Attraction Tours around Douz: Circuits by 4x4

Before you book, read the latest US State Department and UK FCDO travel advice for Tunisia. Parts of the far south are military or border zones that tourists cannot enter, and desert trips should go through a licensed local operator.

Anyone expecting a city sightseeing bus in Douz will not find one. The town is small enough to cross on foot, and the paid attractions that do exist are motorised desert circuits and horse-drawn carriages. This page explains what each involves, what to ask before paying and what to do instead when a circuit does not suit.

4x4 desert circuits

Several agencies in town put together trips by Land Cruiser style 4x4 across the dunes and the date plantations, with a stop at the edge of Chott el Djerid. Wikivoyage gives a rough rate of 350 to 400 TND for a driver and vehicle for the whole group, so travelling in a full car is the cheapest way to go. Questions to put to the agency:

  1. Is the guide licensed, and does the agency work the area every week?
  2. Are water, fuel and the driver included?
  3. How many hours will the vehicle be out, and where does it stop?
  4. What happens if the wind picks up and sand covers the track?

Operators who work the south know where the military zones and checkpoints lie. Slow down at checkpoints, do as the guide says and leave the camera in the bag near anything military.

Carriage rides

A calèche is a small horse-drawn carriage that holds up to four. Drivers wait close to the Place du Souk and the Zone Touristique. The usual loop through the palm grove takes an hour to 90 minutes and costs about 25 to 35 TND for the carriage, with room to haggle. Fix the route and the time up front.

Culture stops

Two places work well with either circuit. The Musée du Sahara, in the centre of town, opened in 1997 and tells the story of Saharan nomads and the Mrazig people, so call in to ask about hours and the fee. The weekly souk and livestock market is on Thursday morning, which is the best day to schedule a town tour.

Safe habits on any circuit

  • Stay on the paved road across Chott el Djerid. The salt crust and the muddy margins are not safe to drive on.
  • Use closed shoes in the sand, where scorpions and horned vipers live.
  • When sand blows hard, stop and shelter rather than pressing on.
  • Pay in cash, in Tunisian dinars.

Where the circuits end

Matmata is about 1.5 hours from Douz by car, and Tozeur is about 2 hours. Our page on day trips around Douz covers both. Excursions past Jebil National Park lead into closed border land. Study the FCDO warnings page before agreeing to anything toward Borj el Khadra, El Borma or the Libyan frontier.

Compare before you pay

You can browse guided 4x4 tours near Douz to see typical itineraries and then compare them with what a local agency offers.

Read more: on foot around Douz , or the main sights .