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Southern Tunisia is travelled as a loop between two airports, Tozeur and Djerba. In the west, Tozeur and Nefta live off their palm groves on the edge of Chott el-Jerid, the largest salt lake in the Sahara; to the north, the mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides cling to their gorges. In the centre, Douz opens onto the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental and the oasis of Ksar Ghilane.
To the east, the Dahar is lined with Berber villages and fortified granaries: the pit homes of Matmata, the hilltop village of Chenini, the ghorfas of Ksar Ouled Soltane near Tataouine. Several sites were Star Wars sets, from Luke Skywalker's home in Matmata to the Mos Espa village near Nefta.
This guide covers these stops, four excursions (a night in a Douz desert camp, the mountain oases, Ksar Ghilane and Matmata, Tataouine and Chenini), a 7-day itinerary, the best season, entry rules and the areas advised against. If you arrive via the island, see also our Djerba guide.
8 places to take with you
In the guide's order, ready for Google Maps or your GPS.
Book the activities from this guide
Our picks for Tozeur, well rated and free to cancel.
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Overnight desert camp by camel from Douz
€100 per person, dinner and breakfast included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
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4x4 day trip: Chebika, Tamerza, Mides and Mos Espa from Tozeur
€110 per person, private 4x4 (GetYourGuide price 2026)
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4x4 day trip to Ksar Ghilane and Matmata from Djerba
€59 per person, lunch included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
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Tozeur
Tozeur is the main town of the Djerid, on the northern edge of Chott el-Jerid. Its old quarter, Ouled el-Hadef, is known for façades of mud brick laid in geometric patterns, a technique typical of the region. The Dar Cherait museum displays costumes, objects and traditions of southern Tunisia.
Around the town lies a vast palm grove irrigated by channels, where deglet nour dates are grown. Tozeur is the base for Chott el-Jerid, the mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, and the Mos Espa set (Star Wars) near Ong Jemel, west of Nefta. Tozeur-Nefta airport (TOE) is about 4 km away.
Chott el-Jerid
Chott el-Jerid is the largest salt lake in the Sahara: its surface varies between 5,000 and 10,000 km² depending on the season, between Tozeur and Kebili. For most of the year it is a cracked plain of white salt, sometimes covered by a thin film of water after the winter rains.
A causeway road crosses it from west to east, linking the Djerid to the Nefzaoua (Kebili, Douz). In the morning and late afternoon, the low light and mirages make it one of the most photographed landscapes in the country.
Ksar Ghilane
Ksar Ghilane is Tunisia's southernmost oasis, on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental. Its draw is a pool fed by a hot spring, ringed by palms, a few steps from the first dunes. A road of about 80 km links it to Douz; from Tataouine and Matmata, access is by 4x4.
About 2 km into the sand stand the remains of a small Roman fort, the goal of camel or quad rides. Visitors sleep in tented camps. The oasis can also be done as a day trip from Djerba: our Djerba guide lists a 4x4 excursion via Tataouine.
Douz
Douz, nicknamed the "gateway to the desert", is the Nefzaoua town closest to the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental, which begin at its southern edge. It is the starting point for camel treks, nights in desert camps and 4x4 trips to Ksar Ghilane.
Every late December, the International Festival of the Sahara brings camel races, fantasias, and Bedouin poetry and music performances. The 57th edition was held from 25 to 28 December 2025.
Chenini and Ksar Ouled Soltane
Chenini is a Berber village perched on a ridge of the Dahar, near Tataouine. Its semi-troglodyte homes are dug into the cliff below a fortified granary crowning the top, and a white mosque overlooks the village.
Ksar Ouled Soltane, about 23 km south-east of Tataouine, is a fortified granary whose ghorfas, vaulted cells stacked three or four storeys high, stored the harvests. The site stood in for the Mos Espa slave quarters in Star Wars: Episode I.
The oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides
North-west of Tozeur, three mountain oases nestle in the djebel. At Chebika, a path climbs a gorge to a spring and a small waterfall, below the old stone village. Tamerza is the country's largest mountain oasis; its old village, abandoned after the 1969 flood, faces the palm grove and its waterfall.
Nearby Mides overlooks a narrow canyon with jagged walls, often seen in films. The road is paved but winding; many visitors combine the three oases with Ong Jemel and the Mos Espa set on the same day.
Matmata
Matmata is known for its pit dwellings: a circular courtyard dug several metres below ground, with rooms cut into the rock opening onto it, cool in summer. Some families show visitors around one.
The Hotel Sidi Driss, set in several of these pits, was Luke Skywalker's home in Star Wars: Episode IV (1977). The hilltop Berber villages of Tamezret and Toujane, a few kilometres away, round out the visit. Matmata is about an hour's drive from Gabes.
Djerba
Djerba is the eastern gateway to southern Tunisia: Djerba-Zarzis airport takes international flights, and the island is linked to the mainland by a causeway and a ferry. Houmt Souk with its souk and Borj El Kebir, the Ghriba synagogue and the Djerbahood murals in Erriadh are worth two or three days.
Many day trips leave the island for Matmata, Tataouine, Chenini and Ksar Ghilane. For sights, beaches and places to stay, see our Djerba guide.
Overnight desert camp by camel from Douz
Pick-up at your Douz hotel around 3.30 pm, then a camel trek through the dunes to a Berber camp for sunset, a traditional dinner and a night under canvas. The next morning, you ride back at sunrise after breakfast. The highlight: the dunes turning red at sunset, far from any road.
Allow €100 per person on GetYourGuide, including the night, dinner, breakfast and transfers within Douz, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Bring a warm layer and a headscarf: nights are cool and the wind lifts the sand.
- 2 days (1 night)
- €100 per person, dinner and breakfast included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
4x4 day trip: Chebika, Tamerza, Mides and Mos Espa from Tozeur
Hotel pick-up in Tozeur or Nefta, then a day in a private 4x4: a guided walk in the Chebika gorge, a lunch stop in Tamerza, the Mides canyon, an off-road crossing of Chott el-Gharsa, Ong Jemel and the Mos Espa set, before sunset in the dunes. The highlight: sunset over the dunes after the Star Wars set.
Allow €110 per person on GetYourGuide, as a private group with a driver and French-speaking guide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Lunch and the camel ride at Mos Espa are extra.
- 1 day
- €110 per person, private 4x4 (GetYourGuide price 2026)
4x4 day trip to Ksar Ghilane and Matmata from Djerba
An early start from Djerba, about 3.5 hours' drive out, then the oasis of Ksar Ghilane: a dip in the hot spring, the small Roman fort in the sand and, optionally, a camel or quad ride in the dunes. The return goes via Matmata, visiting a lived-in troglodyte home and the Hotel Sidi Driss, then the villages of Tamezret and Toujane. The highlight: the hot spring at the foot of the dunes.
Allow €59 per person on GetYourGuide, including transport, guide, lunch and entry to Sidi Driss, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Quad, camel and drinks are extra; bring a swimsuit and cash.
- 1 day
- €59 per person, lunch included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
Tataouine, Chenini and the ksour on a day trip from Djerba
Across the Roman causeway to the mainland, then Ksar Haddada, with its stacked granaries and Star Wars sets, and Ksar Ouled Soltane. A guided visit of Chenini, a Berber village clinging to the mountain, with its troglodyte homes and mosque, then sunset in the desert. The highlight: arriving at Chenini, terraced along the ridge.
Allow €49 per person on GetYourGuide, including transport, guide, lunch and entry to the Haddada and Ouled Soltane ksour, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. According to travellers, the sunset is reached by quad, at an extra cost of about €30 per quad.
- 9 hrs
- €49 per person, lunch included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
Getting there
Two international airports serve southern Tunisia: Tozeur-Nefta (TOE), 4 km from Tozeur and the gateway to the Sahara and oases, and Djerba-Zarzis (DJE), 9 km from Houmt Souk.
Southern Tunisia is reached via two international airports. Tozeur-Nefta (TOE), about 4 km from Tozeur, is the main air gateway to Chott el-Jerid, the mountain oases and the desert. Djerba-Zarzis (DJE), about 9 km from Houmt Souk, serves the eastern side and access to Matmata, Tataouine and the deep south.
From Tunis, the south is also reachable by road (around 450 km to Tozeur) or by train to Gabès, then bus or shared taxi (louage). Locally, renting a 4x4 gives the most freedom; for desert tracks (Ksar Ghilane, dunes) an off-road vehicle with a driver or an organised excursion is preferable.
If you fly into Djerba, the island is worth two or three days before heading for the desert: see our Djerba guide.
Getting around
A hire car gives the most freedom on paved roads; for the tracks to Ksar Ghilane and the dunes, take a 4x4 with driver or a tour. Louages and buses link the towns.
The towns on the loop (Tozeur, Kebili, Douz, Matmata, Tataouine, Gabes) are linked by paved roads: a hire car is enough, allowing for the distances and filling up whenever you can. The Chott el-Jerid causeway links Tozeur to Kebili and Douz.
For tracks and dunes, including the route to Ksar Ghilane from Tataouine or Matmata, a 4x4 with driver or an organised tour is better. Without a car, louages (shared taxis) and buses connect the towns, but not the mountain oases or the camps.
What to do
Sleep in a camp at Douz or Ksar Ghilane, walk in the mountain oases, cross Chott el-Jerid, visit Matmata, Chenini and the Tataouine ksour, and follow the Star Wars sets.
The desert can be experienced two ways: a night in a camp, by camel from Douz or in the dunes of Ksar Ghilane, or 4x4 days out from Tozeur and Djerba. In the west, crossing Chott el-Jerid at sunrise and the gorges of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides fill a day.
In the east, the pit homes of Matmata, the hilltop village of Chenini and the ghorfas of Ksar Ouled Soltane tell the story of Berber dwellings. Star Wars fans link Mos Espa, the Hotel Sidi Driss and Ksar Ouled Soltane. In late December, the Douz Sahara Festival joins the programme.
Itineraries
From Djerba to Tozeur in 7 days: Matmata, Tataouine and its ksour, Ksar Ghilane, Douz, Chott el-Jerid and the mountain oases.
A one-week loop by car, with a 4x4 and driver for the Ksar Ghilane track:
- Day 1: arrive in Djerba, cross to the mainland and drive to Matmata; night at the Hotel Sidi Driss.
- Day 2: the villages of Tamezret and Toujane, then Tataouine; Ksar Ouled Soltane in the late afternoon.
- Day 3: Chenini in the morning, then the track to Ksar Ghilane; a dip in the hot spring and a night in a camp.
- Day 4: drive to Douz; camel trek in the afternoon and a night in a desert camp.
- Day 5: cross Chott el-Jerid to Tozeur; palm grove and old town.
- Day 6: the oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, then Ong Jemel and the Mos Espa set at sunset.
- Day 7: Nefta in the morning, then fly out of Tozeur-Nefta or head back to Djerba.
Climate & seasons
When to go to Tunisia?
Monthly averages over the past 5 years (Open-Meteo).
Best months
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- October
- November
Avoid
- June
- July
- August
- September
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our take | ||||||||||||
| Weather | ||||||||||||
| High | 18° | 20° | 25° | 28° | 33° | 39° | 41° | 40° | 36° | 30° | 24° | 19° |
| Rain (mm) | 2 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 15 |
| City sightseeing | City sightseeing January | City sightseeing February | City sightseeing March | City sightseeing April | City sightseeing November | City sightseeing December |
What to do by season (autumn)
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City sightseeing
Pedestrian-friendly most of the year.
When to go
October to April. The Saharan summer often tops 40-45 °C around the Chott and the oases; winter nights in the desert are cold. The Sahara Festival takes place in Douz in late December.
The best time runs from October to April, with mild days for walking in the oases and sleeping in the desert. Summer (June to August) is gruelling: the heat regularly tops 40-45 °C around the Chott and the oases.
In winter, desert nights are cold: bring a warm layer for the camps. The International Festival of the Sahara is held in Douz in late December (dates announced in the autumn; the 57th edition ran from 25 to 28 December 2025): book early if you are aiming for those dates.
Where to stay
Hotels and guesthouses in Tozeur and Douz, tented camps at Ksar Ghilane and in the Douz dunes, and the Hotel Sidi Driss in a troglodyte home in Matmata.
Tozeur has the widest choice, from hotels in the tourist zone to guesthouses near the palm grove: it is the base for the Chott and the mountain oases. Douz has simple hotels on the edge of the dunes, handy before a night in the desert.
For the desert experience, the camps at Ksar Ghilane and around Douz offer equipped tents with dinner and breakfast included. In Matmata, you can sleep at the Hotel Sidi Driss, in the troglodyte pits of the Star Wars set; in Tataouine, hotels and guesthouses serve as a base for the ksour. Book early for late December, during the Douz festival.
Safety
The classic southern loop is under heightened vigilance. France Diplomatie advises against all travel to the Saharan region near the Libyan and Algerian borders, and against all but essential travel to the desert south and east of the Bir Rijm Maatoug - Borj Bourguiba - Ben Guerdane line.
According to France Diplomatie (updated 15 September 2026), all travel is advised against to the Saharan region near the borders with Libya and Algeria: any trip there requires prior military authorisation. The mountain massifs of the centre-west (Orbata, Selloum, Semmama, Chambi, Mghila) are also off-limits. The desert south and east of the Bir Rijm Maatoug - Borj Bourguiba - Ben Guerdane line is advised against except for essential travel.
The rest of the country, including the classic loop (Tozeur, Chott el-Jerid, mountain oases, Douz, Ksar Ghilane, Matmata, Tataouine, Chenini), is under heightened vigilance. Check your government's current advice for your travel dates, use a recognised operator or driver for desert tracks, and stick to the planned routes.
Emergency numbers: police 197, ambulance (SAMU) 190, civil protection 198.
Formalities
Since 1 January 2025, all visitors, including on package tours, must show a passport valid for at least 3 months on arrival: national ID cards are no longer accepted. French and EU citizens need no visa for up to 3 months.
French and EU citizens need no visa for a tourist stay of 3 months or less; other nationalities should check their own government's advice. Since 1 January 2025, all visitors, including on package tours, must show a passport valid for at least 3 months on arrival: national ID cards are no longer accepted.
Money: the Tunisian dinar (TND) is a closed currency that cannot be obtained outside the country. Change money locally, keep your receipts to change dinars back when leaving, and carry cash for desert camps and villages, where ATMs are scarce.
Check the latest rules before travelling, for instance on the France Diplomatie travel advice page.
FAQ
Visa, season, trip length, safety, desert nights, day trips from Djerba, money and Star Wars sets: the essentials for planning a trip to southern Tunisia.
Do you need a visa for southern Tunisia?
Not for French and EU citizens, for up to 3 months. Since 1 January 2025, all visitors must show a passport valid for at least 3 months on arrival: ID cards are no longer accepted, even on package tours.
What is the best season?
October to April. The Saharan summer often tops 40-45 °C around the Chott and the oases. Desert nights are cold in winter: bring a warm layer.
How many days should you plan?
Allow 6 to 7 days for a loop between Djerba and Tozeur via Matmata, Tataouine and its ksour, Ksar Ghilane, Douz, Chott el-Jerid and the mountain oases.
Is southern Tunisia safe?
The classic loop is under heightened vigilance. France Diplomatie advises against all travel near the Libyan and Algerian borders, and against all but essential travel to the desert south and east of the Bir Rijm Maatoug - Borj Bourguiba - Ben Guerdane line. Check current advice before you go.
How do you book a night in the desert?
Camps around Douz and Ksar Ghilane can be arranged locally or online: on GetYourGuide, the overnight camel trek to a camp from Douz costs €100 per person in 2026, dinner and breakfast included.
Can you visit the south on day trips from Djerba?
Yes: 4x4 day trips leave Djerba for Matmata and Ksar Ghilane, or for Tataouine and Chenini, with 3 to 3.5 hours of driving each way. To sleep in the desert or see the Tozeur oases, several days are better.
How should you handle money?
The Tunisian dinar is a closed currency: change money locally, keep your receipts and change dinars back before leaving. Carry cash for the desert and villages.
Where can you see the Star Wars sets?
Three main sites: the Mos Espa village near Ong Jemel (west of Nefta), the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata (Luke Skywalker's home, Episode IV) and Ksar Ouled Soltane near Tataouine (Mos Espa slave quarters, Episode I).
Sources
The figures in this guide come from the sources below, checked on the publication date.
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