--- title: "Bicycle touring in Iraq | Cycle Planet" description: "Large parts of the country are very unsafe, the Kurdish part, which has self-government, is prosperous and relatively safe. Please check the latest travel…" canonical_url: "https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq" meta: "og:description": "Large parts of the country are very unsafe, the Kurdish part, which has self-government, is prosperous and relatively safe. Please check the latest travel…" "og:image": "https://cycleplanet.org/_og/d/c_Blauwdruk%2Ctitle_Bicycle%2Btouring%2Bin%2BIraq%2Cdescription_~TGFyZ2UgcGFydHMgb2YgdGhlIGNvdW50cnkgYXJlIHZlcnkgdW5zYWZlLCB0aGUgS3VyZGlzaCBwYXJ0LCB3aGljaCBoYXMgc2VsZi1nb3Zlcm5tZW50LCBpcyBwcm9zcGVyb3VzIGFuZCByZWxhdGl2ZWx5IHNhZmUuIFBsZWFzZSBjaGVjayB0aGUgbGF0ZXN0IHTigKY%2Cheadline_Western%2BAsia%2CsiteName_Cycle%2BPlanet%2Clogo_CP%2Cp_Ii9jb3VudHJpZXMvaXJhcSI%2Cs_vHC73_J2DyEBpobw.png" "og:image:height": "600" "og:image:type": image/png "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "Bicycle touring in Iraq" "twitter:image": "https://cycleplanet.org/_og/d/c_Blauwdruk%2Ctitle_Bicycle%2Btouring%2Bin%2BIraq%2Cdescription_~TGFyZ2UgcGFydHMgb2YgdGhlIGNvdW50cnkgYXJlIHZlcnkgdW5zYWZlLCB0aGUgS3VyZGlzaCBwYXJ0LCB3aGljaCBoYXMgc2VsZi1nb3Zlcm5tZW50LCBpcyBwcm9zcGVyb3VzIGFuZCByZWxhdGl2ZWx5IHNhZmUuIFBsZWFzZSBjaGVjayB0aGUgbGF0ZXN0IHTigKY%2Cheadline_Western%2BAsia%2CsiteName_Cycle%2BPlanet%2Clogo_CP%2Cp_Ii9jb3VudHJpZXMvaXJhcSI%2Cs_vHC73_J2DyEBpobw.png" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://cycleplanet.org/llms.txt) **Danger: do not travel to Iraq** [U.K. travel advice](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) Western Asia # Iraq [**View on the map**](https://cycleplanet.org/map?at=33.223191,43.679291,6.5) ## **About ** Large parts of the country are very unsafe, the Kurdish part, which has self-government, is prosperous and relatively safe. Please check the latest travel advice before going to Iraq, as the information on this page may be incorrect! Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/about) ## **People ** In the cities you can often use English. You will regularly meet former refugees who returned to their native soil after the Second Gulf War with whom you can speak one of the European languages. Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/people) ## **Visa ** Most nationalities need a visa to enter Iraq. At the border you can receive a visa that is valid for 15 days. Visa policy of Iraq Iraq Visa on arrival at any entry point Visa on arrival at Basra or Najaf airports Visa-free access to The Kurdistan Region (up to 30 days) Visa required Source: [**Wikipedia**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Iraq). Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/visa) ## **Sleeping ** ### **(Formal) camping** There are no campsites. ### **Ho(s)tels** In the major cities of Kurdistan you will find a multitude of hotels, from basic to luxury. Zakho on the border, due to trade with Turkey, may have the highest hotel density in the country. You already have a neat room from about € 10. ### **Wild camping** Wild camping is no problem. Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/sleeping) ## **Safety ** Iraq is not safe to cycle. Please update this description if you have more information. ### **Traffic** Cycling in the big cities is strongly discouraged. Traffic is busy, full of freight traffic and the roads are often just too narrow for safe cycling. Beyond that you can find wonderfully quiet parts. Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/safety) ## **Food and drink ** **Supermarkets** In Erbil you will find a lot of (luxury) supermarkets, but outside it mainly smaller food shops. **Restaurants** You can generally eat well in the restaurants. You will especially find kebabs and relatives there. Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/foodDrink) ## **Other ** **Spare parts** In Erbil is a lot available, including modern Shimano parts and 28 "tires. In the other cities you will find mainly Chinese and Indian stuff. Last updated 24 May 2021 by [Wereldfietser.nl / Vakantiefietser.be](https://cycleplanet.org/cyclists/01dRgHcnFiTSprDGCEB4Jxq7iDH3) [Edit](https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq/edit/other) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://cycleplanet.org/#website","@type":"WebSite","description":"Cycle Planet is the bicycle touring platform: visas, border crossings, places to sleep and points of interest per country, and a community of cyclists who host each other.","name":"Cycle Planet","url":"https://cycleplanet.org/","publisher":{"@id":"https://cycleplanet.org/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://cycleplanet.org/countries/iraq#webpage","@type":"WebPage","description":"Large parts of the country are very unsafe, the Kurdish part, which has self-government, is prosperous and relatively safe. 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