6-Day Libyan Heritage Tour through Ghadames, Leptis Magna and Tripoli

• Pick up at the airport in Tripoli and continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sabratha, initially founded in the 4th century BC. It later fell under Greek influence before Rome took hold in the 1st century AD.
• The most spectacular monument is the Theatre, featuring 108 Corinthian columns rising 20 metres above the stage.
• Below the stage, you will see marble friezes depicting mythological figures, including the Three Graces, the Judgement of Paris, and the Nine Muses.
• We also see the Punic Mausoleum of Bes, the Temple of Antoninus, the Temple of Zeus, the Court of Justice, and the great Roman Forum.

• Today, we leave Tripoli and drive into the Berber heartland of the Jabal Nafusa.
• Our first stop will be Qasr al-Haj, where we will visit the most beautiful Berber granary, qasr (castle), in Libya.
• We continue to Nalut and then to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ghadames, known as the "Jewel of the Sahara," where we stay for two nights.

Overnight in Ghadames.

• Entering via the ancient gateway of Bab al-Burr, today we explore the labyrinthine streets and enclosed passages of Ghadames' old town, visit the various small squares, the old mosque, and a madrasa (Koranic school), see the fruit and vegetable gardens, and view the ancient system of irrigation.
• Lunch (included) will be taken in a richly decorated traditional house in an age-old manner, sitting on the floor and eating from shared dishes.
• Climb onto the roof of the house to see where the women, forbidden to wander the streets alone, would use the rooftops as a thoroughfare.
• We also visit the Ghadames Museum, which has historical and ethnographic displays.
• Later in the afternoon, we climb aboard four-wheel-drive vehicles to visit Ras al-Ghoul (Summit of the Ghost), the remains of an ancient Roman fort, before heading for the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental, bordering Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia, to watch the sunset.

Overnight in Ghadames.

• Leaving Ghadames, head back into the Jabal Nafusa to visit another ancient qasr at Kabaw before driving to the abandoned village of Tormisa with its stunning clifftop views.
• Continue to Gharyan to visit a troglodyte house and the pottery stalls for which the town is famous.

Road mileage today: 570 km.

Overnight in Tripoli.

• Enjoy a full-day excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Leptis Magna, the world's largest and best-preserved Roman city, which came to prominence in the 2nd century AD under its native son, Emperor Septimus Severus.
• Visit the sites including the triumphal Arch of Septimus Severus, the Hadrianic Baths complex, the Palaestra (athletics ground), the Nymphaeum (Temple of Nymphs), the vast Imperial Forum, the Basilica, the Arches of Tiberius and Trajan, the Theatre with its beautiful backdrop against the Mediterranean Sea, the Sanctuary of the Divine Emperors, and the Market with its unique kiosks which, at the time of construction, were a groundbreaking design in the Roman world.

Overnight in Tripoli.

Road mileage today: 280 km.

• We start the tour by visiting Tripoli, known as the "White Bride of the Mediterranean." The walled old town of Tripoli encloses, arguably, the most charming medina in all of North Africa.
• After lunch in an old town restaurant, we will explore the warren of streets and alleyways, including the bustling souks, each devoted to a different trade, the historical house of the 18th-century governor Karamanli, the 16th-century Dragut Mosque, the burial place of the famous pirate of that name, Gorgi Mosque, the British Consulate, the former Turkish Prison, now a school, St. George's Orthodox Church, the Ottoman clock tower, and the sole surviving building of Roman Oea, the 2nd-century Arch of Marcus Aurelius.
• Transfer to the airport, where your tour concludes.