Is it worth visiting Baghdad?

Not only is Baghdad worth visiting alone itself, it's an ideal base to begin your Iraq tour. A day trip north takes you to Samarra and its iconic spiral minaret. Further south you'll find the holy cities of Najaf, Karbala and ancient Babylon. You'll likely be the only tourists in town so take advantage while you can.



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Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq's limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens. Country Summary: U.S. citizens in Iraq face high risks to their safety and security, including the potential for violence and kidnapping.

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Get in. Travel to Baghdad is not recommended because of security concerns. Westerners are particular targets of kidnapping and assassination by militant and extremist groups. Baghdad airport is secure, so transiting there if necessary is safe.

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Baghdad, whose name means the “Garden of God,” has fallen from grace. Known for centuries as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, its landscape has been marred by concrete blast walls, barbed wire, steel barricades, sandbags and crumbling buildings pockmarked by bullet holes or gutted by explosions.

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A Passport (valid for at least six months) and visa are required for most private American citizens who plan to visit Iraq. Travelers should not rely on obtaining a visa upon arrival at an airport or port of entry in Iraq.

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Official advice. Most governments advise against all travel to Iraq. Tourism in Southern Iraq is still preliminary. However, so was tourism in the Kurdistan region just a few years ago.

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The safest bigger city to visit in Iraq is probably Erbil, and this city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has a moderately big expat population. Any city in the Kurdistan region is one of the safer ones in Iraq.

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The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) advises against all travel to Afghanistan. You should not travel to Afghanistan. The security situation in Afghanistan remains extremely volatile. There is an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attacks through Afghanistan, including around the airport.

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