Welcome to the

Zagros Mountain Trail Hiking Hub

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  • Great! Please read the Introductory information in the ZMT Hiking Hub first! (scroll down.) Next:

    For Safety and Logistics: Click Here

    For Stage Information: Click Here

    For Service Providers: Click Here

The ZMT has a vision to make the Kurdistan Region one of the most desirable adventure tourism destinations in the Middle East, and for the trail itself to offer a world-class experience. For now, it is a work in progress. We don’t have any staff, and updates to this website are made by volunteers. We ask that you read the following information very carefully and take all the advice into consideration before you begin your journey.

Our team has defined a continuous route of around 215km, which is broken down into 13 suggested stages. Some stages are well-defined, and others are suggested corridors. It is critical that visitors understand that some of the trail is not fully delineated, and none of it is yet waymarked. Most parts of the KRI require access permits for travel in the mountains, to allow passage through a series of checkpoints, and there are areas of the trail that pass in proximity to minefields. It is important that you contact local service providers before you go to the trail, as they can arrange access and guide you through the experience. It is also part of our vision to create connections and offer economic opportunity to our guides and hosts along the trail. At this early stage of the project, we ask that you walk with a tour operator or local guide, rather than independently.

 The maps and data included with each stage are for reference. They show the route that we suggest at this point in time, and are downloadable. But be aware that conditions and access realities may change, and may not be reflected on information on this website. Local contacts are best placed to offer updates on any changes. Make sure to thoroughly read the safety and logistics page. 

This isn’t meant to seem scary! We have worked for years to ensure your safety, and that of everyone involved in the project. But there are challenges that you may not have experienced elsewhere. They are all part of the story of the Kurdistan Region, and by visiting you are helping to ensure a brighter, safer and more prosperous future for those living along the trail. Please follow all the guidance here closely, and thank you for joining us. Welcome to the ZMT!

“We’re so proud to share our mountains, and I’m so proud every time I walk on the trail.”

Miran Dizayee
Co-Founder Zagros Mountain Trail

The ZMT connects existing trails together to create a continuous route. These are often shepherds’ paths or old Peshmerga routes. Many are hundreds of years old, and others are more seasonal routes for moving animals. In some areas, the old trails have faded away, and there are sections where there is no clear path between the more well-used trails. In these areas the data tracks should be viewed as recommended corridors, and the best exact trail may be within a few hundred meters. Eventually, when there is enough foot traffic, and we have volunteer crews working to clear brush and rocks, these will become clearer. For now, it may be a case of finding the best route within the corridor. A local guide is the best way to help navigate this.

For each stage, we have indicated the ‘readiness’ - low, medium, or high - to show which parts are clearly delineated, and which are at an earlier part of the process. Some areas are not currently accessible (specifically the first half of Stage 3: Hashtga to Peres Mountain.) We have also indicated the difficulty - Easy, Medium, Hard - and listed the services and service providers available. The map data for each stage is downloadable in various formats - for ease, GPX and KML files are downloadable via a button, but for other formats, you can select ‘view full version’ on each map, and from there select the three vertical dots alongside send to device to view the options. These will be useable in any GPS navigational app. We recommend ‘Gaia GPS.’ You can also use ‘Ride with GPS’ which although it may sound like it is just for cycling, is equally effective for hiking! The data is hosted via ‘Ride with GPS’ and is simple to view directly in the app by selecting ‘send to device’ on your smartphone. On each stage page, there is a general written outline of the route too, with notes on points of interest and difficulties.

 Part of the process of creating the ZMT has been building a network of service providers in the local communities along the trail. There are a number of local guides, homestay hosts, and other providers along the route who have supported and facilitated the trail since its inception. The ZMT is kept alive by their work and enthusiasm, and the connection between them and the visitors is one of the most exciting parts of the project. We ask that visitors to the trail contact the tour operators or local guides to arrange their trips, to support the local communities and ensure your own safe and successful visit.

Eventually all of the guides, hosts and tour operators will undergo training to match internationally expected standards. At this point, the guides, hosts and other providers have not been trained as part of the ZMT project. Local guides speak Kurdish, and most do not speak English, or Arabic; some will have had more experience guiding groups or meeting foreigners than others. Some homestays have had a dozen or more groups, and others much fewer. You will be part of the early stages of the experience for almost everybody. What you can expect is kindness and hospitality, and deep local knowledge. All of our guides, hosts and operators have opted into this project and are excited by it, and understand that it is their responsibility to update you on any safety, security or logistical changes in their area, as well as host and lead you along the trail.

 The ZMT aspires to provide a world-class trail experience. We are registered as an NGO in the KRI, and aim to build an organization that will sustain the project in the long term. The ZMT wants to bring more resources to the KRI to support communities along the trail and the wider region, and in particular, its focus is on creating economic opportunity in rural areas. The project wants to create a safe space for locals and foreigners to walk and learn together, and to enjoy and celebrate the natural beauty, history and diversity of this region. That process will happen over the coming years.

In the meantime, if you choose to walk part of the path, you are helping it to become a reality.

Thank you from the Zagros Mountain Trail team!