--- title: "Basra – what to see, and every way to get there | Mixroutes" description: "How to get to Basra from Baghdad, Najaf and Kirkuk: every way compared, with today's quickest and its fare. Basra or Basrah is a port city in southern…" url: "https://www.mixroutes.com/places/basra" markdown: "https://www.mixroutes.com/places/basra.md" image: "https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Asif_Basra_at_DIFF.jpg/1920px-Asif_Basra_at_DIFF.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" --- ![Basra](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Asif_Basra_at_DIFF.jpg/1920px-Asif_Basra_at_DIFF.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) Port city in southern Iraq # Basra Basra or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. [Plan a trip to Basra](https://www.mixroutes.com/?to=Basra) [From Baghdad](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Baghdad&to=Basra) ## Every way there - Baghdad → Basra Train, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/baghdad-to-basra) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Baghdad&to=Basra) - Najaf → Basra Train, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/najaf-to-basra) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Najaf&to=Basra) - Kirkuk → Basra Train, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/kirkuk-to-basra) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Kirkuk&to=Basra) The field note What is in and around Basra, ranked by how widely it is written about, how you reach it, and the nearest places where we have researched how people move. [Read the note on Basra](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/basra) What Basra has - Yes Scheduled flights Basra (BSR), 15 km as the crow flies - No Trains and coaches no timetable feed known for this country - No Ferries no crossing within 25 km - Yes Driving and taxi OpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band - No Bike and scooter share no share feed known - No Cruises no open itinerary source anywhere Yes: you can plan it here today · Not yet: we know a source but do not plan with it yet · No: no source we know of. 30.515°, 47.810° It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border, the city is situated along the banks of the Shatt al-Arab that empties into the Persian Gulf. It is consistently one of the hottest cities on the planet, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 50 °C (122 °F). Get in ## Getting to Basra Basra is close to Kuwait. The Safwan border crossing is a safe exit point into Kuwait from Iraq, but it is highly inadvisable for foreigners to enter Iraq from Kuwait. The Iraqi immigration entry point is watched by insurgents and there is a small chance that they will try to kidnap Western-looking individuals on the road once they have crossed into Iraq. Entry from Iran is also very unsafe and is not advised. 1. Basra International Airport 2. Basra al-Maqal railway station See ## Worth seeing This list also features some sites located in nearby the nearby city of Az Zubayr. 1. Basra Museum Opened in September 2016 in the former Lakeside Palace of Saddam Hussein. 2. Basta Natural History Museum 3. Badr Shakir al-Sayyab statue Basra was the home of one of the Arab world's most celebrated poets, Badr Shakir al-Sayyab (1926-1964). 4. Sinbad Island A tourist landmark, named after Sinbad the Sailor, who embarked on his legendary journeys from Basra. 5. Corniche al-Basra A street which runs on the shore of the Shatt al-Arab, from the Lion of Babylon square to the four palaces. 6. Basra Memorial A Commonwealth War Graves Commission war memorial. Do ## Things to do 1. Basra Sports City A major sports complex that opened in 2013. 2. River cruise There are boats that will take you for a short cruise along the Shatt al-Arab. 3. Basrah Land One of the oldest theme parks in southern Iraq, and the largest, involving a large number of games giants. Eat ## Where to eat Most restaurants are located along the corniche, many with excellent views over the river. 1. Shatt Al Arab Restaurant Large and popular restaurant with traditional Iraqi foods along the river. How locals move ## Getting around Basra the local way - Get in A river ferry is available from nearby Khorramshahr, across the border in Iran, taking just 45 minutes to complete the journey. - Get in The ferry is run by Valfajar Shipping Company and there are multiple sailings each week. From [Wikivoyage: Basra](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Basra), CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-04. Text adapted from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basra) and [Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Basra), CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Satdeep Gill (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons. --- This is the markdown version of https://www.mixroutes.com/places/basra, for search crawlers and AI assistants. The HTML page is the canonical copy. Mixroutes is made by Lascade LLC, Sharjah Media City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Index of every page: https://www.mixroutes.com/llms.txt