Erbil Governorate · Iraq
Erbil travel guide
Erbil is a city in Erbil Governorate, Iraq, home to about 846,000 people.
- Best months
- April, October and November
- Nearest airport
- EBL8 km · Erbil International Airport
- Currency
- IQDIraqi dinar
- Time zone
- Asia/Baghdad
- Language
- Arabic, Kurdish language
About
About Erbil
Erbil (Arabic: أربيل, romanized: ʾArbīl; Syriac: ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, romanized: Arbēl), also called Hawler (Kurdish: هەولێر, romanized: Hewlêr), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the capital of the Erbil Governorate. Erbil is described as the region's cultural, economic, industrial, educational and medical hub.
Erbil has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa), meaning it has extremely hot summers and cool wet winters. January is the wettest month.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Erbil
See
- Citadel of Erbil
- Grand Mosque
- Kurdish Textile Museum
- Erbil Gem Museum
- Mudhafaria Minaret
- Qaysari Market
- Jalil Khayat Mosque
- Mohamed Jolly Mosque
- St. Joseph's Cathedral
- Xanzad Castle
- Hawler Museum
- Erbil Civilization Museum
Do
- Erbil Marathon
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Erbil to stay in
There is an active couchsurfing community in Erbil, which offers a low cost alternative for hotels if you only plan to stay a few days in Erbil.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Erbil
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Erbil are April, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; March is the wettest, with about 82 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Erbil: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Erbil International Airport (EBL), about 7.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kirkuk International Airport (KIK, 86 km) and Jalal Talabani International Airport (ISU, 137 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Comprehensive and up to date info on visa requirements and cost can be found in the article Iraqi Kurdistan under Get in.
Getting around
Public transportation is available in the form of taxis and some bus routes, but automobiles are the main mode of transportation. Compared with other cities in the Middle East, shared taxis and buses are very infrequent and impractical. If you don't know your way around or have a guide with local knowledge it is inadvisable to try public transportation alone.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
EBL · Erbil International Airport
KIK · Kirkuk International Airport
ISU · Jalal Talabani International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Erbil
Eat
Many good restaurants exist in Erbil. However, the vast majority serve kebabs and chicken, with some Lebanese and Turkish restaurants. Options for foreign food are limited. Most restaurants, except those in high-end hotels, do not serve alcohol or accept credit cards.
Drink
You can buy a wide variety of beer, wine and liquor at pretty reasonable prices in Ainkawa, the Christian suburb of Irbil. Just look for any of the local liquor stores. A litre of Jack Daniels for about US$22 is cheaper than in Tennessee where it is bottled! Remember that Erbil is a predominantly Muslim city: drinking in public is unacceptable and public drunkenness is frowned upon. In addition, the bars at the major luxury hotels (such as the Divan and the Rotana) are popular gathering spots.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Erbil: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Erbil?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Erbil are April, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; March is the wettest, with about 82 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Erbil?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Erbil International Airport (EBL), about 7.5 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kirkuk International Airport (KIK, 86 km) and Jalal Talabani International Airport (ISU, 137 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Erbil?
Iraqi dinar (IQD).
Nearby
Destinations near Erbil
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.