4-Day Iraq Civilization Tour

Itinerary

Day 1 | Baghdad Arrival

Your Iraq journey begins at Baghdad International Airport, where you will be met by our representative and taken directly to your hotel. There are no scheduled visits today, giving you time to settle in, recover from your flight, and prepare for the tour.

Overnight in Baghdad

Day 2 | Baghdad & Ctesiphon

Begin the morning with breakfast before heading into the heart of Baghdad. Start at Liberation Square, a prominent landmark connected with the country’s modern history.

Continue across the Tigris River on a traditional boat, arriving at Al-Mutanabbi Street. Known for its bookshops, cafés, and historic atmosphere, the street remains closely associated with Baghdad’s literary and intellectual life.

From there, explore the old bazaar and the Copper Market, where traditional metalworking remains part of the character of the old city. Later, stop at Al-Shabander Café, a longstanding Baghdad café, to enjoy Iraqi tea or dried lime tea.

The afternoon takes you beyond central Baghdad to the monumental Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq Kasra). Its enormous brick vault is one of the most recognizable remains of the ancient Sasanian capital and a striking example of early architectural engineering.

Return to Baghdad and head to Al-Kadhimiya in the evening. Walk through its busy market streets before visiting the Al-Kadhimiya Shrine, whose golden domes and detailed architecture make it one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks.

Overnight in Baghdad

Day 3 | Baghdad – Babylon – Ur – Nasiriyah

Check out after breakfast and begin the journey south. Before leaving Baghdad, stop at the Martyr Monument. Although it is currently closed for maintenance, you will have the opportunity to view the monument from nearby and appreciate its unusual architectural form.

Continue to Babylon, where the remains of one of the ancient world’s most influential cities spread across the archaeological landscape. Explore the Ishtar Gate area, follow the Processional Way, and see the ruins traditionally associated with the Hanging Gardens.

The visit continues at the former Saddam Palace, now used as a museum. Its elevated position provides extensive views over the archaeological site and surrounding landscape.

From Babylon, continue south toward Nasiriyah, entering the region where some of the earliest cities and kingdoms of Mesopotamia developed. Along the way, visit the Ziggurat of Ur, the imposing Sumerian monument that has dominated the landscape for more than four millennia.

After visiting Ur, continue to Nasiriyah and arrive in the evening.

Overnight in Nasiriyah

Day 4 | Mesopotamian Marshes – Basra

Today the archaeological focus gives way to the waterways and communities of southern Iraq. Travel into the Mesopotamian Marshes, a vast wetland landscape closely connected with the traditional life of the Marsh Arabs.

Meet local residents and experience the marshes at a slower pace, with time for traditional Iraqi tea and an excursion by shakhtura through the narrow waterways. Reed beds and water buffalo surround the boat as you travel through this distinctive environment.

For lunch, enter a traditional reed mudhif and try Masgouf, Iraq’s renowned grilled fish, prepared over an open fire using reeds.

Afterward, continue to Al-Qurnah, home to the legendary Tree of Adam. Then proceed to Al-Multaqa, the meeting point of the Tigris and Euphrates, where the two rivers come together to create the Shatt al-Arab.

Continue to Basra for a walk through the streets of the city.

Overnight in Basra

Departure

Departure from Basra International Airport