Thursday 15th May – Erbil

• Arrive at your convenience into Erbil. The capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is well connected from many countries within Africa and most of Europe.
• Those who arrive early can use this time to check out Erbil’s bazaar or visit the Erbil citadel, one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the whole world, with an opportunity to shop for souvenirs.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of Karwan Saray Hotel at 6:00pm once the Southern Iraq group members arrive to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Dinner and drinks will be in Erbil’s Christian neighbourhood.
• Overnight in Erbil.

Friday 16th May – Erbil – Duhok

• Breakfast at hotel
• We then drive to St. Matthew Monastery (Mar Mattei), the oldest Christian monastery in all Iraq and one of the oldest still in existence. Built into the side of Mt. Alfaf in 363AD, it has a long and storied history of war and turmoil, yet somehow it has survived to the modern day.
• We’ll stop at the hill of Gaugamela, where Alexander the Great famously defeated the Achaemenid Empire.

Afternoon

• After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll continue the journey up north to Lalish. This is the most sacred town for the Yazidi people and is extremely interesting as it is now maintained by only a few families, waiting for the Yazidi refugees spread out all over the world to come back. To enter the town, we must remove our shoes.
• Arrive in Duhok, a pleasant old town with its roots in the Dasini tribe of Yazidis.
• Explore the local bazaar, and head out for dinner before experiencing the nightlife.
• Overnight in Duhok

Saturday 17th May – Duhok – Rawanduz

Morning

• In the morning, we’ll be having our breakfast at the Peshmerga Martyrs Cafe. The Peshmerga are the Kurdish military and have kept this region safe from the likes of ISIS. The cafe has started to honour the martyred Peshmerga and to raise money for the deceased’s families.
• We’ll arrive at the ancient city of Amadiya which is located on a high promontory above a breathtaking landscape. It was once an almost impenetrable fortress. The city Gate (Bab Zebar) was built by Imaduddin Al-Zanki 600AD. A 30-meter-high minaret stands in the middle of the old town.
• Continue onto the town of Barzan, home to the Barzani tribe, whose members control Iraqi Kurdistan today.
• You’ll visit the Barzani Memorial Center, built to honour the 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe killed in a genocide led by Saddam Hussein. It is a sombering look at the violence experienced by the Kurdish people.
• We’ll then embark on one of our longer journeys of the trip, around 3 hours of driving, to Rawanduz.

Afternoon

• Along the way, we’ll stop at a locally famous fish restaurant that serves a traditional Kurdish dish of fried river fish. 
• We’ll stop by the Shamarda cave and partake in a short hike to the top. Here is an important archaeological site where the remains of 10 Neanderthals were found between 1957 and 1961.
• Walking tour of Rawanduz before we head for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight in Rawanduz

Sunday 18th May – Rawanduz – Sulaymaniyah

Morning

• After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head to two beautiful waterfalls located in the deepest gorge in the Middle East. First the Bekhal waterfall, then the Gali Ali Bag, the highest waterfall in Iraq. It is featured on the 5,000 dinars note.
• Drive the famously scenic Hamilton Road. The road was built by AM Hamilton in the early 1930s for what he hoped would unify the peoples of the region. In fact, the road has been fought over many times, especially during the 1980s war with Iran.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a countryside restaurant.
• We take another scenic drive of around 3.5 hours to the second major city of Iraqi Kurdistan, and the most important regarding tourism, Sulaymaniyah. We will be stopping along the way for refreshments and picture opportunities.
• In the evening, we will a walk around this historical city, seeing its landmarks.
• Sulaymaniyah has a great street food scene so we go to the bazaar to try some of the local specialities for dinner.
• Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

Monday 19th May – Sulaymaniyah – Halabja – Sulaymaniyah

Morning

• After breakfast, we’ll visit the Red House Prison (Amna Suraka). This is where Saddam’s regime imprisoned and tortured Kurds suspected of being anti-Baath. You’ll visit the prison and torture cells used at the time. Military vehicles from tanks to jeeps are displayed outside. There is also a new extension of the museum dedicated to the war against ISIS. One of the most interesting aspects about this museum is seeing the array of pictures of fallen Kurdish soldiers. Here you can learn in-depth about the Peshmergas role in deterring ISIS and the importance of female Peshmerga officers in this process.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local joint in Sulaymaniyah.
• Drive one-hour to Halabja. This was where the mass chemical attack on the Kurdish people perpetrated by the Baathist regime took place. Here, you’ll look at the various shrines to the scene of this atrocity, as well as visit a local museum that goes into further detail.
• Return to Sulaymaniyah.
• Head to Goizha Mountain to see the stunning view of Sulaymaniyah below as the sun sets with an option to drink tea and listen to the local musicians playing Kurdish music. Depending on the weather, paragliding is optional on your way down.
• Dinner at one of Sulaymaniyah finer restaurants
• Optional evening endeavour, we’ll head to Chavyland Amusement Park. It is one of the largest amusement parks in Kurdistan with an equally iconic moniker.
• Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

Tuesday 20th May – Sulaymaniyah – Erbil

Morning

• After breakfast, we again hit the road, this time back to Erbil.
• On the way, we’ll stop by the old Koya Caravanserai and the Koya Fortress – fortress towns in Kurdistan of when the Ottoman Empire had control over almost the entire Middle East.
• If time and weather permits, we’ll head to Dukan lake for a short boat ride towards the dam (optional cost). For a long time, this dam was non-operational because the Iraqi army stole a crucial computer chip used for monitoring the dam as they left.

Afternoon

• Complete the scenic three-hour journey back to Erbil, again, stopping for refreshments and photos along the way.
• Explore the Citadel for a gorgeous sunset, which, although it has seen better days, is still worth a look.  We then head into the bazaar where your local guide will help you find some last-minute bargains.
• We have a farewell dinner near the bazaar.
• It is fair to say you do not know a country until you have done a bar crawl, so we finish our time in Iraqi Kurdistan by seeing it off with a last night celebration
• Overnight in Erbil.

Wednesday 21st May – Erbil

• Breakfast at hotel
• Tour concludes – YPT is also able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for flights.

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