Libya: Ancient and Modern North Africa

$2340 per person, double occupancy, land only

Day 1: Arrive in Tripoli, transfer to the hotel for overnight.

Day 2: After breakfast we will spend a full day visiting Tripoli,
including the old city and the museum, which contains an impressive
collection from all eras of Libyan history- from Neolithic to the present. The Jamahiriya Museum is said by many to rival the British Museum in
quality and quantity of artifacts, with only difference between the two the fact that all of the items in the Jamahiriya Museum were actually
discovered in Libya. Dinner and overnight in Tripoli.

Day 3: After breakfast we will drive to Leptis Magna to visit this
ancient Roman capital. The original site has been settled since
approximately the 7th century BC, as a small trading port. It eventually became a major Roman city in the empire's African Province. The ruins of this expansive and magnificent city are relatively well preserved and really help one to imagine a vibrant, bustling Roman port city. Return to Tripoli for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: This morning we will go to Sabratha, another significant Roman
city to the west of Tripoli, and also part of what was known as the
tripolitania, from which Tripoli gets its name, for a visit of the
archeological sites there. Return to Tripoli for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and transfer to
the airport for a flight south to Ghadames, a UNESCO World Heritage
site. The city was a major trading post in the northern Sahara. Visit the
old city and the museum, with lunch in a traditional house. In the
afternoon we will visit the sand dunes and the castle Ras El Ghoul to
watch the sunset. From the top of Ras El Ghoul you can see the border
posts for Tunisia and Algeria! Return to Ghadames for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and depart for the
Ain-Tabahn oasis, then across the Northern Sahara Desert and desert
mountains to Sebha for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: We will spend the day visiting the old city of Sebha. Sebha is
in the old desert province of Fezzan. This desert region has many
oases and cave paintings dating from about 3000 BC. The city is also a garrison outpost and a place to begin journey into the deep desert. It is also the first settlement that many people who come from the deep
desert arrive at. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: This morning we will check out of the hotel and head for the
oasis region and sand dunes, touring the magnificent desert oases of
Mandra, U m-Al Maa, and Gaberoun. Surprising for such an arid location, the lakes are relatively large. The waters are very salty, as the water evaporates off, but some of the lakes maintain water all throughout the year while others diminish for a period of time. This begins our camping adventure in the desert! Dinner and overnight in tents in the desert.

Day 9: This morning we will drive to Ghat, via the Jebel Acacus and
Alwinat. Alwinat has a castle that was built in the Islamic/Arab period
and the Tuareg believed it to be haunted. The Jebel Acacus are made up of dark basalt rock formations rising up from the desert sands. Ghat
is an ancient trading town, located in a picturesque oasis, and is very
well preserved. It is also one of the few permanent Tuareg settlements
in the Sahara. Dinner and overnight in desert tents.

Day 10: Today we will continue to explore the ancient cave drawings and engravings throughout this region of the desert mountains. The rock formations of Jebel Acacus are very unique and the area is a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. Located in some of the sheltered wadis are prehistoric rock paintings and carvings dating back over 12,000 years. Dinner and overnight in desert tents.

Day 11: After breakfast we will drive back to Ghat and visit the old
city before flying back to Tripoli for dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Departure.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

INCLUDED:

* Internal airfare
* Water on board bus
* Hotel 4 star or best available in some cities, full board basis
* Tents etc for camping
* Poterage/transfers
* Visa authorization
* Passport translation into Arabic
* Camera/video fees at all sites on itinerary

NOT INCLUDED:

* International Airfare
* Snacks and beverages
* Tips for guide and driver
* Items of a personal nature such phone/fax, laundry, etc.
* Visa fee of $102.50 Canadian Dollars payable to the Libyan People's Bureau (you will need to get a bank check in Canadian dollars and send it to us with your passport)
* Travel Insurance, which we strongly recommend for all of our trips

Please call us for international airfare to and from Tripoli, and full
details of this trip. Itinerary subject to change.