TRIPOLITANIA, CYRENAICA & GHADAMES - A cultural tour of Libya
Optional extension to Ubari and the Sahara

Leptis Magna Libya's major World Heritage Site is the birth place of Septimius Severus one of the ancient Rome's well known emperor. Our 08 days tour covers all the major ancient Roman sites in Libya and has been so tailored to allow extension to the desert city of Ghadames. Libya is a very rich country and the sites are vast, well kept and hardly ever crowded making our visits very easy and graceful.

Day 01 Saturday: Arrive Tripoli
Ahlaan wasahlaan “Welcome” to Libya – we are warmly welcomed and after clearing Custom and Immigration, we are met at the exit gate and transferred to our hotel. The drive gives us our first glimpse into the life of the people who live in the capital city. Check in starts from 1400 hrs. Dinner will be at a local restaurant.
Overnight: Borj Al Madina or similar Hotel (1 night) (D)

Day 02 Sunday: Tripoli / Benghazi (Flight)
Our Libyan experience starts with a visit to the National Museum, which is located in Sarayah Hamra Castle then depart to visit Sabratha, which stands out as one of the most beautiful sites in Libya. A World Heritage Site, Sabratha was founded by the Canaanites (6th c. B.C.), ruled by Carthage, Phoenicia, Numedia and then Rome in 46 B.C. The site offers a majestic collection of public buildings, arenas, temples of Liber Peter, Srapis, Isis, and Hercules. Tripoli “ Oea“ (the bride) of the Mediterranean is the capital of Libya. Transfer to airport for a short flight to Benghazi. We will be met & transferred to the hotel. Dinner could either be at the hotel or at Tripoli Airport depending on the flight time.
Overnight: Noran or similar Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 03 Monday: Benghazi / Apollonia (Drive)
A brief city tour of this second largest city in Libya before head out to visit Ptolemais or Ptolemaida, which was one of the ancient capitals of Cyrenaica and the former capital of Pentapolis, offering today remains of palaces, theatres, Bouleterion and a 3rd century bridge. Continue onto Qasr Libya where we visit an interesting museum that houses more than 50 pieces of mosaic artifact fragments dating back to the 6th century AD. Continue onto Apollonia. Dinner in the hotel.
Overnight: Al Manarah or similar Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 04 Tuesday: Apollonia / Benghazi (Drive) / Tripoli (Flight)
Our journey today starts with a visit of Apollonia (Soussa) to include the majestic Theatre, the Roman baths as well as the Byzantine palace. Next stop is the World Heritage Site of Cyrene. The city was part of the 1st century five city state of Pentapolis and was second in size only to Athens. Cyrene was founded by the Greeks in 631 B.C. and was later occupied by the Romans and then the Arabs. We also visit the famous temples of Zeus and Apollo and after lunch we visit incredible Drive back to Benghazi for a return flight to Tripoli. Meet & transfer to hotel. Dinner will either be at Benghazi Airport or a restaurant in Tripoli depending on the flight time.
Overnight: Borj Al Madina or similar Hotel (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 05 Wednesday: Tripoli
The highlight of any journey to Libya is visiting the renowned World Heritage Site of Leptis Magna located east of Tripoli. From a Berber settlement it became an important community when it was established as a city by the Canaanites and reached its climax under the rule of Roman Emperor Septimus Severus. We visit the vast site including the Triumphal Arch, huge Basilica, Forum, Public Baths, Hippodrome, and Amphitheater etc. Dinner will be at a local restaurant. (B, L, D)

Day 06 Thursday: Tripoli / Ghadames (Drive)
An exciting day today as we head south to the Saharan oasis of Ghadames. En route, we stop at the “ghost town” of Nalut, which is located high in the Nafusa Mountains. Nalut offers an insight into the traditional living styles of the locals – the prevalent style of life until the Libyans found the oil wealth providing them with the resources to afford more concrete structures than the caves at Nalut. After a tour of Nalut, we head further south towards the arid Saharan Desert. Dinner in the hotel.
Overnight: Al Waha or similar Hotel (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 07 Friday: Ghadames
This oasis was settled from prehistoric times and was a major port of call for traders and pilgrims en route to Mecca. Ghadames is a beautiful sleepy desert town that has preserved its original culture, most visibly in the architecture of the town with its labyrinthine passages. Our tour will cover both the old ghost town and the mysterious desert. Evening we witness the sunset in the desert, which can be extremely beautiful; however, it is very much weather dependent. Dinner in the hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 08 Saturday: Ghadames / Tripoli (Drive)
After an interesting experience of the Sahara, we proceed to Kabaw village with the old houses mostly in shambles, and all of the inhabitants living in rather anonymous structures. We also visit the ghurfas, the grain store built by the local Berbers, and located at the very summit of the village. This is followed by a visit to Tormisa to see the incredible, and intact, cave structures there. From here we visit the pottery market at Gharian before returning to Tripoli. Dinner will be at a local restaurant.
Overnight: Borj Al Madina or simlar Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 09 Sunday: Depart Tripoli
After an incredible journey, this morning you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home. Check out time is 1100 hrs. (B)

Possible extension to Ubari

Day 09 Sunday: Tripoli / Sebha (Flight) / Ubari (Drive)
A city tour of the old city before transfer to the airport for flight to Sebha. You will be met and transfer for a three hours drive to the beautiful Magic Lodge, which is very fitting with its name.
Overnight: Ubari Magic Lodge (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 10 Monday: Ubari
This morning you will be setting out to visit Wadi MethKandoush, which has the finest rock carvings in Libya, and all is located within a small area, across only 200 meters. The main attraction is the Fighting Cats, which is high up on the cliff. In addition, the wadi offers fine carvings of elephants, giraffe, buffalos & etc. (B, L, D)

Day 11 Tuesday: Ubari / Sebha (Drive) / Tripoli (Flight)
One of the wonders of the southwestern Fezzan is its wonderful lakes, which surrounded by sand dunes and palm trees. There are about 13 lakes in Ubari. The most important lakes are: Gaber-Aun, Mandrah, Om-Elmaa. These lakes are known for their high salinity, reaching 3 times that of the sea. Gaber-Aun is the largest lake in the area. It is surrounded by trees and lines of high sand dunes. Drive back to Sebha to catch our return flight back to Tripoli. Meet & transfer to hotel. Dinner will either be at Sebha Airport or a local restaurant in Tripoli depending on flight time.
Overnight: Borj Al Madina or similar Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 12 Wednesday: Depart Tripoli
After an incredible journey, this morning you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home. Check out time is 1100 hrs. (B)

Departure Dates
2012 English Speaking Departures Please call for details - 1-800-663-0844 / 1-604-264-7378
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Hotel Accommodation as mentioned (or similar) International Airfare / airport departure taxes Meal Plan as mentioned (B=Breakfast L= Lunch D=Dinner) Insurances / Visas Economy air tickets Tripoli/Benghazi/Tripoli. Tips / Gratuities to Drivers & Guides Mineral water during meals in local restaurants and lodges.   All Sightseeing and Transfers by private transportation   Entrance Fees to Museums and Sites   Services of local English speaking guides
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement Main Tour Please call for details - 1-800-663-0844 / 1-604-264-7378 Extension to Ubari
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast US $ 1800 USA - West Coast US $ 1600 Canada - East Coast US $ 1700 USA - East Coast US $ 1500
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum of 10 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.