Djerba: Ksar Ghilane 4x4 & Hot Spring with Lunch

A Natural Hot Spring in the Middle of the Sahara, Surrounded by Nothing But Sand

You're picked up from your Djerba hotel and driven through changing desert landscape to a natural hot spring oasis where you swim and eat lunch. After that, you visit a centuries-old fortified village with narrow streets and traditional architecture, then return in the late afternoon. The whole day is eight hours, your guide is approved by the national tourist office, and you don't arrange transport, meals or entry yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

4x4 trip to Ksar Ghilane and Ksar Hadada

• Depart from Djerba
• Visit Roman causeway of El Kantara
• Drive 2 hours to Ksar Ghilane
• Enjoy lunch near desert dunes
• Relax and swim in hot spring
• Optional quad or camel ride to Roman fort
• Drive 1 hour to Ksar Hadada
• Explore Ksar Hadada village
• Drive 2 hours back to Djerba

The experience

The Roman causeway connecting Djerba to the mainland takes thirty minutes to cross, and then the landscape starts to change. Flat gives way to rocky hills, and the road narrows as it winds deeper into drier terrain. After about two hours of driving through the desert in a 4x4, you arrive at Ksar Ghilane: an oasis that feels like it shouldn't exist out here, but does. The spring itself is warm year-round, fed by underground sources, and you can swim in it surrounded by palm trees and dunes. It's the kind of moment that justifies the long drive.

Before you reach the spring, there's lunch at a restaurant near the dunes, not a tourist trap, but a real place where locals eat. The food is traditional Tunisian, the kind of meal that tastes different when you're sitting in the middle of the Sahara. After eating and swimming, you have the option to take a quad or camel ride out to the Roman fort of Tisavar if you want more time in the desert, though it's not mandatory. Then comes the drive to Ksar Hadada, about an hour away, where the day shifts from landscape to history.

Ksar Hadada is a fortified Berber village built into the hillside, its narrow streets and adobe houses preserved almost exactly as they were centuries ago. You spend roughly an hour and a quarter walking through it with your guide, who points out the carved doors and explains how families lived stacked on top of each other for defense. It's the kind of place that filmmakers noticed (it was used as a location for Star Wars), but it doesn't feel like a set. It feels like a real place that time forgot. The drive back to Djerba takes two hours, and by then you've crossed the desert twice and seen two very different sides of southern Tunisia.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Djerba, private 4x4 transportation throughout, a fifteen-minute stop at the Roman causeway, lunch with traditional Tunisian specialties at a desert restaurant, free time to swim in the natural hot spring at Ksar Ghilane, entry to Ksar Hadada with a national-office-approved guide for the village walk, and return transport to your hotel. Quad and camel rides at the oasis are available for an additional cost.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French 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.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Israa Travel Agency

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Sahara and a historic village in one day without arranging your own transport, meals, or guide: the fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you show up and the day unfolds without logistics.

Traveler reviews

4.93★★★★★★★★★★

123 verified traveler reviews

5 ★116

4 ★6

3 ★0

2 ★1

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How long is the drive from Djerba to Ksar Ghilane?

About two hours each way through desert landscape.

Is the hot spring safe to swim in?

Yes. It's a natural spring fed by underground sources and warm year-round. You can swim freely during your free time there.

What's included in the price?

Private 4x4 transportation, lunch at a desert restaurant, a guide, and entry to Ksar Hadada. Quad and camel rides at Ksar Ghilane are optional and cost extra.

How long do you spend at Ksar Hadada?

About one hour and fifteen minutes walking through the village with your guide.

Is the Roman causeway a stop on the tour?

You cross it at the start of the day and spend about fifteen minutes there before heading into the desert.

What if I don't want to do the quad or camel ride?

It's optional. You can spend your free time at the oasis swimming, resting, or exploring on foot.

What time does the tour start and end?

Hotel pickup is at the start, and the full day is eight hours including the drive back to Djerba.