Travel Iraqi Kurdistan

This is possibly the cheapest and easier way to enter Iraq. The journey is long and takes about 30 hours but is worth by many reasons. The bus crew will help you at the border of Turkey and at the border of Iraq also as they do not want to wait much since they have the bus full.

• Price ticket BUS Istanbul – Erbil = $ 110 U.S. dollars = 77 Euros (August 2009)

I learned about this bus with the help of a Turkish friend since we went looking on the Internet for Turkish written information as in English is nonexistent.

Photography Bus Turkey to Iraq in August 2009

There is a bus every Monday and Wednesday at 10 am. Supposedly the bus leaves Otogar Esenler but during a phone booking (yes you have to book it in advance as you might not have a free sit if you just show up), the driver explained us that most people who make this trip live in the city center, so the bus came and pick everyone up near Aksaray.

The phone for further information is 4444773 BUS Company Ozlem Cizre Nuh.

Along the way there are several stops for bathroom and lunch / dinner. You can always ask how long the crew stops but usually stops are of 10 or 30 minutes up to 1 hour.

You can consult the web page of Esenler Otogari for more information about these buses, there are at least 3 companies to do the journey: Bus Iraq

Border with Iraq in Khalil Ibrahim in the region of Iraqi Kurdistan in August 2009

Bus route from Istanbul – Erbil

Please note that these times may change I just write down what happened on my trip.

• 10:00 – Departure from Istanbul
• 11:00 – Pass the bridge in Istanbul Europe to Asia
• 13:30 to 14:10 – Stop at Duzce
• 19:00 to 19:30 – Stop at Aksaray
• 1:30 to 2:00 – Adana
• 5:45 to 6:00 – Nusaybin
• 7:30 to 9:00 – Cizre / Jizre the bus had to go to mechanic
• 10:30 Border Turkey
• 11:30 – Ibrahim Khalil Border Exit / Entry Iraq in Zakho town
• 15:30 Arrival at Erbil

Entrance in Iraqi Kurdistan, road construction near Dohuk Iraq in August 2009

Food prices Istanbul trip to Iraq

Duzce / Koynopli

• 1 yoghurt + 1 bag of bread + 1 plate of beans + 1 plate of rice + 1 bowl of cucumber and tomato salad olives + water = 14 Turkish Liras = 6.55 Euros
• 1 bag of fried grain = 1 Turkish Liras= 0.46 Euros
• Toilete = 0.75 Turkish Liras= 0.35 Euros

Aksaray

• 2 packages of nuts and grape jelly = 3 Turkish Liras = 1.40 Euros
• 1 fried corn package 500gr = 4 Turkish Liras = 1.87 Euros
• toilet = 0.75 Turkish Liras= 0.35 Euros
• Pair of socks = Turkish Liras2 = 0.93 Euros
• Ayran yoghurt = 1 Turkish Liras = 0.46 Euros

Video of Southern Turkey on the Travel Istanbul to Erbil

Video of Southern Turkey on the Travel Istanbul to Erbil

Photo of food in arestaurant at the bus stop in Koynopli Turkey = 14 Turkish Liras = 6.5 Euros

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