Libyan Explorer

Day 1. Outbound to Tripoli

Fly to Tripoli and transfer to your hotel. The welcome to Tripoli is warm, with smiling faces all around and streets lined with images of a triumphant (and sometimes smiling) Colonel Gadaffi. Tripoli itself is a busy city with the usual ancient medina, it is as charming as the one in Marrakech but here there is no hassle and you will be left to browse the souks at your own pace.

Day 2. Sabaratha Roman City

Tour Tripoli's excellent national museum and drive out to the ancient Roman city of Sabaratha which boasts one of the finest theatres in antiquity. Take an evening flight to Sabha, an important transit point for Saharan travel.

Day 3. To the Sahara

Your 4WD journey to Acacus passes vast expanses of desert wasteland, the Jebel al-Aswad (Black) Mountains and the occasional historical settlement such as Germa where you will stop for lunch. The final approach to the Acacus is breathtaking with volcanic and sandstone rock features rising starkly from the desert floor and stunning sand formations. Welcome to the heart of the Sahara!

Days 4 to 8. Jebel Acacus

The next days are spent exploring the fascinating aspects of this magical region, once purely the domain of the Tuareg. You will trek to the most dramatic natural archways, gateways and towers, which scatter this moon-like landscape, enhanced by the ever-shifting sands. Dark basalt ridges loom high above and sweeping vistas can be gained from climbing the more accessible rocky, sandstone bluffs. One wadi alone is larger than the whole of Jordan's famous Wadi Rum.
The Acacus is also a haunting backdrop to some of the most extraordinary rock art in the world and many protected sites will be visited during your time here. Both paintings and petroglyphs from as long ago as 10,000 BC depict an era when the Sahara was covered in savannah and waterways. Each night you will camp out amidst the sand dunes, choosing to sleep in the open under the stars if you wish and if conditions permit.

Days 9 and 10. Ubari Dunes and Lakes

Drive out of the Acacus and head north to the Ubari Dunes and Lakes, which appear miraculously hundreds of miles from the nearest sea. They are the archetypal image of a desert oasis, remote, palm-fringed and with a mesmerising backdrop of bright yellow sand dunes. 'Swimming' in the salty waters of the Umm al Maa Lake has to be one of the great desert experiences. Return to Sabha and fly back to Tripoli.

Day 11. Leptis Magna

Without doubt the best Roman ruins outside of Italy. A full day here allows ample time to explore the remarkably well-preserved colonnaded streets, baths, arches and amphitheatre of Africa's greatest Roman city. You will also visit the gracious Byzantine Villa Silene with its magnificent mosaics before returning to Tripoli.

Day 12. Homeward

A free morning before flying back to the UK in the afternoon.