Desert Express with a night under tent
The Desert Express with a night under tent from Tunis and its surroundings is not only an excursion, it is an adventure and a journey through time.Discover…
🚐 Desert Express with a night under tent
Two days to leave everything behind. From Roman colosseums to Star Wars troglodyte hotels, from Berber tea to a Bedouin tent in the Sabria dunes. Sunset, silence, and the Sahara as far as the eye can see.
📍 Meeting Point
Tunis : El Hana International Hotel : Avenue Habib Bourguiba Tunis
🗺️ Get Directions🚐 Pickup Location
Hammamet & Sousse : We pick you up directly at your hotel
📖 About this excursion
Tunisia Desert Overnight from Tunis and its surroundings is not only an excursion, it is an adventure and a journey through time. You will leave the tourist places to attack the desert, the spirit of the caravans and immerse yourself in local life. This two-day experience is designed for travelers who want more than just photos, they want to feel the sand, taste the silence, and sleep under stars that have guided nomads for centuries.
From the moment you leave Tunis, the landscape begins to change. Coastal resorts disappear, replaced by olive groves, then arid plains, and finally the first whispers of the Sahara. This is not a rushed bus tour with crowded stops. It is a careful immersion into southern Tunisia’s most authentic treasures, from Roman stones to Berber underground homes, from Star Wars movie sets to golden dunes that stretch beyond imagination.
Why choose Tunisia Desert Overnight ?
During this adventure, you will visit the very famous amphitheater of El Jem, the 2nd largest coliseum in the world after that of Rome. You will also discover the troglodytic village of Matmata where you will visit a Berber family and experience their hospitality with a refreshing mint or rosemary tea. You will walk through the same Sidi Driss hotel hallways where George Lucas filmed Star Wars, then cross the Chott Djerid salt lake, a blinding white expanse that feels like another planet.
But the heart of this journey beats in the Sabria desert. Here, you will watch the sunset paint the dunes in shades of orange and purple, enjoy a traditional Bedouin dinner, and if the group is large enough, share songs and stories around a campfire. Otherwise, the desert will offer you something rarer: absolute silence. You will sleep in a traditional tent, wake up to a simple breakfast, and continue toward Tozeur’s mountain oases and waterfalls. This is not a standard excursion. This is Tunisia Desert Overnight, two days that will stay with you long after the sand has washed off your shoes.
🖼️ Gallery
🗺️ Itinerary
From Roman Stones to Starry Dunes
Your journey begins as soon as you leave Tunis. The Mediterranean greenery fades, replaced by olive groves and then by a wilder, sun-baked landscape. You arrive at El Jem, and suddenly history stands before you, not in a museum, but in stone. You walk through the second largest colosseum of the Roman Empire. Alone, in certain corridors, you can almost hear the echo of ancient crowds.
Then the road turns south, toward Matmata. Here, the earth opens. You descend into a troglodyte village where Berber families have lived for centuries, sheltered from the heat. You are welcomed like a guest, not a tourist: rosemary tea, olive oil, fresh bread, honey. Smiles without a price tag. You also step into the Sidi Driss hotel, the real Star Wars sets. Yes, Luke Skywalker’s home was here, in Tunisia.
But the best is yet to come.
As the afternoon softens, you reach the Sabria desert. This is not a postcard. This is a sea of sand, a pain de sucre of golden dunes as far as the eye can see. Then you arrive at the Bedouin camp, traditional tents, simple, authentic. You have the option to ride a camel or a quad through the first waves of the Erg (extra, payable on site).
Now, the ritual begins.
You climb the nearest dune. You sit. The sun begins to bleed orange and purple into the sky. Sunset in the desert is not a moment, it is a long, slow magic trick. And if you brought or rent a sandboard, you can slide down the dune just before the light disappears (ask your guide for availability).
Dinner is served : a traditional Tunisian meal. Then, if the group is large enough, a campfire is lit. Music rises. Laughter. Stories. You might even stand up and dance on the sand.
Tonight, the desert holds you.
Canyons, Cascades & the Holy City
Morning in the desert is cool and golden. You wake up to the smell of brewed coffee and fresh bread. Breakfast is simple, but the view is not. The dunes have shifted slightly during the night, the desert never sleeps, it simply rearranges itself.
You leave the camp, then stop at Chott Djerid, the largest salt lake in North Africa. It is not water, it is a white crystal mirror stretching to the horizon. In the heat, you will see mirages. The road seems to float.
Then you enter the mountain oases. First Chebika: palm trees erupting from a rocky canyon, waterfalls splashing into clear pools. You walk between walls of stone and curtains of green. This is the desert’s secret heart: water hidden in the rocks.
Lunch is served in a local restaurant overlooking the oasis with a view that makes every bite unforgettable.
After lunch, you drive north toward Kairouan, the fourth holiest city in Islam. You will have a panoramic stop to admire the great minarets and understand why this city once ruled an empire.
Then the road continues. The desert slowly becomes countryside, then suburbs, then home. You will be back in Sousse, Hammamet or Tunis, in the late afternoon or early evening, tired, sandy, slightly changed.
You came for an excursion. You leave with a memory that feels like a dream.
Route map
Included & Not Included
Included
- The provision of a tourist vehicle for 2 days
- The services of a driver and a guide approved by the Tunisian Tourist Office for 2 days
- Lunches on the 1st and 2nd day (excluding drinks)
- Accommodation in tented camp in the middle of the desert with half board
- Our assistance during the excursion
Not Included
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Access to museums and sites
- Additional optional and paid rides
- Tips for the guide and the driver
Upgrade to a Private Experience
Make this journey entirely your own with our exclusive private tour. Your private vehicle picks you up directly from your location, hotel, riad, or anywhere in Tunisia, at a time that suits you perfectly. Travel at your own pace, linger where you wish, and enjoy the undivided attention of your dedicated expert guide. For overnight excursions, rest in an air-conditioned tent with a private en-suite bathroom, under a sky blazing with stars.
Frequently asked questions
Beyond the postcard. Into the real Tunisia.
Authentic experiences, private & expert-guided
