Day trips from Tozeur

The nearest trip is Nefta, twenty minutes west, a quieter oasis for half a day. Further south, across the salt lake of Chott el Jerid, is Douz — the gateway to the real dunes. Two 4x4 trips go north and north-west: the mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Midès by the Algerian border, a full day, and Ong Jemel with the Mos Espa film set from Star Wars, often tied onto the same day as the mountain oases.

Nefta is about 20 min (one way) west, a quieter, less-visited oasis than Tozeur, with the Corbeille, a natural basin where springs feed dense rows of palms, and Sufi tombs in the old quarter. It's reached car or taxi, and half a day is enough for an unhurried visit.

When to goWhen the drive through the desert is most pleasant:The best time to visit Tozeur →

Chott el Jerid and Douz: across the salt lake to the real dunes

The road to Douz crosses Chott el Jerid, a dry salt flat over 5,000 km² that only fills after heavy rain, with one stop halfway along where the colour shifts from white to pink — loveliest early morning or at dusk. As a third day from Tozeur this is a full day (two-day version with an overnight): drive to Douz and back the same day, or spend the night in a tent camp for dawn over the dunes before the camel ride back. Transport is car across Chott el Jerid, about 2 h (one way).

2 daysHow adding Douz as a third day changes the two-day plan:Tozeur in 2 days →

Chebika, Tamerza and Midès: a 4x4, a full day, three mountain oases

Three oases sit north-west along the Algerian border: Chebika has a waterfall running through its gorge, Tamerza is the village its people abandoned after a flood in 1969, and Midès has palms growing in a canyon right against the border. The tour runs 4x4 with driver, about 1 h (one way) to the first oasis, a full day in total, for €83 per person, lunch extra. Booking ahead is recommended.

Where to stayWhere to sleep after a long day by 4x4:Where to stay in Tozeur →

Ong Jemel and Mos Espa: half a day, no road and no ticket

Ong Jemel is a rock formation shaped like a camel, sitting in open sand with no road leading to it and no ticket required; right beside it stand the Mos Espa sets from Star Wars, sinking a little further into the sand every year. Getting in costs nothing — the only expense is the 4x4 itself, 4x4 with driver (no road), about 1 h (one way) of driving, half a day with the visit, €74 per vehicle (up to 7).