Day 1   Arrive in Tripoli

Overnight in Tripoli. Dinner if required. 
 
Day 2   Tripoli & Sabratha
 
We spend the morning visiting the Jamahiriya Museum of Tripoli, which contains an impressive collection from all eras of Libyan history, from the Neolithic to the present. Located in a castle built into the southeast corner of the city wall overlooking the harbour, the main complex is Ottoman, with a mosque, harem and many courtyards, though the castle is undoubtedly built on the foundations of earlier fortresses. The intricate network of paths within the castle reflects the style of winding arcaded streets seen in the old city. This afternoon we visit Sabratha,* located one hour's drive to the west of Tripoli, spectacularly overlooking the shores of the Mediterranean sea. The city was originally built by the Phoenician (the Canaanites) in the 6th century BC as a trading post. As was the case with other cities of Tripolis, Sabratha was under the domination of Carthage; the main Phoenician settlement in Tunisia till 146 BC. Even though much of the city was destroyed by earthquakes during the 4th century, the Punic city, the Museum of Bes, and the Great Theatre, the Temples of Isis, Hercules, and Sirapis, Liber Pater, the Mosaics of Jason Magnus, the Capitolium, the public baths are still outstanding and provide the most prominent features of the city during the Roman times. The most spectacular site in Sabrata is the theatre, probably built during the reign of the Emperor Commodus (161-192 AD), with its three-storey backdrop of columns. * Due to hotel and flight availability, and Libyan Government policies regarding the movement of foreign tourist groups within Libya, the actual order of the sites visited may vary from this itinerary. The finalized itinerary will be provided with your final documents, but please bear in mind that last minute changes may be required for reasons beyond our control. Overnight in Tripoli. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 3   Tripoli - Qasr Al Haj - Nalut - Ghadames
 
Today we travel by road to Ghadames, located near the Libya-Tunisia-Algeria frontier. En route we stop at the ancient granary at Qasr al-Haj before continuing to Nalut, a small town on the top of a mountain, about 800 m above sea level. Here we can visit the old part of the town where you can get an impression of how the people lived some 800 years ago. We continue to Ghadames, situated within an oasis, and located approximately 340 miles in the south west of Tripoli near the borders to Algeria and Tunisia. The oasis has a population of 7000, among Berbers and some Tuareg. The old part of the town, which is surrounded by a wall, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each of the seven clans that used to live in this part of the town had its own district, of which each had a public place where festivals could be held. In the 1970s, the government built new houses outside of the old part of the town. However, many inhabitants return to the old part of the town during the summer, as its architecture provides better protection against the heat. The first records about Ghadames exist not before the Roman period, when there where troops in the town from time to time. During the 6th century, a Bishop lived in the oasis, after the population have been converted to Christians by the people of the Byzantine Empire. During the 7th century, Ghadames was ruled by the Muslim Arabs. The population quickly converted to Islam. Ghadames has played an important role as base for the Trans-Saharan trade until the 19th century. Overnight in Ghadames. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 4   Ghadames
 
Today we have a tour of the highlights of Ghadames. The architecture here is Saharan in design and has been uniquely preserved. The local people have been able to use all the resources available in a poor environment to create perfect living conditions in a harsh climate. The local houses are built from mud, lime, palm tree trunks and leaves--the only available building materials. The result, however, is most impressive. Elegant and stylish, the local homes are fittingly perfect into the harsh desert environment. The Ghadames region features full integration of the vegetation and cultivable land within the residential part of the town. Low-lying gardens line the streets in order to be closer to the water table. A sense of coolness given by the running water and the shade of the palm trees makes the heat bearable, even in the hot summer months. Overnight in Ghadames. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 5   Ghadames - Yefren
 
Departing early this morning for our drive north to the small town Yefren via Kabaw where we see some ghurfas, grain stores built by the local Berbers and located at the very summit of the village. In older days, grain was almost as important to protect as water, therefore the position. This area is one of strong impressions and colours, with fresh red soil, and thriving agriculture. To some extent, even the modern village of Yefren is worth a visit, as the people adorn their house doors and walls. Overnight in Yefren. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 6   Yefren - Tripoli - Benghazi
 
Today we travel to Tripoli's domestic airport and fly to Benghazi, ancient capital of Cyrenaica. Situated on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Sirte, Benghazi ranks as the second largest city in Libya and a major commercial centre. Overnight in Benghazi. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 7   Benghazi - Cyrene - Apollonius
 
This morning we visit Cyrene, founded in the seventh century BC and under different influences, from the Carthaginians, Greeks, Egyptians and then Roman. The site at Cyrene has yet not been fully excavated but some remarkable finds from the Graeco-Roman period can be seen; Cyrene ranks as the best-preserved of the Greek cities of Cyrenaica, with its temples, tombs, agora, gymnasium and theatre originally modeled on those at Delphi. Its location high on a bluff overlooking the sea is stunning. From the southern entrance of the ruins, the first monument is the agora. An agora was the principal square of a Greek city, corresponding to the Roman forum. Most of the important civic buildings were around this area and the space would probably also have been used as a market. Following the Sacred Way down to the lower levels of the city, we pass caves in which the sacred virgins bathed before entering the sanctuary. On the lower levels of the city is the Sanctuary of Apollo. This is part of a cluster of temples and other later buildings, including Roman baths. We also have a tour of the site of Apollonius, a well-preserved Hellenistic city centred around a shrine to Apollo, the mausoleum of Battus, and a great temple to Zeus. Overnight at Apollonius. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 8   Apollonius - Tobruk - Apollonius
 
Today we travel to Tobruk. We will have sightseeing in this famous World War II city, including Rommel's HQ, the Knightsbridge, and the remains of the tragic Lady-Be-Good airplane. We'll learn about the titanic and bloody clash of forces that marked the turning point of World War II, and pay a moving visit to the cemeteries where lie the dead from both sides. Return to Apollonius. Overnight in Apollonius. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 9   Apollonius - Benghazi - Tripoli
 
Today we drive to Benghazi from where we fly back to Tripoli. This evening you may want to explore the old walled city of Tripoli, the Medina, one of the classical sites of the Mediterranean. The basic street plan was laid down in the Roman period when the walls were constructed on the landward sides against attacks from the interior of Tripolitania. The high walls survived many invasions, each conqueror restoring the damage done. In the 8th century the Muslim ruler built a wall on the sea-facing side of the city. Overnight in Tripoli. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 10   Tripoli - Leptis Magna - Tripoli
 
Today we visit Leptis Magna, one of the great cities of Roman Africa. We will see the early forum, the theatre and Hadrianic baths as well as the great basilica and forum complex built by Emperor Septimus Severus. Leptis Magna is probably the most extensive and impressive archaeological site in the Mediterranean. Leptis was similar in status to that of Palmyra in Syria and Ephesus in Turkey: a provincial city with a rural role as were the other two cities of Tripolitania of Sabrantha and Ocea, now Tripoli. The city has remained largely intact in that for centuries it was covered in sand, and today a total of thirty major monuments can be observed. Hundreds of statues and mosaics have been transferred to museums in Tripoli. Leptis reached the height of its glory when Septimus Sevrus became emperor and its decline started with the invasion of the Vandals in 429. We enter the site and the first thing we will encounter is the Severan Arch which was erected in honour of Emperor Septimus Severus' visit to his hometown in AD 203. Not far off are the marble and granite panelled Hadrianic Baths, the largest outside Rome. We continue to explore and discover the partially covered nymphaeum, a shrine dedicated to the worships of nymphs; a pair of massive forums, similar in design and gradiosity to the imperial forum in Rome; the extraordinarily detailed basilica and theatre; and the circus and amphitheatre where chariot races and similar spectacles were held for the locals' amusement. Overnight in Tripoli. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 11   Tripoli, Libya - Tunis, Tunisia
 
Today we fly from Tripoli to Tunis and transfer to our hotel. Overnight in Tunis. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 12   Tunis: Carthage & the Bardo Museum
 
This morning we depart for Carthage, a place which, according to legend, was founded in 814 BC by Phoenicians from the eastern Mediterranean. Remarkably little is known about the appearance of Carthage, except that it grew up around the ports on the shore and the acropolis on the Byrsa Hill, where today's museum and cathedral now stand. The first detailed accounts come from the Romans, who gleefully describe how thoroughly they destroyed the city in 146 BC. Having left Cathage in ruins, the Romans made Utica capital of their African province, but in 46 BC Julius Caesar refounded Carthage as a symbol of the planned resurrection of Africa, and it grew to huge size--the second city of the Empire after Rome. Estimates of its population range from 200,000 to 700,000, and it was as cultured as it was cosmopolitan, with a large university. As the Empire's moral and military foundations began to tremble, Christianity became the voice of the establishment, but it was too late to halt the decline. Regarded as a typically decadent Roman city, Carthage was a natural target for Christian abuse. Our sightseeing will include a visit to the Carthage Museum, rich with mosaics and antiquities. This afternoon we visit the Bardo Museum. This museum was once the Royal Palace of the Bey, and the Roman mosaics contained within are perhaps the most colourful and vivid images left behind by the Roman Empire. Overnight in Tunis. Hotel International el Hana or similar. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 13   Tunis - Dougga - Bulla Regia - Tabarka
 
We leave Tunis this morning heading south toward Dougga. Grandiose temples and theaters, forum and markets stand in remarkable repair on a mountainside overlooking wheat fields. Imposing Dougga spreads over 65 hectares, its position on the slopes forced Roman builders to renounce their standard city plan and adapt their monuments to the terrain. This site is certainly one of the most beautiful built by the Romans in Tunisia. Some 20 to 30,000 people lived here and their shops, stores and baths, latrines, and gymnasiums bring them to life. Stone streets bear the grooves of chariot wheels and in the silent, wind-swept afternoon one can almost hear their clatter. Our next stop is Bulla Regia, one of the most superb Roman sites to be seen anywhere. We shall see the famous underground villas built for wealthy inhabitants and gaze at the beautiful mosaics they left. Our full-yet-rewarding day ends at Tabarka. Overnight in Tabarka. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 14   Tabarka - Kairouan
 
Our dramatic route this morning takes us into the cork forests of north-west Tunisia, called the Khroumirie Region. The road climbs up to 900m (3,000 feet) as we continue through Ain Draiham, the heart of the wild boar hunting region. Ain Draiham is a quaint little town with one steep, central street. We continue to Kairouan and spend the remainder of the day exploring Tunisia's holiest city, said to be the site of the first mosque in Africa. During medieval times, Kairouan rose to become an important center for trade and crafts due to its presence on the route of pilgrims going from Andalusia and other North African points, en route to Mecca. We will visit the Great Mosque and the Mosque of the Barber. After lunch we visit the Aghlabite basins and the mausoleum of Sidi Sahab. Fed by an aqueduct from the hills to the west, the basins, built at the same time as the Great Mosque, held the city's water supply and were a popular place for the ancient rulers to relax. The mausoleum is part of a larger complex containing an inn for pilgrims, a small mosque and other tombs. Sahab was a companion of the Prophet Mohammed and his tomb is an important holy site for Muslims. Overnight in Kairouan. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 15   Kairouan - Sbeitla - Tozeur
 
Today we travel to Tozeur via Sbeitla and Gafsa. The extensive Roman city of Sufetula is famous for its beautifully restored temples of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. Some inscriptions found in the city suggest that the settlement had success along the lines of others in North Africa during the 2nd century AD, reaching great prosperity through the olive industry, whose cultivation benefited from excellent climatic conditions in the region. The olive presses found in the ruins of the city further bolster this conclusion. Our walking tour of the site features some very well-preserved remains, including an olive press and baths with their own heating system. From here we travel along rural scenic routes and continue south via Kassarine and Gafsa, the capital of the region. In the centre of Tozeur, parts of the 14th century quarter still survive. Many visitors to this beautiful oasis region like to explore Tozeur's old town with its many archways and intriguing side streets. Overnight in Tozeur. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 16   Tozeur - Matmata - Gabes
 
This morning's departure takes us eastward, travelling via the Chott Jerid, Tunisia's salt lake. The lake was once called the "Lake of Marks" after the palm trunks planted across its normally parched surface to guide trading caravans. We continue to Matmata, a region of troglodyte (subterranean) homes, where our tour will take us inside a couple of the many underground dwellings carved into the soft sandstone. "Trogladyte" is a generic term used to refer to people anywhere who live in caves. Although the landscape here appears deserted, several thousand people live within these cavernous homes. We continue to Gabes. Overnight in Gabes. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 17   Gabes - Djerba - Gabes
 
Today we have a day trip to the island of Djerba. On arrival we will have a tour of Djerba, once a port of call to the Phoenicians and the port where Ulysses and his men were detained on their return from Troy. Djerba is also home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. Our tour includes the Ghriba, one of the oldest synagogues in the world and a famous pilgrimage site where an 8th century Torah is preserved. Our last stop is the main "Houmt Souk" with its original potteries, magnificent carpets and filigree silver. You will have free time in this charming town before we return to Gabes. Overnight in Gabes. Breakfast and dinner. 
 
Day 18   Gabes - El Djem - Monastir - Sousse
 
From Gabes we depart for the Sousse region, one of Tunisia's historic cities and an active trading centre long before the founding of Carthage. En route we pass through an endless landscape of olive groves and soon arrive in El Djem, known in Roman times as Thysdrus. Before visiting the amphitheatre, we will take a close look at the El Djem Museum with its fantastic mosaic collection. Next, we will visit the famous amphitheatre itself, similar to the Coliseum of Rome. As you climb the upper levels you can picture the crowd of 30,000 cheering on their favourite gladiator as wild beasts waited in the chambers below the middle arena. You will have plenty of time here to explore. After lunch we continue northward via the scenic seaside town of Monastir where we will see the Ribat, or Kasbah, as well as the mausoleum of Habib Bourgiba, the first president of independent Tunisia. We arrive in Sousse in the late afternoon. Overnight in Sousse. Breakfast and dinner 
 
Day 19   Sousse - Nabeul - Hammamet - Thuburbo Maius - Tunis
 
This morning we will have the opportunity to visit the small but impressive Sousse Museum before we begin our journey we travel toward the Cape Bon Region, one of Tunisia's richest agricultural regions, first developed by the French for grape growing. We make a stop at Nabeul to visit a small but interesting museum housing both Punic and Roman artifacts. We also stop at the pleasant city of Hammamet for a tour of its Spanish Fort and its small walled medina. We continue to the old Roman city of Thuburbo Maius. Here we see the Forum, the town's great building, built between the years AD 161 and 192; and the Mercury Temple, which was the home of Mercury, god of trade and thieving. This vast site, with its truly magnificent setting, was abandoned before the 8th century and only rediscovered in the late 19th century. Just before our arrival in Tunis we will travel parallel to the ancient Roman aquaduct the once brought water to Carthage from an inland source 80 km (129 miles) away. We will arrive in Tunis later this afternoon. Overnight in Tunis. Breakfast and dinner.

Day 20   Departure
 
Departure from Tunis. Breakfast. BON VOYAGE!
 

10/09