# Douz and the Sahara

Douz, in Kebili Governorate, is the Tunisian town on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, 125 km from Tozeur airport. Visitors come for the Thursday market, the Sahara Museum and, in late December, the International Sahara Festival. Some European foreign ministries advise against the desert south of the town, from Zaafrane to Ksar Ghilane.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/tunisia/douz-sahara/

Douz is a town in Kebili Governorate, in south-western Tunisia, on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, the Sahara's great sea of dunes. The Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT) puts it simply: "At the doors of the hotels of Douz, the sand desert begins." The town is 125 km from Tozeur airport and 260 km from Djerba's. The season runs from October to April: in summer, average highs exceed 39 °C.

## A town of settled nomads

Douz is home to the Mrazig, formerly nomadic camel herders. On Thursdays the camel and donkey market brings together breeders from across the region.

The **Sahara Museum** presents nomadic life: the tent, the camel, weaving, costumes, jewellery and the tattoos of the tribes of the Nefzaoua, the Kebili region. It is run by AMVPPC, the state agency that manages Tunisia's heritage sites and museums. It opens from 9.30 am to 4 pm in winter and from 7 am to 2 pm in summer, closed on Mondays; admission is TND 5, about €1.50.

In late December, Haniche square hosts the [International Sahara Festival](/en/events/festival-sahara-douz/), founded in 1910 according to the ONTT: camel and horse races, a camel marathon, Bedouin weddings and evenings of music. The 58th edition is scheduled for 19 to 22 December 2026.

## Staying in Douz: The Residence Douz

The hotel chosen by Sabaro is **[The Residence Douz](/en/hotels/the-residence-douz/)**, opened in October 2023 in a palm grove on the tourist road. It has 50 villas: 24 Sahara Deluxe, 24 Sahara Prestige and 2 Presidential villas with private pools. A Sahara Deluxe Villa measures 133 m², including a 73 m² terrace.

Facilities include The Spa by Clarins, with a hammam and indoor pool, an outdoor pool beneath a colonnade, a kids' club for ages 3 to 12 with an observatory, a permaculture farm and the Mud House, a cultural centre for cooking and crafts. Guests can ride a camel from reception to their villa on arrival.

Rates were found from about €335 a night for two, room only, in March 2027, taxes included; the tourist tax is extra, payable at the hotel.

## Getting to Douz

- **Via Tozeur.** Tozeur–Nefta airport is 125 km away; the road from Tozeur to Douz, which crosses Chott el Djerid, is 121 km, about 2 hours. The [Tozeur and Nefta](/en/tunisia/tozeur-nefta/) region pairs naturally with Douz.
- **Via Djerba.** Djerba-Zarzis airport is 260 km away; from Houmt Souk allow 233 km and about 4 hours' driving. [Djerba](/en/tunisia/djerba/) has the most direct flights from Europe.

To reach the tourist areas of the south-west, it is best to fly or use the main roads, and to avoid minor roads and isolated places at night.

## The desert south of Douz: advice differs by country

Douz is the starting point for trips into the Grand Erg Oriental. European foreign ministries do not give the same advice for this desert: some advise against travel south and south-east of a line running through Tozeur, Douz, Ksar Ghilane and Tataouine; others draw no such line but ask travellers to cross the desert only in a group with a guide, and advise against the military zone near Libya, where all travel requires prior authorisation. On a quad bike, always wear a helmet: safety standards vary widely. Sabaro offers no excursions south of the town. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice for your country.

The places concerned are:

- **Zaafrane, Sabria and El Faouar**, villages and camps west and south-west of Douz: Zaafrane, whose old village is almost buried in sand, is 10 km away, Sabria about 30 km.
- **Ksar Ghilane**, an oasis between the sand desert and the stone desert, with a hot-water pool, linked to Douz and Matmata by a paved road; it exceeds 50 °C in summer. About 3 km away, the Roman fort of **Tisavar**, built under the emperor Commodus on the limes (the Roman military frontier), measures 40 by 30 m.
- **Tembaine**, an isolated mountain amid the dunes, about 40 km of difficult track south-west of Douz.
- **Jbil National Park**, created in 1994: 150,000 hectares of dunes about 70 km from Douz, with gazelles, houbara bustards and reintroduced addax; entry requires a permit requested at least 48 hours in advance.

The [Tunisia safety](/en/guides/securite-tunisie/) guide sets out this advice in detail, and the [night in the desert](/en/guides/nuit-dans-le-desert-tunisie/) guide covers other ways to sleep in the Sahara.

## When to go

At Kebili, the nearest weather station, average highs range from 17.3 °C in January to 39.6 °C in July. Winter nights are cold, with an average January low of 4.2 °C. Annual rainfall is 100 mm. The best months are October, November, March and April, with afternoons between 23 and 30 °C; December, cooler, is festival time.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where is Douz?

In south-western Tunisia, on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, 125 km from Tozeur airport and 121 km from Tozeur by the Chott el Djerid road.

### When is the Douz festival?

In late December, over four days. The 2026 edition, the 58th, is scheduled for 19 to 22 December.

### Can I spend a night in the desert from Douz?

Bivouacs head into the dunes south of the town, which some European foreign ministries advise against and others accept only on group tours with a guide. Sabaro does not offer them; The Residence Douz lets you sleep on the edge of the desert, in a hotel.

### Is Ksar Ghilane advised against?

Some European foreign ministries advise against it: Ksar Ghilane lies on, or south of, the line beyond which they advise against travel. Others do not. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice for your country.