Book flights to Baghdad

• Royal Jordanian
• Turkish Airlines
• Middle Eastern Airlines
• EgyptAir
• Qatar Airways
• Emirates
• Gulf Air

• The trip to Baghdad can be 8 to 11 hours long from London Heathrow Airport. The stopover of the flight can be at Amman or Istanbul.
• The journey from Manchester to Baghdad is 9 to 11 hours long, depending on the airline used. The flight stops over at Doha, Istanbul or Dubai.
• Flights flying to Baghdad from Birmingham take 10 to 14 hours to reach their destination. The stopover of these flights is again either at Doha, Istanbul or Dubai.
• Flights from London Gatwick Airport finish their trip in 8 to 11 hours. These flights reach Baghdad after a stopover in Istanbul or Doha.

No, there are no direct flights that go to Baghdad directly from the UK. The best option for a traveller going to the capital of Iraq is to take a Turkish Airlines or a Royal Jordanian flight to either Istanbul or Amman and then take a connecting flight to Baghdad.

The weather in Baghdad is excellent between the October and April months. During this time Baghdad is under the spell of winter. Even on its coldest days the highest temperature in the city barely goes below 22°C. For some, January is a bit chilly in Baghdad, but considering the heat the city receives in the summer, January is not as unpleasant. During this time, the temperature remains between 12°C to 28°C and the city gets little to no rainfall.

Fortunately, the best time to be in Baghdad overlaps the cheapest time to be in the city. When the temperatures are relatively low in the fall, starting in September, there is little inflow of passengers or tourists into the city. As a result, the prices of tickets and accommodations fall. Coming during this time to Baghdad could be a bargain, and the chances of getting a cheaper deal are immense. The weather is also is quite nice.

Baghdad International Airport (BGW previously SDA) is the primary international gateway to not only Baghdad but also the rest of Iraq. The airport is 16 kilometres from Downtown Baghdad and is patrolled heavily by the US military. A few hundred thousand passengers used the airport last year.

Iraqi law dictates that all foreigners must obtain a visa before entering the country. Please visit the Iraqi Embassy in London or the consulate in Manchester to apply for one.

The government of the United Kingdom strongly advises against visiting parts of Iraq. Please visit the UK government's travel advice website for further information.

Lying on the Tigris River, the city of Baghdad has been inhabited for millennia. Before the stellar Islamic Golden Age, Baghdad was influenced by the Mesopotamian, Babylonian and Assyrian civilisations. The famous landmarks of the city represent the vibrant history of Baghdad.

• The National Museum of Iraq houses the thousands of relics that have been dug up by archaeologists studying the civilisations in the region, over the years. Baghdad lies in the heart of the ‘fertile crescent’ where many cultures have left their mark. Of the five thousand years of history, the museum represents the exhibits from the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Akkadian eras of ancient Iraq. There is a separate section for relics and Quranic artefacts that belong to the Golden Age of Islam in Baghdad.
• Al Shaheed Monument is a memorial constructed in the early 1980s to pay tribute to the thousands of Iraqi soldiers who were martyred in the Iran-Iraq war. Now it represents all those who lost their lives after the Iraq invasion in 2003. The monument is in the middle of an artificial lake on a circular island. At the centre, there is an onion dome, cut in half, with each half constructed offset of one another. Each half of the turquoise semi-dome represents life and death. The unending battle between life and death is centred on an eternal flame. The museum underneath the monument illustrates the struggles through which the people of Iraq have emerged victorious.
• Al Kadhimiya Mosque is a shine associated with Shia Islam. The Golden domes of the mosque glisten from afar, and the twinkling lights adorning the mosque at dusk illuminate the traditional architecture of the structure. The mosque is of central importance in many festivals and religious events in Baghdad.

Baghdad follows the Islamic traditions and cultures throughout the year. Islam clocks all its festivals according to a lunar calendar which cannot be mapped precisely on to the Gregorian Christian calendar which the rest of the world uses. In Muharram, the Shia Muslims mourn the loss of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandchildren. Eid ul Fitr comes after Ramadan, which is a month in which Muslims fast. Eid ul Adha is the time when Muslims commemorate the sacrifice of Abraham and slaughter a lamb. There is always the smell of barbeque wisps in the city around that time of the year.

Due to the current security situation moving from one place to the other is quite difficult. There is a free shuttle service that runs passengers on selected routes. In the International Zone, one can walk freely and even use a bicycle to go to the many destinations located within the area. Rhinos or armoured vehicles are used to transport passengers outside the security zones.

There are a few 5-star hotels in Baghdad that are often used by foreign delegates and are very

• Babylon Warwick Hotel
• Baghdad Hotel
• Coral Baghdad Hotel
• Rimal Hotel
• Shanashel Palace Hotel