Hammamet: Star Wars Sets & Roman Ruins Tour

El Jem's amphitheater, Matmata's underground homes, and a desert night in Douz

A 2-day tour from Hammamet through southern Tunisia's cinematic and historical sites, traveling by 4x4 with a local guide, meals and one night's hotel stay included. You visit the El Jem Colosseum, explore the troglodyte dwellings of Matmata, cross the salt lake of Chott El Jerid, ride into the Star Wars film set at Onk Jemal, and end with a photo stop in Kairouan. Hotel pickup is included. The guide speaks English, French or German.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Tunisian Sahara and film locations

• Pick up from hotel
• Drive to El Jem Colosseum
• Visit El Jem Colosseum
• Drive to Matmata
• Lunch in Matmata
• Tour troglodyte houses
• Drive to Douz oasis town
• Dinner and overnight in Douz
• Optional camel or carriage ride

Day 2: Desert film set and cultural sites

• Buffet breakfast in Douz
• Cross Chott el Djerid salt lake
• 4x4 ride to Onk Jemal film set
• Explore Star Wars film set
• Lunch in Gafsa
• Photo stop in Kairouan

The experience

Hotel pickup gets you into a 4x4 headed south toward El Jem, where the Roman amphitheater rises from the plains: one of the best-preserved in the world. From there the route swings to Matmata, where you'll have lunch and tour one of the underground cave homes still lived in today, a network of dwellings carved into the earth centuries ago. Late afternoon brings you to Douz, the oasis town at the Sahara's edge, where you stay overnight in a 4-star hotel or high-quality 3-star alternative, with dinner included. An optional camel or carriage ride into the desert is available if you want it.

Day two starts with breakfast before you cross Chott El Jerid, the vast salt lake that shimmers with mirages under the sun. A 4x4 ride then takes you deep into the desert to Onk Jemal, the film set built for Star Wars, where you explore the structures and landscape used on screen. Lunch is a three-course meal in Gafsa, a regional hub with local character. The tour concludes with a photo stop in Kairouan, the holy city whose grand mosques and detailed Islamic architecture mark centuries of tradition.

Your guide is a local who knows the region and speaks English, French or German. Meals follow dietary requests: vegetarian options and halal meat are available. Drinks during meals are not included, so budget for those separately. The single room supplement, if you need it, runs roughly 13 euros per night and is paid in cash at the hotel, as is the hotel tax of about 3.50 euros per person.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Hammamet.
• transport in a Land Cruiser 4x4 throughout the two days.
• one night's accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Douz (or high-quality 3-star alternative).
• dinner on day one and breakfast on day two.
• lunch in Matmata and a three-course lunch in Gafsa on day two.
• guided tours of the El Jem Colosseum, Matmata's troglodyte dwellings, and the Onk Jemal film set.
• a local guide in English, French or German.
• vegetarian meals and halal meat available on request.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday and ThursdayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TUI Tunisia S.A.

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup from Hammamet means you don't need a car or a rental to reach the southern sites: the 4x4 and guide handle the 400-plus kilometers of route, leaving you to watch the landscape change from coast to salt lake to desert over two days.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.

Can you ride a camel in the desert on this tour?

A camel or carriage ride in the desert is optional and available in Douz on the evening of day one. It costs 15 euros per person and is arranged separately from the main tour price.

What are the troglodyte houses of Matmata, and do you go inside one?

Matmata's troglodyte houses are centuries-old underground dwellings carved into the earth and still inhabited today. The tour includes a guided visit inside one of these homes, plus free time to explore the village on your own.

Where do you sleep, and what is the hotel like?

You spend the night in Douz, the oasis town known as the gateway to the Sahara, in a 4-star hotel or a high-quality 3-star if the 4-star is unavailable. Dinner and breakfast are included with your stay.

What is Onk Jemal, and why is it on this tour?

Onk Jemal is a film set built in the desert for Star Wars production. The tour includes a 4x4 ride to the site on day two, where you explore the structures and landscape used on screen.

Does the tour include drinks with meals?

Drinks are not included during the meals provided on the tour, so you'll want to budget for beverages separately or bring your own water for the desert crossings.