A process for the disproportionation and transalkylation of toluene and the heavy aromatics comprises: subjecting a first stream of toluene, and a stream enriched in aromatics of nine carbon atoms to toluene disproportionation and transalkylation reactions in the presence of hydrogen in a first reaction zone to produce a first product mixture comprising benzene, aromatics of eight carbon atoms and heavy aromatics of ten and more carbon atoms; subjecting a second stream of toluene, and a stream enriched in heavy aromatics of ten and more carbon atoms to transalkylation reaction in the presence of hydrogen in a second reaction zone to produce a second product mixture comprising benzene, aromatics of eight carbon atoms and aromatics of nine carbon atoms; and isolating and recovering benzene and aromatics of eight carbon atoms from the first and second product mixtures.