By air. Al-Najaf International Airport, ten kilometres east of the centre, handles flights from Iran, Turkey, the Gulf states, and increasingly from Europe via Istanbul. It is the main gateway for Shia pilgrims and has become busier each year. A taxi into town costs a few thousand dinars.
By road. Najaf sits on the main north-south highway between Baghdad (160 km north) and Basra. Shared taxis and buses run constantly from Baghdad's Nahdha garage; the trip takes two to three hours when the road is open. Karbala is 80 km north — a quick taxi ride away, and the most common day trip.
By train. A passenger line connects Baghdad with Basra via Najaf, but services are infrequent and often suspended. Confirm before counting on it.