Today we arrive in Tripoli and transfer to our hotel.

NOTE: LIBYAN VISA REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES ARE VERY FLUID AND CAN CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO BE WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT/S FOR A TIME IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEED TO ACQUIRE VISAS PRIOR TO OUR DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA. We may also need to travel to Tripoli via an overnight in ROME in order to finalize visas there. For this reason, we will not accept any "Land Only" bookings for this tour. If the Rome stop becomes necessary, we will add $200 per person to your invoice.

Overnight in Tripoli. Meal plan: Dinner, if required.

This morning we visit the ruins of Sabratha, located one hour's drive to the west of Tripoli, spectacularly overlooking the shores of the Mediterranean sea. The city was originally built by the Phoenician (the Canaanites) in the 6th century BC as a trading post. As was the case with other cities of Tripolis, Sabratha was under the domination of Carthage; the main Phoenician settlement in Tunisia till 146 BC. Even though much of the city was destroyed by earthquakes during the 4th century, the Punic city, the Museum of Bes, and the Great Theatre, the Temples of Isis, Hercules, and Sirapis, Liber Pater, the Mosaics of Jason Magnus, the Capitolium, the public baths are still outstanding and provide the most prominent features of the city during the Roman times. The most spectacular site in Sabratha is the theatre, probably built during the reign of the Emperor Commodus (161-192 AD), with its three-storey backdrop of columns.

Return to Tripoli.

Overnight in Tripoli. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

We spend the morning visiting the Jamahiriya Museum of Tripoli, which contains an impressive collection from all eras of Libyan history, from the Neolithic to the present. Located in a castle built into the southeast corner of the city wall overlooking the harbour, the main complex is Ottoman, with a mosque, harem and many courtyards, though the castle is undoubtedly built on the foundations of earlier fortresses. The intricate network of paths within the castle reflects the style of winding arcaded streets seen in the old city.

This afternoon we have time to explore the Old Town sector of Tripoli, still unspoilt by mass-tourism. The walled medina retains much of its serene old-world ambience. The basic street plan of the medina was laid down in the Roman period when the walls were constructed as protection against attacks from the interior of Tripolitania, and are considered well planned, possibly better than modern street plans. We will follow the narrow alleyways and streets stopping off at places of interest, including the old British and French consulates, the main bazaar, and the spice and vegetable bazaars before finishing our tour this afternoon.

Overnight in Tripoli. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we travel by road to Ghadames, located near the Libya-Tunisia-Algeria frontier. En route we stop at the ancient granary at Qasr al-Haj before continuing to Nalut, a small town on the top of a mountain, about 800 m above sea level. Here we can visit the old part of the town where you can get an impression of how the people lived some 800 years ago.

We continue to Ghadames, situated within an oasis, and located approximately 340 miles in the south west of Tripoli near the borders to Algeria and Tunisia. The oasis has a population of 7000, among Berbers and some Tuareg. The old part of the town, which is surrounded by a wall, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each of the seven clans that used to live in this part of the town had its own district, of which each had a public place where festivals could be held. In the 1970s, the government built new houses outside of the old part of the town. However, many inhabitants return to the old part of the town during the summer, as its architecture provides better protection against the heat.

The first records about Ghadames exist not before the Roman period, when there where troops in the town from time to time. During the 6th century, a Bishop lived in the oasis, after the population have been converted to Christians by the people of the Byzantine Empire. During the 7th century, Ghadames was ruled by the Muslim Arabs. The population quickly converted to Islam. Ghadames has played an important role as base for the Trans-Saharan trade until the 19th century.

Overnight in Ghadames. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we have a tour of the highlights of Ghadames. The architecture here is Saharan in design and has been uniquely preserved. The local people have been able to use all the resources available in a poor environment to create perfect living conditions in a harsh climate. The local houses are built from mud, lime, palm tree trunks and leaves -- the only available building materials. The result, however, is most impressive. Elegant and stylish, the local homes are fittingly perfect into the harsh desert environment.

The Ghadames region features full integration of the vegetation and cultivable land within the residential part of the town. Low-lying gardens line the streets in order to be closer to the water table. A sense of coolness given by the running water and the shade of the palm trees makes the heat bearable, even in the hot summer months.

Overnight in Ghadames. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Departing early this morning for our drive north to the small town Yefren via Kabaw where we see some ghurfas, grain stores built by the local Berbers and located at the very summit of the village. In older days, grain was almost as important to protect as water, therefore the position. This area is one of strong impressions and colours, with fresh red soil, and thriving agriculture. To some extent, even the modern village of Yefren is worth a visit, as the people adorn their house doors and walls.

Overnight in Yefren. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we travel to Tripoli's domestic airport and fly to Benghazi, ancient capital of Cyrenaica. Situated on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Sirte, Benghazi ranks as the second largest city in Libya and a major commercial centre.

Benghazi is one of the cultural centres of Libya and is a base for tourists, visitors and academics in the region. Throughout its history, Benghazi has developed with a certain level of independence from the more Maghreb oriented capital Tripoli. This has influenced the city, and as such, the cultural atmosphere in Benghazi is more Arab in nature than that in Tripoli. An influx of African immigrants as well as Egyptian and other Arab immigrants have also influenced the city's culture to a certain extent in recent years.

While in Benghazi we can explore its covered markets that are open daily. The main market is Souq al-Jreed, located on Sharia Omar al-Mukhrar. There are many small shops and cafes at the pedestrian precinct located nearby.

Overnight in Benghazi. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

This morning we travel by road to Cyrene, founded in the seventh century BC and under different influences, from the Carthaginians, Greeks, Egyptians and then Roman. The site at Cyrene has yet not been fully excavated but some remarkable finds from the Graeco-Roman period can be seen; Cyrene ranks as the best-preserved of the Greek cities of Cyrenaica, with its temples, tombs, agora, gymnasium and theatre originally modeled on those at Delphi. Its location high on a bluff overlooking the sea is stunning. Following the Sacred Way down to the lower levels of the city, we pass caves in which the sacred virgins bathed before entering the sanctuary. On the lower levels of the city is the Sanctuary of Apollo. This is part of a cluster of temples and other later buildings, including Roman baths.

We also experience some of the splendid ancient cities hugging the Mediterranean coast between Benghazi and Susa. We stop at ancient Teucheira, one of the five cities of the Pentapolis. Founded in the late 7th century, it flourished as a commercial center until, as the last stronghold in Cyrenaica against the Arab-Muslim invasion, it fell to the troops of the Egyptian governor. After exploring the partially excavated site, we continue to Ptolemais, capital of the province of Libya Superior from the time of Diocletian until the mid-fifth century AD. Although the site has not been fully excavated, we will see important remains and a fine site museum.

Overnight in Al Bayda. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we tour the site of Apollonia, a well-preserved Hellenistic city centred around a shrine to Apollo, the mausoleum of Battus, and a great temple to Zeus. We will examine the ancient cisterns, baths, sanctuaries and walls, as well as the Byzantine basilicas and palace.

Overnight in Al Bayda. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we travel by road to Tobruk. We will have sightseeing in this famous World War II city, including Rommel's HQ, the Knightsbridge, and the remains of the tragic Lady-Be-Good airplane. We'll learn about the titanic and bloody clash of forces that marked the turning point of World War II, and pay a moving visit to the cemeteries where lie the dead from both sides.

Return to Al Bayda.

Overnight in Al Bayda. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we drive to Benghazi from where we fly back to Tripoli.

Overnight in Tripoli. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Today we visit Leptis Magna, one of the great cities of Roman Africa. We will see the early forum, the theatre and Hadrianic baths as well as the great basilica and forum complex built by Emperor Septimus Severus. Leptis Magna is probably the most extensive and impressive archaeological site in the Mediterranean. Leptis was similar in status to that of Palmyra in Syria and Ephesus in Turkey: a provincial city with a rural role as were the other two cities of Tripolitania of Sabrantha and Ocea, now Tripoli. The city has remained largely intact in that for centuries it was covered in sand, and today a total of thirty major monuments can be observed. Hundreds of statues and mosaics have been transferred to museums in Tripoli. Leptis reached the height of its glory when Septimus Sevrus became emperor and its decline started with the invasion of the Vandals in 429.

We enter the site and the first thing we will encounter is the Severan Arch which was erected in honour of Emperor Septimus Severus' visit to his hometown in AD 203. Not far off are the marble and granite panelled Hadrianic Baths, the largest outside Rome. We continue to explore and discover the partially covered nymphaeum, a shrine dedicated to the worships of nymphs; a pair of massive forums, similar in design and gradiosity to the imperial forum in Rome; the
extraordinarily detailed basilica and theatre; and the circus and amphitheatre where chariot races and similar spectacles were held for the locals' amusement.

Overnight in Tripoli. Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner.

Departure from Tripoli.

BON VOYAGE! Meal plan: Breakfast.