3-Day Tunisian Desert Tour from Djerba: Mos Espa & Mountain Oases

Three deserts, two sunsets, and the Star Wars village in one expedition

A private 3-day tour from Djerba into the Tunisian desert, guided in English, Italian, French or German, crossing the Reg, Erg and Chott salt lake while visiting mountain oases, Berber villages and the Mos Espa Star Wars set. You stay one night in a desert camp tent, explore on foot and by 4x4, and return to Djerba on day three with hotel pickup included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Djerba to Ksar Ghilane

• Explore Tataouine market and streets
• Visit Berber village Chenini with guide
• Travel to Ksar Ghilane and relax
• Enjoy sand bread by campfire

Day 2: Tozeur and mountain oases

• Breakfast and travel to Tozeur via Douz
• Photo stop at Chott Djerid salt lake
• Hike and explore Chebika oasis
• Visit Tamerza waterfall and lunch
• 4x4 desert tour to Mos Espa
• Stop at Nefta basket and return hotel

Day 3: Matmata and return to Djerba

• Breakfast and explore Tozeur medina
• Visit petrified dunes and Douz market
• Optional quad or camel ride in Douz
• Traditional meal at local restaurant
• Visit troglodyte dwellings in Matmata
• Meet Berber family and enjoy tea
• Explore Sidi Idriss Hotel Star Wars site
• Photo stop at Berber village Toujane
• Return to Djerba

The experience

The route splits into three distinct desert zones. Day one takes you south from Djerba through Tataouine's local market (stop to taste gazelle horns, the local pastry), then into Chenini, a Berber village built into cliffs where your guide walks you through traditional granaries, cliff houses and a centuries-old oil mill. By evening you reach Ksar Ghilane, a natural hot spring camp where you sleep in a tent facing the dunes and watch bread cook under embers around the campfire.

Day two is the longest push: heading west toward Tozeur, you stop at Chott Djerid, North Africa's largest salt lake, then hike about forty minutes through Chebika oasis to waterfalls and palm groves. After lunch at a local restaurant, a 4x4 crosses the Chott El Gharsa, the old Dakar Rally track, past Ong Jmal rock formations and into Mos Espa, the largest Star Wars filming location in Tunisia. The day ends at Nefta Basket, a preserved architectural site, before returning to your hotel.

Day three loops back through Tozeur's medina and souks, then Douz's market, where you can add a camel or quad ride for extra cost. The final stop is Matmata, where a Berber family welcomes you with rosemary tea, olive oil and homemade bread in their troglodyte home: a dwelling carved into the earth. You visit the Sidi Idriss Hotel, another Star Wars location, and pass through Toujane village on the way back to Djerba.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers and desert crossings.
• services of an English, Italian, French or German-speaking guide approved by the Tourist Office.
• one night in a desert camp tent at Ksar Ghilane.
• hotel accommodation on nights two and three.
• all entry fees and taxes.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Djerba.
• 24/7 support.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 5 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by VirSem Fun & Travel

Is this one for you?This is a private tour with a dedicated guide and vehicle, so the pace and stops are yours to shape within the itinerary: ideal if you want the desert experience without navigating alone or joining a shared group. The three-day span lets you cross all three desert types and reach the mountain oases in daylight. A shorter tour would skip either the oases or the salt lake entirely.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

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's the difference between the Reg, Erg and Chott deserts on this tour?

The Reg is a flat gravel plain, the Erg is the sand dune desert where you camp, and the Chott is the vast salt lake you cross by vehicle and photograph at sunrise. Each one looks and feels completely different, and the tour moves through all three.

Do I sleep in a tent the whole time, or just one night?

You spend one night in a tent at Ksar Ghilane desert camp on day one. Nights two and three are in a hotel in Tozeur or similar. The tent is in a camp with other facilities nearby, not alone in the dunes.

Is the Mos Espa Star Wars village worth the detour?

Mos Espa is the largest Star Wars set still standing in Tunisia, built for the films and preserved as a site. It's a cluster of dome structures and buildings in the desert. Whether it appeals depends on your interest in the films, but the 4x4 drive to reach it crosses dramatic terrain either way.

Can I do the camel or quad ride, or is it included?

Both are optional extras you can add in Douz on day three: a camel ride costs 10 euros and a quad ride costs 30 euros. Neither is part of the standard tour price.

How much walking is involved each day?

Day one includes about an hour on foot through Chenini village. Day two has a forty-minute hike in Chebika oasis. Day three involves walking through Tozeur medina and Douz market, plus exploring the troglodyte home in Matmata. Most movement is by vehicle. The walks are moderate and self-paced.