Iraq / جمهورية العراق / کۆماری عێراق – Let’s explore here

Iraq is a stunningly beautiful country in central Asia. It’s home to some of the earliest civilisations, empires and cities in the world. To the North East there are mountains which cover almost a third of the country, and in the East is desert, which covers another third of the country. Two of the world’s major rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, create marshland and fertile plains in the South. Iraq has a very long, rich and troubled history. Its neighbours include Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Turkey.

What currency do they use in Iraq?

In Iraq they use the Iraqi Dinar. Cash is widely used, especially US dollars and Euros. The use of credit / debit cards is not widely accepted. Traveller’s cheques are not readily accepted. There are many ATMs in cities and towns throughout the country, although few work and even fewer accept foreign issued cards.

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Iraq?

They speak Arabic and Kurdish in Iraq. English is not widely spoken, but is becoming more popular amongst the younger generations.

What time zone is Iraq in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.

Do I need a visa to visit Iraq?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in Iraq?

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Current travels

We haven’t finished pur planning for driving though Iraq yet. When we do though, we’ll post it here, and in the blog. 

Hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂

Is wild camping legal in Iraq?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Iraq.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!