Libya is enjoying a resurgence in tourism, with the country making a concerted push to attract more international visitors.

In the first half of 2025, there was a 60% increase in the number of visitors to the country, compared to the year before.

Now, renovation works are being completed to key visitor sites, new attractions are opening and a new national airline is being created – to improve connections to international destinations.

The renewed interest in Libya has been aided by the introduction of an e-visa system, streamlining the process for potential visitors.

The country is also undergoing a spell of relative stability and this has allowed tourists to visit parts of Libya, which have been out of reach for 14 years, due to the security situation.

In November, adventure travel company - Untamed Borders - organised a group trip to the Saharan South of Libya, visiting locations including the UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Jebel Acacsus, the Oases of the Ubari and the desert town of Ghat.

It has also resumed private trips to Eastern Libya – visiting Benghazi, the ancient remains of Apollonia and the UNESCO World Heritage sites at Cyrene. This was the first commercial tourist trip to the area, since 2011.

The company has been organising trips to the country since 2017, but this was largely focused around the north and west of the country. In 2027 it will be organising a new special group trip to Eastern Libya, to coincide with the longest land-based solar eclipse in our lifetime.

Over the past 12 months Untamed Borders has seen a 200% increase in its bookings for the country, compared to 2024. Initial bookings for 2026 are also proving strong and are already higher than the total for 2 years ago.

The government says in the first half of 2025, 282,000, people visited Libya's key archaeological sites, such as Sabratha and Leptis Magna. Meanwhile, last month, the newly renovated National Museum in Tripoli reopened – after a 14 year closure.

This has been complemented by extensive renovation work to Tripoli's Old City, which has undergone a lot of improvements, with help from UNESCO.

Work is also resuming on key development sites, including hotel complexes, which had stalled for the past 14 years, due to the country's conflict. Meanwhile, events are being held to attract more visitors – including a desert rally, which is being held currently and is now in its second year.

Founder of Untamed Borders, James Willcox, says “Libya has a wealth of fantastic sites for the curious and adventurous traveller, including some of finest Roman ruins found anywhere on earth, ancient desert towns, UNESCO sites, mountain ranges and plenty of authentic Saharan experiences.

Locations of this calibre would be flooded with visitors in a European country or in Morocco, but you get to enjoy Libyan sites with very few other tourists. There is something truly special about being one of the only people around, as you walk through magnificent ruins or visiting rock art sites, which are thousands of years old.

Travel to Libya is, of course, not for the feint-hearted and the country still suffers from a myriad of problems. However, the green shoots of progress are now showing and we are seeing positive steps in its tourism sector, which is certainly something we are happy to see.”

Untamed Borders has 7-day group trips to Northern Libya in February and October 2026, and another group trip to the South of Libya in November 2026. It's also running a special group trip to Eastern Libya in August 2027, to take in the longest solar eclipse, visible from land, in our lifetime.

Untamed Borders also offers private trips across the country, for more information please email – info@untamedborders.com