How to travel around Iraqi Kurdistan

Our experience in December 2023

Currently, Iraq is mostly known for its recent dark past: Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, the US-led invasion followed by civil war, and the war with ISIS. So the first time I met someone who visited Iraq as a tourist, and actually loved it, I was surprised. Yet in many parts of Iraq safety recently improved, attracting more travellers. This includes Iraqi Kurdistan, the region in the North where the Kurds have autonomy. Nicole and I travelled around the Iraqi Kurdistan Autonomous Region, as it is officially called, in December 2023. We travelled independently, with the exception of one daytrip with a local guide. Iraqi Kurdistan is beautiful and very welcoming. I will share what it’s like by answering the following questions: why go here, is it safe, is it hard to travel there, and where to go?

Why go here?

We loved Iraqi Kurdistan because it’s not touristy, yet there is so much to enjoy. It has a lot of cultural heritage. The capital Erbil is thousands of years old, and around the region are ancient castles, mosques, churches and monasteries. The religious diversity is interesting too, as Muslims, Christians and Yezidis live together here. The holiest place for the Yezidi faith, the temple of Lalish, is in Iraqi Kurdistan (more on this under ‘’where to go’’). Visiting the bazaars in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Duhok is fun, and in our experience, hassle- and haggle-free with good prices. On top of this the region is very welcoming to visitors. We had many occasions where people started a chat with us, offered us tea on the street or helped us getting around.

Is it safe?

When we travelled there, countries including the UK and Netherlands advised against all but essential travel to Iraqi Kurdistan, and against all travel to the rest of Iraq. What I write here is my own experience, obviously not an official advice: we visited the main cities and tourist sights, and experienced them as very safe. Being an autonomous and stable part of Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan’s economy grew a lot in the last two decades. We saw a lot of wealth, often unguarded: fancy cars driving around, money traders leaving banknotes out in the open, and showcases of gold just behind glass. The streets were lively and people were very friendly. There are however no-go areas in the region where there is militant activity, but these are not near the main tourist trail we followed (and write about below).

Is it hard to travel here?

The warning I heard most was about the bureaucracy, but we didn’t have any issues with paperwork. As EU-citizens we only needed an E-visa for Iraqi Kurdistan. In between the cities were army checkpoints where soldiers sometimes checked our passports. The soldiers were always friendly and quick with this. Another thing to be aware of is that, like in many places in the world, there are no fixed timetables and there is almost no information about local transport. To get on the right bus or shared taxi, we asked around.

The only problem we faced was travelling overland from Iraq into Turkey. Crossing this border usually takes three to eight hours, but in our case 21 hours due to international tensions (more on this in my next post about crossing the border). Though leaving Iraq by bus is possible, it is less of a hassle to fly out.

The places we saw can be visited independently. Only the temple of Lalish required a guide at this moment. People in Iraq told us there are restrictions elsewhere though. And since not every insurance company covers Iraq, I recommend to buy one that does. I write more about how to prepare under ‘’practical info on traveling here’’. So you can’t just wing it here, but with a bit of preparation it’s not hard to travel around Iraqi Kurdistan. Because things can change rapidly in the region it’s always good to check the latest information.

Where to go?

We stayed in the three biggest cities of Iraqi Kurdistan: Sulaymaniyah in the southeast, the capital Erbil in the centre and Duhok in the northwest. We made a daytrip to more rural places as well.

I think Erbil is the most beautiful city here. It’s walkable old centre is overlooked by a large, UNESCO-registered citadel. At the ‘’Grand Gate’’ of this citadel is a square called ‘’Shar Garden’’, with fountains, cafes and vendors. Nearby is the old indoor Qaysari Bazaar. I liked this bazaar because of its friendly vibe, many shops and beautiful arched ceilings. A taxi ride away is the Christian suburb Ankawa. It lacks the landmarks of the old town, but it’s interesting to be in an area with churches and even some bars. If you arrive on the Islamic rest day Friday, like we did, shops remain open in Ankawa while they generally close down in the old centre.

Sulaymaniyah doesn’t have beautiful historic architecture like Erbil. It has a huge bazaar, and a cable car to a viewpoint which unfortunately was closed when we visited in winter. I think the main reason to visit Sulaymaniyah is the Amna Suraka museum. During the regime of Saddam Hussein this was a bureau of the security agency and a notorious prison. It’s now a museum about the Kurdish resistance, Hussein’s dictatorship and the recent war with ISIS. A visit to the Amna Suraka is moving, and helps to understand more about the regions recent traumas.

Duhok doesn’t have major sights, but is in an interesting region. A highlight is the Lalish temple about 40 kilometres away. This is the most sacred place to the Yezidis, who believe god made Adam here. The Yezidi faith is different from Islam and Christianity, though being an Abrahamic religion there are some similarities. The temple has a specific style of design. As visitors we had to follow religion-specific rules like to walk without shoes both inside and outside, and not to touch the sill of the door when going in and out of the buildings. The temple itself, its location in a beautiful valley and being among pilgrims in such a sacred place all add to an impressive experience. Also worth visiting is the Saint Hormizd Monastery closer to Duhok, a 7th century Christian monastery carved out in a mountain.

Roughly 100 kilometres from both Duhok and Erbil is the town of Akre. Akre dates back over 2500 years, and still has old mosques and churches. Built on the side of a mountain range, the town offers beautiful views.We hired a guide (via www.iraqikurdistanguide.com) to take us in one day from Erbil to Akre, onwards to Lalish, Saint Hormizd Monastery and finally Duhok.

Though Iraqi Kurdistan is as small as The Netherlands, there are even more interesting places we haven’t visited. As finding up to date information on traveling in Iraqi Kurdistan can be hard, I hope more travellers share their travel experiences here. It definitely deservers more visitors.

Practical info on traveling here

Getting the visa

Most nationalities need a visa to entre. We got an E-visa to Iraqi Kurdistan via visit.gov.krd. The Iraqi Kurdistan visa only allows you to visit the Iraqi Kurdistan Autonomous Region, not Federal Iraq (the rest of Iraq).

Travel insurance

Most insurance companies don’t cover a trip to Iraq. We used additional IATI Travel Insurance, an insurance that’s valid in Iraq too.

Getting there

There are many flights to Iraqi Kurdistan’s two major airports in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, and flying to Erbil with Pegasus Airlines via Istanbul was easy and affordable. It’s also possible to get in and out by bus. We booked our international bus from Iraq to Turkey via www.obilet.com .

Money

The main currency is the Iraqi dinar, though sometimes US dollars are accepted as well. Exchange offices in the cities can change euros and dollars into Iraqi dinars.

Simcard

We bought a simcard in a ‘’FastPay’’ shop in Sulaymaniyah. Our simcard was with Fastlink and cost 8.000 dinar for 10 days with 25 GB. A barman in Erbil told us you can buy a Fastlink sim on the streets as well.

Language

The major language is Sorani Kurdish. Since English isn’t widely known, having Google Translate on your phone can be handy.

Traveling within cities

Taxis cost roughly 4.000 – 5.000 dinars for a five kilometre drive. Buses are cheaper of course, but as there aren’t timetables you need to ask around for details. The 17 kilometre bus-ride from Sulaymaniyah Centre to its intercity bus station (named ‘’Erbil Garaj’’) cost us 1.000 dinars.

Traveling between cities

There are buses between the cities. A ride by minibus from Sulaymaniyah to Erbil cost us 10.000 dinars. We shared a taxi with someone from Erbil to Sulaymaniyah for 60.000 dinar in total, making it 20.000 dinar per person. When traveling on an Iraqi Kurdistan visa, check with the driver that the bus does not take a shortcut through Federal Iraq. Also note that the bus stations are generally far away from the city centre so you may need to find a bus or taxi to the centre. People seem very willing to help with this.

Daytrip to Akre, Lalish and Saint Hormizd Monastery

We did a daytrip starting in Erbil and ending in Dahuk, visiting Akre, Lalish and Saint Hormizd Monastery along the way. We booked via www.iraqikurdistanguide.com and would definitely recommend them. Our guide Govand, a local, knew an incredible amount of ancient and recent history, spoke English well, drove comfortably and shared interesting stories.

How to visit Lalish

As mentioned above, Lalish is a holy site to the Yezidis. We visited with a guide, and having a guide is needed. An American who showed up with a taxi could only enter the temple if he joined our guide too, and a Polish couple showing up later had to do the same. I’d also recommend a guide if it wasn’t obligated. A guide can help following the rules, which include to walk without shoes both inside and outside, not enter certain areas and not to touch the sill when entering doors. And the temple is even more fascinating if someone shows you around and explains the detail.

Central AsiaArjan MookMarch 15, 2024