Getting Around Erbil: An Overview
Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is a sprawling city where the automobile is the dominant way of getting around. Public transport exists in the form of taxis and some bus routes, but compared with other cities in the Middle East, shared taxis and buses are infrequent and can be impractical for a visitor. If you don't know your way around or don't have a guide with local knowledge, it is inadvisable to try public transportation alone. For most tourists, the realistic choices are street taxis, ride-hailing apps, and the branded airport taxi service, supplemented by walking in the compact central areas.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Erbil has no rail, metro or tram network. There is no urban train service to plan around, and no metro or tram lines to connect the city's districts. Ground transport in Erbil is entirely road-based, so visitors should plan their movements around taxis, buses and walking rather than any fixed-rail system.
Buses and Public Transport
Public transportation is available in the form of taxis and some bus routes, but it is limited. Shared taxis and buses are very infrequent and impractical compared with other Middle Eastern cities, and using them confidently generally requires local knowledge or a guide. For a visitor, buses are best treated as a fallback rather than a primary way to explore the city.
Where buses and shared taxis do matter is for longer journeys out of Erbil. The city has dedicated garages where you can pick up shared rides to other destinations:
- Soran Garage – on Peshawa Qazi Street, just behind the Erbil International General Terminal. This is where you find shared taxis heading to eastern destinations in Iraq, such as Soran, Ranya or Rawandoz. Ask someone for your destination and you'll be directed to the right "platform". Expect to wait until the taxi is full before the ride starts.
- Baghdad Garage – on Qasimlo Street. This garage serves cities to the south of Erbil, such as Dukan, Kirkuk, Baghdad and Sulemania, and has both minibuses and shared taxis.
For intercity travel further afield, international buses generally arrive and depart from the Erbil International General Terminal on Peshawa Qazi Street, about 500 metres south of Family Mall. This modern terminal houses ticket offices for many large Turkish bus companies, including Can Diyarbakir, Özel Diyarbakir, Yeni Diyarbakir, Cizre Nuh, Cizre Itimat, Metro and Van. Several buses leave daily for Turkish cities such as Diyarbakir and Istanbul. Iranian bus companies also run services connecting Iran to Erbil, with cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Kurdistan and Ahwaz served; VIP buses travel from Tehran to Erbil daily. If you arrive by bus from Iran, you stop at Piranshahr on the Iran–Iraq border to show your passport. You can find ticket offices for most of these companies at the Erbil International Terminal.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are the most practical way for a visitor to move around Erbil, and there are several distinct options:
- Street taxis – generic independent taxis that will take you most places in Erbil and Ankawa. Rates are negotiable, and for a drive across town (roughly 15–25 minutes) you should expect to pay in the region of 4,000–6,000 dinars. It is acceptable to pay at the end of a ride without negotiating the price beforehand.
- Careem – the ride-hailing app often described as the Uber of Erbil. Many people use it to get around the city, and it is fairly cheap, with costs varying by the distance of your destination.
- Hello Taxi – Erbil's branded taxi company, with English-speaking drivers, but at highly inflated rates. US dollars are accepted. From the airport to Erbil centre the rate is US$15, and to Ankawa US$10.
- Airport Taxi – a taxi service based at Erbil Airport.
If you prefer to drive yourself, car rental is available; Europcar operates from Italian Village, Villa 137, and most of their rental cars have automatic transmissions.
Walking
Erbil is a large, car-oriented city, so walking works best for exploring specific areas rather than crossing town. The historic heart of the city, centred on the ancient Citadel of Erbil and the Mudhafaria Minaret, is the most rewarding place to wander on foot, and the Citadel was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2014. Beyond the central districts, the distances and traffic make walking impractical for most journeys, and you'll want a taxi or ride-hailing app to cover longer hops.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Erbil International Airport (EBL) serves Northern Iraq with a growing number of international airlines. For reaching the city from the airport, the most straightforward options are taxis:
- Airport Taxi – a dedicated taxi service operating at Erbil Airport.
- Hello Taxi – Erbil's branded taxi company, with English-speaking drivers. From the airport to Erbil centre the rate is US$15, and to Ankawa US$10. US dollars are accepted.
Ride-hailing via Careem is another option once you have a working app and connection, and street taxis are available as well, with negotiable rates. Whichever you choose, the airport sits outside the central districts, so plan on a taxi or app-based ride rather than public transport to complete the journey into town.