Saharan adventure: Matmata & Ksar Ghilane by Jeep

About This Experience

Matmata is the reason to book this one. Plenty of Djerba tours list it; this itinerary treats it as a destination rather than a comfort break, and pairs it with Ksar Ghilane so the day has both the underground village and the sand.

The morning opens with a viewpoint stop at Ain El Anba before the run south to the oasis. Ksar Ghilane is the most southerly of the Tunisian oases and sits on the eastern edge of the Grand Erg Oriental; there is the natural hot spring to swim in, camel and quad rides at extra cost, and the Roman fort of Tisavar half-buried in the sand under a kilometre from the palms.

Then Matmata, where the houses are pits dug into the ground with rooms cut sideways off them. You meet a Berber family, taste the bread, the local olive oil and heja, and go into the Sidi Idriss hotel — the interior of the Lars homestead in A New Hope, rebuilt in 2000 for Attack of the Clones and still dressed for it.

Lunch is included, the vehicle is air-conditioned, and the guide is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism rather than self-appointed.

Highlights

• Matmata treated as a destination, not a photo stop
• Inside the Sidi Idriss hotel — the Lars homestead interior
• Bread, olive oil and heja with a Berber family
• The Ksar Ghilane hot spring and the Roman fort of Tisavar
• A Ministry of Tourism licensed guide throughout

What's Included

• ✓ Air-conditioned 4x4 with hotel pickup
• ✓ Ministry of Tourism licensed guide
• ✓ Ain El Anba viewpoint stop
• ✓ Access to the Ksar Ghilane oasis
• ✓ Berber village and Star Wars film-set visits
• ✓ Lunch

Not Included

• Quad biking and camel rides at the oasis
• Drinks with meals
• Souvenirs and personal purchases
• Tips for the guide or driver

What to Bring

• Swimsuit and towel
• Sun hat and sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Closed shoes
• Cash

Good to Know & Caveats

• Ten hours door to door from a Djerba pickup, most commonly in the Midoun area.
• Guiding runs in French, English, Italian and German depending on the group.
• Camel rides and quad biking at Ksar Ghilane are optional and charged on site.
• The spring pool is open air and warm year round — pack a swimsuit.

Meeting Point

Hotel pickup in the Djerba Midoun area and across the island; drop-off at the same address in the evening.