Modern Mesopotamia

• Accommodations, as noted in the itinerary.
• Most meals, as noted in the itinerary: 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 9 dinners.
• Restaurant tips for included meals.
• Services of experienced, English-speaking local guides, drivers and other staff, including a MIR Tour Manager.
• Arrival/departure airport transfers. MIR will arrange for all travelers to be met on arrival and seen off on departure whether we make your airfare arrangements or not, provided you arrive and depart on the tour start/end dates in the tour start/end cities.
• Ground transportation throughout itinerary by private mini-coach, jeep or van (size of vehicle depends on group size and terrain and may vary from region to region).
• Guided sightseeing tours and entrance fees as outlined in itinerary.
• Gratuities to local guides, drivers, porters and other service personnel.
• Complete pre-departure electronic document that includes detailed packing suggestions, reading list links, country-specific information, maps, travel tips and more.
• Customized visa instruction kit (please note, visa fees are not included in the tour price).
• Electronic final update bulletin, with any late news, updates and important information.

• International airfare or taxes/fuel surcharges.
• Internal airfare from Erbil to Baghdad (required if participating on the preceding Kurdistan Explorer tour).
• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary.
• Single supplement charge, if requested or required.
• Items of a personal nature (phone calls, email, laundry, alcohol, excess baggage, etc).
• 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.
• Baggage handling.
• Gratuities to Tour Manager.
• Travel and trip cancellation insurance.

Level 3: Medium

The accommodations vary from three- to five-star properties. It is important to keep in mind that parts of 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.