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Travelling to Kurdistan
The two international airports are in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. There are now a number of airlines servicing both of these airports from Turkey, elsewhere in the Middle East and further away in Europe
The flights vary in price and are higher in price compared to other flights due to lack of competition and insurance costs, although this is changing with bigger and larger airlines offering and announcing routes.
Schedules can (and do) change frequently so it is important to confirm the available flights and information below with the airline directly. Kurdistan Adventures cannot be held responsible for changes to the schedule; the information below is just a guide and was believed to be correct as of January 2012.
Please note flights originating from or terminating in Iraq (not Iraqi Kurdistan) are not listed here.
Arrival into Erbil and Sulymaniyah
On arrival into either the Erbil or Sulaymaniyah airports, citizens of Australia, New Zealand, the EU, Canada, the UK and the USA will be issued a free 15-day tourist entry stamp.
Flight Information
Lufthansa
Erbil to Frankfurt
Flight LH697 - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - depart 1730 arrive 2020
Frankfurt to Erbil
Flight 696 - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - depart 1000 arrive 1630
Erbil to Vienna
Flight LH6461 - Every day except Sunday - depart 1655 arrive 1905
Vienna to Erbil
Flight LH6460 - Every day except Sunday - depart 1010 arrive 1550
Air Berlin
Dusselorf to Erbil
Flight AB3602 - Tuesday - depart 1045 arrive 17:20
Erbil to Dusseldorf
Flight AB3603 - Tuesday depart 1820 arrive 2120
Royal Jordanian
Amman to Erbil
Flight 820 - Daily except Thursday and Sunday – depart 0100 arrive 0400
Flight 822 - Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday – depart 1030 arrive 1330
Erbil to Amman
Flight 821 – Daily except Thursday and Sunday – depart 0500 arrive 0600
Flight 823 – Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday – depart 1430 arrive 1530
Amman to Sulaymaniyah
Flight 800 – Daily except Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – depart 0100 arrive 0400
Sulaymaniyah to Amman
Flight 801 – Daily except Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – depart 0500 arrive 0600
Austrian Airlines
Vienna to Erbil
Flight OS829 - Every day except Sunday - depart 1010 arrive 1550
Erbil to Vienna
Flight OS830 - Every day except Sunday - depart 1655 arrive 1905
Gulf Air
Bahrain to Erbil
Erbil to Bahrain
Check with airline
Fly Dubai
Dubai to Erbil
Erbil to Dubai
Dubai to Sulaimaniyah
Sulaimaniyah to Dubai
Check with airline
http://flydubai.com/english/about-us/timetable.aspx
Turkish Airlines
Erbil to Istanbul
Flight TK805 - Every day - depart 0405 arrive 0535
Istanbul to Erbil
Flight TK804 - Every day - depart 2305 arrive 0225
Sulaymaniyah to Istanbul
Flight TK806 - Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday - depart 2315 arrive 0145
Istanbul to Sulaymaniyah
Flight TK807 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - depart 0310 arrive 0600
http://www.turkishairlines.com
Pegasus Airlines
Erbil to Ankara
Flight PC684 - Monday, Thursday and Saturday - depart 2355 arrive 0250
Flight PC685 - Tuesday, Friday and Sunday - depart 0450 arrive 0550
Ankara to Erbil
Flight PC684 - Monday, Thursday and Saturday - depart 2355 arrive 0250
Flight PC685 - Tuesday, Friday and Sunday - depart 0450 arrive 0550
Emirates
It is now possible to connect with Emirates through to Fly Dubai.
Further information is available here:
http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/connecting_with_flydubai/connecting_with_flydubai.aspx
Ethihad
Abu Dhabi to Erbil
Flight EY557 - Wed and Thurs - depart 1255 arrive 1500
Flight EY557 - Tues and Sat - depart 0835 arrive 1040
Erbil to Abu Dhabi
Flight EY558 - Wed and Thurs - depart 1600 arrive 1940
Flight EY558 - Tues and Sat - depart 1135 arrive 1515
Middle East Airlines
Beirut to Erbil
Flight ME324 - Sun, Tues and Thurs - depart 1845 arrive 2125
Flight ME324 - Wed and Sat - depart 2000 arrive 2240
Erbil to Beirut
Flight ME325 - Sun, Tues and Thurs - depart 2225 arrive 2310
Flight ME325 - Wed and Sat - depart 2340 arrive 0025 (next day)
EgyptAir
Cairo to Erbil
Flight MS635 - Mon, Thurs and Fri - depart 2315 arrive 0245 (next day)
Erbil to Cairo
Flight MS636 - Tues, Fri and Sat - depart 0345 arrive 0545
http://www.egyptair.com/English/Pages/default.aspx
Iraqi Airways
Beirut to Erbil
Damascus to Sulaimaniyah
Dubai to Erbil
Tehran to Erbil
Stockholm to Erbil
Muscat to Erbil
Amman to Erbil
Check with airline
http://www.iraqiairways.co.uk/en/flight_schedule.html
Azmar Airline
Istanbul to Sulaimaniyah
Munich to Erbil
Dusseldorf to Sulaimaniyah
Munich to Sulaimaniyah
Check with airline
http://www.azmarairline.org/Page.aspx?Type=Schedule
Med Airways
Beirut to Erbil
Beirut to Sulaimaniyah
Stockholm to Erbil
Stockholm to Sulaimaniyah
Check with airline
Zozik Aviation
Dusseldorf to Erbil
Dusseldorf to Sulaimaniyah
Check with airline
http://www.zozik-aviation.de/index.php?language=en
Dokan Air
Dusseldorf to Erbil
Dusseldorf to Sulaimaniyah
Munich to Erbil
Munich to Sulaimaniyah
Check with airline
http://www.dokan-air.com/flugbuchung_english.html
Atlasjet
Antalya to Sulaymaniya
Istanbul to Erbil
Istanbul to Sulaymaniya
Ercan (Cyprus) to Erbil
Check with airline
http://www.atlasjet.com/AtlasjetWeb/atlasjet.kk?lang=EN
Overland from Turkey
The only official crossing from Turkey into Kurdistan is via the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing which links the Turkish town of Silopi with the Iraqi Kurdistan town of Zakho.
There are many options to get to Silopi including flying from Istanbul (or elsewhere) to Diyarbakir, then catching a bus to Cizre and a shared taxi to Silopi.
It is also possible to catch a bus from Istanbul direct to Erbil (via Ibrahim Khalil border crossing) for around $110 USD (2009). Note although this price is reasonable, it is a very long (30 hours) journey from Istanbul.
There will be taxi drivers in Silopi eager to take you across the border to Zakho. The going rate (2009) is between $30 and $50 USD (per taxi).
Bring copies of your passport and extra passport photos and note you may be searched and/or interviewed by Turkish border security.
It is also worth noting that the Kurdish issue can be very sensitive in Turkey and that you are crossing the border into “Iraq”, not Kurdistan or Iraqi Kurdistan.
Once you have crossed into the Kurdistan region, you may be offered tea and a chat with the local Kurdish Peshmerga security officials. It can help to have the name or phone number of a local Kurdish contact, but this is not always required. You will be issued a free 15-day tourist entry stamp (citizens of Australia, New Zealand, the EU, Canada, the UK and the USA) before continuing your journey.
Zakho is approximately 20km southeast from Silopi.
Kurdistan Adventures can assist with competitively priced private transportation from Zakho to Dohuk, Erbil (bypassing Mosul) or Sulaymaniyah (bypassing Kirkuk).
Overland from Syria
The border from Syria to Iraq (Abu Kamal) is NOT part of the territory controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government; rather it is controlled by Iraq proper, with their own visa and other regulations as applicable.
It is not considered safe to attempt to cross this border into Iraq.
If however you are in Syria, it is possible to cross into Turkey from Qamishli, Syria into Nusaybin, Turkey then onwards by bus (2 hours) to Silopi.
Overland from Jordan
The border from Jordan to Iraq is NOT part of the territory controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government; rather it is controlled by Iraq proper, with their own visa and other regulations as applicable.
It is not considered safe to attempt to cross this border into Iraq.
Overland from Iran
It is possible to pass from Iran to Iraqi Kurdistan via the Haji Omaran border crossing. Immigration at both sides of the border are becoming more accustomed to seeing intrepid foreigners.
That said, the official crossing from Turkey to Iraq (Ibrahim Khalil) remains the recommended route for overland travelers.
