Iraq

Arabic is spoken almost everywhere, while Kurdish (Sorani) is the everyday language across the Kurdistan Region in the north. Signs and menus are usually in Arabic script only outside tourist hotels, so keep an offline translator handy, or your hotel's address written in Arabic to show taxi drivers.

English is common among younger people in Erbil and in Baghdad's hotels and universities, but far less so in markets, on the street, or in smaller towns and the south — a few local phrases go a long way.

Local SIM cards need your passport to register — pick one up at the airport or any phone shop; Asiacell, Zain and Korek all sell inexpensive data plans, and eSIMs are available too if you'd rather arrive already connected.

Iraq periodically restricts internet and social media nationwide for a few hours during school exam periods, usually in June. If your trip overlaps, expect messaging apps to be unreliable on exam days and keep offline maps and translations as backup.

Tap water is not safe to drink — stick to sealed bottled water, which is sold everywhere and inexpensive. Ice in reputable hotels and restaurants is generally made from purified water.

Pharmacies are widespread in cities and can handle most minor ailments; bring prescription medication in its original packaging. Make sure routine vaccinations are up to date, and ask a travel clinic about hepatitis A and typhoid before you go. Comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical evacuation is strongly advised, since specialist care is concentrated in Baghdad and Erbil.

Iraq runs two separate entry systems that don't automatically recognize each other.

• Federal Iraq: around 37 nationalities, including EU countries, the UK, US, Canada and Australia, can apply for an e-visa online (about $160, typically a 30-day stay). This visa covers the whole country, Kurdistan included.
• Kurdistan Region: many nationalities can get a visa on arrival at Erbil or Sulaymaniyah airport (roughly 100,000 IQD, 30 days), but it's only valid inside the Kurdistan Region — Duhok, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah governorates. There's no crossing point that converts one visa into the other.

Decide your route before applying: seeing both Kurdistan and federal Iraq (Baghdad, Najaf, Basra and the south) requires the federal e-visa, not the Kurdistan visa on arrival. A passport valid for at least six months with a blank page, and proof of onward travel, are commonly requested at entry.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Dress modestly everywhere: long sleeves and trousers or long skirts for women, long trousers for men — shorts and sleeveless tops draw unwanted attention outside hotel pools. Bring a headscarf for the shrines in Najaf and Karbala, where women are asked to cover their hair and wear an abaya (usually available to borrow at the entrance).

• Greet, eat and pass food with your right hand.
• Remove your shoes before entering a home, mosque or shrine.
• Always ask before photographing people, and never photograph military or religious officials without clear permission.
• Bargaining is normal in markets and with unmetered taxis, but fixed-price shops and restaurants don't expect it.
• During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours out of respect for those fasting.

Friday is the main weekly holiday, when many shops and offices close or open only in the evening; government offices also close Saturday. Public holidays can shut banks and official sites with little notice, so check ahead if your visit overlaps one.

During Ramadan, working hours shorten and many restaurants open only after sunset for iftar — plan meals around this if you're traveling then.

• By air: Domestic flights connect Baghdad, Erbil, Najaf, Basra and Sulaymaniyah — worth taking to skip the long overland distances between north and south.
• By taxi: The main way to get around any city. Agree the fare before getting in, or use a ride-hailing app where available (strongest coverage in Baghdad and Erbil).
• By intercity car: Shared and private taxis link most cities and are faster and more flexible than the limited bus network; hiring a car with a driver is the common way to reach sites outside town.
• By train: A limited passenger service connects Baghdad and Basra, mainly used by locals rather than a practical tourist option.

Iraqi meals build around rice, grilled meat and slow-cooked stews. Breakfast can be a leisurely spread of yogurt, cheese, boiled eggs, flatbread and sweet, cardamom-scented tea, or the more indulgent kahi, a flaky pastry served with clotted cream and date syrup. Lunch is usually the main meal of the day, centered on rice with a marag — a stew of okra, beans or lentils — while dinner tends to be lighter, often leftovers or a simple sandwich.

Masgouf, river carp butterflied and grilled upright beside an open wood fire, is considered the national dish and is worth seeking out along Baghdad's riverfront. Other dishes worth trying include quzi, slow-roasted lamb over spiced rice served at celebrations, and dolma, vegetables and vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat. Street food is cheap and filling — falafel and shawarma sandwiches, often topped with amba, a tangy fermented-mango sauce, are sold everywhere.

Tea, not coffee, is the constant of Iraqi life: strong black chai served in small tulip-shaped glasses, drunk throughout the day at home, at work and in dedicated teahouses. Alcohol is restricted nationally and unavailable in the holy cities, though beer and wine are sold openly in Kurdistan and available more discreetly in Baghdad. Meals are typically eaten with the right hand, portions are generous, and turning down food or tea from a host is considered impolite.

Baghdad is Iraq's sprawling capital, home to the National Museum, the book stalls of Mutanabbi Street and the riverside masgouf restaurants of Abu Nuwas Street.

The Shia shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala hold some of Shia Islam's holiest sites and welcome millions of pilgrims a year; both are safe, well organized, and impressive even for visitors of other faiths, though modest dress is required.

In the south, Basra sits on the Shatt al-Arab waterway near the Mesopotamian Marshes, while the ruins of Babylon lie a short trip from Baghdad — the legendary capital of Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar II, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The autonomous Kurdistan Region in the north is the country's most visited area, with its own visa on arrival for many nationalities. Erbil is built around one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited citadels, Sulaymaniyah has a livelier arts and bazaar scene, and Duhok is the gateway to Kurdistan's mountains and waterfalls. Further south, Mosul — within Nineveh Governorate — is slowly reopening to visitors as its historic Old City and ancient ruins are rebuilt after the war against ISIS.