Matmata Troglodyte Villages Tour: Star Wars & Berber Homes

Walk into the mountains and eat inside a troglodyte house with a Berber family

A full-day tour from Djerba into the Matmata region explores three troglodyte villages built into mountainsides, with a midday meal cooked and served inside an authentic dug house where you sit with the family. The route crosses rocky desert tracks through Zrewa, Tamezret and Taoujout before reaching Matmata itself, then continues to the Sidi Driss Hotel (the Star Wars filming location) and down to Toujane to see a traditional underground olive mill. A live guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and two other languages. Children from age two are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Berber villages and troglodyte sites

• Depart early from Djerba to troglodyte villages
• Cross Jorf Strait and travel to Dhahar Massif
• Visit old Berber village near Zrewa
• Continue to Tamezret and walk the village
• See semi-troglodyte houses and white mosque
• Visit Taoujout village in mountainous landscape
• Tour Diar Amor troglodyte complex
• Arrive at Matmata and explore dug houses
• Have lunch at Berber family troglodyte house
• Visit Sidi Driss Hotel from Star Wars
• Travel to Toujane via Zriba trail
• Photo stop and tea tasting in Zriba
• Visit traditional underground olive oil mill

The experience

You leave Djerba early and cross the Jorf Strait toward the Dhahar Massif, climbing through rocky tracks into landscape that shifts from coastal to desert mountain. The first stop is Zrewa, a small abandoned Berber village set in a bare, beautiful terrain. From there the route continues south to Tamezret, a village perched on a mountain peak with views across the rocky desert toward the Eastern Erg. A walking tour of Tamezret shows the semi-troglodyte houses (dwellings built partly underground and partly into the mountainside), and the small white mosque that overlooks the whole settlement.

The journey then moves through Taoujout, another mountain village, before reaching the troglodyte complex called Diar Amor, which functions as both a museum and guest accommodation carved into the earth. From there you arrive at Matmata, the village famous for its dug houses still inhabited by Berber families. Lunch happens inside one of these homes: you eat a typical meal prepared by the family, sitting with them to see how daily life unfolds in these underground spaces. After lunch, you visit the Sidi Driss Hotel, the location used for filming scenes in the Star Wars saga.

The final stretch takes you through the heights of Dhahar to Toujane, a village nestled in the mountains and overlooked by an ancient citadel. There is a photo stop with mint and rosemary tea. Before returning to Djerba, you descend into the village to visit a traditional underground olive mill, where you see the methods Berber communities have used for generations to press oil from olives.

What’s included

• Early departure from Djerba with hotel pickup.
• transport through the Jorf Strait and rocky mountain tracks to Zrewa, Tamezret, Taoujout and Matmata.
• walking tours of the troglodyte villages.
• lunch at a Berber family's home inside an authentic dug house.
• visit to the Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata.
• photo stop in Toujane with mint and rosemary tea.
• visit to a traditional underground olive mill.
• live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (2 to 11 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian

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.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 today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by GTH voyages

Is this one for you?The tour departs early and involves 12 to 14 hours away from Djerba, with several village walks across mountainous terrain and rocky ground. It suits travelers who are comfortable with a full day of travel and walking at a steady pace, and who want to move through multiple villages rather than spend extended time in one place.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 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 is the troglodyte architecture I'll see in Matmata?

Troglodyte houses in Matmata are dwellings dug partly or fully into the earth and mountainside, still inhabited by Berber families. The homes are built around central courtyards carved below ground level, with rooms opening onto these sunken spaces. The tour includes a walk through the village and lunch inside an authentic family home.

Is the Sidi Driss Hotel visit included in the tour?

Yes, the Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata is a stop on the itinerary. It is the location where scenes from the Star Wars saga were filmed, and you visit it after lunch with the Berber family.

What does lunch consist of, and who prepares it?

Lunch is a typical Berber meal prepared and served by a Berber family inside their authentic troglodyte house. You eat with the family as part of experiencing their daily life in these underground homes.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel in Djerba?

Yes, pickup from your hotel in Djerba is included in the tour price.