piece of nature, with a spectacular road threading through gorges and high passes.
Samarra: A day trip from Baghdad gets you to the spiral Malwiya minaret. The shape is unique and the scale of the ninth-century mosque is hard to take in, even with part of the complex under restoration.

Currency: The Iraqi dinar is the local money, but Baghdad and Kurdistan happily take US dollars. Carry a thick stack of small notes, because change is rarely given back in USD.
Exchange: Change money in the "sarrafi" shops in the markets rather than at a bank, where the rate is worse. The official rate in 2026 sits at around 1,310 dinars, and the street rate can run higher.
Cards: Bank cards are close to useless here, and card terminals barely exist even in the capital. Wise and Revolut make no difference to that, so bring cash dollars in new blue-series notes, since older designs are often refused.
ATMs: Erbil has working machines, but they usually dispense dinars only and charge heavily. If you are heading south or into the holy cities, a cash reserve is not optional.

Item	Price (USD)
Kebab at a street stall	3
Fish dinner	12
Glass of tea	0.4
Coffee in a cafe	2
Visa on arrival fee	77
Train to Basra	23
SIM card	10
Litre of petrol	0.5
Entry to Babylon	19
Careem ride across town	4
Bottle of water	0.3
Copper coffee pot	15
Kilo of dates	2
Boat trip in the marshes	20

Getting in: Baghdad and Erbil handle almost all international arrivals, and travellers from Europe or North America usually connect through Istanbul, Dubai, Doha or Amman. Erbil is the softer landing of the two.
Garages: Between cities you move by shared taxi, leaving from the bus yards everyone calls garages. Look for the van with your destination on a sign and wait for the seats to fill.
Apps: For getting around Baghdad or Erbil, download Careem. It behaves like any ride-hailing app you already know, with a fixed price, driver details and the option to pay cash.
Rail: The overnight train from Baghdad to Basra is a comfortable way to cross half the country. Book a sleeper compartment in advance at the station; the service is decent and the landscape out of the window is mesmerising.
Checkpoints: Expect frequent document checks by soldiers on the highways. Keep your passport within reach and never photograph fortifications, which is what turns a two-minute stop into an hour of questions.
Renting: Self-drive rental in the Arab part of the country is buried in paperwork and rarely worth chasing. Kurdistan is easier, though driving yourself takes nerve in the chaotic traffic.
Flying: To get from the south to the north quickly, Iraqi Airways and Fly Baghdad run domestic routes. Baghdad to Erbil takes an hour and spares you a long day of checkpoints.

Booking: The big booking sites really only cover the northern cities. For a room in Baghdad or Basra you will often end up messaging hotels directly on WhatsApp or tracking them down on social media.
City hotels: In the capital, look in Karrada or around Saadoun Street. A decent room runs about 40 to 60 dollars and breakfast is almost always folded into the price.
How it works: In cheaper Iraqi places you pay per person rather than per room. Windows sometimes open onto a blank wall or an internal corridor, so look at the room before you hand over any money.
Holy cities: Najaf and Karbala are geared to pilgrims, with plenty of options right against the shrine walls. Conditions are simple but clean, and prices multiply during religious festivals.
Kurdistan: Erbil offers the widest choice, from modern towers to friendly guesthouses in the Christian quarter of Ankawa. It is the most comfortable base in the country, with infrastructure that feels familiar.
Something stranger: Out in the Chibayish marshes you can sleep in a reed hut belonging to a local guide. It is spartan, with mattresses on the floor, but the immersion is total.

Masgouf: The national dish is carp splayed open and baked over an open fire. The best of it is served in the restaurants along Abu Nuwas riverside in Baghdad, where the fish cooks in front of you for roughly two hours.
Hygiene: Eat where the locals are eating and wash your hands before every meal. Peel fruit and vegetables yourself and stick to bottled water, which is what keeps a trip on track.
Breakfast: In the mornings look for stalls selling kahi, a flaky pastry with thick buffalo-milk cream and honey. It is filling and costs almost nothing, but get there early, because by nine it has usually gone.
Street food: In the bazaars try the Iraqi kebabs and dolma wrapped in vine leaves. Portions are enormous, and the meat arrives with a free mountain of herbs, fresh flatbread and turshi pickles.
Drinks: Order laban rather than reaching for the word you might know from elsewhere. The older name for the drink sounds crude to Arabic speakers, so stick to this one and save yourself an awkward moment.
Tea: Strong black tea with an alarming quantity of sugar is the backbone of social life. It will be offered to you in shops and in people's homes, and refusing the first glass is genuinely rude.

Regional differences: Kurdistan is calm to the point where night walks are normal. Central and southern Iraq are more complicated, though foreign visitors are met with real warmth almost everywhere.
After dark: Moving between cities after sunset is a bad idea. The risk of trouble on an empty highway or of getting stuck at a closed post is higher, so plan every transfer for daylight.
Photography: Photographing soldiers, police, government buildings and oil installations is absolutely forbidden. Even an accidental frame with a derrick in the background can lead to detention.
Checkpoints: Be ready for dozens of road checks. Stay polite, do not argue with soldiers, and say your nationality clearly and cheerfully, which usually ends the conversation.
Shrines: Security is heavy in Karbala and Najaf and you will be searched at the mosque entrances. Leave cameras and large bags in the storage lockers rather than attracting the guards' attention.
Crowds: During religious festivals such as Arbaeen the crush in these cities goes beyond anything you have seen. If you dislike crowds, avoid the south on those dates.
Advisories: Conditions shift by province, so read your own government's travel advisory before you commit to a route.

Hospitality: You will run into a generosity that means strangers paying for your lunch or pulling you in for tea. It is sincere, so thank people properly, with your right hand pressed to your heart.
Dress: Men should skip shorts even in brutal heat, as they read as disrespectful. Women are better off in long skirts in the Arab part of the country, and a chador is required in the holy cities.
Religion: Take your shoes off in a mosque, keep your voice down and stay out of the way of anyone praying. Non-Muslims may be barred from the innermost halls, but the courtyards are open to everyone.
Etiquette: Never eat or pass anything with your left hand, which is considered unclean. When you enter a room, greet the oldest person present first; it marks you out as someone who has paid attention.
Ramadan: During the fasting month daytime life slows to nothing and many cafes stay shut until sunset. Kurdistan is more relaxed, but in the south show some solidarity and do not eat openly in the street.
Kurdish identity: The north is proud of its autonomy and its language. Showing that you know the difference between the regions goes down well, especially around Newroz in March.

SIM cards: The main operators are Zain and Asiacell. Any phone shop will sell you a card against your passport, a month of data costs roughly 10 to 15 dollars, and 4G holds up well.
eSIM: If you would rather land connected, an eSIM from Airalo or a similar provider covers Iraq and saves you the shop visit on day one. A local card still works out cheaper for a longer stay.
Language: English is spoken in hotels and by younger people in Erbil. In the provinces and the south you will need a few Arabic phrases or a translation app to get anywhere with taxi drivers.
Access: Messaging apps work fine and video calls go through without trouble. Having a VPN installed is worth it anyway, since access to individual services is sometimes restricted.
Navigation: Google Maps is decent, but download offline Maps.me packs for checkpoint zones and areas without signal. It also helps you show a driver exactly where you want to be dropped.
Slang: Iraqis answer almost any plan with "inshallah". Do not read it as a refusal; it is simply how time and future events are talked about here.
Social media: Facebook and WhatsApp dominate. If you have a contact for a guide or a host, message them there, because it is by far the fastest way to get an answer.

English	Arabic	Pronunciation
Hello	مرحبا	MAR-ha-ba
How are you?	شلونك؟	SHLO-nak?
Good (Iraqi slang)	زين	ZAYN
Thank you	شكراً	SHOOK-ran
How much is it?	شكد؟	SHGAD?
Expensive	غالي	GHAA-li
Yes	نعم	NA-am
No	لا	LAA
Friend	صديق	sa-DEEQ
Please	من فضلك	min FAD-lak
Water	ماي	MAY
Tea	چاي	CHAI
Delicious!	عاشت ايدك	AA-shat EE-dak
Where is...?	وين؟	WAYN?
I swear (slang)	والله	WAL-la
Okay / fine	ماشي	MAA-shi
Sorry	عفواً	AF-wan
Help me	ساعدني	SAA-id-ni
Straight ahead	قبل	GA-bal
To the right	يمين	ya-MEEN
To the left	يسار	ya-SAAR
God willing	إن شاء الله	in-SHAA-lla

Electricity: Sockets are types C, D and G, so buy the adapter before you fly. Rolling power cuts are routine outside Kurdistan when the heat peaks, and hotels run generators to cover them.
Health: The sun is fierce, so a hat and sunscreen are not optional. Pharmacies are everywhere but bring any specific medication with you, and take out insurance that covers repatriation.
Water: Never drink from the tap, and do not brush your teeth with it in cheap guesthouses either. Buy sealed bottles, which cost pennies and are sold on every corner.
The week: Friday is the official day off and many museums close. The markets, on the other hand, are at their loudest and best, especially the book stalls on Al-Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad.
Budgeting: Leave slack in the budget for taxis, which add up faster than anything else. One thing that is overrated: trying to reach Samarra without permission, which can end with a distant look at the minaret and nothing more.
Souvenirs: Dates, copperware, spices and scarves all travel well. Customs may ask for receipts on anything valuable, so keep them if you buy carpets or antiques.