{"id":13635,"date":"2025-11-22T01:23:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T00:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/?p=13635"},"modified":"2026-01-03T18:44:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T17:44:12","slug":"iraq-baghdad-how-it-really-was","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/iraq-baghdad-how-it-really-was\/","title":{"rendered":"Baghdad: What It Was Really Like to Visit Iraq\u2019s Capital"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"13635\" class=\"elementor elementor-13635 elementor-12350\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-954f7da e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"954f7da\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e79e7d8 elementor-toc--minimized-on-desktop elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"e79e7d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;,&quot;h4&quot;,&quot;h5&quot;,&quot;h6&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of contents\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__e79e7d8\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__e79e7d8\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__e79e7d8\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68ba45a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68ba45a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\">Continuing our exploration of Iraq<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">After Erbil it was time to keep heading south. The plan was simple: ride the bike into Baghdad, see the capital from the inside and get at least a glimpse of what everyday life actually looks like here, instead of relying on news headlines. Obviously, a couple of days isn\u2019t enough to \u201cfact-check\u201d a whole country and everything it\u2019s been through over the years\u2026 but it\u2019s a start.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">In September the sun in Iraq just doesn\u2019t let go. By the time we rolled into Baghdad we were a bit cooked, sweaty and full of questions. How are we going to feel here? What does the city actually look like? Is it really as \u201cheavy\u201d as people imagine when they hear the word \u201cBaghdad\u201d? And one more thing we were very curious about: how big is the difference between Federal Iraq and Kurdistan once you\u2019re actually on the ground.  <\/p><p>Fair warning: there will be a lot of photos \ud83d\ude01 Before we dive in, we really want to say thanks to the Embassy of Iraq in Warsaw for helping us with the paperwork for our bike, to the Al Hamraa Insurance team for treating us like humans, not just a case number, and to everyone who chipped in and helped make this trip happen.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-94e8774 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"94e8774\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Where is Baghdad located?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-801d83d elementor-widget elementor-widget-google_maps\" data-id=\"801d83d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"google_maps.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-custom-embed\">\n\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?q=bghdad%2C%20iraq&#038;t=m&#038;z=10&#038;output=embed&#038;iwloc=near\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"bghdad, iraq\"\n\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"bghdad, iraq\"\n\t\t\t><\/iframe>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53c70c8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"53c70c8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and the country\u2019s biggest city. It sits more or less in the middle of the country, on a flat plain cut in half by the Tigris River. The Tigris splits the city into two main parts: Karkh on the west bank and Rusafa on the east. Altogether, around 7\u20138 million people live in the greater Baghdad area, which means roughly one in five Iraqis calls this city home.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Historically, this is one of the most important cities in the region. Founded in the 8th century, Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and for a long time one of the biggest cities on Earth \u2013 a major centre of science, trade and culture during the so-called Islamic Golden Age. Later it was smashed by the Mongols, then passed through different empires (including the Ottomans), until in the 20th century it became the capital of modern Iraq.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">In the times we actually remember, the word \u201cBaghdad\u201d usually pops up in the context of war headlines: the Iran\u2013Iraq war, the first and second Gulf Wars, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Occupation_of_Iraq_(2003%E2%80%932011)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the 2003 invasion<\/a>, bombings, ISIS. And yes, between 2003 and roughly 2017 the city went through a brutally hard period \u2013 fighting in the streets, car bombs, sectarian tensions cranked up to the max. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> Generally speaking, it&#8217;s a disaster&#8230; PR has been done perfectly for years. <\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\">And here\u2019s the most important sentence for anyone thinking about coming here: <strong>there is no war going on in Baghdad<\/strong> in the way most people imagine it. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/War_in_Iraq_(2013%E2%80%932017)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ISIS no longer controls territory<\/a>, the number of attacks has dropped massively compared to 2013\u20132016, and in most security reports Baghdad is now described as much calmer than it used to be. It\u2019s still not exactly Swiss countryside vibes, but it\u2019s a very different reality from what many people have stuck in their heads.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">  <\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\">Do incidents still happen \u2013 bombings, political shootings? Unfortunately, yes. <g id=\"gid_0\">Every now and then there\u2019s news about an explosion or clashes<\/g>, mostly tied to politics (<g id=\"gid_1\">most recently an attack on a politician in October 2025<\/g>). But these are isolated events, not an open front line tearing the city apart day after day.  <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> And importantly, these things are not focused on travelers.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\">Life here beats like in any other big city: you can grab a coffee, eat in a nearby restaurant, call a Careem to get across town. You still have to take safety seriously \u2013 we\u2019ll get into that in a separate section \u2013 but one thing is key: this is no longer a city in the middle of a full-scale war, it\u2019s a capital that\u2019s slowly trying to pull itself together after some brutal years. The problem is, politics doesn\u2019t really make that any easier for Iraq\u2026  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a07d23d elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"a07d23d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-003.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-003-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"I Love Iraq sign and heart with Arabic text in Baghdad city park, Iraq skyline in the background\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-005.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-005-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Baghdad building facade at night with ornate arches, glowing columns, and an illuminated entrance\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-006.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-006-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Baghdad city photos: outdoor seating area in Iraq with string lights and Arabic portrait wall art\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-004.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-004-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Nighttime scene in Baghdad outside a caf\u00e9 with people seated under bright neon signs and storefront shutters\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-004-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-004-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-004-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-004-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-007-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-street-photos-007-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Baghdad, Iraq: nighttime street scene with cars, an orange mini truck, and damaged historic buildings.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0badda0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0badda0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>How to get to Baghdad?<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Before you even start typing \u201cflights to Baghdad\u201d into a search engine, it\u2019s worth taking one step back and checking the latest travel advice from your own Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the time of writing this, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.pl\/web\/irak\/informacje-dla-podrozujacych\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the Polish MFA explicitly advises against all travel to Iraq<\/a> \u2013 including Baghdad province and the whole Kurdistan Region. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">So everything we describe below is not a \u201eyou should totally come, it\u2019s amazing here\u201d kind of invitation, but a down-to-earth look at how you can technically get here \u2013 and how we did it ourselves.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d17007a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d17007a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>We came by motorcycle from Poland<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Baghdad was just one stop on a much longer route: <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/desert-horizons-2025\/\">we were riding from Poland to Oman on our BMW R1250GS<\/a>. Iraq itself was a big question mark for a long time. You know\u2026 huge curiosity, but also a lot of \u201care we really doing this?\u201d.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We started planning the trip a year earlier because of all the paperwork for the bike (it\u2019s leased, so you don\u2019t just grab the registration and go \u2013 you need a notarised permission to take it out of the EU), and already back then we began keeping an eye on what was happening in the country. Then summer 2025 hit and suddenly the news was full of rockets flying between Iran and Israel and airspace in the region being shut down every other week. Luckily things calmed down before our departure, but we did seriously consider a Plan B: staying in T\u00fcrkiye or flying the bike over Iraq and Kuwait altogether.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We weren\u2019t really scared that \u201csomething would hit Baghdad directly\u201d. It was more about the feeling that the Middle East is one big ticking time bomb, and with that kind of escalation things can spill over really quickly. And when you\u2019re riding a motorcycle that technically isn\u2019t even yours but belongs to a leasing company, there\u2019s this one thought sitting quietly in the back of your mind the whole time: it would be nice to actually bring this thing back home in one piece.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">In the end we decided to go for it, but do it with our eyes open. We entered Iraq from T\u00fcrkiye through the Ibrahim Khalil \/ Habur border crossing \u2013 the same one we\u2019d used earlier to get into Iraqi Kurdistan. From there we stuck to the main road towards Erbil and then kept riding south, in the direction of Baghdad. Along the way there were several checkpoints on the main route, with standard document checks and a bit of curiosity about who we were and what we were doing there.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-545ce31 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"545ce31\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-babylon-jadzia-with-motorcycle-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-7\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-babylon-jadzia-with-motorcycle-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Tourist posing with a motorcycle at the Iraq-themed Babylon Jadzia gate with animal murals in the background\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9246b33 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9246b33\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Flying by plane<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">If you are not planning to bring your own equipment, there are basically two main options: plane and ground transportation.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Baghdad is served by one main airport, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flightradar24.com\/data\/airports\/bgw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baghdad International Airport (BGW)<\/a>, located to the west of the city. It\u2019s the biggest airport in the country, operating as a joint civilian\u2013military hub and used by airlines like Iraqi Airways, FlyBaghdad and UR Airlines.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">By late 2025 there are around 18\u201320 airlines flying here, serving roughly 30\u201333 destinations: mostly across the Middle East, plus regional links to places like T\u00fcrkiye, Iran and India. In the schedules you\u2019ll see names like Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Emirates, flydubai, EgyptAir and of course the local Iraqi carriers. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">When it comes to Europe, there simply were no direct flights from the EU to Baghdad \u2013 airlines like Wizz Air chose to fly to Erbil instead. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">That\u2019s slowly starting to change. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2621002\/middle-east\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">At the end of 2025 Aegean Airlines announced<\/a> the first direct route from the EU to Baghdad, flying from Athens with the inaugural flight planned for 16 December 2025. The Greek foreign minister even said it was a sign of growing confidence in Iraq\u2019s stability. For now though, we\u2019re talking about one airline and one route, not a full network like you\u2019d see for classic holiday destinations.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Once you land, you\u2019ll need to rely on taxis or private transfers \u2013 there\u2019s no classic airport-to-city public transport here, no airport train gliding into the centre every 15 minutes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47c7fc2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"47c7fc2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Coaches operated by local carriers<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">The second option is overland. If you don\u2019t have your own car or bike but prefer roads over planes, there are international buses to Baghdad, mainly from T\u00fcrkiye. <g id=\"gid_0\">On Turkish ticket platforms<\/g> (like Obilet) you can find routes from Istanbul to Baghdad operated by local bus companies. These are long, many-hour rides, and the offer tends to change depending on the political situation and demand.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Outside of T\u00fcrkiye there are also buses from other neighbouring countries like Jordan and Iran, but that\u2019s already the world of local agencies, handwritten timetables in Arabic and word-of-mouth info. If you\u2019re seriously considering this option, assume the internet won\u2019t show you the full picture \u2013 the best bet is asking around at bus stations and small travel offices, and constantly double-checking both safety conditions and visa rules. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ea2de5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6ea2de5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Visas and documents<\/h2><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/guides\/how-to-get-a-visa-for-iraq\/\">We\u2019ve already broken down the whole Iraq visa topic in a separate, detailed guide<\/a> \u2013 that\u2019s where you\u2019ll find all the juicy stuff: screenshots, links and step-by-step instructions on what to click. Here we\u2019ll just give you the short \u201cmust know\u201d so it\u2019s clear why Baghdad means a different level of paperwork than visiting only Kurdistan. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">As of the date of writing this text, it looks like this:<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\">Iraq has a new <a href=\"https:\/\/mofa.gov.iq\/visa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">e-visa system for foreigners<\/a>.<\/li><li class=\"p1\">From March 1, 2025, the classic \u201cvisa on arrival\u201d will disappear for us \u2013 you will need to have a visa arranged in advance through the official e-visa portal. <\/li><li class=\"p1\">What you actually need to make this trip happen is: a passport valid for at least 6 months from your planned departure from Iraq, an approved federal e-visa printed out from the system (not just a PDF on your phone), and, just in case, a hotel reservation plus a rough travel plan, because border officers can ask to see both when you enter.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">Iraq is politically divided into:<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\"><strong>so-called Federal Iraq <\/strong> \u2013 managed from Baghdad, covers Baghdad, Basra, Mosul (Nineveh province), and the south of the country, among others, <\/li><li><strong>The Kurdistan Region<\/strong> \u2013 an autonomous entity in the north, with its own government in Erbil (comprising four provinces: Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah, and Halabja).<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">In addition, there are two parallel visa systems:<\/p><ol><li class=\"p1\"><strong>Federal visa (all of Iraq):<\/strong> this is the one you apply for through the Iraqi government e-visa system. It\u2019s valid for the entire country, so you can legally stay both in Baghdad and in Kurdistan. If you\u2019re planning to combine Erbil with Mosul, Baghdad or the south of Iraq, this is the option we\u2019d strongly recommend.  <\/li><li class=\"p1\"><strong>Kurdish visa (Kurdistan Region only):<\/strong> the Kurdistan Region has its own visa portal and its own rules. A visa issued by the KRG is only valid within the Kurdistan Region. <\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40146b7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40146b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\">Road conditions and vehicle formalities<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">The overall picture of roads in Iraq (asphalt quality, driving style, what to expect between cities) <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/road-conditions-in-iraq-our-impressions\/\">is something we\u2019ve already covered in a separate guide<\/a> \u2013 and everything we wrote there fully applies to Baghdad and the federal part of the country as well. Here we\u2019ll focus on what\u2019s specific to the capital and its surroundings. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee9e74e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ee9e74e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">Traffic jams, renovations, and the struggle to leave the city<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Baghdad is home to over 7 million people and has been one of the most traffic-clogged cities in the region for years. <a href=\"https:\/\/thenewregion.com\/posts\/1576\/baghdad-s-traffic-crisis-billions-lost-annually-as-congestion-worsens\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Almost everything runs on roads here<\/a> \u2013 no metro, no real urban rail system to take the pressure off.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">On top of that you\u2019ve got roadworks and big projects like new ring roads, flyovers and rebuilt junctions that are supposed to help in the future, but right now can completely choke the outskirts of the city.<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/worldbank.github.io\/iraq-baghdad-transport-planning\/README.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Leaving Baghdad by car <\/a>or on a bike can be genuinely exhausting. For us it was one of the most draining parts of the trip \u2013 lots of standing in the heat, jerky stop-and-go traffic, drivers squeezing through every possible gap and constant honking. Give yourself some buffer time and don\u2019t plan a \u201cromantic sunset 300 km away\u201d for the same day if you first have to fight your way out of the city.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cdb94af elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"cdb94af\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-007.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-007-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Filip and Jadzia on a motorcycle in Baghdad, Iraq, standing near cars in a busy street\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-002-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-002-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad street roads at night with a police SUV and illuminated statue in a traffic roundabout\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-004-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-004-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Baghdad Street roads at night, with parked cars, overhead wires, and apartment buildings along a narrow lane\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-001.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-001-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Baghdad street at night with lit overhead strings, parked cars, and pedestrians in Iraq city\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-001-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-001-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-001-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-001-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-006.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-006-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Filip and Jadzia ride a motorcycle in Baghdad, Iraq, on a busy city road with cars and trucks.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff4ac50 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff4ac50\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">Speed cameras and traffic cameras<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">For many years Iraq (outside Kurdistan) was basically a wild west when it came to enforcing speed limits. That\u2019s now changing, and Baghdad is the testing ground. In July 2025 the city switched on its first smart cameras and speed radars, initially on a few main roads and intersections \u2013 and they recorded around 10,000 violations in the first 24 hours. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rudaw.net\/english\/middleeast\/iraq\/030720255\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The plan is to gradually cover the whole city with cameras<\/a> and then roll the system out to the rest of the country.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f0b466 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1f0b466\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>SIM card<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">In our earlier Erbil post we mentioned that we sorted internet for all of Iraq in one go \u2013 we bought a physical Zain SIM in a store in Erbil. Our 10 GB package <g id=\"gid_0\">cost roughly 50 PLN<\/g> at the time and we had zero issues with that operator. Coverage reached all the way down towards the Kuwaiti border.  <\/p><p>There are three main mobile operators operating in the area:<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iq.zain.com\/en\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zain Iraq:<\/a> the largest player, based in Baghdad. According to industry data, it covers approximately 97 percent of Iraq&#8217;s population. <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiacell.com\/en\/personal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Asiacell<\/a>,<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.korektel.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Korek Telecom:<\/a> particularly strong presence in the Kurdistan Region.<\/li><\/ul><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nperf.com\/en\/map\/IQ\/-\/24422.Zain-Mobile\/signal?ll=31.12819929911196&amp;lg=44.36279296875&amp;zoom=6\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">In theory all three offer nationwide 4G<\/a>, but before buying a SIM we kept reading the same thing: in Kurdish cities Korek\/Asiacell tend to have better coverage and speeds, while further south and around Baghdad Zain generally performs really well.<\/p><p>SIM cards in Iraq are registered with every operator. When purchasing one, you show your passport and the seller enters your details into the system.<\/p><p>Before entering the country we also used a cheap eSIM \u201cjust to get there\u201d, purely for maps. Technically, eSIMs from different providers work here \u2013 local operators are slowly rolling them out mainly for postpaid customers, and for tourists there\u2019s a whole swarm of apps like Airalo and the rest. There\u2019s just one catch, at least in our opinion: the prices these international providers charge are completely out of touch with reality compared to how little mobile data actually costs here on the ground.   <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15af529 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"15af529\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Our hotel in Baghdad<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">We stayed at Noor Land Hotel. We paid around 100 USD per night for a room with breakfast included. The hotel is located near Karada, on one of the main roads \u2013 the area feels pretty \u201cnormal city life\u201d: shops, eateries, regular traffic, not some concrete bunker vibe. Inside, the standard is easily at a solid four-star level: clean, organised staff, a lobby that looks like a regular city hotel, not something pulled straight out of a war zone.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">There\u2019s security at the entrance, but in Baghdad that\u2019s absolutely normal \u2013 part of the scenery, not a reason to freak out. We had no problem leaving the bike parked right by the hotel. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The only real downside was the generator right under our window. <a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/iraq\/iraq-electricity-cuts-ongoing-headache-baghdad-residents\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Power cuts are just part of daily life in Baghdad <\/a>\u2013 Iraq has been struggling for years to keep the grid stable, so most hotels, shops, schools and regular apartment blocks rely on their own private generators to keep the lights (and AC) on.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">  <\/span><\/p><p class=\"p1\">The result is simple: when the public power cuts out, the generator kicks in automatically. During the day it\u2019s just background noise. At night, with the window open, you also get exhaust fumes drifting straight into the room. In the end we slept with the window closed and the AC set to a gentle level \u2013 otherwise there was no chance of getting any decent rest.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We paid for the hotel in cash, in US dollars. Technically you could pay by card, but the \u201cthere\u2019s a surcharge\u201d conversation started immediately \u2013 and that\u2019s something you just have to factor in when travelling in Iraq. Nobody here plays by EU-style rules where a hotel can\u2019t pass the card processing fee onto the customer.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">As for the hotel scene in Baghdad in general \u2013 there isn\u2019t much of it. Booking or Agoda will show you maybe a few dozen places in the whole city, and a handful of them are priced pretty brutally for local standards, with several hundred dollars per night in top hotels like Babylon Rotana and similar. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">  <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-898b771 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"898b771\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-001.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-001-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad Hotel in city: modern hotel room with double bed, chairs, and desk by large curtains\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-001-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-001-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-001-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-001-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-002-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-002-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad Hotel in city building exterior with parked cars along a street at dusk\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-002-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-002-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-002-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-hotel-002-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2373bcd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2373bcd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">If you are looking for accommodation in Baghdad, there are three areas that come up most often:<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\"><strong>Karrada:<\/strong> one of the more organized districts, with many shops, restaurants, and several hotels of varying standards.<\/li><li class=\"p1\"><strong>Jadriya: <\/strong>the more expensive, \u201cgreener\u201d part of the city on the Tigris, with several larger hotels in the Green Zone area.<\/li><li class=\"p1\"><strong>near the center \/ Firdos Square and main streets:<\/strong> slightly older buildings, but closer to the classic city atmosphere. <\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-daec67a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"daec67a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\">Eating in Baghdad<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">We didn\u2019t do any kind of foodie pilgrimage in Baghdad, hopping from place to place. The truth is much simpler: most of our meals came from Talabat and it was mainly shawarma on repeat. In that kind of heat, after a whole day of dealing with the city, the idea of \u201cgoing out for dinner somewhere nice\u201d just stopped being appealing. Talabat in Iraq works just like Glovo or Uber Eats, just in the local flavour. You drop in your address, pick your shawarma, kebab, pizza or whatever you\u2019re craving, pay, and wait for someone to show up with it in the lobby.    <\/p><p class=\"p1\">When it comes to caf\u00e9s, we can happily recommend <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/s7No8fc6AgskSVof6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zaza Caf\u00e9<\/a>. Don\u2019t let the location scare you off in the evening \u2013 the first time we got there and saw the vibe of Al Rasheed Street after dark, we were honestly a bit freaked out \ud83e\udd23 <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e429deb elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"e429deb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-001-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-001-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Slice of Baghdad cake at Zaza Cafe in Baghdad, Iraq, with dark berry glaze and decorative chocolate drizzle\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-002-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-002-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad Menu in some cafe: handwritten-style Arabic menu with coffee drinks and desserts on a tabletop\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-003-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-003-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Dessert in Baghdad Foods, Iraq: a stack of pastries topped with green pistachio crumbs and white drizzle.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef7d9e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ef7d9e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">What do people eat in Baghdad?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Iraqi cuisine stands on a few solid pillars: rice, meat (mostly lamb and chicken), vegetables and bread. The rice is especially iconic \u2013 often the timman anbar variety \u2013 cooked so it\u2019s fluffy, with a crispy \u201ccrust\u201d at the bottom of the pot (hikakeh), which is treated like a little treasure on the plate.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">In addition, there are:<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dolma\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dolma<\/a> \u2013 vegetables stuffed with rice and meat, slowly cooked down in a rich sauce,<\/li><li class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kibbeh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">kubba<\/a>\/kubbe \u2013 little balls or \u201chalf-moons\u201d made from minced meat mixed with bulgur or rice, often fried or cooked in broth,<\/li><li class=\"p1\">stews like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hungrypaprikas.com\/fasolia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fasolia<\/a> (white beans with meat) and various soups based on lentils, wheat or chicken,<\/li><li class=\"p1\">and classics like Iraqi-style biryani and <a href=\"https:\/\/pl.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Makluba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">maqluba<\/a>, the famous \u201cupside-down\u201d pot of rice, meat and vegetables.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">Baghdad also has its absolute number one star: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Masgouf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">masgouf<\/a>. It\u2019s the famous Iraqi fire-grilled fish \u2013 usually carp from the Tigris or Euphrates, scored and butterflied, marinated and then slowly cooked over a wood fire. Historically it was Baghdad (and central Iraq in general) that made masgouf famous as a kind of \u201cnational dish\u201d.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5833a3b elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"5833a3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-005-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-11\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-005-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Baghdad Foods in restaurant table with flatbread, fries, sauces, and a baked dish on blue plates\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-006-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-11\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-006-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad Shawarma from Talabat: boxed shawarma meal with fries, pickles, sauces, and bread on a table\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-004.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-11\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-foods-004-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad Polish products in grocery: Polish dairy cups labeled Taciaty in a supermarket fridge\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6a16f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a6a16f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Exchanging cash or ATM?<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">We crossed into Iraq with a pretty modest cash \u201cbuffer\u201d \u2013 600 dollars in our pockets. Part of that disappeared already in Kurdistan, because our hotel there turned out to be cash-only (which I conveniently remembered right when we were standing at reception\u2026). In Baghdad the story repeated itself: the hotel also wanted dollars in hand, so the obvious question was: okay, where can we actually pull money from a card here, just in case?<\/p><p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/erbil-two-day-guide-of-iraqi-kurdistan\/\">If you\u2019ve read our Erbil post<\/a>, you already know that Iraqi ATMs and European cards can be\u2026 tricky. In theory a machine can have big Visa\/Mastercard stickers on it, but that doesn\u2019t mean your Polish card will actually work. For us, most of the \u201cregular\u201d ATMs attached to local banks on the street just kept declining the transaction.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We can definitely recommend Bank of Baghdad \u2013 their ATMs in shopping malls were the only ones that worked with our cards without throwing a tantrum.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">When it comes to exchanging dollars, we definitely recommend old-school exchange offices. Out on the streets Iraq runs mostly on cash.<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\">in shopping malls you can often pay by card (shops, some restaurants),<\/li><li class=\"p1\">for laundry, small eateries, taxis (when you pay the driver directly) and random small services, it\u2019s almost always cash only,<\/li><li class=\"p1\">in hotels they\u2019ll very often accept US dollars, and if you want to pay by card, you\u2019ll almost always hear about an \u201cextra fee\u201d.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">With the rates we had on the ground, exchanging 100 USD in a money changer gave us around 143,250 dinars. For comparison, pulling the equivalent of 100 USD from an ATM with our Revolut card, using the app\u2019s FX rate plus a 5,000 IQD ATM fee, left us with roughly 130,000 IQD. So, very roughly, that\u2019s about 10% worse than just swapping dollars for dinars in a regular exchange office.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-740702f elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"740702f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-bank-in-shopping-mall.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-bank-in-shopping-mall-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Bank of Baghdad branch inside a shopping mall in Baghdad, Iraq, with ATM and MoneyGram sign\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-bank-in-shopping-mall-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-bank-in-shopping-mall-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-bank-in-shopping-mall-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-bank-in-shopping-mall-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-25k-money-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-25k-money-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Iraqi dinar banknotes showing 25,000 Iraqi dinar and 500 on a white background\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-25k-money-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-25k-money-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-25k-money-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-25k-money-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a0b42e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0a0b42e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\">Safety<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Let\u2019s start with the most important part: all the official sources \u2013 the Polish MFA, the Brits, Canadians, Americans \u2013 still formally advise against travelling to Iraq, especially to Baghdad and the central\/southern parts of the country. Their warnings repeat the same keywords: risk of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, political tension, rocket fire and, in general, a \u201chighly unpredictable security situation\u201d. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">On the other hand, more and more travellers (including us) say they actually felt surprisingly \u201cnormal\u201d on the ground. Most stories sound similar: loads of checkpoints, plenty of guns in public spaces, but everyday life just keeps going and, if you use common sense, you can move around, visit places like Babylon or Najaf and do some sightseeing without feeling like you\u2019re in an active warzone 24\/7. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68ee7e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68ee7e9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">The Green Zone \u2013 the heart of political Baghdad<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">When talking about safety, you just can\u2019t ignore the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/world\/factbox-what-is-the-baghdad-green-zone-idUSKRA251361\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Green Zone<\/a>. It\u2019s that famous, heavily fortified chunk of Baghdad on the west bank of the Tigris (in Karkh district), where you\u2019ll find government buildings, parliament, several ministries, embassies and some of Saddam\u2019s former palaces. For years it was basically a separate \u201cfortress inside the city\u201d with high walls, barbed wire and a strict no-entry rule for regular Iraqis.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Over the last few years the zone has been gradually opened up to regular traffic \u2013 in 2018 and again in 2023 the authorities started removing some barriers and reopening key roads to ease congestion. Private cars can now drive through certain parts of the Green Zone, but it\u2019s still an area with a very heavy military and security presence, extra checks, no-stopping zones and a clear message: you drive through it, you don\u2019t \u201cwander around and explore\u201d. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f4a67ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f4a67ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">Photography and \u201cwhat&#8217;s in the background?\u201d<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">In all of Iraq \u2013 and especially in Baghdad \u2013 there\u2019s one golden rule: you do not take photos of the army, police, checkpoints, ministry buildings, bases, stations or anything that even looks remotely military unless you have clear permission. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">This is not an exaggeration. Official travel advisories are very clear that taking photos of military infrastructure can get you detained, questioned and into serious trouble. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The tricky part is that in Baghdad a lot of military and government buildings are kind of \u201cwoven into\u201d the normal city \u2013 you can have a pretty mosque in front of you, a security office right next to it and a police post just around the corner. In practice it means: before you hit the shutter, take a second to check what\u2019s in the background. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9fd8993 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"9fd8993\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-009.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-13\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-009-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Motorcyclist on a road in Baghdad, Iraq, riding past cars under an elevated bridge\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf54e2a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bf54e2a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">Checkpoints<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Checkpoints are a permanent part of the Iraqi landscape. They\u2019re everywhere: on main roads, at city entrances, near important buildings. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">How it looks from a traveler&#8217;s perspective:<\/p><ul><li class=\"p1\">When entering Baghdad, you pass through several layers of checkpoints \u2013 the outer ones form a kind of \u201csecurity ring\u201d around the city.<\/li><li class=\"p1\">In the city itself, checkpoints are located at major intersections, bridges, and strategic points.<\/li><li class=\"p1\">when you drive from Baghdad to Babylon you\u2019ll also hit several controls, including one bigger \u201cgate\u201d into the governorate; on a motorcycle we drew way more attention than a standard bus.<\/li><\/ul><p class=\"p1\">There\u2019s one more thing that pops up a lot in official warnings: there have been cases of fake checkpoints used for robberies or kidnappings. This is mostly an issue on remote routes and during night drives, but it\u2019s still something to keep in mind \u2013 that\u2019s why most governments straight up advise against travelling around the country after dark. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c0485b elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"3c0485b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--1 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-008.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-14\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-roads-008-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Iraq, Baghdad Checkpoint: two men in uniforms talk beside a motorcycle near a checkpoint.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-abdb32f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"abdb32f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"p1\">How to behave around the authorities?<\/h3><p class=\"p1\">Iraq\u2019s security system is multi-layered and a bit complicated. Official reports list several components under the umbrella of the Iraqi Security Forces, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iraqi_Ground_Forces\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iraqi Army<\/a> (regular military), the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iraqi_Police\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Federal Police<\/a> (something like a heavily armed national police), various rapid response units and local police, border guards, plus the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iraqi_Counter_Terrorism_Service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Counter Terrorism Service<\/a>.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">On top of that you have the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Popular_Mobilization_Forces\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Popular Mobilization Forces<\/a> (Hashd al-Shaabi) \u2013 an umbrella for various militias that grew out of the war against ISIS and were later partially folded into the state system, but still keep a lot of autonomy, political influence and control over some checkpoints in certain regions.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The best approach here is to stay calm, act normal, and not overthink things\u2014and then&#8230; very often, things turn out quite nicely.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">For us almost every checkpoint looked the same: first serious faces, a quick scan, the classic \u201cwhere are you from?\u201d. The moment they realised we were travellers from Poland riding a motorcycle to Oman, the vibe flipped 180 degrees. The officers were SUPER curious \u2013 asking about our route, the bike, how many horsepower it has, where we\u2019re from exactly and whether we like it here.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">And here\u2019s the best part: very often it ended with gifts. We were getting water, soft drinks, sometimes sweets \u2013 from soldiers, from police, from people just hanging around at the checkpoints. That image of Iraq doesn\u2019t match what you usually see on TV at all, but that\u2019s exactly how it was for us.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bca50ad elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bca50ad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Climate and weather conditions<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Baghdad comes with the full desert-package climate. It gets around 150 mm of rain a year and almost all of that falls between November and March. From June to September rain basically doesn\u2019t exist.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">In September, when we were here, the heat was just insane. Average daytime temps sit around 40\u201343\u00b0C, with nights at about 25\u201327\u00b0C. In practice it means it\u2019s already hot by 10 AM, and in the afternoon the asphalt basically turns into a frying pan. For a motorcyclist in full protective gear, this is the kind of weather where every little stop in the shade feels like a small holiday.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">In winter Baghdad is much gentler. In January and February daytime temperatures usually sit around 15\u201320\u00b0C, nights can drop to just a few degrees, but it\u2019s still nothing like \u201cPolish winter freeze\u201d. If it does rain, it\u2019s mostly in this period, in short but intense bursts. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a051122 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a051122\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What to see in Baghdad and the surrounding area<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">We only had four days in Baghdad, so we\u2019re not going to pretend we \u201cticked off\u201d the whole city and its surroundings. We managed to see a few places that give you some feel for the capital, but definitely not everything Baghdad has to offer. \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/baghdad-babylon-and-nearby-sights-what-to-see-on-a-trip-to-iraq\/\">That\u2019s why we put together a separate, more step-by-step article <\/a>\ud83d\udc48 where we break down exactly what we visited, how to get there, how to behave and what you can roughly expect. Feel free to check it out \ud83d\ude09.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">There are also places we simply didn\u2019t reach \u2013 sometimes because we didn\u2019t have a local to help, sometimes because something just isn\u2019t really accessible for tourists yet, even if it looks gorgeous on Instagram. We\u2019re not salty about it, that\u2019s just the stage Iraq is at right now. Maybe you, with a different alignment of stars (and checkpoints), will manage to see more than we did \ud83d\ude04. Either way, if you want a concrete list of spots in Baghdad and day trips like Babylon, check out our separate guide \u2013 that\u2019s where we break it all down calmly and in detail.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93729ab elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"93729ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-001-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-001-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Baghdad Tourist attractions in the city: bronze hand sculpture holding a concrete column in a sunny park\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-003-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-003-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Couple posing in front of Baghdad city landmark tower in Iraq, with one person making a peace sign\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-004.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-004-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Baghdad tourist attractions in the city bookstore display with manga, comic covers, and lights.\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-002-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-002-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Baghdad, Iraq tourist scene in a courtyard with stone walls, seats, and people near an information screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-002-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-002-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-002-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-002-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-005-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-15\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-baghdad-tourist-attractions-005-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Iraq, Babylon tourist attractions: a historic stone building in Babylon overlooking a landscaped hillside with palm trees\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d449e79 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d449e79\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"p1\">Our summary<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">For us, Iraq is first and foremost about people. And that is something we will repeat everywhere and always.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Before we crossed the border, we had all our friends\u2019 comments playing in our heads: \u201cAre you insane?\u201d, \u201cWhy would you even go there?\u201d, \u201cIsn\u2019t there a war?\u201d. After a few days in Baghdad and then further south, all those mental pictures fell apart completely. The reality just didn\u2019t match the fear.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">In Iraq, we received so much good that at times we didn&#8217;t know what to do with it.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Litres of water \u2013 endless. At petrol stations, at checkpoints, just from random people who saw two overheated humans on a motorbike. At one gas station someone handed us an entire bowl of figs xDDD and of course that was exactly when we were in \u201cwe really need to push on to Kuwait\u201d mode, trying to figure out how to deal with it without offending anyone.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">There was a taxi situation where we only had a big banknote and no real way to get change \u2013 at some point the driver just announced that he\u2019d \u201cpay for the ride\u201d for us. There were invitations for food and drinks, people genuinely excited that someone from Europe had shown up here on a motorcycle. Checkpoint officers who went from \u201cserious face mode\u201d to acting like buddies, stuffing our hands with water and sweets for the road. We could list a lot more moments like that.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We also spent half a day with the team from Al Hamraa Insurance \u2013 the company that insured our motorcycle for the whole of Iraq. It turned into a really interesting conversation: a bit about paperwork, a bit about what everyday life looks like here, and a bit about how things work in Europe. It was cool to see Iraq not only from the street level, but also through people who run a business here and look at the country from a \u201cwe live here, we work here, we want this place to move forward\u201d perspective.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79c4aaa elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"79c4aaa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-003-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-003-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"People standing at a gas station in Baghdad, Iraq, with a motorcyclist wearing a helmet and headset\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-001-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-001-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Baghdad photo outside Al Hamraa Insurance with six people posing in front of motorcycles and building signage\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--huge-square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-002-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-002-1300x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_huge-square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_huge-square\" alt=\"Police officers pose with visitors in Baghdad, Iraq near Babylon on a sunny street.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-002-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-002-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-002-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-002-650x650.jpeg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-004-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-16\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-004-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Baghdad, Iraq photo: smiling policeman with a helmet and headset on a road, with men standing beside him.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-004-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-004-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-004-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/iraq-people-004-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-903c0f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"903c0f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">Are there any downsides? Sure. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The checkpoints can really wear you down \u2013 there are so many of them, and you have to get used to the fact that every now and then someone stops you, asks questions, checks your documents. On top of that there\u2019s the mess along the roads: no real waste management, plastic scattered everywhere along the main routes, dead animals lying by the roadside. Sometimes it\u2019s honestly hard to look at. Is it a question of education, the system, money? Probably a bit of all three.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Despite all that, at no point did we feel in real danger. Not in Baghdad, not later on the way towards Kuwait. It just doesn\u2019t match the reactions we were getting in Poland when we said \u201cwe\u2019re going to Iraq\u201d. When we tell friends how it actually looked in reality, most of them have the same expression on their face: a mix of surprise and \u201cwait, seriously?\u201d.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Tourism here is still in its absolute infancy. Some people are really eager to be guides, to help, to show you around, but this is nowhere near a \u201cready-made product\u201d like Jordan or T\u00fcrkiye. And maybe that\u2019s actually a good thing \u2013 we honestly hope mass tourism never hits Iraq in the same way it has steamrolled so many other places.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">On 14 September, when we set off towards Kuwait, the heat was absolutely brutal. We were tired, sweaty, but our heads were full of images of Iraq that looked completely different from the ones we\u2019d had before this trip. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">We\u2019re left with mixed feelings \u2013 being genuinely blown away by the people, but also seeing how tough everyday life is, how expensive the visas are, and how big the gap is between the \u201cmore organised\u201d Kurdistan Region and the federal part of the country. But one thing is clear: if one day the budget and visa situation look a bit friendlier, we\u2019d come back to Iraq. Just with a very different mindset than we had the first time.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Baghdad through a traveller\u2019s eyes. Our days in Iraq\u2019s capital \u2013 street life, everyday vibes and a few honest, practical tips for your trip.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[668,168,175,173,171],"class_list":{"0":"post-13635","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-asia","8":"tag-iraq","9":"tag-tourist-attractions","10":"tag-travel-planning","11":"tag-travel-safety","12":"tag-urban-tourism","13":"cs-entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}