Essential Kurdistan

• Shared accommodations in well-located superior tourist class hotels throughout the itinerary.
• Meals, as noted in the itinerary.
• Restaurant tips for included meals.
• One arrival and one departure airport transfer. (Additional arrival and departure transfers available at additional cost.) MIR will arrange for travelers to be met upon arrival and seen off on departure, whether we make your air arrangements or not.
• Ground transportation throughout itinerary by private vehicle (size of vehicle depends on number of travelers in your group).
• Guided sightseeing tours and entrance fees as outlined in the itinerary.
• Services of experienced, English-speaking local guides, drivers, and other staff.
• Complete pre-departure information including detailed packing list, reading list, Touring with MIR handbook with country-specific information, maps, and travel tips.
• Assistance booking your custom flight arrangements (on request; please note that international airfare is not included in the land tour cost).
• Final document packet including luggage tags, final updates, and more.

• International airfare or taxes/fuel surcharges.
• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary.
• Single supplement charge, if requested or required.
• Baggage handling.
• Items of a personal nature (phone calls, email, laundry, alcohol, excess baggage, etc).
• Gratuities to local guides and drivers.
• Visa/passport fees, airport departure fees.
• Expenses incurred as a result of delay, modification or extension of a tour due to causes beyond MIR’s control.
• Travel and trip cancellation insurance.

Level 3: Medium

The accommodations vary from four- or five-star properties in the major cities, with the single night in Barzan at a unique riverside resort. It is important to keep in mind that parts of the Kurdistan and elsewhere in Iraq are not up to the standards North American travelers expect. Services are improving; however, you may encounter problems with bureaucratic service, road conditions, plumbing, unpaved sidewalks, uneven surfaces and steps, variety of locally available foods, and availability and quality of public restrooms. You are traveling in some areas that see relatively few travelers, and the infrastructure is not yet fully developed.

While this program is designed to be the most comfortable possible for travel in this region, it is rated as rigorous touring due to the daily walking involved, the length of some bus rides and the overall shortcomings of the tourism infrastructure. This itinerary features a significant amount of touring on foot. Many streets are made of packed dirt, and some attractions are only accessible via steep staircases with tall uneven steps. Often the museums have no elevators. During touring excursions, availability of western toilets is unreliable in in the region. Many public toilets encountered during touring, at museums, at restaurants and so forth are squat toilets, and handrails may be inadequate.

Every effort has been made to make the information in this schedule accurate. However, trip itineraries are always subject to change. We do our best to inform you in advance of any changes, but due to the nature of travel in the region, this may not always be possible. Only those willing to accept these conditions should consider joining this program.

To reap the full rewards of this adventure, travelers must be able to walk at least a mile a day, keeping up with fellow travelers. Flexibility, a sense of humor and a willingness to accept local standards of amenities and services are essential components to the enjoyment of this trip.