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.
Private tour
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.
On request
At a glance
Duration
4 days and 3 nights, starting from your own doorstep.
Who it suits
Couples, families and small groups who want the desert without racing the clock.
Price
On request
Four days across the Jerid, timed around the light and the heat instead of a coach timetable. Old Tozeur with its raised brick patterns, the mountain oases at Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, the Chott el Jerid salt crossing in the early hours, then the dune edge at Douz. A private vehicle, and stops you decide as you go.
Departures
Pick-up in Tunis, at Tunis-Carthage airport, or from your hotel along the east coast. We can also start in Tozeur or Djerba if you fly in — the order of the stages is rearranged around your flight.
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 — South to the Jerid
We collect you where you are staying and head south-west across the plains of Kairouan and Gafsa. Departure timing is set in the quote, according to the season and how long the day needs to be. You reach Tozeur towards the end of the afternoon, settle in, then take a first walk in the palm grove or through the lanes of Ouled el Hadef while the light lasts.
Day 2 — Tozeur and the mountain oases
The morning goes to Ouled el Hadef, where the brickwork stands proud of the walls in patterns you will not see anywhere else in the country. Then the mountain road to Chebika, on to Tamerza and its waterfall, and Mides perched above its gorge. The walks are short but the ground is broken. Back in Tozeur before the worst of the afternoon; the museum and the viewpoint are better saved for low light.
Day 3 — Across Chott el Jerid to Douz
An early start to cross Chott el Jerid while the air is still: a dead-straight causeway laid over a crust of salt, mirages, and pools tinted pink depending on the season. Stop wherever you like at the roadside, then Kebili and Douz, the town they call the gateway to the Sahara. The day ends at the edge of the erg, with an optional camel ride or simply sunset over the dunes.
Day 4 — Douz, then the road back
A morning in Douz: the Thursday market if your dates fall that way, the palm grove, or a last walk out to the dunes before the sun climbs. Then the drive back to wherever you need to be, through Gabès and the coast or across to Tozeur for a flight. The journey is broken by the stops you choose rather than the ones a group schedule dictates.
What travelling privately changes
- The vehicle is yours alone: no other passengers on board and no detours to collect anyone else.
- Timings are agreed with you — leave before dawn in summer to drive in the cool, or later to catch the evening light.
- One stop more or one stop fewer, without negotiation: a palm grove, a shaded café, a photograph at the edge of the chott.
- Doors picked up and dropped where you actually are: hotel, guesthouse, station or airport, including well off the main roads.
- 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 all fuel for the circuit.
- A private driver with your group from the first day to the last.
- Tolls, parking and the vehicle's road costs.
- Accommodation booked in advance, in the category you choose with us.
- The meals set out in the arrangement agreed at quotation stage.
Not included
- Flights, travel insurance and visa costs.
- Lunches, drinks and personal spending.
- Entrance fees for sites, museums and parks.
- A licensed guide: a separate, optional service arranged on request and billed separately.
- Optional activities such as camel rides, horse-drawn carriages, quad bikes or a flight over the oasis.
Practical advice
- Jerid heat is dry but serious in summer: sightsee early and keep the middle of the day for the road and the shade.
- Closed shoes with real grip for Tamerza and the Mides canyon — the ground is stony and slippery near the water.
- Carry more water than you think you need, plus a hat and sun cream; nights near the dunes turn cold, so pack a warm layer.
- Shoulders and knees covered for mosques, shrines and the lanes of the old quarters; shoes come off in places of prayer.
- Sand and dust find their way into cameras: a bag that closes properly and a cloth are usually enough.
Your questions
When is the best time to do this circuit?
Between October and April the days are mild and the nights cool, which makes walking the canyons and sleeping near the dunes far more pleasant. In summer the route still works well: you visit in the early morning and keep the middle of the day for driving.
Is crossing Chott el Jerid hard going?
Not at all — the causeway is surfaced and easy to drive. Heat and wind are the real considerations, which is why we set off early. Stop wherever you like for photographs, but we stay on the road rather than venturing out onto the salt crust.
Can we have a guide at the sites?
Yes. A licensed guide is a separate, optional service, arranged in advance on request and billed separately. Your driver drives, knows the roads and drops you at the right door, but he does not commentate the sites in a guide's place.
You might also like
Chebika, Tamerza and Mides
Three mountain oases in one day: the spring at Chebika running down its gorge, the mud-brick ruins of old Tamerza, and the rim of the Mides canyon, right up against the Algerian border.
Douz and Chott el Jerid
Where the tarmac gives out: Douz market and its arcaded square, the first line of dunes on the Grand Erg Oriental, and the causeway that runs dead straight across the salt of the Chott el Jerid.
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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