North Africa Grand Crossing
18- Day : Tunisia, Libya and Egypt

Here's the best way to see the best of North Africa : Tunisia , Egypt, Libya & the Great North African Desert in only seventeen days. Tour starts in Tunisia on the first Thursday of every month
Add Morocco

Libya far more than vast sweeps of desert. As you'll see on this tour, Libya is a country of extraordinary and unexpected variety, so rich that it was coveted and conquered in turn by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and Byzantines-all of whom left their mark. During six days with five overnights, we'll travel to the province known to the Greeks as Cyrenaica, and see the ruins of Cyrene, Apollonia, Ptolemais and Gasr. We'll ascend to Jabel Akhdar, where the precious moisture allows a unique flora and fauna flourish. And we'll follow the route of Rommel's famed Afrika Korps to where it met its match at Tobruk in World War II. And then it's onward, to continue your travels through Egypt. The connections are seamless, thanks to our inside knowledge and local contacts .

Be among the first to rediscover Tunisia . Explore the key sites both within the city and nearby in the old-new land of Tunisia .Fantasy, pleasure, and enlightenment, in the Tunisia of Star Wars O yes, galactic traveller, there is a land where fabled cities arise from the sand, where gnomes have left behind their warrens of dwellings, where sleek craft hover millimeters above the surface, free from gravitational bonds. Green oases and palm-fringed beaches promise extraterrestrial pleasures. The land is Tunisia.

Compare with the Nile Cruise version in Egypt

Day 1 -Tunis - Sousse - Thursday :(D)
Our local staff will meet you upon arrival at Tunis Carthage International Airport. You'll be assisted with the formalities, and escorted to or Sousse and your 4 stars hotel , Hasdrubal Thalassa and Spa or a similar moderate first class hotel. Complimentary welcome dinner at your hotel
Arrivée à Monastir ou Tunis accueil, transfer et installation en hôtel 4*à dans la région de Sousse.
Complimentary dinner served at the hotel.

DAY 2 - El Djem -Roman Amphitheater - SFAX , GABES- Friday (BLD)
Our busy day starts after an early breakfast , and a tour of Sousse,then on to El Djem, we'll marvel at an ancient Roman amphitheater , before we head for Sfax , Lunch will be served at a comfortable four-star hotel tour the medina . Dinner and overnight a your Syfax Hotel ( 4 stars ) or similar .

DAY 3 - SFAX , GABES, MATMATA - DOUZ - Saturday (BLD)
After breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the coastal city of Gabes, a Roman outpost of old and a traditional market center where, for centuries, goods from across the sea and across the desert have changed hands. We'll visit the oasis, where palm groves and gardens flourish. Our route takes us through terrain of increasingly sparse grasses and shrubs, into the desert to Matmata. We'll stop to look in on a community of miniature underground houses, (Troglodyte dwellings ) where the earliest settlers sheltered from the extremes of the desert above -- as do the Berbers of today. Continue on to Douz where we'll settle in to comfortable lodgings and dinner at a four-star hotel : El Mouradi Douz Hotel or similar.

Day 4- MATMATA- Ksar Hadada - Tatouine - Sunday (BL)
Tataouine, Ksar Region:
A Ksar (plural Ksour) is a fortified village built in a distinctive style
Usually the Berbers built their Ksour on top of a hill from mud One of the best preserved Ksour in Tunisia is at Ksar Ouled Soltane near Tataouine. Lucas film used Ksar Hadada for shooting some scene. It was used as a Mos Espa background where Qui-Gon (Jedi Master ) and Shmi ( Anakin's mother) speak of Anakin's parentage .

Today we visit Ksar Hadada and Ghomrassen, then on to Tatouine , lunch will be served at one of the local three-star hotels. In the afternoon we'll visit Cheninin and Douiret villages. Overnight at Sangho Tatouine Hotel ( 3 stars )

Située au Sud-Est de la Tunisie à 520 Km de la capitale Tunis.

Tataouine se caractérise par ces villages berbères (Chenini, Douiret, Ghermassa, Ghomrassen ...) et ces Ksours sahariens (Ksar Znata et Ksar Aouadid à Maztouria, Ksar Ouled Dabbeb, Ksar Ouled Soltane, Ksar Ezzahra, Ksar Haddada, .. )

Ksar Haddada:
Situé à environ 6 km, au nord de Ghomrassen, et à 19 km au nord de Chenini. Groupe de Ghorfa à un seul étage qui servaient de grenier pour quelques nomades de la localité. Bien conservées, elles ont été converties depuis 1968 en gîtes d'étape. Hôtel au confort rudimentaire, on accède à la Ghorfa par les branches d'oliviers fixées sur les murs. Ce genre de construction est donc mieux adapté à l'ensilage qu'à l'hébergement. Mais on appréciera la fraîcheur de cet habitat isotherme, en pleine canicule. Les murs immaculés de blanc, la ghorfa est décorée de motifs géométriques, de moulage de pieds ou de mains dessinées dans l'enduit, pareils aux motifs des tatouages. cet hôtel est actuellement fermé mais le Ksar est ouvert au public.

Ksar Ouled Soltane:Situé à 47 Km de Tataouine, ce grenier fortifié est encore partiellement habité. Les ghorfa, de 4 à5 étages, se superposent autour de deux cours photogéniques, dont l'une date du XVème siècle environ, et l'autre du début du XIXème siècle. L'enduit couvrant les pierres des façades a été ajouté lors de la restauration de ce Ksar, qui semble être construit en pâte à modeler. Les escaliers acrobatiques extérieurs qui courent sur les façades contribuent à cette architecture insolite. Ksar Ouled Soltane est à juste titre l'un des plus imposants de la région. Il est appelé à être un important relais touristiques et culturel.

DAY 5 - TUNISIA / LIBYA - Monday (BLD)
You'll head out after breakfast, and in short order, reach Tunisia's eastern border. After you'll pass through the formalities of customs and immigration at Ras Ajdir, our Libyan personnel will take over and see to your needs for the rest of the way. Our journey continues by road to Sabratha, site of a fine Roman city. We'll tour the ruins and visit the classical museum, and learn about Libya's key position on ancient trade routes. In the afternoon, we continue on into Tripoli, the busy capital of Libya, and settle into our lodgings for the next three nights. You can relax in the evening, or venture out to explore the modern quarters of the town, or the winding lanes of the old city . Check on weather in Tripoli . The climate of Tripoli is Mediterranean with hot dry summers, cool winters and some modest rainfall. Weather can be variable, influenced by the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea which moderates daily temperature ranges.

DAY 6 - TRIPOLI - Tuesday (BLD)
After breakfast, we'll take you for a drive through town to the Tripoli Museum, housing treasures of Libyan history from Roman times and earlier. We'll venture into the Old Town, and along the winding lanes of the souks, where in age-old fashion, merchants and customers haggle over local handicrafts and produce, treasures from across the desert, and practical items from over the seas. We'll see the venerable arch of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Gurgi Mosque, and the Karamanly Museum. Afterwards, you'll be free to explore on your own, and possibly to return to the souks to try your hand at bargaining for some of the crafts and treasures that you spied earlier.

DAY 7 - LEPTIS MAGNA, SILIN - Wednesday (BLD)
We'll spend most of today at Leptis Magna, about 130 kilometers from Tripoli. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered the best-preserved Roman city in Africa. The enormous amphitheater and the remains of fine buildings testify to the city's former importance. After gaining insights into the old city at the ruins and in the museum, we'll continue to the delightful and largely intact Roman villa at Silin, with its remarkably lifelike mosaics and frescoes.

DAY 8 - BENGHAZI, PTOLEMAIS - Thursday (BLD)
We'll head off after breakfast to the airport, and board our plane. It's a flight of under an hour to Benghazi. From there, we'll set out immediately for the ancient port of Ptolemais, founded by the Hellenic dynasty of Egypt. We'll view the great cisterns and Mausoleum, and more artifacts in the museum, where we'll learn about the kingdoms that vied for Libya in ancient times. Then it's off to the surprisingly fertile highlands of Jabel Akhdar. In Gasr Libya, we'll see a Byzantine church with a mosaic floor, and view another mosaic with the only panels known to show ancient Alexandria. Our stop for the night is El Beyda, where we'll lodge in the modest and welcoming three-star Gasr El Beyda Hotel.

DAY 9 - CYRENE, APOLLONIA, TOBRUK- Friday (BLD)
We set out after breakfast for Cyrene, the Greek city that once rivaled Athens. Impressive temples to Zeus and Apollo remain Then it's off to Apollonia, Cyrene's ancient port, with a surviving Byzantine palace, theater, and baths. Late in the afternoon, we'll reach Tobruk, where we'll overnight at the comfortable Masira Hotel.

DAY 10 - TOBRUK, ON TO EGYPT and Mersa Matrouh - Saturday (BL)
We've followed in the path of Rommel to reach Tobruk. Today, 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. Rommel's push ended here, but not yours. You'll continue to the border of Egypt, where our Libyan personnel will bid you good-bye, and entrust you to your Egyptian hosts. On to Mersa Matrouh and overnight at a modest 4 stars hotel. ( Always with private facilities)

DAY 11 - EL ALAMEIN - Sunday (BL)
We'll cross into another era of history today, as we motor westward through the dunes along the Mediterranean coast, following the route of Field Marshall Montgomery to El Alamein. Here we'll visit the fields of battle where Rommel's advance on Cairo was finally halted. We'll visit the museum. Lunch included at el Alamein, before we head back to Mersa Matrouh, remainder of the day at leisure

DAY 12 - SIWA, ORACLE OF AMON- Monday (BLD)
It's back to ancient days as we follow the pilgrimage route of Alexander the Great to the Oracle of Amon. He marched westward along the Mediterranean coast, then inland (south) to the great oasis of Siwa. His aim was to visit the great temple of Amun which, tradition says, his legendary "ancestors" Heracles and Perseus had visited. He entered the temple and was hailed by the priests as pharaoh, the son of Amun. He then had a private audience with the High Priestess of the oracle, who proclaimed him to be a god, the son of Zeus. She predicted that he would conquer vast territories. He did. Leaving Egypt, he marched into Persia conquering all who came before him, all the way to what is now Lahore in Pakistan. On his return trip, however, he fell ill and died‹at the ripe age of 33 in Babylon.


Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria.
Just after he defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony ( 30 B.C) . He left his coat as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb.

According to ancient inscriptions, Alexander's body was returned to Egypt and buried but where?

Both Siwa and Alexandria are possibilities. His tomb has not yet been identified for sure. At Gebel Mawta, we'll see tombs of the Greco-Roman era, including one that's reputed to be Alexander's own tomb. At Siwa, we'll see an ancient fortress with winding alleyways, and the Temple of Amon, where Alexander's divinity and legitimacy were proclaimed. Within a short distance, we'll traverse centuries as we visit Cleopatra's Pool, a Roman outpost, and a Ptolemaic temple. Our lunch break will be at the springs of Ain Sharouf, where we might get to take a dip.

DAY 13 - SIWA, ALEXANDRIA - Tuesday (BLD)
We'll retrace the desert route to Alexandria this morning (the portion never completed by Rommel), As the gateway to Egypt, the Nile and Africa, Alexandria has been contested by armies and navies ever since. In 1798, Lord Nelson defeated Napoleonıs navy just east of Alexandria.

In 1807 the British occupied the city. In 1941, General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps stormed across North Africa all the way to El Alamein, only 70 miles west of Alexandria. Rommel was driven back in desperate fighting by British forces under the command of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, yet another of the many generals to have struggled for control of this strategic land.

Today you 'll have the rest of the day free, to stroll the Corniche, acquire mementos of our trip, or look in on daily life in the ancient capital of Cleopatra. Lunch is served enroute . Dinner is included at the hotel in Alexandria.

DAY 14 - ALEXANDRIA - Wednesday (BL)
Conqueror of the Mediterranean Coast - Alexander the Great
In 332 BC, Egypt was laboring under Persian military control when Alexander the Great arrived to drive out the invaders without the shedding of a drop of blood. The Persian governor surrendered and the conquering hero was hailed as a liberator and given Egypt's double crown symbolizing control of Upper and Lower Egypt. Alexander reinstated Egypt's traditional government and founded the city of Alexandria at the countryıs most important crossroads: where the Nile meets the Mediterranean. . Today, we'll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the Greco-Roman Museum, the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Tombs, the fortress of Kayet Bey, and the Museum of the Crown Jewels. After lunch in an Alexandrine restaurant, on to : Qayet Bey Fortress housing recovered items from the French Fleet & Napoleons Flag Ship " L'Orient", sunk by the British & Admiral Nelson, east of Alexandria.

Napoleon in Egypt:

From the Pharaohs to Napoleon: Discoveries Continue in Alexandria. Even today ( Sep 2003) , the treasures of Egypt are still being rediscovered—sometimes spanning millennia in a single location!

The Egyptian Department of Antiquity recently revealed the existence of a Pharaonic tomb dating from 400 BC on Nelson Island, just four kilometers from Alexandria’s Abu Qir Bay. Finds by a team of Italian archeologists included three mummies, along with earthenware utensils, statues, and figurines adorned with texts from the Book of the Dead.

But that’s not all. The English sank Napoleon’s fleet at Abu Qir in 1798, and the excavations yielded a treasure trove from the battle: the remains of soldiers, sailors and officers in uniforms, along with military gear, rosaries, and coffins and body wrappings, all well preserved in Mediterranean sands. There were even skeletons of newborns, as family members accompanied officers aboard ship.

As these exciting discoveries are catalogued and protected, many are sure to be placed in the collection of the Qeit Bey Castle Museum, which already houses relics from Napoleon’s fleet.

Qayet Bey Fort was built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous Alexandria Light House. A brief stop at " El Selsela" the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the Crown Jewels Museum, then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library before heading back to your hotel.

DAY 15 - ALEXANDRIA/ Wadi El Natroun / Cairo - Thursday (BL)
After breakfast we 'll visit the new museum in Alexandria , the building was originally built in 1926 for the US consulate in Alexandria and is a masterpiece in 1920's architecture & Mediterranean style buildings on to Wadi El Natroun monastery almost midway to Cairo in the middle of the Sahara , where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo late afternoon and your hotel.

DAY 16 - Pharaonic Giza - Friday (cBL)
Today we tour Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser & Nobles tombs/Mastabas, The Serapeum, Unas, Pyramid of Teti and key Mastabas.
In the afternoon the tour takes us to Dahshour, the pyramid field south of Cairo:only-opened few years back after Sadat signed the peace treaty with Israel, and the Army did let go of this strategically "important" area.

DAHSOUR - we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:

The "Discovery" of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru's pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza's Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru's--miraculously--is still in place. We'll tour as well the famous "Bent" Pyramid.

DAY 17- CAIRO -Home Hosted Family Dinner - Saturday (cBLD)
The Culture of Cairo

Today we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions. We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and exotic.

You’ll see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.

Then it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles, swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great decorative traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the many who passed this way.

Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 18 - RETURN HOME Sunday (B)
After breakfast, our Cairo staff will accompany you to the airport, where you'll board your flight to start your journey home. This tour departs weekly .

Photo Credit Osama Abdel A'al - Click here for more images from the Oases

Bon Voyage

RATES per person in USD

International airfare is not included from / to your home country

Category A class hotels :
Five-star Sheraton / Hilton / Meridien in Cairo
Five-star Corinthia Bab Africa in Tripoli (www.corinthiahotels.com)
Alexandria : Sheraton, Hilton, Palestine Montazah Hotel
Siwa Oases Egypt:Hilton Borg El Arab or Safari Paradise Siwa

Category B class hotels :
Novotel / Maadi / Oases in Cairo
Yosser Hotel in Tripoli (newly renovated, near old town and Tripoli Museum)
Alexandria : Sheraton, Hilton, Palestine Montazah Hotel
Siwa Oases Egypt:Hilton Borg El Arab or Safari Paradise Siwa

In Tunisia it is four -star accommodation as listed.

In Libya, surprises are the order of the day! An invitation to a refreshing glass of mint tea while you browse in a shop . . . an encounter with a humble desert dweller . . . a gust of wind and a swirl of sand, followed by perfect stillness, and vistas under an endless blue sky.

You'll find sometimes that your tour schedule will be switched to accommodate changes in conditions. You might even start with your last day and proceed resolutely to the first! Your hotels will have facilities that match their ratings, and idiosyncrasies in service on the upside and downside, but always with a warm welcome.

It's all part of the experience and privilege of going where few have gone. Be flexible and ready for surprises. If that's not you, don't worry, we offer myriad options elsewhere tailored to your requirements and expectations.

Rate Includes:

• Hotel accommodation with tax as listed , and troglodyte accommodation
• All transfers in Tunisia, Egypt & Libya .
• Guided sightseeing including all entrance fees as per itinerary , always by air conditioned sedan/van or mini bus ( 15 - 24 seater) .
• Pre set meals as listed including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• Tunisia, Egypt & Libya and travel guide books.
• Egyptian Visa:
  Will be issued on a complimentary basis for American, Australian, NZ, Western European, Canadian , Singaporean & Japanese citizens, your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of arrival. These nationalities do not require visa for Tunisia.

Not Included :

• Any International Airfare from/to your home country
• Tips.
• Beverages with meals
• Travel Insurance ( we'll be glad to mail you the flyer)
• Visa for Libya , please secure in your home country prior to arrival.

Libya Home Page * Tunisia Home Page * Egypt Home Page

Jacquie Kennedy & Abu Simbel:

All Americans alive during the 1960s remember President John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Most Americans from that time also remember Abu Simbel, the dramatic, ancient Pharaonic temple threatened by the rising waters blocked by the new Aswan High Dam. It's worth remembering that it was Jacquie Kennedy who provided crucial support for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have been lost. Read More

Tripoli hotels ( Five Stars ) :

Corinthia ( Bab Africa ) ( Five star Superior)
Tel: +218 21 3351990 Fax: +218 21 3351992 Email: tripoli@corinthia.com

Al Mahari : Tel: + 218 21 3334092/ 95 Fax: + 218 21 4449502 Email: info@libyaninvestment.com

Al Kabir : Tel: + 218 21 4445950 / 58 Fax: + 218 21 4445959 Email info@libyaninvestment.com

Bab Al Bahr : Tel: + 218 21 3350710/ 3350676 Fax: + 218 21 3350711 Email info@libyaninvestment.com

Libya Home Page