Flights to Libya

Getting there and who travels

Most passengers flying to Libya from the UK are British-Libyan families, students and people working in energy, construction or aid. Journeys from London usually take six to eight hours including the connection. Mitiga is the main airport for the capital, while Benghazi's Benina airport serves the east. Long-distance travel inside the country is mainly by road or domestic flight.

History

Phoenician traders founded Oea, now Tripoli, as well as Sabratha and Leptis Magna, while Greek settlers built Cyrene in the east. Under Rome, Leptis Magna grew wealthy, and the emperor Septimius Severus was born there. Arab armies arrived in the 7th century, and the Ottomans ruled from the 16th century until Italy invaded in 1911. Libya became independent in 1951. Muammar Gaddafi seized power in 1969 and ruled until 2011, and rival administrations have governed different parts of the country since.

Ruins, oases and desert

Leptis Magna, east of Tripoli, keeps a triumphal arch, a theatre and a harbour in remarkable condition. Sabratha's theatre has a three-storey stage wall of columns facing the sea. Cyrene and its port at Apollonia, near the town of Susah, lie on the coast of the Green Mountain region. Inland, the old town of Ghadames has covered lanes of whitewashed mud brick, and the Tadrart Acacus mountains hold prehistoric rock paintings. All five sites are listed by UNESCO.

Visas, money and advice

Visitors need a visa, normally arranged through a sponsor or an approved agency in Libya. The Libyan dinar is the currency, and cash is essential, as foreign cards are rarely accepted. Libya is two hours ahead of the UK in winter and one in summer. UK government travel advice for Libya is highly restrictive, and many insurers will not cover a trip. Check current UK government travel advice and your insurance before you go.

Weather

The coast has hot summers and mild, sometimes rainy winters. The desert is very hot from May to September, and nights can be cold in winter.

Need flights to Libya? Call 020 7871 4545 and our team will check the connections to Tripoli for your dates.