The Tunisian Sahara: Tozeur, Douz, Ksar Ghilane and Star Wars Sets

How do you visit the Tunisian Sahara? Head south, between October and April, to the oasis towns of Tozeur and Douz, the “gateway to the Sahara.” From there you can cross the shimmering salt flats of Chott el Djerid, ride a camel into the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental, swim in the hot spring at Ksar Ghilane, sleep in a desert camp and visit the Star Wars sets of Mos Espa and Matmata. The Tunisian desert is one of the most accessible in North Africa, a few hours from the coast or a short flight from Tunis. This guide covers where to go, how trips work, when to travel and the safety rules that matter.

Planning a trip? Start with our complete Tunisia travel guide, our guide to Djerba and is Tunisia safe?

The Tunisian Sahara at a glance

Tozeur, Nefta and the mountain oases

Tozeur is the main town of the Djerid region, built around a huge palm grove watered by springs. Its old quarter, Ouled el Hadef, is known for buildings decorated with patterns of yellow brick.

• The palm grove: walk or ride a carriage through the shady gardens of date palms, fruit trees and irrigation channels.
• Nefta: a nearby oasis town and a center of Sufi tradition, overlooking a palm-filled basin called the Corbeille.
• Chebika, Tamerza and Mides: mountain oases north-west of Tozeur with canyons, waterfalls and abandoned mud-brick villages, usually visited by 4×4.

Chott el Djerid

Chott el Djerid is the largest salt lake in the Sahara, a white, flat expanse between Tozeur and Kebili. A long causeway crosses it, and in the heat the horizon dissolves into mirages. After rain, a thin layer of water turns it into a mirror. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to stop.

Douz and Ksar Ghilane

Douz, on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, is the gateway to the dunes. Camel treks and 4×4 trips leave from here, and the town hosts the International Festival of the Sahara each winter, with camel races, horsemanship, music and poetry. The 58th edition is planned for December 19–22, 2026.

Ksar Ghilane, further into the dunes, is a small oasis with a natural hot spring pool, desert camps and the ruins of a Roman fort nearby. It is one of the most beautiful places to spend a night in the Tunisian Sahara.

Star Wars locations

Tunisia’s desert played the planet Tatooine in the Star Wars films, and several sets and locations can still be visited.

• Mos Espa: the set built near Ong Jemel, north-west of Tozeur, for “The Phantom Menace,” partly preserved in the dunes.
• Ong Jemel: the “camel’s neck” rock formation nearby, also a filming location.
• Chott el Djerid and Matmata: the outside of Luke Skywalker’s home, the Lars homestead, was filmed on the salt flats of Chott el Djerid, and the inside at the Hotel Sidi Driss, a troglodyte house in Matmata.
• Ksar Ouled Soltane: a fortified granary near Tataouine that appeared in “The Phantom Menace.”

Matmata and the ksour

Matmata’s Amazigh families traditionally lived in houses dug into the ground around sunken courtyards, which keep cool in summer and warm in winter. Some are still lived in and can be visited.

Near Tataouine, the ksour are fortified granaries of stacked barrel-vaulted rooms called ghorfas, built on hilltops to protect harvests. Ksar Ouled Soltane and the hill village of Chenini are the best known.

When to go

The best time to visit the Tunisian Sahara is from October to April.

Safety in the south

The main desert destinations are open to visitors and are visited by many tourists every year. A few rules apply.

• Stay away from the Libyan border zone. The US advises against travel within 16 km of the border; the UK advises against all but essential travel within 75 km of it, not including Zarzis, and against all travel in the militarized zone south of El Borma and Dhehiba.
• Travel with a local driver or guide in the dunes and on desert tracks.
• Carry water and sun protection, and avoid the midday heat.
• Check your route if you plan to go beyond Tataouine or Ksar Ghilane. Read our Tunisia safety guide.

Travel with a local guide

Simsem’s Tunisia host, Mohamed Ben Naceur, runs tours from Sousse, including a quad bike and camel ride in the countryside:

See all Tunisia experiences on Simsem.

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