Waypoint Journeys Presents
Six Minutes. Twenty-Six Centuries.
5 Days · July 31 – August 4, 2027
Benghazi · Cyrene · the Mediterranean Coast
We reply within 24 hours
On August 2, 2027, the Moon's shadow crosses the coast of eastern Libya. Near Benghazi, daylight gives way to roughly six minutes of totality. The sea darkens, the temperature falls, and the Sun's corona appears above a landscape shaped by Greek cities and Roman roads.
We spend the days around it in Cyrenaica: Tocra and Ptolemais along the shore, the monumental Temple of Zeus at UNESCO-listed Cyrene, and Apollonia's ancient harbour. Then we return to Benghazi before eclipse day, with time to prepare and no long road transfer that morning.
Five days, four hotel nights and a maximum of five guests. The $3,745 USD price includes the $600 eastern permit, meals throughout the core expedition, private ground transport and your local guide. Choose a western extension of three, six or thirteen days: the Roman coast, the Nafusa Mountains and Ghadames, or the deep Sahara.
Ancient stone, a darkened sky,
and time to take it all in.
A dedicated August 2 viewing day near Benghazi, with an early start and time for the full eclipse.
Doric columns in the uplands, then an ancient port city with the Mediterranean at its edge.
Tocra and Ptolemais link the sea to the archaeological cities of Cyrenaica.
A small group, a private vehicle and an English-speaking local guide throughout the eastern expedition.
$3,745 per person covers the $600 eastern permit, four hotel nights with breakfast, transport and guide.
Choose a three-, six- or thirteen-day western extension, from the Roman coast to Ghadames, the Nafusa Mountains and the Sahara.
Five days for the eclipse, with three optional western journeys: the Roman coast, Ghadames and the Nafusa Mountains, or the deep Sahara.
One night near Cyrene. Three nights in Benghazi. Eclipse day gets the space it deserves.
Benghazi, Cyrene and the coast
East along the coast to Tocra and Ptolemais, one night in Shahat, Cyrene and Apollonia, then back to Benghazi for the eclipse and city touring.
Meet your guide at Benghazi airport and follow the Mediterranean east. Walk the ancient remains at Tocra, then the columns and streets of Ptolemais, once one of the five great cities of Cyrenaica. Continue into the Jebel Akhdar uplands for dinner and a night near Cyrene.
Plan a morning arrival. Coastal stops are adjusted around flight times and site access.
Overnight: Shahat
Start among the great Doric columns of Cyrene's Temple of Zeus, then explore the archaeological city with your guide. Descend to Apollonia for its ancient theatre and harbour beside the sea. Return to Benghazi for dinner and an eclipse briefing, with cameras charged and the next morning free of a long intercity drive.
The return to Benghazi takes priority. Ras al-Hilal or Qasr Libya can be considered only if timing and access allow.
Overnight: Benghazi
An early departure to our planned viewing area near Benghazi leaves time to settle in before the partial phases begin at about 10:10 am. Around 11:30 am local time, the Moon covers the Sun for approximately six minutes. Stay through the final partial phase, then return to the hotel. Tonight, share a celebratory Libyan dinner.
The exact site is confirmed after local access and permit checks. The Cyrene eclipse image is an illustration, not a promise of viewing inside the ruins.
Overnight: Benghazi
A day with your guide in Libya's eastern capital: the waterfront and old quarters, the seafront lighthouse area, and the story of Omar al-Mukhtar and the city's role in 2011. Local access determines which memorials and historical sites we can enter. Finish with an unhurried farewell dinner.
Visits are arranged around current access. We do not promise entry to active military sites.
Overnight: Benghazi
Breakfast and a private transfer to Benghazi airport for your onward flight. If you choose the western extension, continue to Tripoli for Sabratha, Leptis Magna and the Old City. The domestic connection and extension dates are confirmed with your flight plan.
International flights are booked separately. Ask us to check your arrival and departure plan before purchasing tickets.
Breakfast & airport transfer
The route is planned around the fixed eclipse date. Flight timings, local permissions and site opening can change the order of visits. All core hotel nights and ground transfers remain included.
Sabratha, Leptis Magna and Tripoli Old City. Three days along the Roman coast, with two hotel nights in Tripoli.
3 Days: Sabratha and Leptis Magna
Three days based in Tripoli: west along the coast to Sabratha, east to Leptis Magna, and the Old City and Red Castle before departure.
Met on arrival at Tripoli's Mitiga International Airport. Drive west along the coast to Sabratha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose seaside theatre, temples, and mosaics flourished in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD as a Phoenician-Roman trading port between Africa and the Mediterranean. Return to Tripoli for overnight in a 4★ hotel.
Travel east to Leptis Magna: founded by the Phoenicians and expanded by the Libyan-born Emperor Septimius Severus into one of the most spectacular Roman cities ever built. Walk the Arch of Severus, the basilica, the amphitheatre, the ancient harbour, and the marble forum. Return to Tripoli for overnight.
Explore Tripoli's Old City: its lively souks, the Red Castle Museum, and the Ottoman-era arcades and mosques. If time allows, a coffee by the Mediterranean before transfer to Mitiga Airport for your onward flight.
From $1,400 USD per person, in addition to the eastern eclipse expedition. Single supplement $695 USD. Includes 2 nights of accommodation as described, guide, ground transport, entrance fees and daily breakfast. Other lunches and dinners, visa fees, the Benghazi–Tripoli connecting flight and any extra connection night are separate. Add this western itinerary to your inquiry →
The Roman coast, the Nafusa Mountains and two nights in the UNESCO-listed oasis of Ghadames. Six days, five nights and a deeper look beyond Tripoli.
6 Days: Tripoli to Ghadames
Sabratha on arrival, then across the Nafusa Mountains by Qasr al-Haj and Nalut to the oasis of Ghadames, and back through Kabaw and Gharyan to Tripoli and Leptis Magna.
Met on arrival at Mitiga Airport and driven straight to Sabratha for a guided walk through its Roman theatre, temples, and seafront mosaics. Return to Tripoli for the night.
Cross the Nafusa Mountains, stopping at Qasr al-Haj, a circular fortified granary Berber tribes used for centuries, and Nalut with its hilltop qasr above the desert plain. Carry on to Ghadames, the UNESCO oasis city known as the Pearl of the Desert. Overnight at the traditional Dar Ghadames.
A full day inside old Ghadames, a covered maze of whitewashed houses, shaded passages, and oasis gardens built entirely for desert life. Meet local families, and in the evening an optional Tuareg music performance and dinner. Overnight in Ghadames.
Head back toward the coast through Kabaw, a fortified village with a panoramic castle, and the mountain town of Tarmisah. Stop at Gharyan to see its underground troglodyte homes carved into the earth, then continue to Tripoli for the night.
A full day in the capital. Explore the National Museum, then walk the Ottoman-era Old City with its covered markets, mosques, and the Red Castle above the harbour. Overnight in Tripoli.
A full day at Leptis Magna, one of the most complete Roman cities left anywhere in the world, before an evening transfer to Mitiga Airport for your onward flight.
From $3,045 USD per person, in addition to the eastern eclipse expedition. Single supplement $695 USD. Includes 5 nights of accommodation as described, guide, ground transport, entrance fees and daily breakfast. Other lunches and dinners, visa fees, the Benghazi–Tripoli connecting flight and any extra connection night are separate. Add this western itinerary to your inquiry →
The coast and Ghadames, then the Tadrart Acacus, Maghadet dunes and Ubari Lakes. Thirteen days with desert camping and one return domestic flight included.
13 Days: Tripoli to the Acacus
The coast and Ghadames, then the long road south to Sebha and Ghat, camping in the Acacus and the dunes, the Ubari Lakes, and a flight back to Tripoli.
Met on arrival at Mitiga Airport and driven west to Sabratha for a guided walk through its Roman theatre and seafront temples. Return to Tripoli for the night.
A full day in the capital. The National Museum and its Roman and Garamantian collections, then the Ottoman-era Old City with its covered markets, mosques, and the Red Castle above the harbour. Overnight in Tripoli.
Cross the Berber Nafusa Mountains, stopping at Qasr al-Haj, a circular fortified granary, and Nalut with its hilltop qasr. Continue to Ghadames, the UNESCO oasis known as the Pearl of the Desert. Overnight at the traditional Dar Ghadames.
A full day inside old Ghadames, a covered maze of whitewashed houses, shaded passages, and oasis gardens built for desert life. Meet local families, with an optional Tuareg music evening. Overnight in Ghadames.
Return toward the coast through Kabaw, a fortified village with a panoramic castle, and the mountain town of Tarmisah. Stop at Gharyan to see its underground troglodyte homes, then continue to Tripoli. Overnight in Tripoli.
A full day at Leptis Magna east of Tripoli, one of the most complete Roman cities left anywhere in the world. Return to Tripoli for the night.
Begin the drive south into the interior. A long day on the road brings the first desert overnight in Sebha, at the hotel.
Continue southwest, stopping at Germa, capital of the ancient Garamantes, before reaching Ghat at the edge of the Acacus Mountains. Overnight in Ghat.
Transfer into 4×4s and enter the desert. The Tadrart Acacus is a UNESCO World Heritage site of prehistoric rock art carved into sandstone, natural arches, and golden dunes. Overnight camping under the stars.
A full day deeper into the Acacus, its canyons, rock-art galleries, and towering formations, with the silence of an empty desert. Overnight camping.
Cross into Maghadet, a sea of high golden dunes and some of the most dramatic desert scenery in the Sahara. Overnight camping.
Reach the Ubari Lakes, Gabroun and Umm Al-Maa, turquoise water hidden between high dunes. Transfer to Sebha for a domestic flight back to Tripoli. Overnight in Tripoli.
Transfer to Mitiga Airport for your onward flight.
From $5,845 USD per person, in addition to the eastern eclipse expedition. Single supplement $695 USD. Includes 12 nights of accommodation as described, guide, ground transport, entrance fees and daily breakfast. The desert camping nights also include lunch and dinner; the Sebha–Tripoli return flight is included. Other lunches and dinners, visa fees, the Benghazi–Tripoli connecting flight and any extra connection night are separate. Add this western itinerary to your inquiry →
Choose one western itinerary to add to the eastern eclipse departure. These are the three routes from our regular Libya expedition. The Benghazi–Tripoli connection and combined dates are confirmed separately. Our regular deep-desert season is November to February, so the 13-day route and its camping sections require local-team confirmation for August travel.
Prices are per person in USD, based on twin sharing. Passport-specific approval and escort requirements are checked and any additional costs agreed before confirmation. Confirm entry eligibility and your flight plan with us before buying non-refundable tickets.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Expedition Investment
Our five-day eastern expedition includes the $600 permit, all four hotel nights with breakfast, private ground transport and your local guide. Choose from three western extensions if you want to stay longer.
Core expedition excludes international flights, the US$85 visa fee (online payment available), travel insurance, lunches and dinners, tips and personal expenses. Single supplement $695 USD on the eclipse expedition and on each western option. Western options also include daily breakfast; lunches and dinners are separate except full board during desert camping on the 13-day route. Its return domestic flight is included; the Benghazi–Tripoli connection is separate for every extension. August availability, passport requirements and combined dates are confirmed before booking.
Reserve Your SpotLibya requires careful planning. We coordinate permits, transfers and site access with local partners and confirm passport-specific entry requirements before booking. Review your government's current travel advice and arrange suitable insurance; local conditions can require itinerary changes.
