I spent nine months of 2004 and several more months in 2005 trying to obtain a Libyan visa for independent travel. I 'hired' a representative, and booked a hotel with a prepaid reservation. I had RT air tickets. I begged the Libyan consular representative (in Ottawa). They stalled, and stalled, and came up with more and more requirements, and... In the end, I spent US$4,000 and got nothing. My representative was nearly as angry as I.

If this had been a tour, it would have been possible (at that time). But solo/nogo.