Libya Travel and Tours

Overlanders drive Tunisia-Libya-Egypt

Jill — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:37:34 +0000

We recently had the privilege of helping a group of overlanders (who are headed from Holland to South Africa) plan their trip from the border of Tunisia to the border of Egypt. Although the driving days were quite long, they made the trip in 3 Nights/4 Days, stopping to spend the nights in Misrata, Benghazi, and Tobruk. They said it was a fantastic trip and they wish they would have spent more time in Libya because the people they encountered were so friendly! If you’d like to read a great write-up that they posted, check out their website at: http://www.africaexpedition.nl/en/2012/05/post-war-syndrome-hospitable-libya/

We really enjoyed driving through!

Jill — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:27:50 +0000

All went very well and we really enjoyed driving through Libya. We have travelled quite a lot but hardly ever met people that nice. Every single person we met was so kind and helpful to us.

Thanks for all your efforts in making this part of our trip possible, we consider you as a very reliable partner that really helped us out in a lot of things.

Again thanks for all!!!!!

Merel and Joris

Libya’s Beauty – Ras El Hilal

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:49:56 +0000

As we drove along the coast of eastern Libya, we stopped at one of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen here. The area is called Ras El Hilal, which is located just past Apollonia. The coastline is called Ras El “Hilal” after the Arabic word for crescent moon. The beautiful coast is worth a visit.

As we stopped to see an ancient Bezantine church, we were in for a surprise. As we walked to the edge of the cliff, we enjoyed the amazing turquoise water and unique rock formation. I tried to capture the setting on my camera, but pictures never really do it justice. You must visit this place to enjoy the beauty.

For those who love church history, the 2 churches are worth a visit. Each of them is partially standing with crosses and marble tiles. Your guide will be able to give you the history of these churches.

For those of you who love photography, you may want to hit Ras El Hilal right around sunset to catch the vivid colors. You can return to the city of Apollonia for the night in the Menara Hotel.

If you are planning a tour to Libya, remember to ask for a visit to this beautiful area of Libya.

Travel to Tobruk – WWII History

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:18:17 +0000

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Tobruk for the first time. Tobruk, Libya is probably most well-known for the battles in World War II. For those who are interested in this type of history, Tobruk and its surrounding areas offer some very interesting sites.

War Cemeteries
Tobruk offers 4 different war cemeteries including the Commonwealth, English, French and German. All of these sites are wonderfully kept! The local caretakers have spent years watching over these sacred sites. The beautiful flowers, amazing gravestones, and mosaic names are some of the highlights from my trip.

Rommel’s Museum
Although the actual Rommel room was locked, we enjoyed s visit to the small museum which contains remnants from the Lady Be Good airplane that crashed in the sahara, some old weapons, and tiny tank. Because of the recent revolution, some of the museums are still under lock and key.

John Brill’s Masterpiece
About an hours drive from Tobruk is a wonderful site overlooking the Mediterranean sea. This building hosts the artwork of John Brill who was supposedly a prisoner during the war. During his time locked away, Brill drew an amazing mural of the life he was missing.

Tobruk, Libya has many other sites to see including the battlefields, bunkers, and Fig tree hospital. If you enjoy WWII history, Tobruk is the place that you must see.

Successful Libya Tourist Visa

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:21:07 +0000

Tourism Visas for Libya are now officially open! Yesterday we had our first visitors to Libya, since the revoultion, come on tourism visas issued through the ministry or tourism in Tripoli. We were pleased with the process and how simply everything went.

Libya Tourist Visa Process
Our visitors provided our tour company a scanned copy of their passports. We then applied directly to the ministry of tourism for their tourist visas. After a few days, we were given a copy of the granted visa letter which was emailed to the visitors. The travelers were asked to show this letter when checking in and also at the passport control. In the Tripoli Airport, they went to the right hand line and gave their passports and letter to the immigration authorities. The visas were stamped in their passport in 10 minutes…

Do you need a tourist visa to Libya?
We are glad to announce that we can officially help travelers come to the northern portions of Libya on a tourist visa. Because of the strict laws, in order to provide tourist visas, we must also arrange your hotels and transportation. We are still unsure if a guide will be required for all tourist groups.

Contact us today for your travel to Libya.

Libya Business Visa Process – The Hague

Jill — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:41:59 +0000

We were recently made aware of the process needed to obtain a Libyan visa in The Hague, Netherlands, and wanted to make that information available to others. Once your letter of invitation from a host company in Libya is obtained, and your visa number is processed in Tripoli and faxed to The Hague, the following are required: 2 photos, a copy of your passport, and a copy of your ticket (or a letter stating that you are going overland). The stamps cost €60 each, and they’re only open on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 until 1 o’clock. They require one week to process things.

Libya Tourist Visas Reopens

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:29:44 +0000

Yesterday, the ministry of tourism announced in a meeting that they were reopening the tourist visas to Libya. These new Libya tourist visas will be issued only to those people looking to travel along the north coast of Libya. At this point in time, the Sahara Desert will be off limits to Libya tourists.

Libya Tourist Visa – The Procedure
It appears that the old system is returning to place! In order to get a tourist visa, you will be required to be hosted by a local Libyan travel company. Your travel company will need a scanned copy of your passport and dates of travel to present to the immigration department in the tourism ministry. Your host company will also provide them with your itinerary and hotel information which will prove that you are visiting Libya for tourism purposes. The visas are normally granted a few days before arrival in country and can be picked up upon arrival in Tripoli.

Libya Tours
In the past, tourists have been required to have a tourism guide and police escort them during their stay in Libya. At this point, we have not heard if this will remain the same or change, but we can assume they are going back to the old way of doing business. Libya Travel & Tours offers excellent services for guides, tours, and hotels for those looking to travel to Libya.

Need a Libya Tourist Visa?
Please contact us today for your Libya Tour and we will help you get your tourism visa from on the ground in Libya.

Are tourist visas to Libya available yet?

Jill — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:46:56 +0000

Yes!…Tourist visas are back in Libya as of the end of April 2012! Some restrictions do apply though…These new Libya tourist visas will be issued only to those people looking to travel along the north coast of Libya. At this point in time, the Sahara Desert will be off limits to Libya tourists and there may still be a few nationalities for whom we cannot obtain visas. To read more about the procedure for tourist visas, click here.

We do also continue to have a service provider that we have been using that has been able to obtain business visas for those coming to do business in Libya. We realize that the pricing is rather HIGH for business visas, but unfortunately that is the way it is. The special price that we have to offer for the 6 month multiple entry visa is US$585 per person…this covers the cost of finding a business to host you to write the visa letter of invitation, which is then taken to the immigration office to obtain an electronic visa number, and is then faxed to the Libyan Embassy of your choice closest to you. You should also realize that there is then the additional cost of having the visa placed in your passport at the Embassy.

Can I get a visa at the airport in Tripoli?

Jill — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:38:29 +0000

Getting a business visa at the airport in Tripoli requires the same process as getting the visas through a Libyan Embassy…you MUST first apply for the stamped and approved letter of invitation through the immigration office in Tripoli using a service provider. Not all service providers are able to have the visa number sent to the airport…in some ways, this is an exception…so be sure to ask ahead of time if this is possible If your visa comes through to be obtained at the airport, you will be sent an electronic copy of the visa letter that you MUST print and carry with you on the plane. Upon arrival in Tripoli, there is an office with glass windows off to the right in the passport control area…you will need to take your passport and the letter there, and they will hand-write the visa to be placed in your passport. The cost for this part of the process in the airport is 100.50 LYD for the one month single entry visa. If needed, they will hold your passport and allow you to go downstairs to the arrival area to exchange money to make this payment.

What costs are there for a business visa?

Jill — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:27:31 +0000

There are TWO main costs involved in obtaining a business visa for Libya. The first one is the cost for the visa service provider from within Libya, which is what our tour company helps with. This covers the cost of having the service provider find a local business to “host” you for your letter of invitation to Libya, taking your passport to the immigration office in Tripoli, applying for the electronic visa number, and having that number faxed to the Libyan Embassy of your choice. The second cost that you will have to cover SEPARATELY is that of actually getting the visa itself stamped in your passport at the Libyan Embassy of your choice. Depending on the length of the visa (one month single entry vs. 6 month multiple entry), the cost can vary between US$80-US$250.