Imam Jafar as-Sadegh (as) said: 'When the rays of the sun fall on the visitor of Imam Husayn's (a.s.) shrines, it consumes his sins like the fire consumes wooden sticks. The sun does not leave any sin on his body and he returns home sinless. In fact on his return he is granted a status that is not even given to those who shed their blood in Allah's path.' (Behaarul Anwar, vol. 101, pg. 15, tradition 14; Kamiluz Ziaraat, pg. 298)

Walking guide

Take an Exit from Imam Ali (A.S) Haram from Bab-e-Tousi (Opposite to Bab-e-Qibla) and start walking straight on Shahra-e-Tousi - After about 500 meters, Wadi-us-Salam Cemetry will start - Keep walking straight and you will eventually get to the Highway (on the right), turn left, where hundreds of thousands of people will be walking towards Karbala - Join them and you will reach the Haram of Hazrat Abbas (A.S) after about 70 Km at Pole # 1452.

Landmarks (Poles) - Pole Numbers are mentioned along the road from Najaf to Karbala on every Pole.

Recommended Stops/Milestones:

Keep on walking until the poles start - Preferably don't stop before the poles' starts.

Try to spend the 1st Night in any Moukkab somewhere between Pole # 350 to 500. Only walk as much as your body allows you, don't overstretch yourself! Every body is different from the other!

Try to spend the 2nd Night in any Moukkab somewhere between Pole # 900 to 1100.

You should take stops after every 100/200 or so poles to re-group with family/friends and take a rest of 10-15 minutes to allow your muscles to ease up.

Walking Notes:

Start walking after Salat'ul-Layl (Namaz-e-Shab) i.e approximately an hour or two before Fajr prayers, as that will be the BEST time to cover the distance with the fastest possible speed, as you would be fresh, your muscles have eased up overnight, as well as the walking track won't have too much people walking on it and you can adjust your walking speed as per your liking - it will also feel good to walk with a slight cold just before Dawn.

Don't over-stretch yourself during the walk. Take a rest, when required.

Stop walking about 40-50 minutes before Maghrib and try to find a comfortable place to stay for yourself and the people accompanying you. Quite a few camps got full by Maghrib - So, ensure you stop before Maghrib and have already found a reasonable place to spend the night - There are thousands of Moukkabs throughout the route, so you don't have to worry much.

Belongings' Notes:

Try not to get too much weight with you. Don't take anything to eat or drink, there is already too much on the way.

Take any regular medicines that would be required during the 2-3 days' walk.

Prefer a lightweight backpack instead of a shopping bag to carry stuff during your journey.

Seasonal: Proper clothes to avoid the cold - Socks, Hand Gloves, Cap, Ear-cover, Jacket & preferably a shawl. Please check out the expected temperature this Arba'een soon. The weather is expected to be reasonably warm, this Arba'een - unlike last years! Do check the weather forecast before packing up your bags to avoid carrying unnecessary apparel's weight.

Any suitable cream for rashes. Important Update: Corn flour is ideal for immediate relief in rashes. Just spread it generously at the place of burning. It can be applied in advance to prevent rashes as well. Can be used at any place, as long as it isn't an open wound - pretty safe!!

You can get a small pocket Quran/Duas/Ziyarat or put them in your mobile (if possible) to pass your time while walking.

Don't wear new shoes - Try to wear something comfortable, that you can walk with. Click here (Link: http://www.najaftokarbala.info/2med.jpg) to read more about Preventing Blisters.

Passport, Mobile Charger (if you are carrying a mobile).

Important Notes:

You don't have to worry much about doing it completely. If you ever think, that you cannot continue at any point, you can take a van to reach Karbala, there are hundreds everywhere. An average male/female above the age of 10 years is 99.99% likely to complete it on the 3rd day without any issues. You should at least give it a try - it is definitely worth it!!

Make sure you know the name of the Hotel; you are intended to stay in Karbala.

If you want to make a phone call, make it before Fajr to get your calls through, as they normally don't go through rest of the day due to high network traffic (Update: The situation has improved in the last few years or so and the calls do get connected after few tries). You can use AsiaCell's GPRS to communicate during the walk as well but it isn't too reliable. Also, there are some wifi links and hotspots, after every 100 or so poles but those aren't too reliable either and only works randomly sometimes.

Note: There are literally thousands of Moukkab (Camps/Buildings) and you can stay anywhere, you want - this detail is just handy, if you are travelling with family/friends to set a re-grouping point.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Don't take too much apparels for cold, as the weather in Iraq isn't as cold as in the past years. Most people prefer to rest between 10am to 2pm, as the temperature raises in the afternoon and walk few hours after Maghreb at night. You can adjust accordingly and as per your convenience in coming years.

SOURCE: http://www.najaftokarbala.info/