TUNISIA Pure Off-Road Vehicle:
In search of clues on the edge of the Sahara
| $0 | 15 days | from 6 participants | 4x4 for advanced |
tour description
Tunisia is pure off-road paradise for adventurers. A holiday with the focus on "freedom as long as the horizon lasts".
Tunisia, also called the "Switzerland of North Africa", is a country where mass tourism is concentrated in the hotel castles on the Mediterranean coast. The adventure, of course, is in the seemingly endless and difficult-to-access region of the Sahara. Only a fifth of the country's population lives in the interior of Tunisia, which is immeasurably beautiful with its sights from a bygone era and breathtaking nature in the open, wild desert.
Welcome to our off-road journey between civilisation and the endless Sahara!
Arrival day 1 & 2: Overcross Tübingen - Lago di Como - Genoa - Tunis
- Meeting point for the start of the off-road vehicle trip to Tunisia:
We start our trip on Friday in Tübingen at 12 past 12, where the first participants can join us with their off-road vehicles. On the way to Genoa we stay overnight at Lake Como, in the evening we have the best pizza at the lake and a short tour briefing for the next day. - Meeting point for the start of the off-road vehicle tour to Tunisia:
On Saturday we start at ten past ten from Como in the direction of Genoa, all participants have received an information folder before the start of the tour with the exact meeting point in the port of Genoa, where we will meet at 13:13.
Here in the port of Genoa is the official start of the off-road vehicle tour "Off Road pur, auf den Spuren am Rand der Sahara" where we will meet with all participants at 13:13h.
We have prepared all the entry and customs forms including the ferry tickets and first class 4 berth cabin for the off-road vehicle tour group and will hand these out to each participant before boarding the ferry to Africa.
We use the waiting time at the quay of the ferry port mostly to marvel at the other off-road vehicles and the sometimes two-metre-high loaded cars of the Tunisian guest workers who have skilfully and adventurously lashed their belongings to the bonnet, roof and boot. At around 15:00 the vehicles are loaded onto the ferry according to Tunisian time. Tunisian time means that in 20 years of off-road travel to Tunisia we have never experienced the ferry leaving on time.
After the vehicles are stowed in the ferry, the participants move into their cabins. After setting off towards the African continent, we meet for dinner and discuss tomorrow and the itinerary.
Day 1: Tunis - Hammamet
Arriving in Tunis, we disembark from the ferry and complete the entry formalities for us and the vehicles as quickly as possible. We then drive to our first hotel on the tour and take a refreshing swim in the Gulf of Hammamet before heading south the next day.
Welcome to Tunisia
Day 2: Hammamet - Gafsa
In order to make distance so that we can quickly get to the south, which is more varied in terms of landscape and riding, most of today's stage will take place on paved roads. We drive to the town of Gafsa from where we have a good starting point to get the first sand under our wheels tomorrow.
Heading south in an off-road vehicle
Day 3: Gafsa - Tozeur
Today we drive partly off-road via a small diversions to the city of Tozeur. We take the so-called Rommel road near the Algerian border over the dry Chot El Rahim until we arrive at our camp in Tozeur.
Sand as far as the eye can see
Day 4: Tozeur - Nefta (Wild Camp)
Today we drive a small circuit around Tozeur over the first sandy tracks and dunes. Our destination is one of the filming locations of the Star Wars films, where we set up our first wild camp nearby. We cook together and enjoy the evening between the dunes in the middle of the Sahara. At the evening campfire, we review the day's off-road experience and the driving techniques we have learned.
4x4 wagon castle between the dunes
Day 5: Nefta - Douz
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, we clear our wild camp between the dunes and drive towards the oasis town of Douz, also known as the gateway to the Sahara. The crossing of the Chott el-Jérid takes place on the causeway - this is the largest salt lake area in the Sahara. In the 14th century, over 1000 camels of a caravan disappeared here. In Douz we stock up on supplies and have time for a last check before the desert. We end the evening by the fire before we head into the desert the next day with the off-road vehicles.
Evenings together around the campfire - pure adventure
Days 6 - 9: Douz - Tembaine - Lac Houidhat - Ksar Ghilane
Today we dive into the vastness of the Sahara and will be self-sufficient for the next 4 days. We drive to the southernmost point of the journey, the so-called "lost lake" (Lac Houdat), where we allow ourselves some rest before continuing to the oasis of Ksar Ghilane.
Sand dunes as far as the eye can see - With 4x4 power through the Sahara
Day 10: Ksar Ghilane
Today we take it easy, whoever wants to can do a dune hike, bathe in the warm spring of the oasis or whoever hasn't had enough can drive with us and the off-road vehicles over the dunes to the old Roman fort to enjoy the romance of the sunset over the Sahara.
Sandstorm at sunset around the oasis Ksar Ghilane
Day 11: Ksar Ghilane - Sfax - Kerkennah
Out of the desert and back to civilisation. Today, unfortunately, we say goodbye to the sand and the vastness of the desert and drive to Sfax. From here, a small ferry takes us to the island of Kerkennah where we spend the night simply wild on the coast. We make a fire, enjoy the BBQ and reflect on the last few days.
Wild Camp in the Sahara
Day 12: Sfax - Hammamet
The rest of the way we drive by road to Hammamet to our hotel, from where we will start tomorrow for the ferry to Tunis.
Back to Hammamet
Day 13: Hammamet - Tunis
On the last kilometres to the ferry that will take us back to Genoa, we say goodbye to the charming and diverse Tunisia.
Until the next adventure
You can find our 4x4 rental vehicles here!
Itinerary may change without further notice due to weather-, road- or any other condition that OVERCROSS or its guides feel will jeopardize the safety of the group or material.
What benefits can you expect?
Included in the tour price:
- Overnight stays in accommodation (in shared double room) & campsites.
- Ferry Genoa-Tunis / Tunis-Genoa incl. port fees
- Breakfast and dinner from the expedition kitchen
- German speaking tour guide / tour leader
- All permits and entrance fees for sightseeing
- Escort / support vehicle
- Technical assistance and support with off-road vehicle repairs
- Provision of expedition kitchen and crockery
- Provision of overcross equipment
Services not included in the tour price:
- Rental car for the trip
- Bar and restaurant visits, food on the ferry
- Everything that is not listed in the service description.
Optional:
- Rental off-road vehicle Land Rover Defender from 180 € / day (on request also with roof tent)
- Single cabin on the ferry and single room in the hotel in Tunisia
country information
Click here for information on country TunisiaFAQ:
-
.
.
-
.
.
-
.
.
-
.
.
-
What is meant by desert and what kinds are there?
Dry deserts do prevent due to their lack of water, the plant growth. At the
Tropics at about 23, 5 degrees, there are so-called tropic deserts like the Sahara.
The high-pressure areas there let the clouds dissolve and there is therefore no precipitate.
These high-pressure areas are established by the intertropical convergence zone. Due to the strong sunlight warms the equatorial region particularly hard, so much water evaporates which prevents the precipitation.
Descending air masses lead to the degradation of the clouds.
The different types of desert we travelare: stone, gravel, salt and the sand desert.
Stone or rock desert:
Also known as Hammada is covered with dense nature of the blocky, angular fine rock or coarser rock material. These Hamada is the result of the physical
Weathering.Often, this rocky desert are coverde with boulders.Plateaus crossed that even with a well-developed havy duty off roaders barely passable. On our safari jeep, we usually travel on the old caravan routes, which is usually like in other forms of the desert
Alamat acknowledges. Almat are small stone pyramids were usually placed on increases as route of the nomads and caravan leaders. Along the sandy desert, they are usually blown away, and man recognizes the old and new routes in camel carcasses, old tires and the car frame or other veralssenen those who "runs" line. A typical picture is dark colored and the smooth surface of the rocks of a desert rock, due to the smooth shiny surface it is also called desert varnish, results of flexibility accorded by the sun and the creeping permanent audit by the fine desert sand.
Gravel desert:
In the Western Sahara, they are called Reg, in the central Sahara, they are called Serir. Gravel deserts caused by erosion of stone or rock desert or by the
Deposition of gravel where millions of years ago were still glacial. Another cause is a
physical effect on the surface to collect more and more rocks, since the smaller pebbles or sand grains move down much easier. This process was developed in the desert for thousands of years, because provide moisture, wind and temperature differences for the movement of sand grains. When crossing through this gravel deserts you can still see the tracks after weeks of the knobby tires of motorcycles or the lanes of the SUVs and trucks Expeditions:
Salt desert
Chott el Jerid is probably the biggest and most famous salt lake Chott Tunesien.Der term is also used in Algeria and in the Eastern Sahara, the central salt desert, also known as Sebkha. Salt flats occur mostly in arid endorheic
Sedimentary basins due to strong evaporation. In the Maghreb region of the layer is under-shaped ground conducive to formation of a dei Chotts which Duch promotes its consistency clay to seal the bottom surface. Very many of the deserts lie in the type
Iran and Central Asia. Salt flats and salt-containing damp voallem deserts such as the Chott el Jerid, they are difficult if not impossible to impassable. Depending on the depth of the drying Sonneneinstarahlung the salt crust / upper class bedinkt passable. Often arise in wells of only a few Zentiumeter "swamp fields and ponds," weren which should in any case not drive through or walk through. The salt is formed mostly by down
washed up debris from adjacent elevations / mountains, which often contain plenty of salt in endorheic depressions such as the Qattara Depression accumulates naturally as salt-enriched clay and Lehmflächen. This surface is called Salt Flat and Alkali Flats. After precipitation, which are mostly in the winter months, walked these salt lakes.
The sandy deserts:
The erg in the Western Sahara and in the Libyan Sahara is a desert is called the surface mainly consists of quartz sand. This is caused by soil erosion, sand a gravel desert. Due to the absolute dry conditions in the sandy deserts due to the lack of vegitation are much harder than stone or gravel deserts. Because of the fine grading of the sand deserts in the lower part of the carrying capacity is solidified, the surface is rather finely and due to the strong sunlight and fine dust-like sand of Einwehung less viable.
In the northern Sahara dunes are found frequently occurring as longitudinal dunes or sickle.
In libischen part of the Sahara will find the most beautiful crescent dunes below Seba and the longest sand dunes in Algeria with up to six hundred miles long.
With the motorcycle and 4x4 suv in the solidified dunes levels passable, but difficult or impossible in up to three hundred feet high Mamutdünen how she finds in Algeria and Libya.
The world's largest sand desert in Arabia, where we conduct the tours in Oman and the Rub al Khali Dubai. الربع الخالي ar-Rub ʿ al-Khali is the paradise for every off roader. The turning circle running through the desert of Oman, Yemen, and UAE.
Dates
| start | finish | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grouptour |
|
inquiry | |
| There are no fix dates for this tour. We are happy to set up dates to your liking. | |||
Optional additional services
$172 single room supplement