Iraq Treasures of the South Cultural Discovery Tour

An MT Sobek representative will welcome you at Baghdad International Airport. Settle into the hotel and relax over a welcome drink, then dine in the hotel restaurant.

After breakfast, delve into the ancient past at the Iraq Museum, often called the Middle East Smithsonian for its 28 halls and artefacts as old as 10,000 years B.C. In the afternoon, journey to the holy city of Samarra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that traces its roots back to 5500 B.C. Explore the ruins of its ancient royal palaces, and admire the majestic 9th-century Great Mosque (Al Malwiya Mosque) with its spiral minaret. Return to your hotel in Baghdad.

Visit the 13th-century El-Mustansiriya madrassa (school), one of the oldest Islamic institutions of higher learning in the world, and marvel at its ancient water-powered alarm clock that once announced prayer times. Stroll down the bookstore-laden Al-Mutanabbi street, the heart of the city's cultural life, and delight in the symphony of clinking sounds at Souk al-Safareen, the coppersmiths' market. In the afternoon, head to Ctesiphon, the former winter capital of the Parthian and Sasanian empires, and today best known for the monumental remains of the 1,400-year-old palace Taq Kisra, complete with its 122-feet-high Arch of Ctesiphon. Enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Travel to Babylon, the ancient capital of southern Mesopotamia, and trace the footsteps of Alexander the Great. Tour Saddam Hussein's rebuilt Babylon with its vibrant aqua-blue Ishtar Gate (a reproduction of the original) and compare it to one of his once-opulent palaces just behind the complex. Continue on to Karbala, a holy city for the Iraqi Shia, holding the shrine of the martyred Imam Husayn Ibn Ali (died 680). Return for dinner at your hotel.

Today travel to the holy city of Najaf, and along the way stop in the town of Al Kifl to marvel at its 7th-century Kufa Mosque, the holiest place for Shia Muslims. Then continue on to Najaf and after settling in the hotel, discover the shrine of Imam Ali. This masterpiece of Islamic architecture holds the tomb of Imam Ali, the fourth caliph who was the cousin and later son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. In the evening, soak up the buzz of the nearby souk and savor dinner at the hotel.

Head to Samawa, a city on the banks of the Euphrates River that holds the archaeological site of Warka, also known as Uruk. Explore the magnificent remains of this ancient Sumerian city that thrived around 2900 B.C. and was supposedly the first city on earth. Continue to the busy hub of Nasiriya, one of Iraq's largest cities and the capital of the Dhi-Qar province with lunch at a local restaurant along the way. In the evening, feel the city's pulse on a stroll through its bustling souk.

Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ur, an ancient Sumer city believed to be the birthplace of Prophet Abraham. Marvel at to the Ziggurat of Ur, a splendid temple dedicated to the lunar god Nanna and built the same way as the biblical Tower of Babel. After lunch, head to Nasiriya's lively bazaar for a dash of local buzz and browse stalls selling everything from textiles and household wares to artisanal copperware and traditional sweets. Dinner tonight is at the hotel.

Spend the day on the Tigris River, venturing into its dreamy marshes by boat. Navigate between islands of reeds and lakeside villages inhabited by Marsh Arabs, and take in the resplendent beauty of this unique aquatic environment inside a desert. En route to the town of Basra, stop to soak up the beauty of the Paradise of Aden (Garden of Eden) where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet.

Wander around the old city of Basra, once known as the Venice of the East for the Ottoman Shenashil Houses, traditional 19th-century residences that line its canal. Think back to the city's glory days as you explore one of the villas that was owned by a wealthy Greek merchant — a rare showcase of a bygone era. Wrap up the journey with a boat ride on Shatt Al-Arab, the river created by the Tigris and Euphrates merging, and soak up one last splendid Iraq sunset. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight.

After breakfast, transfer to Basra International Airport for your homeward-bound flights and bid farewell to Iraq.