YPT Tours to Rojava
In 2024, YPT were the first ever tour company to pioneer tourism to Rojava, leading the way for sustainable tourism to a far off-the-beaten-track location and geopolitically important area of North-Eastern Syria. Rojava (officially AANES) gained de facto autonomy in 2012 during the Syrian Civil War. While it is not recognized by any country, it has been praised for its democracy and feminist policies and is perhaps one of the only autonomous, or functioning left-anarchist communities in the world.
Group Tours to Rojava
We offer multiple tours to Rojava a year – and schedule tours after our scheduled group tours to Kurdistan. These tours are capped at 7 participants who must have travelled with YPT before or be known and vetted by us.
Rojava January Tour – January 1st – January 6th 2025 – $1795
Independent Tours to Rojava
YPT can arrange independent media visits and Rojava tours to suit your preferences, time frame, budget and locations. You can choose from any of our bespoke Rojava tours or inquire about specific tours: whether you want to explore the de facto capital of Qamishli, report on the infamous city of Raqqa or visit social enterprises and feminist organizations striving for equality, we have you covered!
Example of a Rojava Itinerary (9 days)
Day 1 – Erbil
- Arrive at your convenience in Erbil, the de facto capital of the Kurdish autonomous region. Once clearing all the airport security, transfer to your hotel. We recommend booking a taxi through Careem for low prices.
- Explore Erbil at leisure before returning to your hotel
- Overnight in Erbil
Day 2 – Erbil – Semalka border crossing – Qamishli
- Depart at 9am towards the Semalka border crossing which divides Iraqi Kurdistan and the Autonomous Administration of North Eastern Syria (ANNES or more commonly known as Rojava)
- You will have a Kurdish fixer on the Iraqi Kurdistan side to help present the pre approved permissions to cross the border. You will be met on the Rojava side by your local guide who will assist the entry process to Rojava.
- Once the process has been completed, you will drive to Qamishli (approximately 2.5 hours) and will arrive in the afternoon. This car ride is a great opportunity to ask any initial questions you have about Rojava and begin observing the villages you pass through.
- Once you arrive in Qamishli, you will check into your hotel and enjoy a short rest.
- In the evening, you will explore the local markets and public spaces filled with locals shopping and hanging out. You will likely see many soldiers patrolling the city too.
- After a local dinner of delicious food mostly meats and bread, you will return to the hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 3 – Qamishli
- After breakfast at the hotel, you will explore more of Qamishli, including meeting for tea with YPG members. The YPG members can tell you about their fight against ISIS. Kurdish fighters fought ISIS directly with international support and are a large part of the almost total elimination of ISIS cells in Syria and Iraq. Their fight against ISIS not only protected their homeland, but also reduced the rapid spread of ISlS to other areas in Asia and beyond.
- Enjoy a local lunch of Qamishli street food
- In the afternoon, take a bicycle ride around the city with young women who are riding bicycles as part of a program to support women. While seeing more of Qamishli, you can ask questions about the role of women in Rojava. Some journalists have marveled at Rojavas unique form of governance which is perhaps the closest example of gender equality in government structures. You will be able to hear about the true experience of women in Rojava firsthand
- In the evening, optionally explore the ‘nightlife’ of Qamishli by attending a concert or similar event!
- Overnight in Qamishli
Day 4 – Qamishli – Jinwar – Qamishli
- After breakfast, drive to the small village of Jinwar which is uniquely reserved solely for women and children. Men are not allowed to live here.
- In Jinwar, you will sit down with some local women and talk about the strange inception of this village.
- After touring the village, enjoy some lunch consisting of shish meat and tea
- In the afternoon, visit a woman who fought with the YPJ against ISIS. Kurdish women played a massive role in the fight against ISIS. Unfortunately in the process, she lost her leg.
- She now works in the Kurdish Red Cross Crescent in the prosthetics department to create aids for victims of war (permission required and will be confirmed on an individual basis).
- Return to Qamishli for dinner and overnight
Day 5 – Qamishli
- After breakfast depart early to explore the villages on the Syrian-Turkish border.
- Here you will meet various farmers and accompany them on their farms. You can talk to them about their lives and challenges of living in such a geopolitically divided part of Rojava.
- In your day tour you will visit many towns on the border.
- In the evening return to Qamishli for dinner and some entertainment.
- Overnight in Qamishli
Day 6 – Qamishli – Raqqa
- After breakfast, check out of the hotel and drive to Raqqa – perhaps the most notorious city of Rojava. Raqqa city was held by ISIS during the Syrian Civil war and now contains many ISIS foreign fighters in prisons who have not been permitted to return to their countries of origin.
- The drive should take 4 hours as you pass by many small villages and towns on the way.
- Visit the stadium in Raqqa which was used as a former ISIS prison.
- In the evening, visit a cultural center to learn about the history of ISIS in Raqqa and what the city was like before and after the ISIS occupation.
- In the evening, visit the best kebab restaurant in all of Raqqa!
- Overnight in Raqqa
Day 7 – Raqqa – Qamishli
- Wake up early in Raqqa, stopping by the ‘I love Raqqa’ sign for a quick photo.
- Departure towards Tabqa city (one hour on the road). You will start with a visit to the historic Jaabar Castle located in the middle of Lake Assad on the Euphrates River, a tour inside the castle and then you can take a boat ride on the lake.
- Next, take a tour of the popular markets of Tabqa city and enjoy a lunch with a scenic view of the Euphrates.
- Head to Qamishli city (4-5 hours on the road).
- Check in at Qamishli hotel.
Day 8 – Qamishli – Semalka Border Crossing – Erbil
- In the morning, you will head to a popular breakfast restaurant and eat Qaymar with honey and nuts, a popular breakfast food.
- After, say goodbye to Rojava and drive back to the Semalka border crossing and cross back into Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Overnight in Erbil.
Day 9 – Erbil
- Depart from Erbil at your convenience.
- Erbil is well connected to Istanbul where there are daily and affordable flights.
Bespoke Rojava Tours
Ancient Syria Tour
Dive deep into the unexplored archaeology sites in the region with zero tourists. Spend a day at the Ja’bar Castle on the Euphrates, a castle from the eleventh century, visit Dêrêk a city with many Syrian Orthodox churches inhabited by Arabs, Kurds, Armenians and Assyrians! In Raqqa, visit the 5km long ‘Raqqa Wall’ and Baghdad Gate which was inspired by the composition of the city of Baghdad which was completed a couple of years earlier.
Political and Social Interest Tour
Are you interested in Rojava due to its unique political and social situation? You will be welcomed to join a tour to Rojava! Rojava has many interesting and progressive policies and implementations. Explore the relationship between the Kurdish, Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians living in Rojava by meeting with the locals. Visit Jinwar, a women’s only village where men cannot move to. Take a bike ride around Qamishli with local girls working with a local organization to support gender equality.
Bird Hunting Tour
Join local bird hunters in October or November in rural Qamishli as they attempt to hunt falcons to sell to clients in Central Asia and the Gulf. This traditional practice is passed down through the male family members. They spend their mornings looking for falcons to catch and sell for up to 1 million dollars! This is a great way to experience traditional bedouin lifestyle and engage in their practices, while learning a new skill!
Newroz Tour
Partake in Newroz New Year’s Festivities for the Kurdish and Yazidis in Rojava! Newroz is the most festive time to visit this region with celebrations of the Spring equinox in full force.
Film and Media Tour
With its important political history, growing development and ancient historical significance, Rojava is a great location for film makers and journalists to visit. Through our media arm Pioneer Media, we can plan for productions, journalists, or others to film within Rojava. We can also arrange meetings in the country, as well as secure the correct visas for journalists wishing to do projects within Rojava.
Frequently asked questions about travel to Rojava
Kurdistan offers an e-visa service through which a vast majority of nationalities can submit their application online and paying the e-visa fee of $75USD using your credit card.
Official e-visa website: https://visit.gov.krd/
How to apply for your e-visa can be read here: https://visit.gov.krd/how-to-apply
E-visas take a few moments to process. You will then need to print this document in color and show it to immigration officers on your arrival into Erbil International Airport.
The following nationalities can use the e-visa service: USA, UK, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland
European Union countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Since the introduction of the e-visa platform, Kurdistan immigration has been slowly transitioning to no longer accept visa on arrival. If you choose to take the via on arrival option please note paying cash for your visa on arrival is no longer accepted. Only credit cards are accepted but this may create an issue with your bank as most transactions are blocked for being made within Iraq.
To counter these security concerns, our tours operate with specific safety precautions including a total social media blackout, small, capped groups and ban tour members from independent travel.
Thus, YPT will take only experienced travelers that are known to us and understand the situation well and accept and follow the rules given by the local guide and YPT guide.
It is best to prepare cash before arriving in Iraq. US dollars can be easily converted at any currency exchange store and in every city. EUR is possible, but it is much harder to swap and exchange rates may not be in your favor. The use of cards is limited as many international banks still block transactions from Iraq.
In Rojava the currency used is the Syrian Pound. The Syrian pound can be traded at the Rojava border for 15,000 Syrian pound per dollar. We recommend exchanging $100 - $150 USD for the tour.
Please note that card facilities are not available for the whole duration of the tour. Please bring cash with you.
- Always ask before taking photos. Men are unlikely to receive permission from a woman to take photos of her and many people will not want to be photographed.
- Do not take photos of military officers and buildings without express consent from authorities.
- Take off your shoes if entering a mosque or someone's house. Hold the soles together. Do not walk in front of someone if they are praying.
- Do not cross your legs in front of locals including authorities. This is seen as a sign of disrespect.
- If you are entering someone's home, especially men, do not venture past the living room without permission.
- You can drink alcohol in Rojava but only at specific hotels. Alcohol is not available in many cities such as Raqqa or is hard to find, especially during religious festivals and holidays such as ramadan.
It is important for both men and women to be very conservatively dressed in order to not draw attention to themselves. Women should wear a plain black abaya and a hijab scarf that covers all of their hair. Niqabs (face coverings) are not required but very welcomed. Men should wear plain clothes and long sleeves. The more modest and local customers are dressed, the less noticeable we are and can move easier in more populated areas.
In more liberal cities such as Qamishli it is okay to wear short sleeves (assuming the shoulders are covered) but long pants. Clothes should be loose. Please follow your guide's instructions on appropriate behavior and dress code.
For Rojava, on the first day it will be possible to purchase a sim card. For 5GB, the cost is approximately $8-$10 and works well within cities. On rural roads, the reception is less, however service is quite wide across Rojava.
