Tunisia · Sahara Camps & Bivouacs
Sleep in a tent under the Sahara's stars.
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The Experience
A serviced camp, a nomadic bivouac and a hotel in Douz are three different experiences at three different prices.
What actually happens between sunset and the drive home.
Camps are reached in the late afternoon so the light over the dunes is the first thing you see. On the Douz camel treks you ride in; on the 4x4 tours you drive to within a few hundred metres.
Dinner is Tunisian and cooked on site, with flatbread baked directly in the embers — the mella. Most camps follow it with drumming or a folklore show, then leave the fire burning.
There is no light pollution out here. Guests write about the Milky Way more than about any other part of these tours. Bring a torch with a red mode if you have one.
Every camp itinerary wakes you early, because sunrise over the erg is the second half of what you paid for. Breakfast follows, then the ride or drive back.
Photo Gallery
Camps, fires, dunes and the light at either end of the day.
All three get sold as 'a night in the Sahara'. They are not the same night.
| Feature | MOST BOOKED Permanent Tented Camp | Nomadic Bivouac | Hotel in Douz or Tozeur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where You Sleep | Fixed Bedouin tent on the sand | A tent pitched for one night in the dunes | A hotel room in town |
| Toilets & Showers | ✓ At the better camps | ✗ None | ✓ En suite |
| Dinner | Cooked on site, sand bread in the embers | Carried in and cooked over a fire | Hotel restaurant |
| Light Pollution | None | None at all | Town lights |
| Evening | Fire, drumming or a folklore show | Silence | Hotel bar |
| Found On | Most 2-day tours | Night two of the 3-day tours | The TUI 2-day tours |
| Starting Price | From $144/per person | From $250 per person | From $151 per person |
| Free Cancellation | ✓ Up to 24 hours before | ✓ Up to 24 hours before | ✓ Up to 24 hours before |
| Check Availability | See 3-Day Tours | View Options |
More Options
Different departure towns, lengths, and prices — all with free cancellation and instant confirmation.
MOST REVIEWEDA full day from Djerba to the Ksar Ghilane oasis by 4x4, taking in the Ksar Hadada film location and the hilltop village of Guermassa on the way.
2-DAY CLASSICThe most-reviewed two-day run south: El Jem, Matmata and the Sidi Driss cave hotel on day one, a desert camp at Sabria, then Chott el Jerid, Chebika and Kairouan on the way home.
LOWEST PRICEThe cheapest way to sleep in the Tunisian Sahara from Djerba — two days by 4x4 through Tataouine, Chenini and Ksar Ghilane with a night at a desert camp.
SUNSET & SUNRISEA late start, a night in a desert tent and both a Saharan sunset and sunrise — with Ksar Hadada, the Chahbania salt lake and the Ksar Ghilane hot spring either side of it.
SMALL-GROUP 4X4A small-group 4x4 day trip from Djerba and Zarzis to Ksar Ghilane, with the Berber mountain village of Toujane and the Sidi Idriss cave hotel at Matmata.
BERBER VILLAGESA day across the Dahar from Djerba: the Chahbania salt lake at first light, the Tataouine market, and the hilltop Berber villages of Chenini and Douiret.
FROM SOUSSETUI's two-day southern loop from Sousse and Monastir: El Jem, Matmata, a night in Douz, then Chott el Jerid and the Mos Espa film set at Onk Jemal by 4x4.
FROM HAMMAMETTUI's two-day Sahara tour out of Hammamet, with accommodation, the El Jem amphitheatre, Matmata's cave houses and a crossing of Chott el Jerid.
Before You Book a Camp
Facilities, temperatures, and the difference between a camp and a bivouac.
Sixty of the tours we track put you in the desert overnight, and they are not offering the same night. Before you compare prices, work out which of three things a listing is actually selling.
The most common, and the one most people mean by desert camping. A fixed site on the sand with Bedouin-style tents already pitched, real beds or mattresses with blankets, a dining tent, and — at the better ones — flushing toilets and hot showers. Dinner is cooked on site, flatbread is baked in the embers, and the evening usually has drumming or a folklore show in it.
Guests on the Douz camel-trek camp specifically praise the toilets and showers, which tells you something about how varied this category is. If facilities matter to you, look for them named in the inclusions rather than assumed.
No structures. Guides carry the camp in, pitch it in the dunes for the night, and take it out again. There is no electricity, no plumbing, and nothing on the horizon. This is what the best three-day itineraries do on night two, after a serviced camp on night one, and it is the reason those tours cost what they cost.
The three-day tours page covers the itineraries that include one.
Also sold as “a night in the desert”, and for some travellers it is the right answer — a proper bathroom, a door that locks, and the sand twenty minutes away in the morning. The TUI two-day tours from Sousse and Hammamet work this way.
It is not a lesser tour. It is a different night, and the listings rarely say so plainly.
Cold. This is the thing that catches people out. From November to March the desert drops close to freezing after sunset, however warm the afternoon was. Camps provide blankets; they do not provide clothes. A fleece, long trousers and socks make the difference between a good night and a long one.
Wind and sand. A light scarf or shesh is genuinely useful, and most camps sell one.
Dark. No light pollution at all — which is why the Milky Way comes up in review after review. A head torch is worth packing, ideally one with a red mode so you do not blind the person beside you.
An early alarm. Every camp itinerary wakes you for sunrise. It is not optional, and it is the right call.
If you are on Djerba, the sunset-and-sunrise 4x4 with a tent night at $144 is the best-reviewed at 574 ratings, and the two-day 4x4 with a camp night at $48 is the cheapest way to sleep in the Tunisian Sahara from anywhere.
If you are in Douz, the overnight camp with a sunset camel trek out and a sunrise ride back is the purest version — no transfer at all, because the dunes start at the end of town.
If you are on the northern coast, the Sahara Express at $118 includes a tented camp at Sabria, and the three-day tours add a bivouac beyond it.
Guest Reviews
Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"Our guide Nasser was great. There were 6 of us, the others were French, but he explained everything to me again in English! Unfortunately, the Oasis Ksar Gilane was too big, so there was no real Berber feeling. But if you pull your bed out of the concrete tent, the night under the stars was indescribable!!!!"
"A great day trip – a delight from start to finish. Special mention for our live guide +++++ ask for Nasser."
"A fantastic experience with Nasser, who entertained us all, trying not to exclude anyone (a group of Italians, French, and Poles): a ride on quads and beautiful, well-behaved dromedaries, but the view of the stars in the heart of the desert was amazing. In short, a priceless experience."
"A very nice experience not to be missed. Thank you to Nasser for this incredible live guide and unforgettable moments."
"A great tour, organized very efficiently. There were a few stops along the way to see important places, as well as a regular break. Ksar Ghilane as a settlement is already heavily commercialized, but we expected that. You can feel the nice atmosphere by staying overnight, when most of the tours have left and only the people who are staying here remain. After 10 PM, there was no one left at the hot spring :) I highly recommend the camel excursion at sunrise; you can feel a nice atmosphere. Our guide, Rostom, was a great guy. He made sure the excursion went smoothly at every turn and told interesting anecdotes about the places we visited. He also took us outside the settlement so that we could admire the stars at night – this effect is indescribable. His care was at the highest level (we also send our regards to the medic from the camp; thank you for your help :) In summary, it was the best and most atmospheric trip we went on during our stay in Tunisia. Definitely worth buying from this organizer"
"Nasser is a great guide who takes care of all concerns and questions in a friendly manner. He is super likeable and told us a lot about the area. The camp in the Sahara was amazingly comfortable with beds, showers and a pool, and the vehicle was air-conditioned. We were a bit irritated by the pickup, which was done by someone else. Only after a vehicle change did we continue in the jeep with Nasser. I was traveling with my daughter; in total, we were a small group of 6 women. Although we had received confirmation of a German-speaking guide from Get-your-guide, we were able to communicate very well in English."
"We did it as a family with our 1 year old and the trip did not disappoint. Nasser was a brilliant tour guide and made sure we were well looked after even with a baby. He was very informative and gave us a lot of information into the Berber culture. Additional camel ride and quad bike was worth it. Highly recommended doing this trip! One of the best things we have done"
"We did the tour with the guide Nasser. It was a wonderful experience, having the opportunity to visit Tunisia by car and see places that we would never have been able to see otherwise. If you have booked a hotel for a week and don't plan to travel around much, this allows you to spend two days outside and see really authentic places. Once you get to the lagoon, I recommend taking a quad or dromedary excursion; otherwise, I don't think you can walk on the sand dunes of the desert. Highly recommended!"
Read all 574 verified reviews
See All ReviewsA late pickup from Djerba, the Chahbania salt lake and Ksar Hadada on the way south, a swim at the Ksar Ghilane oasis, sunset over the dunes and a night in a desert tent. Starting from $144 per person.
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Facilities, temperatures and the difference between a camp and a bivouac.
A permanent site on the sand with Bedouin-style tents already pitched, mattresses or beds with blankets, and a dining tent. Dinner is cooked on site and flatbread is baked directly in the embers. The better camps have flushing toilets and hot showers — guests on the Douz camel-trek camp mention them specifically, which tells you it is worth checking rather than assuming.
Close to freezing from November to March, however warm the afternoon was. Tozeur's January nights run near zero while its days sit at 17–20°C. Camps provide blankets but not clothes: bring a fleece, long trousers and socks.
A camp is permanent and serviced. A bivouac is carried in, pitched in the dunes for one night and taken out again — no structures, no electricity, nothing on the horizon. The best three-day tours use a camp on night one and a bivouac on night two.
The two-day 4x4 from Djerba at $48 carries 475 reviews at 4.7 out of 5, so yes. It is cheap because it starts on the island rather than on the northern coast, not because the camp is poor.
Only on the camel-trek itineraries from Douz, which are built around the ride. Every other camp on this site is reached by 4x4.
An overnight bag, warm layers, a head covering or scarf for sand, sunscreen, a torch — ideally with a red mode — and cash. Leave the suitcase at your hotel.
Still have questions? Email us at info@tunisiasaharatours.com
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Every Sahara route, departure town, and planning guide on this site, in one place.