All our tours are 100% customisable: dates, duration and services.
Itinerary: for independent travellers and groups:
PH29 (11 Days)
This itinerary can be modified to suit individual needs.
This is a special itinerary
designed primarily for painters and artists who would like to paint some of
Libya's best natural and archaeological
wonders, including the Unesco-listed sites of the Sahara. The
archaeological coastal sites provide the best examples of Roman architecture
and art to be found outside Italy; the number and variety of statues, columns
and buildings to paint is endless. Uniquely
important are the ancient Berber granaries and castles of Nafousa Mountain, as
those of Yefren, Kabaw and Nalut, and the prehistoric troglodyte caves of Gharyan,
which surpass those of Tunisia, where
some of Star Wars' scenes were taken, in both number and quality. Heading down
towards the edge of the great Sahara, one is welcomed by the ancient roofed city
of Ghadames, the home of a unique style
Venturing farther south,
you will enter the Sahara desert for a life-time adventure and
experience, where you will be welcomed by the ancient ruins of
Germa, the capital of the legendary Garamantian Kingdom. Using
Tkerkiba as a campsite base, you will be undertaking daily trips
to the great lakes of the Ubari Sand Sea for a breathtaking scenery, and
to the prehistoric valleys of Metkhandoush, the home of thousands of prehistoric rock engravings,
some of which have never been published before.
This itinerary is customisable and you are always welcome to suggest new sites or routes you would like to follow.
Day 1
Tripoli: upon
arrival in Tripoli you will be met by your guide who will complete
the entry formalities for
you, and escort you to your
hotel. Depending on time of arrival,
you will visit some of the archaeological sites, an afternoon walk in the city
centre or along the shores of Tripoli, before returning to the hotel for the
night.
Day 2
Tripoli - Qasr Al-Haj
- Kabaw: exploring
Tripoli, including visits to the Assaraya Alhamra
Museum for
a quick virtual tour of Libya's
history, from prehistoric
times to the
present; a walk around the Old
Medina (the Old City) to explore
its network of narrow, roofed-streets,
arches and covered souks; and
a visit to the Arch of Marcus Aurelius.
Then head for Nafousa Mountain
to see
the classic Berber fortified
granary in Kabaw, stopping at
the Berber castle of Qasr
al-Haj.
Day 3
Ghadames: on
the morning you will visit nearby Nalut, see the Old Town and the Berber granary,
then begin your desert journey towards Ghadames. A short break at the hotel,
followed by a walk through the roofed Old City, stopping at any place you feel
Day
4
Ghadames: free day to paint: your guide
will taken you anywhere you decide you would like to paint. He can arrange for
you to visit a traditiobnal house inside the old city for painting. Or he
can take you to the Sand Dunes or other local sites. Return to the hotel.
Day
Ghadames - Sabha - Tkerkiba: today you will drive to Tkerkiba
via Sabha, transfer to the campsite.
Days
6, 7, 8,9
Tkerkiba - Ubari
Lakes - Germa - Metkhandoush - Messaks - Sabha: on the morning, you
will head for the magnificent sand dunes of the Ubari Sand Sea, to explore a
series of wonderful lakes dotted across the desert. Return to Tkerkiba for the
fixed camp, or choose to free camp near the lakes. Leaving Tkerkiba in
desert cars (4WD), you will start
your tour of Fezzan by exploring
the famous valley of Wadi
Metkhandouch, to see and
photograph some of the vast number of prehistoric engravings and rock-art. Some
engravings and caves require walking on foot to get to them. The engravings describe
the daily life of the area as it was in the distant past. Among the best visited
art sites are the fighting cats.
A fantastic opportunity to fill your memory card with
wonderful memories. Then return to either Tkerkiba
or Sabha for the night.
Days 10
Tripoli - Leptis Magna - Tripoli: after
showering off all the desert heat and dust and relaxing
the night in a hotel in Sabha, you will take an early flight to Tripoli airport,
and head for Leptis Magna for a tour of the best preserved Roman city in the
world, before returning to the capital for the night.
Days 11
Tripoli: Departure & Farewell: free time,
departure & farewell.
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: PH29
Duration: 11 Days Tour
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: PH29
Duration: 11 Days Tour
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
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: PH29
Duration: 11 Days Tour
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.
