4x4 Expedition to Libya

4x4 Offroad Expedition - Libya Desert Challenge

Foreword

Our last adventure tour to Algeria and Libya was before the Arab Spring. This newly revised expedition is therefore only briefly described here, as we must adapt the route individually to the group and the local conditions. The description of this Libya tour remains intentionally vague. However, both technically and scenically, you can expect a mega-tour, which is especially aimed at experienced off-roaders with desert experience.

This North Africa tour is planned as a three-week journey via ferry from Italy to Tunisia and overland from Tunis to Tripoli. The following tour description serves as a framework for the expedition into the Libyan Sahara. This demanding tour leads over the highest dunes to the phenomenal highlights of the Sahara. For experienced off-roaders, an absolute must!

Even professional film crews have already used OVERCROSS's services in Libya.

Expedition Itinerary

From Genoa through Tunisia to the Libyan Sahara - embark on your Libya Desert Challenge! From Genoa, we take the ferry to Tunis, from where we travel with our 4x4 and motorcycle convoy to Tripoli. A good and long-standing contact and old friend on site will handle the formalities at the Libyan border for us. Together, we then embark on a pleasant but long drive towards the Sahara. Before the road ends, we stock up on provisions, firewood, and fuel before diving into the vast Sahara.

Through the Desert with your 4x4

From Hammada al Hamrah and Erg Ubari to the Mandara Lakes - water at last! We cross Hammada al Hamrah on rough gravel and stone tracks. Far from civilization, humans and machines move kilometer by kilometer in a southeasterly direction until we reach the northern dune fringes of Idhan Awbari. We continue through Erg Ubari. Along gigantic dunes, we find our way through the sand sea. This stage is the toughest but also the most beautiful and varied. After two to three days, we reach the Mandara Lakes, where we can recover a bit from the exertions of the past days.

Water! ... an unusually refreshing sight on our 4x4 expedition into the Libyan Sahara.

Al Awaynat - A Wild Ride

We reach the last dune ridges via fast desert tracks. Then we are offered a now almost unfamiliar sight: roads, houses, and civilization! This is followed by a roughly 300 km stage on asphalt to Al Awaynat, where we restock our supplies before heading back towards the desert.

4x4 Expedition in the Libyan Sahara

Another highlight of this Sahara adventure in Libya is the crossing of a sensational plain that stretches over hundreds of kilometers. In the areas around Sebha, it will be a daily challenge for everyone to pull the vehicles out of the sand. Our shovels will no longer be needed just for the morning toilet. The golden rule is: "Yalla, Yalla - Gas, GAS, GAS!"... but with a feel for the right amount of momentum needed to overcome the dune ridges.

We will traverse vast sandy plains and dunes in Libya

The Akakus Mountains

Through the varied "Garden of Allah," we drive towards the Akakus Mountains. We will take two to three days in the Akakus National Park to absorb the impressive rock paintings and the overwhelming landscape, inspect our off-road vehicles, or simply relax.

Offroad Adventure Mandara Lakes

Back to Tunis via Ghadames and Sidi Bouzid. Dusty tracks along the Algerian border characterize this stage. We leave the last dunes behind and exit the seemingly endless expanse of the Sahara on fast tracks heading north. We reach our destination Ghadames - a former "hub of caravan trade." Our guided 4x4 journey through Libya is slowly but surely coming to an end. From Ghadames, we head north, back to Tunisia. Our friend Rouf is already waiting in Sidi Bouzid with a delicious dinner for us before we make our way back to Tunis.

Without water, there is no life - this becomes especially clear in the desert, where oases also become places of encounter with the local Tuareg.

Genoa – Tübingen … and Africa in Mind

In Tunis, we still have some time to wander through the souks before reminiscing about our adventure over a water pipe. On the ferry, we leave Africa behind, and besides dirty laundry, we carry a lot of beautiful pictures and vivid memories.

Closing Words

On this expedition, we consciously forgo luxury and expensive supply trucks. The focus of this off-road adventure trip is on experiencing and real adventure. We are flexible, taking new paths that do not necessarily guarantee a smooth process. On this expedition, we will repeatedly face certain uncertainties. Despite the sometimes chaotic conditions and circumstances that await us on site and are typical for Africa, we are working full steam ahead for the successful completion of this tour. Our tour guides are very familiar with North Africa and are acquainted with the local customs.

You quickly get stuck in the sand; sometimes it's faster to dig out the car with your bare hands than with a shovel.

In short: an adventure needs to be experienced and cannot be planned!