Tour program and cost quotation

Immediately on receipt of your request for a tour to Libya identifying number   of persons, duration of tour and destinations desired, we shall prepare a tour program to meet clients' needs and desires, illustrating itinerary, scope of services, the main features of tour and cost quotation. And upon confirmation of offered program we will start arrangements to conduct your tour accordingly.

      Entry visa and registration

On receipt of personal data, we will take the action to grant the visa for the client. Upon arrival in Libya we shall process registration on behalf of clients.

      Visa application process

• We will notify you once the embassy has received your official invitation letter from us.

• You will then need to deliver your passport, tow photographs, and filled application form. This can be done by e-mail or in person.

• Before you hand in your passport, you must make sure it has your passport information translated into Arabic and printed in your passport by an official translator.

• The visa takes from a few days to tow weeks to be issued depending on location.

• Please bear on mind that there is a fee to be paid for the issue of the visa. This fee should vary between 30 and 50 Euros.

• People with an Israeli visa stamp on their passport will not be issued the      Libyan visa.

• Your Passport must be valid for at least 6 months from date of applying for the visa.

• Visa must be issued not earlier than 45 days before your entry into Libya and will be good for a stay of a total of 30 days. Your stay can be extended an additional 30 days upon arrival in Libya.                                    

      Transportation

Throughout tour and according to number of persons in any one group, there will be either, Sedan, Minibus or Coaches vehicles available for surface transportation in coastal areas and paved roads. In desert areas Four Wheel Drive 4WD vehicles shall be used. And domestic flights tickets according to itinerary and tour details.

      Accommodation

We will be in charge for all the expenses for food, the accommodations in hotels with higher standards and transport.                                               Overnights in cities and towns will be booked in decent 3 to 5 star hotels as per client request. The hotel-rooms will be with WC and shower.                          It is possible to make reservations for single rooms.                                      In desert areas permanent or temporary (mobile) camps will be used for accommodation. However, clients are advised to bring their private sleeping bags, and we shall take care of all other camping equipments and facilities.

      Catering

Tourists shall be privileged with various and interesting variety of eating in    and out; in hotels, restaurants, packed meals and camp cooked food.         Tour could also include some Folklore shows complete with traditional meal service (Optional; upon client's request), where tourists can savor traditional Libyan cuisine.

      Tourist guides and companions

Group shall be accompanied by a bi-lingual escort all through tour, as well as local guides at historical sites and locations.                                                                   Guides available in the following languages: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic. In cities at cultural sites and in the desert, local guides  are available to explain things of cultural, historical and natural significance.

      Entry fees into touristic sites

Tour program shall include costs of entry fees into historical and archeological sites and locations as planned in itinerary. Photographers shall be obliged to  pay photographic fees of 5 LD for each still camera used at site, and 10 LD for motion picture and video cameras.

      Group size

No limited for group size, we can organize tours for  individual or groups, upon your request.

      Included services

• Domestic Airfare include in Tour Price.

• Hotel accommodation as mentioned.

• Transfer from airports to hotels and from hotels to airports by A/C modern mini bus or coach depending upon the group size.

• All portage charges at hotels.

• English or French or German or Italian…. etc spoken local tour guide as requested.

• All entrance fees to included museums and archaeological sites

• Meals plan: Full board.

• Refreshment stops en route coffee & tea & soft drinks.

• Visa cost.

• Passport registration for normal immigration formalities.

• Visa Support as required.

• Camp equipment, tents, mattress, blanket. Cooking and catering equipment.   

      Not included services

• International flights.

• Excess baggage charges.

• Personal Insurances.

• Camera and video entrance fees to the sites and museums.

• Extra service in hotels such as phone calls & laundry & room service… etc.

• Tips: Gratuities to Drivers & Guides.

      Food

Libya offers a mix of Arabic and Mediterranean food which appeals to a tourist palate. Fresh food, vegetables and fruits are readily available in most Libyan settlements. Breakfasts in the desert are generally fresh bread (local bread is excellent) with butter, cheese, jam or honey. A choice of hot drinks is available.                                                                                                                                                Lunch is a mix of cold vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, olives, tomato and beans with tuna or sardines and cold boiled eggs. Fruit juice and tea are also provided.                                                                  After an evening coffee or normal tea with nuts and biscuits comes a three-course supper of soup then a meal of potato, rice, kus-kus or pasta with vegetables and meat (often camel meat).                                         Vegetarians would be provided with extra beans. Lastly some fruit salad and  tea are served.                                                                                Green tea making in the desert is a ritual which takes place at all possible occasions. It is likely you will have some fresh Tuareg bread made on one or two evenings using the hot embers of the wood fire. Tea and coffee are popular drinks in Libya. Green tea is taken hot or cold with mint and sugar.               

      Camping & accommodation

Hotel accommodations are provided where indicated.                 Accommodations in fixed camps are as indicated if any.                              We provide tents "Igloo style nylon with covered floor", space of the tent sleeps 2-3 persons.                                                                            Also we provide soft rolls about 10cm thick and blankets if required but clients must bring their own sleeping bags, deferent types of sleeping bags are available for sell in Tripoli in the case the client did not bring sleeping bags. Most of accommodations during desert tour will be in an open air camps, hot water will be arranged by guide every morning for the client to wash, as for showers during the desert tours will be available at hotels or built camps "New Gaber-Oun camp", or the clients can use the water wells as they pass them by during excursion in desert.                                                                   New Gaber-Oun camp: located in the village of New Gaber-Oun (150 KM west   of Sebha and 45 Km south of Lake Gaber-Oun), the room of the camp are built with bricks, and furnished with (two beds & or one large bed), but no TV or telephone in the rooms and for long distance calls the clients can use the post of office of the village, the shower and toilets are separate from the rooms, it has a restaurant of can serve hot and cold drink.                                Akakus, Wadi-Teshuinat, Messak-Mellet and Metkhandosh, the accommodations will be in open air camp, the clients will be using the tents and we’ll provide the soft rolls and the tents and the clients bring their own sleeping bags, and as for showers the clients usually use the wells during the excursion or wait until they arrive to the hotel.

      Typical day

Usually our tours start 8.00 a.m. and end at about 6 p.m. We serve breakfast starting at 7.30 a.m. and our breakfast includes: bread, cheese, jam, milk, tea and coffee. We will prepare lunch between 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. Lunch includes salads, bread and juice.                                                          Depending on the temperatures we will have a little rest after our lunch break. Dinner is served between 7.30 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. and will be a hot meal like soup, bread, juice, tea, a Libyan dish (like Couscous), rice, macaroni, meat and fruits. Of course, every day will be different depending on the weather conditions, the length of our tours or the sightseeing sites we are going to visit. Of course, we are very willing to satisfy individual wishes among the members  of our group (for example a special diet for vegetarians).

      Packing for your trip

A complete list of clothing and personal gear is contained in explorer's ‘General information booklet’, available only after a booking has been accepted.       make a few specific recommendations with regard to your tour.                      A day sac, torch (with spare batteries), sun hat, high factor sun cream, sunglasses and a water bottle are essential. Comfortable shoes/trainers for exploring rocky and sometimes thorny sites, and sandals.

      Communications

Telephone service is available and the country code is +218 with the outgoing international code being 00.                                                                 There are a lot of internet cafes in Tripoli and many of the hotels have internet access. Postal services are available in all main town.

      Shopping

Some of things to bring with you, film for the camera is recommended. Film can of course be bought but it is far more expensive than in most Western countries and you will often have problems finding your brand due to the ongoing embargo of Libya. Sougs in the main towns are the workplaces of many weavers, copper, gold and silver smiths as well as leatherworkers. There are numerous other stalls selling a variety of items including spices, metal engravings and various pieces of jewelers. You are not expected to barter in the marketplace.

      Dress in religion places

Please dress sensitively in accordance with Muslim traditions and avoid wearing revealing clothing. Legs should be covered when entering a Mosque and women must also cover their shoulders and heads.

      Changing money

For changing cash, large denomina­tion euros, US dollars or British pounds are the preferred currencies. It's also now possible to obtain a cash advance on your VisaCard or MasterCard. The Masraf Al-Tijara Watanmiya (Bank of Commerce & Development) and The masraf Al-aman (Aman bank for commerce & Investment), with branches in Tripoli and Benghazi, are the only banks to do this. for more information , visit the bank official website:

• Bank of Commerce & Development

• Aman bank for commerce & Investment

      Transport in Sahara

During all our tours through the Sahara we will travel with Jeeps (4wheel drive) Our drivers are very experienced (most of them are Tuareg); they are born in the Sahara and know the routes inside out. Also, experienced guides  accompany our groups and will explain the sightseeing sites and special landscape during our trip. In every (4 wheel drive) four people will travel.