Self-Drive 4×4 Libya Tour

Program

1. Day 1 Arrival in Tripoli – Sabha

   On arrival at Tripoli airport you will be met by your tour guide, then continue with an evening journey to Sabha for one night.

2. Day 2 Germa and the Garamantes

   After an early breakfast you set off on the road to Ghat, with a picnic lunch along the way. The town of Germa lies on the route. Germa was once the capital of the Garamantian Empire, the first indigenous empire of note in Libya. The Garamantes were among the most advanced and forward-thinking peoples of their time, and are said to have introduced writing, horses and later camels to the Sahara. The visible remains of this ancient civilisation include pyramid-style burial chambers and a crumbling old town, among the most important archaeological sites in Libya. South of Germa the terrain changes from flat desert to the rugged landscapes of the Akakus mountains. You pass the legendary haunted Kaf Ajoul, the "Mountain of Spirits", and reach Ghat in time for dinner. Please note that this is a long driving day (about 5–6 hours).

3. Day 3 Ghat and Wan Caza

   Ghat is an ancient caravan trading centre surrounded by superb sand dunes and overlooked by an Italian fort with wonderful views over the old town. Wander through its narrow streets and arched doorways and meet local Tuareg people selling their wares: beautiful handmade silver jewellery, daggers and indigo headscarves. After lunch you reach the small town of Al Awaynat and enter the desert, driving to the start of the Akakus range for your first night under the stars.

4. Day 4 Rock art of the Akakus

   Enjoy the silence of waking up in the desert. After breakfast in stunning surroundings you drive into the Akakus mountains and visit the towering natural arch, 170 metres high and one of the most spectacular sites of the Akakus. You then continue to Wadi Anshal and Wadi Tanshal. Along the way you stop to see remarkable prehistoric rock art, painted in hidden crevices and caves by the first Libyan tribes and showing life before the Sahara became a desert, when the land was a well-watered savannah teeming with wildlife. Although the Tuareg had known this art for centuries, the paintings received no serious academic attention until the 1950s, when the Italian explorer Professor Fabrizio Mori made them famous. A picnic lunch on the way gives you time to relax and enjoy the scenery before driving to your camp in the late afternoon.

5. Day 5 Wadi Tashwinat

   Today you drive into the largest and longest valley of the Akakus, which hides some of its richest rock paintings and engravings: Wadi Tashwinat. You pass Tuareg camps of palm-frond huts, where children grow up learning to survive in this harsh environment and to look after goats and sheep. You will see many caves that sheltered prehistoric people for thousands of years. Time permitting, you can visit the site where Professor Mori found, during his excavations, the skeleton of a child believed to be 5,400 years old, now in the Tripoli museum. Camp is set up early in the evening and dinner is served under the stars.

6. Day 6 Awis

   Wake early to climb one of the surrounding hills and watch a magnificent desert sunrise. After breakfast you drive from the Akakus to the otherworldly landscapes of Awis. The area is covered with small mushroom-shaped cones and spider-like rock outcrops of every shape and size, with deep golden dunes piled around them; you will have a picnic among them in a shaded spot. The area is a favourite with photographers for its wealth of beautifully eroded rock formations. In the afternoon you drive on to another good campsite.

7. Day 7 Ubari Sand Sea and lakes

   After an early start you leave the desert at Al Awaynat and make the long drive north, stopping for a picnic lunch on the way. In the afternoon your journey takes you into the great Ubari Sand Sea, whose hidden lakes are among the many highlights of the Libyan Sahara. Seeing these beautiful waters tucked between towering dunes is nothing short of a miracle! The lakes are highly mineralised, so you can enjoy floating effortlessly while taking in the wonderful colours of the desert. Camp is set up among the dunes, from where you can watch the sunset.

8. Day 8 Umm al-Maa lake

   Today you can relax on the palm-fringed shores of Umm al-Maa, the most beautiful of the lakes, where you will have lunch. Some of the lakes contain tiny red shrimps, which the Tuareg grind into a paste and bake.

9. Day 9 Leptis Magna

   The whole day is spent at Leptis Magna, an hour's drive from Tripoli. The site is vast, and after a guided tour there is time to explore it at your own pace. Favoured by Emperor Septimius Severus (born in 146), founder of the African dynasty of Roman emperors, Leptis Magna was a city of extraordinary imperial splendour, and it remains a place of immense grandeur. The sand that covered the site in early modern times protected it from looting and preserved its glories. The day also includes a visit to the magnificent amphitheatre. You return to Tripoli for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

10. Day 10 Tripoli and departure

    This morning you have plenty of time to shop and stroll through the old city, browsing its gold and spice shops. You can also visit the museum (note that it is closed on Mondays) and watch the world go by over a mint tea in Martyrs' Square (the former Green Square). Tripoli is an attractive city that combines the charm of the Italian architecture and grand squares of the "new town" with the North African bustle of the Arab old town. Lunch is served at a local restaurant (depending on your flight time), followed by your transfer to the airport.