Matmata, Tamezret and Toujane
Three villages, three ways of living on a dry mountain — Matmata below ground, Tamezret on its ridge, Toujane above its gorge — in a vehicle kept for your group alone.
Private excursion
Tataouine, Chenini and the Ksour
A day among the fortified granaries of the south-east, in a vehicle kept for your group alone: Ksar Ouled Soltane, Chenini along its crest, near-silent Douiret and Tataouine itself.
On request
At a glance
Duration
A full day, often nine to eleven hours from the coast, with real driving distances and a good deal of walking once you are in the villages.
Who it suits
Travellers drawn to building in earth and stone, photographers, occasional walkers. The climbs at Chenini and Douiret go up on polished rock: they ask for a steady foot rather than any real fitness.
Price
On request
Out of Djerba, Medenine or Gabes, a day spent working out how grain was stored and a ridge was held in the Dahar. Ksar Ouled Soltane, its ghorfas stacked in tiers around a courtyard; Chenini hanging below its white mosque; Douiret, terraced and all but abandoned; then Tataouine and its markets. You decide how long each stop deserves.
Pick-up
From Djerba, Zarzis, Medenine or Tataouine: we collect you at your hotel, guesthouse or a private address, at a time agreed with you in the quote. From Gabes, Douz or Matmata: the approach is longer, so we set the timing with you and reorder the stops before anything is confirmed.
How the day unfolds
The order of the stops shifts with your start time, the traffic and how long you want to spend at each place.
Ksar Ouled Soltane — the stacked ghorfas
We head first to the country south-east of Tataouine, across a bare plateau scattered with stunted olive trees. Ksar Ouled Soltane is a surprise for its sheer verticality: two courtyards ringed by ghorfas, the vaulted grain cells stacked several storeys high and reached by stone stairs jutting straight out of the walls. This was a communal granary rather than a fort, and it reads far better if you take the time to walk both courtyards.
Chenini — the village on the cliff
Chenini runs along a limestone crest: ochre houses below, granaries cut into the rock above, and the white Mosque of the Seven Sleepers set apart, its squat minaret planted on the slope. You go up on foot, slowly, stopping as often as you like. The village is still inhabited, and water here was counted drop by drop for centuries. Anyone who would rather stay low still gets a superb view from the foot of the hillside.
Douiret — the terraced village and its silence
A few kilometres on, Douiret is quieter, often close to empty. The old village steps down beneath the ruins of its ksar, lime-washed houses and collapsed vaults, with one mosque still cared for in the middle. Here you can plainly read the cisterns and channels cut into the rock to catch whatever rain fell. It is the most contemplative stop of the day, and the one worth not rushing.
Tataouine — the town and its markets
Back into Tataouine, a low dusty town that serves as the capital of the whole ksour country. You wander the shopping streets, look over stalls of spices, wool and tools, and drink a coffee in the shade of an awning. Depending on the hour and how you feel, we can fold one more ksar into the drive home, out towards Medenine, before returning you to your drop-off point.
What travelling privately changes
- The vehicle belongs to your group for the day: you leave when you are ready and nobody else is waiting in the back.
- The order of the visits is yours to choose: Ksar Ouled Soltane early while it is cool, or late, when low sun brings the ochre out of the ghorfas.
- Stops along the way are not rationed: a ridge-top ksar spotted from the road, a pitted cliff face, a herd crossing in front of you.
- Naceur Neffeti has worked in transport and travel since 1987 and has driven travellers since 2007. He speaks Arabic, French, English, German, Italian and Spanish.
- A licensed guide can be added for the day or for one particular site. That is a separate service from the driving, booked in advance on request.
What is included, what is not
Included
- A private vehicle and driver for the whole day.
- Fuel, tolls and parking.
- Cold water on board during the drives.
- Collection at your hotel, guesthouse or a private address, and return to the agreed drop-off point.
- Waiting time at the foot of Chenini and Douiret while you climb at your own pace.
Not included
- Meals and drinks.
- Entry fees for the ksour, the village of Chenini and any site that charges admission.
- The services of a licensed guide, offered as an option and booked in advance.
- Purchases in the Tataouine markets and craft shopping.
- Personal spending, tips and travel insurance.
Practical advice
- Closed shoes with real grip: the paths at Chenini and Douiret climb over rock rubbed smooth by generations of feet, with nothing to hold on to.
- In summer we move early: the climbs in the morning, a long shaded break through the middle of the day, the ksour late on when the light goes slanting.
- Shoulders and knees covered when you approach the white mosque at Chenini and the marabout shrines in the villages.
- Carry more water than you expect to need, and a chèche: up on the Dahar ridges there is neither shade nor a shop between villages.
- Market day changes the whole feel of Tataouine. Say the word if you would like the day built around it.
Your questions
How fit do you need to be for Chenini and Douiret?
You need to manage a stony slope for twenty to thirty minutes at your own pace, with breaks. Nothing technical, but the rock is smooth in places and there is no handrail. If you would rather not climb, the view from below is already fine, and the vehicle waits in the shade while the rest of your group goes up.
Does this work as a day out from Djerba?
Yes, and it is the most common starting point. A good part of the morning goes on the approach, which means an early start and a sensible spread of visits. Because the vehicle is private, we pick you up at your hotel, guesthouse or a private address, and the time is agreed with you in the quote rather than imposed.
Is there a guide with you at the ksour?
Not as standard. Your driver drives, gets you to the right places and talks about the region, but he does not commentate the sites. On site, a caretaker will sometimes open a ghorfa or explain a detail. If you want proper historical commentary, ask for a licensed guide: we book that in advance as a separate service.
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