Ksar Ghilaine & Chenini Tataouine day tour from Djerba

Bathe in a natural hot spring pool ringed by desert dunes, then walk into homes carved straight from mountain rock.

A full-day tour from Djerba through the Sahara with a qualified guide in English, French, German or Arabic, visiting the oasis at Ksar Ghilaine for a swim in its natural hot spring, the Berber village of Chenini carved into the Tataouine mountains, and the Star Wars filming site at Ksar Hadada. The tour includes lunch at a desert camp, air-conditioned transport, tea or coffee, and hotel pickup. Quad and camel rides are optional and paid locally.

Step-by-step itinerary

Saharan tour with oases and villages

• Depart for Ksar Jouamaa
• Visit monument and granary
• Continue to Sahara Eastern Erg
• Stop at Ksar Ghilaine oasis
• Bathe in hot spring
• Walk between sand dunes on quads and camels
• Lunch at camp
• Return to Dahar mountain range
• Guided tour of Berber village Chenini de Tataouin
• Visit Ksar Hadada Star Wars site
• Return to Djerba

The experience

How do you cross a Saharan desert and end up in a village built into a cliff? This tour strings together three stops that don't sit on any standard itinerary. You start at Ksar Jouamaa, a granary built to store food reserves for semi-nomadic communities, then drive into the big Eastern Erg toward Ksar Ghilaine. The oasis appears suddenly: a natural pool fed by hot springs, ringed by sand dunes. You swim here. After lunch at a camp in the desert, the route climbs into the Dahar mountains toward Chenini, where Berber houses are carved directly from the rock face, their rooms and storage carved into the stone itself. The final stop is Ksar Hadada, the location used for Star Wars filming, before the drive back to Djerba.

A qualified national guide travels with you the whole day, speaking English, French, German or Arabic. The vehicle is air-conditioned. Lunch and tea or coffee come with the booking. If you want to ride a quad across the dunes or take a camel ride, both are available but cost extra and are arranged on the day: quads run about 30 USD each, camels about 10 USD. The tour runs 10 to 12 hours total, and hotel pickup is included.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• lunch at a desert camp.
• tea and coffee.
• bathing in the natural hot spring at Ksar Ghilaine.
• guided tour of Chenini Berber village and Ksar Hadada.
• hotel pickup and return to Djerba.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to20h before

AgesAdult (4 and older) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 30 · max 4 per booking

Live guideEnglish, French, German and Arabic

Audio guideSpanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Legend Travel Story Tunisia

Is this one for you?The tour runs a full 10 to 12 hours with walking between dunes and time at each stop, so it suits travelers with a free day and comfort with a long drive. Quad and camel rides are optional, so you can choose whether to add them or stick to walking and swimming.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French, German and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 4): free.

What is Ksar Ghilaine and why swim there instead of a regular pool?

Ksar Ghilaine is a natural oasis in the Sahara fed by hot springs, creating a rare pool of warm water surrounded by sand dunes. It's not a built facility. The water and the setting are what make it worth the drive into the desert.

Can I ride a quad or camel, or do I have to walk the dunes?

Quad and camel rides are optional and arranged on the day you arrive, not in advance. Quads cost about 30 USD each and camels about 10 USD. Walking between the dunes is included in the tour, and the rides are your choice if you want them.

What is Chenini and how is it different from other villages?

Chenini is a Berber village in the Tataouine mountains where houses are carved directly into the rock face rather than built on top of it. The guide leads you through the village to see how the homes and storage rooms are cut from the mountain itself.

Does the tour include the Star Wars site, and what will I see there?

Yes, Ksar Hadada is the final stop before returning to Djerba. It's the location used for Star Wars filming. The tour includes a visit and discovery of the site, though the extent of what remains or is accessible on the day is not detailed in advance.

What time does the tour start and when do I get back?

Hotel pickup is included, so the guide collects you from your accommodation. The full tour runs 10 to 12 hours, so the return time depends on your pickup time and which hotel you're staying at.