Possible To Book A Vacation To Iraq?

[DMark]

No, I have no intention whatsoever of doing so…but was wondering -

Is it possible for a civilian to book a flight and hotel purely for a vacation in Iraq?

It seems there are always those “fringe” adventure tourist agencies who book strange tours and figure there has to be one, somewhere in the world, offering a five night “adventure” stay in Iraq.

Or let’s say you were totally insane and decided to book your own tour…could you find a commercial flight there and reserve a room in a hotel? How do foreign correspondents get there - only through the US military?

[DMark]

Ooops.
I meant this to go into General Questions…could a Mod please move this for me?
Thanks.

(Although I am sure there might be a debate in here somehow as well…)

[treis]

I think you can. The official Iraqi web pages pretty much suck, but their Ministry of Foreign Affairs says:

Conditions for Granting Visas

1. An applicant for visa must hold a passport valid for at least six months.

2. An application form must be filled out.

3. An applicant for visa must be able to meet his living costs during his stay in the Republic of Iraq.

4. An applicant should also present a medical document proving his safety from communicable diseases; otherwise, he is subject to the effective rules and instructions on health safety.

Kinds of Visas

1. Collective tourist visa for no later than 15 days

So they certainly have tourist visas. It also says on the page:

Visas are granted to the following categories:

1. Non-Iraqi wives of Iraqi nationals, when presenting document(s) so proving.

2. Students in Iraq, when presenting document(s) certifying their admission or continuing study in Iraqi universities, institutes or schools.

3. Drivers of trucks, when presenting document(s) certifying their transport of goods and items to Iraq upon request by official Iraqi authorities or companies operating in Iraq.

http://www.mofa.gov.iq/english/consular/default.aspx?pageid=35

So it doesn’t sound like tourists will be issued visas.

The State Department says:

An Iraqi visa may be obtained through the Iraqi Embassy in Washington D.C.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1144.html

However:

As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Iraq,

It seems like you can get a visa, and you probably can enter through Kuwait. I doubt anyone has actually gone to Iraq as a tourist, so there’s no guarantee that you would really be able to visit.

[Tapioca_Dextrin]

From March this year, you could always jump on board Austrian Airlines flight OS827 which flies to Erbil International Airport four times a week.

Book now and discover the most beautiful destinations

VIE is Vienna, EBL is Erbil

[Tapioca_Dextrin]

And if you want to stay in a hotel, this one looks nice. Others, might be a little less elegant.

[MEBuckner]

Moderator’s Note: Booking thread on next flight from Great Debates to General Questions.

[madmonk28]

Iraq actually has a still extant tourism industry. Iraq is the site of several important Shiia holy sites and every year thousands of Shiia tourists travel to Karbala.

[Will_Repair]

@madmonk28

Iraq actually has a still extant tourism industry…

and evidently mountain resorts are the new tourist industry.

Then there’s this site. They list the Garden of Eden as a tourist attraction.

[Skylark]

Kurdistan (or just ‘nothern Iraq’) has been pretty much its own stable nation for the past 15 years, with hardly any of the violence of the current war. I’d say it’s pretty safe to visit --and they’re trying to encourage it. Some fantastic skiing up there.

[Moirai]

While it’s true that there is no direct commercial airline service between the US and Baghdad, there are still plenty of ways to get there.

My brother has flown commercially to Iraq two or three times, usually on Royal Jordanian Airways from Chicago to Amman, then into Baghdad. The Chicago to Amman & back fare is about $1000 US with 30 days’ advance purchase. The Amman-Baghdad-Amman bit is about $600.400 Jordanian.