7-Day Kurdistan Archaeological Tour with Lalish and Hamilton Road

• Arrive by your own means and make your way to the Dynasty Hotel in the center of the Christian district of Erbil. For those who arrive early, we will take a trip to the bazaar to exchange money at the best rates and grab some kebabs in the square.
• Head for the welcome dinner near the hotel in the evening, followed by some shisha.

Overnight in Erbil.

• Begin the day with a two-hour drive to Lalish. This is the most sacred town of the Yazidi religion.
• Tour the temple, meet the locals on pilgrimage, and learn about their recent dark history with ISIS.
• Head to the Khanis Archaeological Site - where an ancient pre-Arabic palace once stood.
• Continue to one of the world's oldest monasteries - Algosh. It is built into the mountains and is technically part of Mosul and Iraq proper.
• Head for lunch in Algosh town.
• Drive on to Duhok after lunch and check into our downtown hotel.
• Go on a walking city tour around the bazaar.

Overnight in Duhok.

• Head straight to Amadiya - Saddam Hussein's former mountaintop palace in the morning. You'll know instantly why he chose this site.
• Walk to the famous Shanidar Cave before stopping at a restaurant for lunch.
• Embark on one of our longer journeys after lunch: the four-hour drive to Rawanduz.
• Enjoy a walking tour of Rawanduz and our resort before heading for dinner and drinks.

Overnight in Rawanduz.

• Drive the famous Hamilton Road. A.M. Hamilton built the road in the 1930s for what he hoped would unify the people of the region. It linked Iran with Iraq and was an engineering marvel of the time.

• Continue along, stopping at various waterfalls before getting on the only mountain cable car in the region for breathtaking views of the surrounding valley.

• Have lunch and drive a further 3 hours to the second major city of Iraqi Kurdistan - Sulaymaniyah.

• Stop along the way for snacks and drinks.

• Walk around the night market of this historical city in the evening.

Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

• Drive one hour to Halabja. This was the scene of a chemical attack on the Kurdish people perpetrated by the Baathist regime towards the end of the Iran/Iraq war.
• Tour the memorial and mass grave sites.
• Head to Tawela on the Iran border, previously the front line in the Iran/Iraq war.
• Eat lunch by the border. Head back to Sulaymaniyah for some leisure time at Chavi Land Funfair.

Overnight in Sulaymaniyah.

• In the morning, explore Sulaymaniyah and do some shopping.
• Hit the road again for the long trip back to Erbil.
• Eat lunch in a village near Kirkuk.
• Head straight to the Citadel for sunset on arrival in Erbil.
• Proceed into the bazaar, where our local guide will help you find last-minute bargains.
• Savour a farewell dinner in the Christian district.

Overnight in Erbil.

• End the tour, and we can arrange additional accommodation or transport to the airport.