Guided Enduro trip Tunisia Sahara

For the organized motorcycle trips to Tunisia, we always leave early Saturday morning around 5:00 AM from Tübingen to the ferry port in Genoa, where we load the remaining motorcycles of the participants who arrive at the ferry port on their own. At 3:00 PM (2 hours before departure), we meet at the ferry area. All participants receive the pre-prepared entry and customs forms including the ferry and cabin tickets from us. We have enough time to secure the remaining motorcycles on the trailer for the crossing and to stow your luggage in the support vehicle. The scheduled departure of the ferry is always set for 5:00 PM, which according to Tunisian time means that it will be more like 7:00 PM before the ferry departs. Nevertheless, one should be at the ferry port at least 2 hours before departure (3 PM) to relax and complete all formalities. After settling into the cabin, we meet for dinner and discuss the next day, as we will every evening in the future.

After breakfast, we meet for the tour briefing of the enduro tour through Allah's garden. During the trip briefing, riding techniques and the course of the tour, as well as the abilities and limitations of the riders, will be discussed. In the afternoon, we will dock in Tunis. After leaving the ferry and customs via "express processing," we will drive to our accommodation in Hammamet (about 70 km). For the motorcycle trips organized by the tour operator OVERCROSS in Tunisia, the transfers for motorcycle tour participants are always arranged so that they must fly in for the pre-meeting either on Saturday or at the latest on Sunday. After a hearty dinner on Sunday evening at the hotel, we will discuss the tour and coordination of the equipment and provide the participants with the remaining information for the tour day tomorrow.

Today we say goodbye to luxury. The motorcycle group rides over a connecting stage on asphalt past the foothills of the Atlas Mountains to Tozeur, where we set up our first campsite after the first long day of travel. Our camp is located here in a beautiful palm grove above Tozeur, from where you have a fantastic view of the Chott el Jerid. Since we arrive in Tozeur only in the late afternoon, there is just enough time to cook and have a beer or two before we crawl into our tents exhausted and dream of tomorrow, when we go into the sand for the first time.

Today’s journey is rather short at about 60-70 km, but it’s perfect for getting a first feel for driving in the Tunisian sand. The sand loop over the old Star Wars filming location Mos Espa is still moderately difficult, but gives a first insight into the upcoming days in the desert. Here we will do a little sand training for the coming days and prepare you for the toughest dune stages of the Sahara. Couch potato was yesterday, the adventure begins now! On our way back to Tozeur we drive along a fascinating and scenically impressive route by the Chott Er Rahim, which is 17 meters below sea level. Back in Tozeur, there is still enough time for coffee and tea in the city before heading back to the camp. As every evening, we cook together and make a campfire to let the evening end relaxed.

Today it's time to cover a bit of distance to reach the beautiful oasis town of Douz in the afternoon, which is also known as the gateway to the desert. We drive along a beautiful sandy track of about 80 km alongside the Chott el Jérid. We cross the salt lake depending on the water level and optimal weather conditions for motorcycle travel on the Jott El Jerid. One of the legendary motorcycle off and on-road stages passes by the site of the battles from World War II, where the legendary General Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg lost his left eyesight due to a shrapnel wound. Depending on the dynamics of the tour and the interests of the participants, we will set up our motorcycle camp at the hottest spot in Tunisia OR alternatively, we will set up our tent camp at the most beautiful campsite in Tunisia in a small town that bears the title 'the gateway to the Sahara', and spend one to two nights there. A perfect holiday day, showers, camping under palm trees, and a generous dinner by the campfire.

Today is yours to spend freely and can be used to visit the market in Douz, which takes place every Thursday, or simply to relax and gather strength for the coming days as we venture into the desert. We will replenish supplies and fill the enduros as well as spare cans with fuel before we continue to Tafelberg Tembain the next day.

Today we will dive into the Sahara for the next 5 days and be completely self-sufficient. Depending on the group size, the size of the motorcycles, and the riding skills of the participants, we will adjust the course of the tour for the coming days accordingly. If the group's riding skills are good enough, there is the consideration to drive to the lost lake, Lac Houidhat Erreched, a hot spring that is about 90 km in a straight line from Douz and not entirely easy to reach. The days in the desert will bond us together: shoveling, riding and tipping over, picking up, accelerating and experiencing the vastness of the Sahara. These days will undoubtedly be the most impressive experiences that we will reminisce about in the evening at the 1000-star hotel under the open sky.

The Tembaine is a prominent tabletop mountain and landmark in the desert and will be our first stop. Anyone who has the desire and energy reserves can climb it and will have a great view of the entire area including all surrounding tabletop mountains like Great and Little Dekanis, el Mida, or Gour Kleb. Today's path is sandy; however, the dunes are still small and easy to navigate, with small dune fields alternating with rocky plains.

The dunes are slowly getting higher and the first key points appear that we have to overcome. Passing by the table mountain of the small Dekanis, we continue on to the large Dekanis. The area consisting of several table mountains is our goal for today where we will set up our tents between the dunes in the late afternoon, make a fire, cook, and consider whether the path to the lost lake will be possible with the group or not.

Depending on how the last few days went, we will either take a detour to Lac Houidhat, which is about 25 - 30 km away from here, or continue directly to el Mida from here. Both are nice routes but with different levels of difficulty.

Today is another day full of surprises. We leave the area of the table mountains and continue towards the oasis Ksar Ghilane, which has unfortunately turned more and more into a tourist trap in recent years, complete with resorts, camel rides, and quad rentals. We will only pay a brief visit here, possibly taking a dip in the hot spring, but will then spend the night outside the oasis, because it is simply nicer and, above all, much quieter.

From Ksar Ghilane, we travel to the nearby Roman fort the next day before heading back to Douz into civilization. The former fortress and barracks is just a stone ruin, but a visit is still worth it because the way there is still thin but very easy to navigate.

Depending on how we get through the desert, we have scheduled this day as a buffer. If everything goes according to plan, we will drive over sandy stone tracks to Matmata today and spend our last night in a tent in this beautiful mountain village. In the nearby restaurant, we will once again enjoy the typical Tunisian delicacies before we set off tomorrow on the long connecting leg back to Hammamet.

Today we will embark on the return journey to the north. The long connecting stretch towards Hammamet is monotonous and paved, but fortunately we have our beautiful memories of the last few days with us that keep our spirits up. In the afternoon we arrive in Hammamet at the hotel and enjoy the contrast between palm trees, pool, and sea.

Every adventure comes to an end, and so we return to Tunis today with a heavy heart to say goodbye to this diverse country at the ferry port La Goulette. For the participants flying back, an airport shuttle will be organized, and for the others, it means boarding the ferry and off to the bar :)

Return ferry Tunis to Genoa, which we have been using as a motorcycle tour operator since 1999.