After decades of isolation Libya is opening up to reveal an unspoilt destination of wonderful diversity. This 8 day tour has been tailored to give you a sample of the many different cultures and landscapes of Libya. Travelling southwards from the coast, through the mountains to the great Saharan desert, you will see how modern Libya has been shaped by the cultures of ancient North African, Saharan and Arab peoples.. The trip will commence in the capital, Tripoli, with its ancient medina and bustling market life. From there it is a short journey to visit the splendours of the ancient Roman and Greek cities of Sabratha and Leptis Magna situated on the coast overlooking the Mediterranean. You will then travel through the Jebel Nefusa mountain range, rich in Berber culture and on towards the desert-bound city of Ghadames. You will visit ruined castles, ancient granaries troglodyte dwellings and stand in awe of the magnificent sand dunes of the Sahara. This is an adventurous active week and you will be accompanied throughout by an experienced English speaking local Libyan guide as well as on site guides.
Day 1 Arrival in Tripoli
Depart the UK on a non-stop three and a half hour flight to Tripoli where you will meet your local guide. A meal in one of Tripoli’s lively restaurants will mark the start of the journey.
Overnight 3/4 * Hotel in Tripoli
Day 2 Ruins of Sabratha and Qasr al Haj
Your first morning in Libya will be spent at the site of Sabratha, which is tucked into the coastline about an hour’s drive to the West of Tripoli. Together with Leptis Magna, Sabratha is said to be one of the most well preserved and extravagantly appointed ancient Roman sites in the world today, and boasts one of the finest theatres of antiquity. After lunch in a local restaurant you will start the drive southwest into the Jebel Nefusa mountain range to visit Qasr al Haj: an extraordinary circular and enclosed fortified granary. Although Qasr means castle in Arabic these structures weren’t used as forms of defence but as protection for the local crops. In the early evening wind your way up an escarpment to a sprawling Berber village called Yefrin for the night.
Overnight 3* Yefrin Hotel
Day 3 Berber culture in the Jebel Nefusa
You will depart in the early morning and travel through the Jebel Nefusa, a landscape of barren mountains and rocky escarpments, home to Libya’s Berber community (also known as the Imazighen). The first stop will be Tormeisa – an abandoned stone village situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sahel al Jefara plain. There are many tunnels, oil presses passageways and rooms to explore as well as a mosque. You will then drive on to Kabaw; a charming Berber community that nestles on a hillside with a wonderful granary marking the focal point of the village. Lunch will be taken nearby and the journey continues south in the afternoon where the mountainous terrain starts to give way to the epic harshness of the Sahara that stretches from Northern Libya to the heart of the African continent. Arrive in Ghadames in the early evening and transfer to the hotel for two nights.
Overnight 4* Dar Ghadames Hotel
Day 4 Ghadames the jewel of the Sahara
Ghadames is one of the most extensive ancient caravan trading towns anywhere in the Sahara and a highlight of the tour. You will be taken on a guided tour of the now deserted old town on the first morning of your stay, wandering through labyrinthine alleyways, tropical gardens and old squares. In Ghadames women led a life of concealment; their domain was the house, which they decorated intricately with red paint and they did not come down to street level except at prayer time. Only a network of interconnecting roofs allowed them to move about freely from house to house. A traditional lunch will be cooked in one of the old houses. Relax or browse the shops in the afternoon and early evening, drive into the desert to visit the ruined remains of Ras al Ghoul surrounded by sand dunes and overlooked by the dunes of Tunisia and Algeria.
Overnight 4* Dar Ghadames Hotel
Day 5 Nalut
You will return to Tripoli along a different route through the Jebel Nefusa stopping at Nalut. Nalut is the biggest Berber community and houses an exceptional Berber granary that teeters on the edge of a mountain with fantastic views overlooking the plains beneath. The Qasr is the focal point of the village and the houses, oil press, and mosque only fell empty in c.1960 when new Nalut was constructed around it. The local community have worked hard to keep the local traditions alive with craftsmanship and many of the rooms open showing the pottery storage containers that kept barley, dates and oil. The journey is long and you will arrive in Tripoli in the early evening in time for dinner in a local restaurant or your hotel.
Overnight 3/4 * Hotel in Tripoli
Day 6 | Magnificent Leptis Magna
The entire day will be spent at Leptis Magna, an hour’s drive from Tripoli. The site is extensive and, after a guided tour, there will be time to absorb it at your own pace. Benefiting from the patronage of the founder of the African dynasty of Roman emperors, Emperor Septimus Severus (b. 146), Leptis Magna was a city of extraordinary imperial extravagance – and is still a place of immense splendour. The sands that swept over the site in early modern times prevented pillaging and preserved its glories. The day will also include a visit to the spectacular amphitheatre – a great picnic spot. Drive on to a hotel not far from the site for dinner and overnight.
Overnight 4* Severus Hotel near Leptis Magna
Day 7 Re-visit Leptis Magna
Revisit Leptis Magna in the morning. Then drive a short distance to view the exquisite mosaics at Villa Sileen (if open – currently under restoration). Transfer back to Tripoli stopping if you like, at one of the many honey, olive oil and rosewater stalls along the way. If there is time, take a stroll of the old medina exploring the mosques, souks and attractive narrow streets, stopping for mint tea in Green Square, the central gathering place for Tripolitaneans and the entrance to the market. Your farewell dinner will be taken at a good Tripoli restaurant.
Overnight 3/4 * Hotel in Tripoli
Day 8 Tripoli museum and departure
In the morning you will have the chance to visit Tripoli’s ‘must-see’ museum. It houses an extensive collection of artefacts from all periods of Libya’s rich history, including one of the world’s most renowned classical art collections. The many galleries contain mosaics, statues and other works of art from each of the sites visited during the week as well as a gallery devoted to the life of Colonel Muammar Qaddaffi. Lunch (depending on time of flight) before transferring to the airport for the flight home.
Please note there are opportunities to add on extension tours to visit the sites of Cyrenaica on the East Coast or journey south for desert adventure in the Sahara and Acacus mountains. Please note itinerary is subject to change
