Babylon | Informal Campsite

April 21st, 2024 by zuzu.belkova

we asked the guy at the enterance who has been working here over 30 years if we can stay over night. he said it is not possible any longer because managment changed. so we went to Karbala. otherwise a really sweet and friendly guy - offers you water, you can charge devices there and there is also a shower I bet he would let you use it

February 27th, 2024 by Claerenore

We were allowed to stay overnight next to the Ishtar Gate, together with 3 other overlanders. You need to buy a ticket ( 25000 IQD or 20 $ pp). Then ask the security people at Ishkar Gate (not the ones at the entry gate). They were very friendly and well aware that we need secured parking. Night was quite beside dome dogs.

February 27th, 2024 by Bash_offtheroad

Nice guy at tourist ticket selling office. He lives here for his whole live. He will find you, speaks well english.
He asked us to sleep here without us asking.
Better to arrive not to late as he needs permission from the manager. After sunset you need to move on a place to sleep at the area he tells you, for us it was in sight of the police officers. You can also use the toilet and „kitchen“. We had a guite night.

February 22nd, 2024 by Zonda

We passed the entrance gate around noon - security asked if we would like to sleep in our car and invited us to stay. We had to move the car close to Ishtar Gate for the night and back to the parking in the morning.

January 3rd, 2024 by seenbyceline.com

We were not allowed to enter the site (and camp there) around 6.30pm. Security said the manager was not there. The next morning at the start of our visit we met Mekki (?), working on the site for 30yrs already, and he said we could camp at the big parking lot just next to the entrance (without us asking). We moved on to Najaf same day so didn't use the offer. Conclusion: I would guess visiting and afterwards camping is not a problem if you find the right man, but the other way around is more complicated if you arrive after dark.

August 4th, 2023 by instagram.com/monterontour

We were allowed to stay here for one night with our car. Met another overlander here they also were allowed to stay here without any problems. Indeed the security offered us to sleep here, we didn't need to ask at all from our side.

February 5th, 2023 by ourtraveldiscoveries

Don’t count on sleeping here at night - new security team does not allow it anymore. You might get lucky and they accept, but they say the risk is too high for them now and they will suggest to stay at a hotel in the nearby town or drive to Baghdad.

January 20th, 2023 by instagram.com/theroadtrotter

I was allowed to park here for the night too. But had to change the place to the parking left of the Ishtar gate when the security nightshirt arrived.
In the morning at 7am I wanted to leave but the security told me that I have to wait for an escort. I thought they mean for getting out of the area (when arriving you have to wait for the boss coming and bringing you too the parking lot). But in the end I waited more then 1 hour untill a real escort arrived. They escorted me untill 50km north of Bagdad. After that I was released. Take this into your plannings. If you get an escort there might be some waiting time even if you are ready to leave.

January 19th, 2023 by wind-tolke1

police said no possible to sleep. We went at 10min at Euphate river spot.

January 5th, 2023 by paolo.votino

Unfortunately the person in charge of taking foreigners past the entrance checkpoint is not willing to let foreigners camp unless they have a car. So travellers on bicycle, motorbike or on foot won't be allowed.
He was rather inflexible on this. I had to camp about a mile away from the site

November 7th, 2022 by LenetJerry

Large parking lot opposite the Ichtar gate. Secure parking with cameras and the security of the Babylon site. After passing the checkpoint, a security man takes you here and take care of getting entry tickets. Toilets available. Calm environment in the middle of palm trees.