3-Day Private Sahara Tour Hammamet: Desert Camp & Oases

A night alone in the Sahara, 25 km from anywhere, with sand dunes and a tent of your own.

A 3-day private tour from Hammamet through Tunisia's mountain oases, Sahara Desert and underground Berber villages, with a local guide at key stops, breakfast and entrance fees included. You spend one night in a private tent deep in the desert near Douz, cross the Great Salt Lake, visit the troglodyte dwellings of Matmata where families still live underground, and walk through abandoned oases flooded in the 1960s. The pace is built to avoid the fatigue of rushing north to south in a single day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hammamet to Tozeur via natural sites

• Visit Great Mosque of Kairouan
• Explore Aghlebites pools
• Discover Mides canyon and old village
• See Temegza Waterfall
• Trek in Chebika village
• Tour Tozeur medina and souks
• Dine in local restaurants

Day 2: Star Wars sites and Sahara night

• Discover Nefta and Corbeille
• Visit Mos Espa Star Wars site
• Explore city streets and souks
• Cross Great Salt Lake
• See local crafts in Douz
• Travel 25 km into Sahara Desert
• Stay overnight in private desert camp
• Dinner at campfire

Day 3: Matmata and historic sites

• Stop at café in Tamazret village
• Enjoy herbal tea and mountain views
• Visit troglodyte family home
• See women weaving and bread making
• Taste olive oil and honey
• Visit Star Wars sets at Sidi Driss hotel
• Tour amphitheater of El Jem

The experience

Three days means you move without hurrying. Day one takes you from Hammamet south through Kairouan (where you see the Great Mosque and its underground water reserve), then into the canyons at Mides and Chebika, each a 25-minute walk into an oasis tucked into the valley. You sleep in Tozeur, an ancient oasis town where you can ride a horse-drawn carriage through the medina and eat in restaurants serving local specialties. A local guide meets you at Mides and Chebika to explain what you're walking through.

Day two is the Sahara itself. You drive to Nefta to see the Corbeille, a natural amphitheater of date palms, then cross the Great Salt Lake for 60 kilometers, where the landscape flattens into an immense white desert. In summer the mirage is visible from the road. You stop in Douz to watch local craftspeople make shoes from camel skin and Berber carpets, then drive 25 kilometers into the desert to your private camp. Dinner is cooked on site at the campfire. You sleep in a tent with a bed and bedding, alone in the middle of the dunes.

Day three brings you to Matmata and the troglodyte dwellings: homes carved underground where Berber families still live. You visit one family, watch the women weave and prepare bread, and taste their olive oil and honey. You also see the Star Wars sets filmed at the Sidi Driss hotel, an underground structure with traditional ghorfas, and stop at the amphitheater of El Jem, built in 238 AD with 30,000 seats and three floors of underground galleries. Breakfast is included each morning. Mineral water travels with you in the desert.

What’s included

• Pickup from Hammamet.
• a private guide speaking English, Italian, French, German or another language.
• breakfast each morning.
• entrance fees to the Great Mosque of Kairouan, Mides Canyon, Chebika, Tozeur medina, the Great Salt Lake crossing, Douz, the Sahara Desert camp, Matmata troglodyte dwellings, and the El Jem amphitheater.
• mineral water at table and in the desert.
• dinner cooked at the campfire on night two.
• a private tent with bed and bedding in the desert camp near Douz.
• and a night in a hotel in Tozeur.

Options for this experience

2 options

3-Day Sahara Excursion, Private, Departing from HammametGuide in English, French or Italian · 06:00 and 06:30Pickup is included

Solo TravelerGuide in English, French or Italian · 06:00 and 06:30Solo traveler, pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:00 and 06:30

Book up to6h before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Infant (4 to 11 years): free · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Italian

Audio guideSpanish, German, Italian and Dutch

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 45

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Caravane du sahara

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, Italian, French, German or another language, so you follow the commentary comfortably throughout the three days. The private format means the pace and the stops adapt to your interests instead of a fixed group schedule.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (4 to 11 years): free. Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Great Salt Lake crossing like on day two?

The Great Salt Lake crossing covers 60 kilometers of white salt desert where the landscape stretches flat to the horizon. In summer, mirages are visible from the road, and the immense salt expanse changes the landscape completely from the oases you've just left.

Do I sleep in a hotel all three nights?

You sleep in a hotel in Tozeur on night one and in your private tent in the desert near Douz on night two. Night three is in your own hotel. Accommodation is not included for the final night.

What does a family visit in Matmata actually involve?

You visit a Berber family living in a troglodyte dwelling underground, watch the women weave textiles and prepare bread, and taste their olive oil and honey. You also see how they live in the underground rooms carved into the earth.

Is there a guide with me the whole time?

A live guide who speaks English, Italian, French, German or another language travels with you throughout the three days. Local guides also meet you at specific stops like Mides and Chebika to explain those sites.

What is included in the price?

Breakfast each morning; entrance fees to all sites; mineral water at table and in the desert; and the services of your guide are included. Pickup from Hammamet is also included.