Sahara 4x4 Circuit: 4 Days / 3 Nights Private Tour
From $510, a private 4-day Sahara circuit by 4x4. It covers Chebika, Tamerza, the Star Wars set of Ong Jmel, Chott el-Jérid and a night in the dunes.
Private 4-Day Sahara Circuit by 4x4 from Your Hotel
This private circuit is our classic loop of the Tunisian south, over four days and three nights. You walk through the canyon oases of Chebika and Tamerza and visit the Star Wars set of Ong Jmel. Then you cross Chott el-Jérid, ride camels in Douz and sleep under the stars. A 4x4 with an expert desert driver is yours for the whole circuit.
Mountain Oases, Film Sets and the Great Chott
The west of the Tunisian south mixes rock and sand. Its oases hide in canyons, and its open plains have drawn film crews from around the world.
Ad Speculum
Chebika lies at the foot of the Djebel el Negueb, near the Algerian border. The Romans kept an outpost here, called Ad Speculum. The old village was left empty in 1969, after floods that killed more than 400 people across Tunisia. Its stone houses still cling to the slope above the new one.
The Spring in the Rock
Behind the village, a spring runs out of the rock and drops in a small waterfall into a narrow gorge. A path follows the stream between palm trees and cliffs. Scenes of The English Patient were filmed in this landscape. Come early, before the groups arrive from Tozeur. In the morning light, the rocks turn red and gold.
Ad Turres
Tamerza is one of three mountain oases near the Algerian border, with Chebika and Midès. Under Rome, it was Ad Turres, a post on the desert frontier between Tébessa and Gafsa. Like Chebika, its old village was abandoned after the floods of 1969. Its empty houses still stand above the bed of the Oued El Horchane. Only its small shrine is still in use.
The Canyon and the Waterfall
Below the village, the river has cut a canyon through the rock. A waterfall drops into a pool near the new village, a cool stop in the heat. The wide, bare riverbed shows how violent the rains can be. In 1969, they turned this quiet stream into a torrent. Walk down to the water with good shoes, as the rocks are smooth.
Between Two Lands of Oases
Chott el-Jérid separates two groups of oases, the Jerid around Tozeur and the Nefzaoua around Kebili and Douz. One road crosses it, raised above the salt on a long bank. On both sides, the crust cracks into shapes like tiles. In low sunlight, the salt shines like snow. Our drivers know where it is safe to stop.
A Sea That Never Was
In 1874, the French officer François Élie Roudaire proposed to flood the chotts and create an inland sea. A canal would bring sea water from the coast near Gabès. Ferdinand de Lesseps, the man behind the Suez Canal, backed the idea. Later surveys found that part of the basin lay above sea level, and the plan was dropped by 1885.
Three Floors of Shade
An oasis garden grows on three levels. Date palms form the high roof and give shade. Below them grow fruit trees such as pomegranates, figs and lemons. On the ground, farmers plant vegetables, herbs and fodder, kept moist by the shade above. This way, a small plot can feed a whole family.
Tozeur on Film
Film crews have used the land around Tozeur for decades. Raiders of the Lost Ark filmed scenes here in 1980. In the canyon of Sidi Bouhlel, Star Wars shot scenes of Tatooine, and people now call it Star Wars Canyon. Your driver knows the way to each site. Many of them sit just off the road to the chott.
Ong Jmel
Ong Jmel means the neck of the camel, after a rock that looks like one. It rises from the salt flats of Chott el-Gharsa, north-west of Tozeur. In August 1997, the crew of The Phantom Menace filmed the pod race and Darth Maul here. The track they drove in on had been laid for The English Patient.
Mos Espa
Nearby, Lucasfilm built Mos Espa, the desert town of The Phantom Menace, in May 1997. Its 25 buildings copy the houses and domes of Djerba. The crew came back in 2000 for Attack of the Clones. The set still stands in the sand, and you can walk through its streets.
Your Circuit Day by Day
This plan is for hotels on the coast. From Djerba, the loop runs the other way, and our team sends you the plan when you book.
Day 1: South to Tozeur
Your driver picks you up at your hotel in the morning, and the 4x4 heads for the south-west. After a lunch stop on the road, you reach Tozeur in the afternoon. There is time to walk in the old quarter of Ouled El Hadef. Dinner and the night are at your hotel in Tozeur. From Djerba, this first day is shorter.
Day 2: Chebika, Tamerza and Ong Jmel
The 4x4 climbs to the mountain oases near the Algerian border. In Chebika, you walk up the canyon to the spring and its small waterfall. In Tamerza, you see the canyon and the old village left after the floods of 1969. In the afternoon, you visit Ong Jmel and the Star Wars set, then return to Tozeur for the night.
Day 3: Chott el-Jérid and a Night in the Dunes
After breakfast, you cross the salt lake of Chott el-Jérid toward Kebili and Douz. In Douz, you ride camels into the dunes in the late afternoon. Dinner is served at a desert camp, and you sleep under the Saharan stars. Desert nights can be cold, so keep a warm layer at hand.
Day 4: Back to Your Hotel
After sunrise and breakfast in the dunes, the 4x4 takes the road north. You stop for lunch on the way and reach your hotel in the evening. Your driver brings you to the door, as on the first day.
Price of the 4-Day Circuit from Your City
From Djerba, the full circuit costs $510, and from the north the price follows the distance. It covers the 4x4 with its driver, fuel and tolls for the four days. Your three nights and the meals of the circuit are included too. A certified guide costs $65 per day, and we pay for the guide's room and meals.
Price of the circuit, in US dollars
| Departure city | Price |
|---|---|
| Departure from Tunis or Gammarth | $650 |
| Departure from Hammamet | $630 |
| Departure from Nabeul | $635 |
| Departure from Sousse | $600 |
| Departure city | Price |
|---|---|
| Departure from Monastir | $605 |
| Departure from Mahdia | $615 |
| Departure from Bizerte | $665 |
| Departure from Djerba | $510 |
What the Circuit Includes
The four days are covered from your hotel and back: transport, nights and meals. You only pay for drinks, tickets and what you buy.
Included
Four days, three nights and the meals of the circuit, with the same 4x4 and driver throughout.
- Your own 4x4 with a desert driver, fuel and tolls for four days
- Three nights, one of them in a desert camp
- Meals during the circuit, half board or full board
Not Included
A few sites charge an entry fee, and drinks along the way are on you.
- Site tickets, drinks and personal costs
- On request: certified guide for $65 a day, room and meals covered
Tell us your hotel, the day you want to start and how many of you are traveling. Our team confirms the route, the nights and the fixed price. We are on WhatsApp 24/7 for any question.
Questions About the 4-Day Sahara Circuit
Is the 4-day circuit very tiring?
The first and last days are long drives. The two days in between have short drives and many stops, so the pace stays calm.
Can we visit the Star Wars sets?
Yes. The Mos Espa set near Tozeur still stands, and the circuit stops there and at the rock of Ong Jmel.
When is the best season for the Sahara?
From October to April, when the days are warm and the nights cool. Summer is very hot in the south.
Can we change the route or add a stop?
The circuit is private, so small changes are possible. Ask our team when you book, and they confirm what fits in four days.
Can we start from Djerba?
Yes, and it is the cheapest start, since Djerba is the closest to the desert. The loop then runs in the other direction.
Shorter Sahara Circuits and Day Trips
If four days is too long, the 2-day circuit covers Tozeur, the salt lake and Douz. The 3-day circuit goes to Matmata and the oasis of Ksar Ghilane instead.
