Step-by-step guides
How to plan a safe day hike in the Hawraman valley
Hawraman's terraced villages sit on steep, remote slopes near the Iranian border. Plan the season, the route, the water and the emergency numbers before you set out.
- 01
Choose the season: April to June and September to October give green slopes and mild days; avoid mid-winter, when snow closes the passes above Tawela.
- 02
Start from Sulaymaniyah or Halabja early; the road to Tawela takes about two hours and the last stretch needs a car with good clearance.
- 03
Tell someone your route and return time, and save the emergency numbers: police 104, ambulance 122, Sulaymaniyah Tourist Police +964 53 320 1100.
- 04
Carry at least two litres of water per person, sun protection and a warm layer — the valley is hot at noon and cold as soon as the sun drops behind the ridge.
- 05
Stay on the marked village paths and away from the border fence; carry your passport for checkpoints and do not photograph military posts.
- 06
Finish with tea in a village guesthouse and be back on the main road before dark; mountain roads are unlit and fog forms quickly in autumn.
Emergency
Emergency numbers in Kurdistan
Police, ambulance, fire, hospitals and helplines for every governorate.