• Arrival at own leisure into Erbil, the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which is well connected from many countries within the Middle East and most of Europe.
• For early arrivals, we will have a tour of Erbil courtesy of our local partners. This will focus on contemporary Kurdish issues. We will 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 our hotel at 6pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Dinner, drinks and overnight in Erbil

• Breakfast at hotel
• We’ll begin our 5-hour drive to the city of Qamishli. On the way, you’ll see the beautiful landscape of Iraqi Kurdistan. We’ll make several stops for rest and photo opportunities.
• On arrival, we’ll check-in at the Al-Burj Hotel. Located in the city center, it includes a restaurant, a bar, and a wonderful view over the city.
• After our long drive, this is your chance to shower, change and enjoy the views from the hotel
• We’ll then go on a walking tour of the city and visit places such as the Ezra Jewish Market, the oldest in the city.
• Dinner and drinks in Qamishli.

• Breakfast at hotel
• We will leave in the morning for the town of Derik (Al-Malikiyah), about 100 kilometres (2 hours drive) from our hotel in Qamishli.
• We will start our visit from the site of the Ain Diwar Bridge. The bridge was built by the Romans during the second century AD. It is located on the Tigris River. Now, it is about 500 meters from the river as the local geography has changed. The bridge was one of the main crossings of the famous Silk Road and was used for astronomical purposes. The area is surrounded by wonderful natural scenery.

• Packed lunch
• We will move to the north of the city to the Qyriac Orthodox Church of Our Lady (Church of the Virgin Mary), which dates back to the fourth century AD. The church is called the “Mother of Wonders” because of the wondrous events it witnessed. We will tour the church and meet with the priests to learn more about the church through them.
• We will end this day’s tour and return to the hotel enjoying the view of the rural villages along the Syrian-Turkish border.
• Dinner near hotel and overnight

• After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll check out and leave early for our long trip (4 to 5 hours) to Raqqa.
• The city of Raqqa was the capital of ISIS from 2014 to 2017, after which it was liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) following a lengthy battle that saw massive destruction to the city. Historically, Raqqa was established 244–242 BC and was called Kalinikos.
• On arrival in Raqqa, we will first go to check-in at our hotel (Al-Sari Hotel – Al-Raqqa) and take 30 minutes to freshen up.
• We’ll begin our tour of the city of Raqqa, which streets are still filled with war rubble and completely destroyed buildings. We will walk between the half-destroyed buildings and how some residents are still using them despite their danger.

• Lunch time.
• We will head to the most prominent destroyed sites, such as mosques and palaces. We will also visit the stadium in the city of Raqqa, which was used a prison and execution ground during the time of ISIS.
• We will continue a tour around the Raqqa Wall, which is a historical wall whose construction dates back to the Abbasid period, in the year 772 AD, and see the remains of the 12th-century Baghdad gate.
• Dinner and overnight in Raqqa

• Breakfast at the hotel and check-out before an early departure.
• We’ll first go to Jaabar Castle, about 55 kilometres from the city of Raqqa.
• Ja’bar Castle is a historical castle located on Lake Euphrates (Euphrates River). It is linked to Prince Ja’bar al-Qushayri, who lived in the 11th century.
• The castle was a popular destination for tourists before the war because of its attractive location in the middle of the lake, connected by a narrow passage to the mainland. It includes a tunnel, a mosque, and 35 defense towers. The castle was under the control of ISIS from 2014 until 2017.
• We’ll visit, relax and have lunch in the area.

• After our trip to Jaabar Castle, we’ll return to Qamishli. Our 300-kilometre drive will give us photo opportunities, as we traverse Northern Syria.
• We’ll check back into the Al-Burj Hotel
• Dinner and drinks to celebrate our last night in Rojava
• Overnight in Qamishli

• In the morning, we check out of the hotel and head to the border crossing to return to Erbil.
• Tour concludes – YPT is also able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for flights.

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