Not to miss

Tripoli

Once known as the 'White Bride of the Mediterranean', Tripoli has lost much of its pristine allure, though its historic mosques and lively medina retain a good deal of character. Tripoli is the de facto capital of Libya, despite attempts in recent years to move some government departments elsewhere.

Easily the most dominant feature of Tripoli is the Red Castle, Assai al-Hamra, which sits on the northern promontory. The massive structure comprises a labyrinth of courtyards, alleyways and houses built up over the centuries with a total area of around 13,000 sq metres (140,000 sq ft).

The entrance to the Jamahiriya Museum is on Green Square, next to the castle. These excellent facilities were built in consultation with UNESCO at enormous cost. The most impressive parts are the mosaics, statues and artefacts from classical antiquity, which make up one of the finest collections in the Mediterranean.

The medina is the heart of Tripoli, providing the most visually exciting and certainly the best shopping in the city, if not the whole country. As only a handful of tourists visit Libya, the souq has an authentic air and the goods on display cater to local taste. Even better news is that you'll find absolutely none of the hassle usually associated with a trip to a souq.

Benghazi

On the eastern edge of the Gulf of Sirt, Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya and a major commercial centre. What Benghazi lacks in historical charms, it more than makes up for in its location, with its proximity to the lush Jebel Akhdar area and the numerous Roman ruins along the coast.

You can cover central Benghazi easily on foot. The covered souqs really come alive on Friday morning, when the whole city seems to convene for a shopping spree. The main market, the Souq al-Jreed on Sharia Omar al-Mukhtar, sells all manner of clothes and household goods.

The city today displays little of its ancient heritage, as it was pretty much pummelled to pieces during WWII and rebuilt only after oil money began pouring in following the revolution.

On Sharia Omar al-Mukhtar, Freedom Square is one of the city's most enchanting spots. On its western side is the evocative Old Town Hall, while at the northern end is the Atig Mosque. For an altogether different experience, visit any of the several beach clubs and tourist villages within easy reach of the city.

Jebel Acacus

The Jebel Acacus is an other-wordly landscape of dark basalt monoliths rising up from the sands of the central Sahara. This World Heritage-listed area is home to unique natural rock formations, as well as prehistoric rock paintings and carvings, some of which date back 12,000 years. You can only visit the region with a guide, who can be organised in Ghat.

Cyrene

Second in importance only to Leptis Magna, Cyrene is a must see. It ranks as the best preserved of the Greek cities of Cyrenaica, with its temples, tombs, agora, gymnasium and theatre originally modelled on those at Delphi. Apart from the spectacular Greek ruins, its location high on a bluff overlooking the sea is stunning.

Founded by Greek settlers from the island of Thera (modern Santorini) in 631 BC, Cyrene was the pre-eminent city of the Greek world in the 4th century BC. It was renowned for its philosophers, astronomers, mathematicians and other scholars. After the change from Greek to Roman administration in 75 BC, Cyrene became an important Roman capital.

Amongst the numerous highlights of this large site is the Skyrota, the main road through the Greek city. It is still lined with impressive columns bearing graven images of Hermes and Hercules. There is also the 5th century BC Temple of Zeus and Cyrene's museum which is filled with wonderful statues, sculptures and other artefacts that once adorned this extraordinary city.

Leptis Magna

If you only see one archaeological site in Libya, this is the one to choose. Regarded as the best Roman site in the Mediterranean, Leptis Magna's spectacular architecture and massive scale will impress even the most ruin-weary traveller.

The city was originally a Phoenician port, settled during the first millennium BC. Slaves, gold, ivory and precious metals brought it great wealth, which was supplemented by the rich agricultural land surrounding it. Roman legions ousted the Carthaginians following the third Punic War, after which the city flourished until the Vandals did their namesake thing in 455.

Roman rule briefly returned to Leptis in 533, and intensive repairs were carried out on the city, but local tribes revolted and eventually the area reverted to pastoral nomadism dominated by the Berbers. The Arab invasions of 644 swept away the last traces of Roman life from the region, and in the 11th century Leptis Magna was finally abandoned to the encroaching sand dunes.

It wasn't until the 20th century that excavation began in earnest, and, much to archaeologists' delight, the sands had preserved the ruins remarkably well. There's an excellent, large museum next to the main entrance to the site, but the real treasures wait out in the site itself.

The first thing you'll encounter is the Severan Arch, which was erected in honor of Emperor Septimus Severus' visit to his hometown in 203 AD. Not far off are the marble and granite panelled Hadrianic Baths, the largest outside Rome. Keep exploring and you'll come across the partially covered nymphaeum, a shrine dedicated to the worship of nymphs; a pair of massive forums, similar in design and grandiosity to the imperial forum in Rome; the extraordinarily detailed basilica and theatre; and, if you continue west along the seashore about 700m (2100ft), the circus and amphitheatre, where chariot races and similar spectacles were held for the locals' amusement.

Note that there are separate entry fees for the Leptis museum and amphitheatre (equal to the entry fee) and it is compulsory to have a guide to visit Leptis Magna.