Multi-Day Desert Trips from Douz

October 31, 2026

Check the current US State Department and UK FCDO advice before booking. Some border and military areas in the south of Tunisia are closed to tourists, so go into the dunes only with a licensed local operator.

Multi-day trips from Douz go south into the Grand Erg Oriental by camel or by 4x4, with nights in desert camps. The routes are real and well established, but they cross remote ground, so they go through licensed local operators who know the military zones and checkpoints. Plan for October to April. In summer the heat in the dunes is dangerous.

Camel treks (méharées)

A méharée is a trek with dromedaries into the dunes south of Douz, usually lasting from two days up to about a week. Camels carry the bags, water and food while you ride or walk beside the guides. Evenings are spent in camp, with bread baked in the embers, mint tea and a stew over a wood fire, and you sleep in a tent or on a mat under the stars. Prices differ with the length of the trek and the group size, so ask operators for a written quote that lists what is included. Before you commit, ask to see the camels. Check that they have water, shade and rest, and decline a trek with overloaded or limping animals.

4x4 expeditions to Jebil National Park

Jebil National Park covers about 150,000 hectares, and its edge is about 80 km south of Douz, reached by track. Operators run two- and three-day 4x4 trips with a night in a desert camp south of Douz. Book camps through a licensed operator, because the location and the standard of each camp vary. The Jebil National Park article gives the size and setting.

Ksar Ghilane overnight

Ksar Ghilane lies about 130 to 145 km from Douz, about 2 hours each way. An overnight stay lets you bathe in the warm spring (about 29 C according to operator listings), visit the Roman fort of Tisavar, which is less than 1 km from the palms, and see the stars after dark. Wikipedia lists three campsites, a luxury tented hotel and a guest house, and Campement Yadis appears on booking sites. Go with an operator, not by self-drive. Compare stays near Ksar Ghilane .

A loop through Matmata

Combine Douz, Ksar Ghilane and Matmata in a loop of two or three days. Matmata is known for its sunken cave houses and is about 1.5 hours from Douz by car.

Safety for overnight trips

Never walk barefoot at dusk or night. Horned vipers and scorpions live in the sand, so shake out boots and sleeping bags before use.
Carry plenty of water, a sun hat and a scarf against blowing sand.
A sandstorm is a danger. Stay in camp or shelter, and drivers should pull off the road and stop.
Approach checkpoints slowly and do not photograph military sites.
Do not pay to hold or photograph captive fennec foxes, which are sold to tourists. Keeping one is illegal.

Where not to go

FCDO does not name Douz, Kebili, Tozeur or Ksar Ghilane. It advises against all travel in the militarised zone south of El Borma and Dhehiba and within 20 km of the Libyan border north of Dhehiba, and against all but essential travel within 75 km of the Libyan border. Read the FCDO warnings page and its live map before any trip south or east of Jebil toward Borj el Khadra, El Borma, Dhehiba or the Libyan and Algerian borders. Do not accept an itinerary that heads there.

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