Libya · October 3 - 24 2025

21 Day Libya Remote Sahara Expedition

Visit the remotest corners of the Sahara of Libya

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Description

Overview

Get an intense introduction to Libya, starting from the vibrant city of Tripoli, taking in its beguiling Medina.

The goals are to reach both the deep canyons of the Tadrart Acacus, where we will marvel at millennia-old prehistoric cave paintings hidden among towering arches, and the vast open sands of the south, all while sharing campfires with welcoming Tuareg families who have navigated this desert for generations.

Highlights

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Wandering Forests of Dragon Blood Trees

Socotra's most iconic and famous sight is the unusual endemic dragon blood tree. The Firhmin Forest is home to the largest population of them in the world.

Explore Socotra's Wild Beaches

Socotra's beaches are among the most beautiful and empty the world over, many fringed by craggy cliffsides and mountainous dunes.

Journey Toward the Center of the Earth

Home to many caves, wander between stalactites and stalagmites in the massive Hoq Cave.

Sit in a Natural Infinity Pool

Enjoy panoramic views from a naturally formed rock pool overlooking the Arabian Sea.

Itinerary

Hadiboh | Homhil Protected Area

Day 1

Be met by your local Socotri guide on arrival at Socotra International Airport. Collect your bags, go through formalities and head into the main town of Hadiboh. Here you will have an early lunch before making the drive to Homhil Protected Area.
Homhil is home to a scattering of Socotra’s fascinating endemics including the famed Dragon blood tree, bottle trees, and frankincense trees. Meander among these rare plant species and to a natural infinity pool that you undoubtedly have to see to believe.
In the afternoon spend your time checking out the interesting plant life around and taking a much-needed swim in the Homhil pool that overlooks the Arabian Sea.

Included

Lunch

Dinner

Homhil Protected Area | Arher | Ras Erissel

Day 2

Today we get an early start and trek down from Homhil to a village on the coast where your 4WD awaits to take you to the sugary white sand dunes of Arher.
In the afternoon, explore the areas further east around Ras Erissel before heading back to your camp at Arher where you can climb to the top of the mountainous dunes to catch an unbelievable sunset.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Arher | Hoq Cave | Di Hamri Marine Area

Day 3

For those ambitious, catch the sunrise from atop Arher Dune before breakfast. From here we’ll continue toward the massive Hoq Cave. We will get dropped off near a village from which we will make the approximately two hour trek uphill and into the mouth of the cave.
Once to the mouth of Hoq Cave, we will continue our walk roughly 1.5 kilometers into the earth. Make sure to bring a headlamp or torch to see the impressive stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave formations. Once we’ve finished exploring the cave it’s time to make the jaunt back down to the village and continue onto Di Hamri.
Di Hamri, meaning ‘two rocks’ in Socotri is named after the impossible-to-miss double-red rocky outcropping that sits adjacent to the wide coral-filled bay. Spend the afternoon snorkeling in Socotra’s main marine protected area in search of parrotfish, turtles, sharks, and more.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Di Hamri | Dixsam Plateau | Wadi Dirhur

Day 4

From Di Hamri we pick up camp and make way toward Socotra’s central highlands on the Dixsam Plateau. Here you’ll have the opportunity to wander amongst some the largest and oldest dragon blood trees on Socotra.
In the afternoon, we’ll make a trip down into Wadi Dirhur and take a short trek along the valley floor to a small chain of pools before heading back up onto the plateau for the night.
For those interested in stargazing, the Dixsam Plateau is one of the best places on Socotra Island for viewing the stars- even better if viewed with the silhouette of a Dixsam dragon.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Dixsam Plateau | Firhmin Forest | Omaq Beach | Zahek Dunes

Day 5

Catch the sunrise over the dragon blood trees of Dixsam Plateau before taking a ride back down into Wadi Dirhur and back up the other side and into the Firhmin Forest.
Firhmin Forest is home to the densest population of dragon blood trees on Socotra, and therefore, the world! It’s estimated that there are over 9,000 dragon blood trees in this forest.
Once you’ve had your fix on the most famous of Socotra’s endemics, continue south to Socotra’s Indian Ocean Coast to your camp at blinding white Omaq Beach. In the late afternoon head to nearby Zahek Dunes

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Omaq Beach | Dagub Cave | Detwah Lagoon

Day 6

After breakfast, depart Omaq Beach to explore the cavernous Dagub Cave briefly before taking a jaunt back across the island and to the northeast to reach the idyllic Detwah Lagoon.
In Detwah spend the afternoon relaxing in the most turquoise waters, get in on a game of football with some local teens, or maybe catch the well-known Abdullah the Caveman who may take you out to explore around the lagoon.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Detwah Lagoon | Qalansiya | Shua’ab Beach

Day 7

After an early breakfast, make the short drive to the second-largest town on Socotra of Qalansiya. From the beach in Qalansiya we will load up into local dhow fishing boats and cruise along Socotra’s rugged western coast down to the impossibly white sands of Shua’ab Beach. Keep your eyes peeled as you leave Qalansiya for jumping spinner dolphins who frequent the area.
After a perfect final beach day in Socotra, head back for Qalansiya in the early afternoon (the waters around here get notoriously rough later in the day) and then enjoy your final sunset and dinner back at Detwah Lagoon.
*Note that due to rough seas in the autumn months, we sometimes cannot reach Shua’ab. In the event we cannot get to Shua’ab, we will have an alternative activity in the morning.

Included

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Detwah Lagoon | Hadiboh Airport

Day 8

Following breakfast, you will be dropped off at Hadiboh Airport to catch your flight to Abu Dhabi to continue your journey home (or elsewhere).

Included

Breakfast

What's included

  • Meals as noted on itinerary
  • Camping equipment (tent, blanket, sleeping mat)
  • Perrmits and Documentations
  • 4WD transport
  • English-speaking local guide
  • Entry fees
  • Libyan visa
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal spending
  • Discretionary tips for local staff

Hosts

Giulio Aprin

Expedition Lead
Giulio Aprin is an explorer and photographer based in Italy. Founder of the Wild Man Life Journal. He is passionate about remote places on the planet with a focus on desert and hard-to-access regions. He enjoys pizza at anytime of the day, hiking, climbing, and any outdoor activity possible. Giulio's adventures include .........

Giulio maintains a proprietary network across Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. He has collaborated with various Ministries of Tourism across the past 10 years. Despite the challenges, Giulio gravitates to regions often overlooked due to geopolitical strife and lack of tourism infrastructure.

GiulioAprin

Next Departures

8 Day Socotra Expedition (including Abu Dhabi-Socotra-Abu Dhabi Airfare)

The Best of Socotra

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FAQs

This 21 Day Libya Remote Sahara Expedition will begin and end in Tripoli, Libya. The trip starts the morning of October 3rd and ends the evening of October 12th.

This 21 Day Libya Remote Sahara Expedition is rated as moderate to difficult. This means that we will be trekking for long hours each day.

You can expect long days of trekking, up to 18 kilometers | 11 miles (7-10 hours) at the longest. You should expect to carry a pack with roughly 5-10 kg of weight each day with your water, camera, layering clothing, and any other necessities.

Many nationalities can enter Morocco visa-free. A handful require an e-visa and some nationalities (mostly African, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern nations) require a full visa).

Citizens of the following nations may enter Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days: European Union, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Citizens of the Dominican Republic can enter Morocco visa-free for up to 60 days.

Citizens of Hong Kong and the Maldives may enter Morocco visa-free for up to 30 days.

Passport holders of Azerbaijan, Guatemala, India, Israel, Jordan, and Thailand are eligible for a Moroccan e-visa.

If your nationality isn’t on any of the above lists, you will likely need to apply via your nearest Moroccan embassy or consulate for a visa.

To join any Safar Expeditions departure you will need to carry an active travel insurance plan. It is recommended to select an insurance plan that covers both medical care and evacuation.

We recommend using IATI travel insurance for medical coverage and an evacuation plan from Global Rescue.

The Moroccan Dirham (MAD) is the official currency of Morocco. The value of the Dirham fluctuates a little but seems to steadily stay around 9-11 MAD to $1 USD.

Yes, we do provide a suggested packing list and preparation guide for our Morocco expedition that can be viewed here.

Moroccan cuisine is world renown and for good reason, it’s absolutely delicious. The most common foods you will encounter in Morocco are tagine (a dish of tender meat and veggies cooked in a special clay vessel), couscous (usually served with meat or soup and typically on Fridays), zaalouk (smoked eggplant dip), b’stilla (pastry pie stuffed with chicken or pigeon meat and spices), and msemen (a Moroccan style bread). Soups are quite common too including harira and b’ssara.

Vegetarians and vegans will find eating in Morocco to be easy to navigate as the cuisine features an array of veggies and a plethora of spices.

Please let us know of any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance so that we can accommodate your needs.

Yes, a minimum of 4 passengers will need to be on this expedition in order to run. If the minimum isn’t reached, we will contact you about the potential to still operate the trip but at an additional charge or you will be given the option to cancel and your deposit/payment can either be returned to you or applied toward a different expedition of your choosing.

Reviews

“We went to Socotra with Nicole in Jan 2023 – starting in Cairo and finishing in Adan. Nicole handled all the details and was wonderfully responsive pre-trip as what are ordinarily simple things like buying airplane tickets are not easy for this itinerary. She handled every detail. This is an incredible trip – we felt very safe traveling as single women. Her relationships with the locals made it an authentic experience. The beauty and magic of Socotra is beyond compare. We have travelled all over the world and this was a highlight.”

Leslie

“My wife and I travelled to Socotra with Safar Expeditions and it was an incredible experience. The island is stunning and spending time there was a real privilege. Although anyone visiting should be prepared for fairly basic conditions (there are no hotels outside the city, so it’s wild camping all round), we felt very comfortable in the tents provided by the team and the food was excellent. They also safely navigated some pretty tricky roads and were really flexible, allowing us to get the most out of our trip. Nicole, who led the expedition, was particularly helpful before and during the trip, helping to make everything as hassle free as it could be andthe trip as amazing as it was. All in all, would highly recommend travelling with Safar. We certainly hope to go back to Socotra with them at some point!”

Will