From Djerba: Sunset & Sunrise Desert by 4x4 with Tent Night

About This Experience

Every other desert trip off Djerba leaves in the dark and returns in the dark, which means the drive happens at the good hours and the sand happens at midday. This one is built the other way round. Pickup is at 11am, the road south is covered while the light is flat and not worth having, and you arrive at the dunes for the part of the day people book a desert tour to see.

Chahbania comes first, where the salt flat holds the sky. Ksar Hadada follows — the mud-brick granary that played Mos Espa's slave quarters in The Phantom Menace — and then Ksar Ghilane, with time for the warm spring and an optional quad run over the dunes.

Sunset is at the camp. Dinner is Berber and eaten there, the night is spent in a fixed tent with bedding provided, and you are woken for the sunrise. Between November and March the temperature after dark drops hard — the tour is still comfortable, but the layer you did not pack is the one you will think about.

Breakfast is included and the drive back reaches Djerba hotels late the next morning, which leaves the second afternoon free.

Highlights

• An 11am start — the dunes at sunset instead of at noon
• A night in a fixed Berber tent, dinner and breakfast included
• Woken for sunrise over the Grand Erg Oriental
• The Chahbania salt flat and Ksar Hadada on the way south
• Free time at the Ksar Ghilane hot spring

What's Included

• ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Djerba and Zarzis
• ✓ Transport by 4x4
• ✓ Guide throughout
• ✓ Dinner at the desert camp
• ✓ One night in a tent with bedding
• ✓ Breakfast on day two

Not Included

• Drinks
• Camel rides
• Quad rides
• Tips
• Personal expenses

What to Bring

• Swimsuit and towel
• A warm layer for the evening
• Sun hat and sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Cash for the optional rides

Good to Know & Caveats

• The trip runs about 24 hours: departure near 11am, return around 11am the next day.
• Nights in the Sahara are cold from November to March. A jacket matters more than you expect.
• Swimming at the Ksar Ghilane spring is part of the stop, so pack a swimsuit and towel.
• Quad and camel rides are available at the oasis for an extra charge, subject to availability.
• Shaded breaks and drinking water are provided when temperatures are high.

Meeting Point

Hotel pickup in Djerba and Zarzis at about 11am on day one; you are back at the same address late the following morning.