Dakhla Full-Day Tour: White Dune, Imlili Oasis & Nomads

A sulfur hot spring in the desert delivers its own natural massage.

A full-day tour of Dakhla covering the White Dune, Imlili Oasis with a nomadic encounter and tea-making class, Puerto Rico Beach for swimming, and a thermal spring with healing mineral waters. The tour includes a professional guide in your choice of language, hotel pickup, a turban for desert wear, and lunch at an oyster park overlooking the lagoon. The route takes seven to eight hours and covers the region's most distinctive stops in a single day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dakhla's natural and cultural sites

• Walk on White Dunes and take photos
• Visit Imlili, meet nomads and sip tea
• Learn Sahrawi tea preparation and eat local meal
• Swim at Puerto Rico Beach
• Relax in Asmaa Hot Spring
• Enjoy seafood lunch at Oyster Park

The experience

Seven to eight hours takes you through Dakhla's signature landscape: the White Dune first, where wind corridors have sculpted brilliant white sand down to the beach. The city's most iconic natural formation and the place most visitors come to photograph. From there the route moves inland to Imlili, where you meet local nomads, dress in authentic desert attire, and learn to prepare Sahrawi tea over a traditional fire before sharing a local meal in their settlement. The guide speaks English, Spanish, French or Arabic, and the air-conditioned vehicle handles the driving between stops.

The Sebkha Imlili wetland near the oasis is where the day's strangest ecology appears: 160-plus permanent saltwater pools scattered across the landscape, some harboring rare endemic fish species found nowhere else on Earth. After that, Puerto Rico Beach south of Dakhla opens up for swimming in crystal-clear water and golden sand: a chance to cool off before the next stop. The Asmaa Hot Spring is where the tour's most unexpected moment arrives: a natural thermal oasis at 38°C with sulfurous mineral water that delivers a powerful hot-water spray acting as a natural massage, celebrated for its effects on skin, respiratory health and joint relief.

Lunch happens at Talha Mar Oyster Park, a minimalist seaside setting a few kilometers from Dakhla where fresh oysters, grilled fish and other seafood come straight from the lagoon. The tour wraps with your return to the hotel. Bottled water, a turban for each group member, and the sulfur bath therapy are included. The driver and guide handle all the logistics.

What’s included

• Professional guide and driver in your choice of language.
• hotel pickup and air-conditioned transport between all stops.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• a turban for each group member to wear in the desert.
• access to the sulfur hot spring with its natural thermal therapy.
• lunch at Talha Mar Oyster Park with fresh seafood overlooking the lagoon.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 7 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 15 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Dakhla Paradise Tours

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or local transport to reach the White Dune and the oasis. The driver collects you and handles the full route, which is essential if you're staying in Dakhla without a rental.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

What is the White Dune and why is it Dakhla's most iconic stop?

The White Dune is a natural formation sculpted by wind corridors into brilliant white sand positioned in the heart of Dakhla Bay. It is the city's most recognizable landmark and the place where most visitors photograph the desert landscape.

Do I get to swim on this tour, and where?

Yes, Puerto Rico Beach south of Dakhla is included for swimming in pristine, crystal-clear waters and golden sand: a pristine natural setting where you can spend time in the water before moving to the next stop.

What happens at the nomadic settlement in Imlili?

You meet local nomads, dress in authentic desert attire, learn to prepare traditional Sahrawi tea, and share a local meal with them in their settlement.

What is the sulfur hot spring like, and what does it do?

Asmaa Hot Spring is a natural thermal oasis with mineral-rich water at 38°C that delivers a powerful hot-water spray acting as a natural massage. The sulfurous waters are celebrated for therapeutic benefits to skin, respiratory health and joint relief.

What is included in the tour price, and what do I need to arrange separately?

The tour includes professional guide and driver, hotel pickup, bottled water, a turban for desert wear, the sulfur bath therapy, and lunch at Oyster Park. The guide is available in English, Spanish, French or Arabic.