Oases and Sahara — 4 days
Four days that string together Tozeur's palm groves, the mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, the salt crossing of Chott el Jerid and the dune edge at Douz — nobody in the vehicle but your own group.
Private tour
Ksar Ghilane Desert Immersion — 3 days
Three days to reach the far end of the track: the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, its hot spring under the palms, the Roman fort of Tisavar and the silence of the Grand Erg Oriental — your group alone in the vehicle.
On request
At a glance
Duration
3 days and 2 nights, one of them out on the edge of the erg.
Who it suits
Travellers short on days who want real desert rather than a dune photographed from the roadside.
Price
On request
A short, concentrated run down to Ksar Ghilane on the rim of the Grand Erg Oriental. You drive south through Matmata and the pre-desert, soak in the hot spring beneath the palms, climb to the Roman fort of Tisavar and spend the evening under a sky with nothing to dim it. Private vehicle; access and camp settled in the quote.
Departures
Pick-up in Djerba, Zarzis, Gabès or Matmata, as close to your accommodation as the road allows. You can also leave from Tunis, Hammamet or Sousse: the first day gets long, so the route and the overnight stop are reworked with you in the quote.
The route, day by day
A working plan rather than a fixed track: the order of the days is reworked with you before departure, and on the road wherever that is practical.
Day 1 — From the coast to the pre-desert
We collect you where you are staying and head south through Gabès and Matmata, stopping at one of the troglodyte villages dug into the hillside, where people still live underground to escape the heat. Then on to the agreed overnight stop, around Douz, Kebili or Matmata depending on where you started. Departure timing and the night's location are both settled in the quote rather than decided on the road.
Day 2 — Ksar Ghilane, the hot spring and Tisavar
Out to Ksar Ghilane along the oil-company track, a long straight line between stony reg and the first dunes. To be plain about it: the final approach and how you reach the camp depend on the state of the sand and may call for an off-road vehicle or a local transfer, and whichever applies is written into your quote before you travel. At the oasis, the hot spring runs at the foot of the palms; afterwards you climb to Tisavar, the Roman outpost on the old frontier line looking out over the erg. Evening at the camp, and a very dark sky.
Day 3 — Sunrise on the erg, then back
An early start for the low light on the dunes before the heat builds, a last dip in the spring if you fancy it, then the drive north. Depending on where you need to end up, the way back runs through Tataouine and its fortified granaries, through Matmata, or straight for Djerba and the Ajim ferry. Stops are decided as you drive: the day belongs to you rather than to a fixed group programme.
What travelling privately changes
- The vehicle is yours only: no other passengers, and no hotel-to-hotel collection round before you set off.
- The pace is yours — stay another hour at the spring, or leave early for the light on the dunes.
- Doors picked up and dropped at your actual address, including in the villages around Matmata.
- A driver who knows the southern roads, which fuel stops are worth using, how the tracks are running and where the shade is.
- 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.
What is included, what is not
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and fuel for the whole route.
- A private driver with your group for the three days.
- Tolls, parking and the vehicle's road costs.
- The night at the Ksar Ghilane camp, at the level of comfort chosen with you.
- The meals set out in the arrangement agreed at quotation stage.
Not included
- Flights, travel insurance and visa costs.
- Lunches, drinks and personal spending.
- Site entrance fees, and access to the spring where a contribution is collected locally.
- A licensed guide: a separate, optional service arranged on request and billed separately.
- Optional activities such as camel rides, quad bikes or an extra night out in the dunes.
Practical advice
- The desert is scorching by day and genuinely cold at night, especially from November to March: a fleece or warm jacket earns its place even in spring.
- Swimming things and a towel for the hot spring; it is a shared spot, so keep it modest when you get out of the water.
- Closed shoes for the climb to Tisavar and for walking in the dunes — sand gets everywhere in sandals.
- Stock up on water, sun cream and any personal medication before heading down: choice on site is limited.
- Mobile coverage at Ksar Ghilane is weak or absent, so tell people at home and download your maps before you leave town.
Your questions
Do we need an off-road vehicle to reach Ksar Ghilane?
Most of the journey runs on sealed road and then on a drivable oil-company track. Depending on the season and how much sand has blown across it, the last stretch can require an off-road vehicle or a transfer arranged locally. Whichever applies is written into your quote before departure, not sprung on you on the day.
What is the night at the camp actually like?
Camps at Ksar Ghilane range from plain tents with shared washing facilities to more comfortable equipped tents. The standard, the meals and the location are chosen with you and confirmed in the quote. Bring a torch and a warm layer: the temperature drops quickly once the sun goes.
Is three days enough?
It is enough for the heart of it: the spring, the fort at Tisavar, an evening and a sunrise over the erg. If you want to add the ksour around Tataouine or the Jerid oases, it is better to add a day than to squeeze the desert one.
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Request a quote
Your dates, how many of you are travelling and where you start are enough to begin: we come back with a quote drawn up for this tour.
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