All our tours are 100% customisable: dates, duration and services.
Itinerary: for independent travellers and groups:
Berber keska dance from Ghadames festival.
Festival And Private Libyan Music Tours
There are a number of music and cultural festivals held in Libya. The following are the main ones, which have become more popular among tourists in recent years. We can arrange for you to visit and attend one of these festivals, or we can organise a private music tour at any time of the year, to listen to and watch local Tuareg groups play traditional music, overlooking the beautiful sand dunes of Ghadames.
The problem with the festival tours is the dates, which seem to change from year to year, and therefore if you book one of these tours, then please note that your booking is subject to avaialabilty and needs to be confirmed around the last week or two before arrival. We are hoping that the festivals' organisers sort their dates out and eventually settle on fixed dates.
The private tours are available all year round and can be arranged to suit
your time of arrival. Coming with a few friends lowers the individual price.
Private Music Tours
The program for the private music tour is flexible and can be organised depending on the preferred date of arrival. You just tell us when you will be coming and we will arrange and book the necessary bands to play and dance to the tunes of local Libyan music. The tour consists of five days, but can be extended on request if needed.
Upon arrival at Tripoli Airport you will be met by your guide, who will complete the airport formalities for you, and transfer you to your hotel in the city centre. Depending on time of arrival, either a tour of the city's main sites of interest, or an evening meal in a traditional Libyan restaurant.
You will drive to Ghadames, with short stoppages at Qasr Alhaj and Nalut Berber Granaries (or mud castles). Upon arrival in Ghadames, at the edge of the Sahara, you will be taken to your hotel, where you can leave your luggage and take a short break, and then go to the sand dunes for your first session of Tuareg music. You will be listening and watching the Tuareg band known as the "Shaghet Team" for about
4 or 5 hours, until sunset. We will set up traditional tents by the sand dunes, and provides chairs and drinks. Dinner in a traditional restaurant, then return to the hotel for the night.
Morning visit of the Old Town of Ghadames, including the traditional museum (if available on the day), then after lunch you will head for the sand dunes again to watch and listen to the second Tuareg group: The Solaiman Souli Team.
In the morning you will see and visit the nearby sites in Ghadames, before your third session of music with the
Daraj Folklore Team. Return to the hotel after dinner.
Early morning drive to the capital Tripoli for departure and farewell.
Festival
Tours
Nalut Festival Tour
29th of March
Nalut Spring Festival is normally held in late March (29th of March), and lasts for 3 days. The festival was established to revive and promote
the local Berber culture, traditions,
industries and arts as part of Libya's
sacred heritage. Being on the main
route to Ghadames the festival has attracted a number of foreign visitors, in their way to the desert sites of Acacus and Ubari. In fact, many tourists come specifically to
visit this festival, as they do visit the festivals of Ghat and
Ghadames and also the Festival in the Desert:
the Tuareg Festival in Mali.
Day 1- the festival begins with lighting a flame and the opening ceremony concert; followed by shows of traditional costumes, sports, tuareg shows, a parade of local schools and folk groups, before various performers entertain the guests with traditional Libyan music and dance at night.
Day 2- the second day includes shows of traditional industries and handcrafts in the old City.
Day 3- the third day covers shows of traditional foods and dishes in a big troglodyte cave-house.
Ghadames Festival.
The International Ghadames Festival is normally held in mid-October. But the date is not the same every year. In 2006, for example, the Ghadames Festival was held in the month of November, while in 2009 it was organised around the end of October (29th, 30th and 31st of October 2009). It is a colourful event in which people gather to feast, sing and dance. A celebration of local Tuareg culture and music.
Day 1- The festival is expected to start with an opening ceremony on the first day; followed by music concerts at night, including several local Tuareg music groups, as well as Tuareg groups from Tunisia and Algeria.
Day 2- morning shows of local crafts and exhibitions of traditional industries in Ghadames, in the old City, then after lunch the same show in Tonin village;
followed by o music and dance shows at night.
Day 3- more Tuareg music in the morning, and after lunch more shows by the sand dunes, as well as Mehari races and introduction to Tuareg life.
Derj Tourist Festival for Arts and Heritage is normally
held in the month of September, and is organised
by the Ghadames Municipality. But in 2008
the festival was held in the month of December. The
festival feature shows of traditional music, traditional
crafts and exhibits of local culture and heritage.
The following photos show some of these exhibits.
Day 1- The opening , shows, cocerts at night.
Day 2- A fair of foods, hand crafts, books, paintings and traditional dresses in the old City, after the lunch shows of camels (Twareg Maharies), concerts at night.
Day 3-Shows of the local people's life how it was in the past, shows of how they cook, how they made things (hand crafts) live.
How this holiday makes a difference?
We are a Libyan tourism company operating from Libya, we employ local services, and all our camping staff, drivers and desert experts are locals. This means that all operational costs of our tours pour directly into the Libyan economy, and booking your holiday directly with us would make a big difference to all of us in Libya. We provide real experience holidays by arranging for our visitors to meet and mix with the local people, camp and stop anywhere they like, customise their itineraries, attend cultural events and festivals where applicable, and visit local families and try traditional foods. To help preserve and support our local culture and heritage we have provided comprehensive guides and free coverage in our website of local festivals, crafts, industries, rock art galleries, and have created Libya's first online museum of Libyan museums for the world to see and visit, free of charge. Needless to say Libya's archaeological sites are nearly empty most of the time and thus provide a unique and private touring experience.
Itinerary Code: LMT29 Duration: From 4 Days
Small Group Tours
Unlike most tour companies we have no minimum requirement to take part in
our tours. You can come along by yourself, with a friend, or with a group of
friends. Coming with a friend nearly halves the price of your tour.
You can also take part in a group tour if you prefer group tours and if there
are groups matching your specifications (date, destinations, etc.) which you
can join.
If you are just looking for an operator to put
together an itinerary for your private group, then we will be delighted to design
a program to suit your needs.
Accommodation
Itinerary Code: LMT29 Duration: From 4 Days
Hotels are optional. They will be included in the price if requested. Independent travellers can pick and choose their hotels as they go.
Hotels in Libya
If 3-star hotels were requested or included in the price then we normally use the
best ones available, like Al Andalus hotel in Tripoli,? Severus hotel in Leptis
Magna, and Dar Germa in Germa.
If 4-star hotels were requested or included in the price then we must inform you that
these hotels can be found only in Tripoli, Benghazi and one in Ghadames. For
example, we can use Alkendi hotel or the Grand Hotel (Alkabir) in Tripoli, or
Almanara hotel in Apollonia; but we can use any hotel of your choice and calculate
the price accordingly.
We are not affiliated with any of these hotels, and we only recommend
those hotels with good customer feedback. We also do like the traditional
style and Berber designs employed in the construction of some hotels, like
El-Khan and Zumit hotels in Tripoli and the grand Dar Ghadames hotel in Ghadames
for their traditional styles that reflect the local culture as well as for their
high standards and to allow our visitors to experience something different to
the usual hotels.? However, you are always welcome to suggest any other hotel
you like, and where there are no bookings requested or confirmed?in advance we
do allow our? visitors to pick and choose their hotels as they go, after arrival,
but availability during season cannot be guaranteed without booking in advance.
However, if you are not specific about a particular hotel, then there are plenty
of good hotels to choose from.
Camping Sites in Libya
Camping sites wherever to be found are also locally managed and provide basic services.
Where camping sites cannot be found, your guide can either find a suitable and
safe place for you to camp, or take you to the nearest hotel that provides camping
places for a small fee. Some desert camping sites can be very expensive, up to
250 Libyan Dinar per a tent, and therefore these are often not included in our
budget tours. We do however provide our own tents (small and large)
and other camping equipment like mats, mattresses and blankets (all new) for
free camping; but we do not recommend sharing nor do we provide sleeping bags,
unless on request.
Hostels in Libya
If hostels were requested in the program, then the quality of the service
expected is provided as is. We cannot reserve rooms in hostels as there are no
reservation services. Please refer to our guide to hostels in Libya for more information.
Prices & Services
Itinerary Code: LMT29 Duration: From 4 Days
Set Your Own Price
Generally speaking we are committed to providing good tours at reasonable price without compromising on quality. In fact our system allows you the freedom to pay for the quality level you require.
There are various factors that can affect the price. For example, some visitors want 4-star hotels, others want 3-star hotels, while there are those who prefer to use hostels or camp in the open beneath the desert's stars. Some tourists want food included in the price, while others prefer to travel light. The time chosen to visit Libya will also influence the costs, as heavy demand on scarce services tends to push the price up of some services like hotels.
Travel companies that offer fixed price tours tend to mandate the same services on the whole group, regardless of personal preferences. We are dedicated to offering quality services based on personal needs. Once you get in touch with us regarding a particular tour or itinerary, we will contact you to discuss the exact services you require and then set a price for your tour based on those preferences.
This means that it is you who decides the price by choosing to pay only for the services you require.
Basic Services:
Libyan visa on arrival
Airport/border formalities & transfers
Passport registration
Guide & his full costs
Advertised or agreed itinerary
Private air-conditioned transport
Desert transport & expert (where applicable)
Internal flights (where shown in program)
Extra Services:
Accommodation in 3-star and/or 4-star hotels
Accommodation in hostels
Camping fees and fixed camping sites charges
Food (full board or half board. Breakfast is included in all hotel prices)
Museum
&
archaeological sites entrance fees
Museum
&
archaeological guides
Any other request not listed in the above basic required services list
Price does not include any of the following services:
Vehicle charges & taxes
Travel insurance
Photography fees
Personal expenditure & souvenirs
Anything else not specified in the above services list
Payment
Details
Itinerary Code: LMT29 Duration: From 4 Days
Cash: full payment is required in Euro on arrival, with the option to pay in advance if preferred. If you cannot pay in Euro, then the next preferred currency is US Dollar or British Pound. The amount shown in Libyan Dinars (if any) is the amount to pay on arrival, converted to Euro currency according to the rates of exchange current at the time of paying.
ATM's: if for any reason you cannot bring cash with you, then you can use your credit card to withdraw cash from ATM's, which are found only in the major cities, airports, like Tripoli and Benghazi, and a few other towns.
Bank Transfer: if you prefer to pay in advance,
then we can arrange for you to pay via bank transfer, where you can pay from
your bank account directly into our bank account in Libya.
Travellers cheques are becoming part of the past in Libya
and can be very hard to find a bank that accepts them. However, when you do find
a bank that accepts them, then you need to provide a document showing your name(s)
and the list of the cheques' serial numbers, normally obtained from the bank
that issued the cheques. If you are bringing any travellers cheques with you,
please make sure you obtain this document from your bank.
Deposit Payment:
The amount to pay differs from one case to another. You will be notified via email during negotiations of how much deposit you need to pay, if any. Usually there is no deposit to pay.
No deposit or advance payment is required from independent and private travellers as long as there are no hotel bookings required. Hotels in Libya will not confirm bookings without payment. Hostels in Libya do not accept bookings.
For groups arriving together as part of one group organised by another tour operator or a travel agent, then there will be no deposit to pay. Full payment must be made on arrival by the tour leader. If hotel bookings are required, then a deposit to cover the hotel reservation may be necessary, depending on the category of hotels chosen.
No deposit is required from individuals booking a place in one of our group tours if booking is made three months or more before arrival; but if booking is made within three months of travel, then we require a deposit payment to guarantee the tour for the other members of the group.
