Classical Cities of Libya (14 days)

A comprehensive tour of the Roman and Greek cities of Libya including two days at the magnificent site of Leptis Magna and a visit to the enchanting oasis of Ghadames. The order in which sites are visited may vary.

Tripoli - Leptis Magna - Zliten - Sirt - Benghazi - Ptolemais - Al-Bayda - Cyrene - Apollonia - Qasr Libya - Benghazi - Sirt - Ghirza - Misrata - Sabrata - Tripoli - Qasr al-Haj - Nalut - Ghadames - Kabow - Yfren - Gharyan - Tripoli

Day 1 Meet guide on arrival in Tripoli and transfer to city centre hotel for two nights.

Day 2 Sightseeing in Tripoli including the superb National Museum, Green Square, Algeria Square Mosque (former Cathedral), the 18th century British Consulate, the 17th century French Consulate, the Arch of Marcus Aurelius and the mosques and souks of the medina where lunch will be taken.

Day 3 Excursion to the Roman city of Sabrata with its remarkable 2nd century Colonnaded Theatre and stunning mosaic collection. Also visit the Janzour catacomb museum with its tomb paintings. Return to Tripoli for overnight.

Day 4 Visit the centuries-old grain stores of Qasr al-Haj and Nalut. Continue to Ghadames for two nights.

Ghadames

Basilica, Leptis Magna

Day 5 Sightseeing in the unique and enchanting oasis of Ghadames on the edge of the Sahara desert. Visit the old town with its labyrinthine passages and take lunch in a richly decorated traditional house. Late afternoon excursion to watch the sun set over the sand dunes; on the way, visit the ruins of Qasr al-Ghoul (Castle of the Ghost), allegedly the remains of an old Roman fort, where the local inhabitants succumbed to a siege during the Arab conquest of Libya in the 7th century AD.

Day 6 Drive to the Berber village of Kabaw to visit the fortified grain store and library of the writer, Buruni. Continue through the Jabal Nafusa mountain range to the abandoned panoramic clifftop village of Tormisa and then to Gharyan to visit a troglodyte house and overnight.

Day 7 Full day excursion to the magnificent Roman city of Leptis Magna. Overnight in Zliten.

Day 8 See the Abd al-Salaam Mosque in Zliten before returning to the glorious site of Leptis Magna for further exploration. Also visit Villa Celine, the seafront home of an upper-class Roman family. Return to Tripoli.

Day 9 Morning flight to Benghazi. Visit the old town, Souk al-Jareed, ancient Berenice and the World War II Commonwealth Cemetery.

Day 10 Visit the Greco-Roman cities of Teuchira (Tocra) and Ptolemais (Tolmeita). Continue to the Cyrene/Apollonia area.

Day 11 Full day of sightseeing at the extensive and remarkable Greek site of Cyrene, founded in the 7th century BC. Sites include the Temple of Apollo, Acropolis, Agora, Forum, Stoa of Hermes and Hercules, House of Jason Magnus and the Temple of Zeus.

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Temple of Zeus, Cyrene

Colonnaded Theatre, Sabrata

Day 12 Visit the ancient city-port of Apollonia. Also visit the Byzantine churches at Ras al-Hilal and Al-Atrun.

Day 13 Return to Benghazi via the eerie funerary temple at Slontah and the mosaic museum and Byzantine church at Qasr Libya. Flight to Tripoli.

Day 14 At leisure until transfer to airport for flight home.

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