Djerba Desert Tour: Sahara Landscapes & Night Under Canvas

You sleep in the Sahara and wake to the stars still out.

A 2-day desert tour from Djerba that crosses three distinct Sahara landscapes (salt flats, stone desert and sand dunes) with a night under canvas at a camp in the heart of the dunes. The itinerary includes visits to Berber villages, a swim in a natural hot spring, a sunset over the dunes, and meals at the camp. A driver and guide approved by the Tunisian Tourist Office travel with you, and hotel pickup from Djerba is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore desert landscapes and Berber villages

• Stop in Tataouine and stroll Souk
• Visit Berber village of Chenini
• Coffee break at salt lake Chahbania
• Swim in natural hot spring
• Optional camel ride in Sahara dunes
• Optional quad bike ride and visit Tisavar fort
• Watch sunset over the dunes
• Settle in tent camp and shower
• Watch sand bread preparation by campfire
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 2: Visit troglodyte sites and Berber culture

• Visit second hot water source
• Visit Sidi Idriss troglodyte hotel
• Visit Berber family in troglodyte house
• Technical and coffee break in Tamazret village
• Panoramic photo stop at Toujane village
• Visit Ksar of Metameur granary

The experience

The tour leaves Djerba and moves south into progressively deeper desert. The first day takes you through Tataouine's souk, then into the Berber village of Chenini where houses are carved into the mountainside. A stop at Sabkhet El Melah (a salt lake ringed by flat, pale ground) breaks the drive before you arrive at the natural hot spring where you swim in water that stays around 25°C year-round. Late afternoon brings the optional camel or quad rides through the dunes (paid separately on-site), then the sunset, which is the moment most travelers wait for: the light turns the sand and the sky shades of red and orange that photographs never quite capture.

You spend the night at a camp in the dunes. Dinner happens around the fire, and before it the guide walks you through the preparation of sand bread: dough buried under embers and sand to bake. After dinner the camp is yours: some travelers sleep, others sit outside with tea and watch the stars, which have no light pollution to compete with. Breakfast comes the next morning at the camp before you leave.

Day two moves through more of the Sahara interior. You visit a second hot spring about 23 kilometers away, hotter than the first at around 40°C. Then comes Matmata and the Sidi Idriss hotel, a troglodyte structure built into the earth where scenes from Star Wars were filmed. The sets are still there. A visit to a Berber family in their own troglodyte house follows, with tea, olive oil, honey and homemade bread offered in the traditional welcome. The route back includes stops in Tamazret village for tea and a view, and at the Ksar of Metameur, a collective granary that stored harvests for generations. Lunches on both days and breakfast at the camp are included. Drinks are separate.

What’s included

• Services of a driver and a guide approved by the Tunisian Tourist Office, both fluent in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and additional languages.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full two days.
• lunches on day one and day two, breakfast at the camp on day two, and dinner at the camp.
• entry to the Sidi Idriss troglodyte hotel in Matmata.
• hotel pickup and return from Djerba.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday and FridayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Child (2 to 7 years)

GroupUp to 110

Live guideEnglish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic

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.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Depart Travel Services

Is this one for you?The tour leaves from Djerba with hotel pickup included, so you don't need a car or arrange your own transport to the starting point. The driver collects you and handles the full two-day route, which matters if you're staying in town without a rental.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 7 years).

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 are the three types of desert I'll see on this tour?

Les Chotts (salt lakes), Le Reg (stone desert) and L'Erg (sand dunes): the tour crosses all three in the two days, so you move through distinct landscapes rather than staying in one terrain.

Do I need to book the camel and quad rides in advance, or can I decide when I arrive?

Both the camel ride and quad bike ride through the dunes are optional and paid on-site with local providers, so you can decide the morning of whether to add them. They are not reserved ahead or included in the tour price.

What's included for meals, and what do I need to pay for separately?

Lunches on day one and day two, breakfast at the camp on day two, and dinner at the camp are included. Drinks and personal expenses are separate.

How does pickup work if I'm staying in Djerba?

Hotel pickup from Djerba is included, so the driver collects you from your accommodation and returns you there at the end of day two.

What is the Sidi Idriss hotel in Matmata, and why do we visit it?

Sidi Idriss is a troglodyte hotel, a structure built into the earth, where several scenes from Star Wars were filmed. The original sets remain on-site, and entry is included in the tour.