Ksar Ghilane Dunes to Fort Tisavar
- Hike
- Distance
- 8.1km
- Duration
- 3HRS
- Ascent
- 14M
Elevation profile
206-223 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Bellyglad (CC BY 2.0), Elced77 at French Wikipedia. (CC BY-SA 3.0), Anisbouch (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start point
- Car
- About 150 km south-east of Douz; paved road from Douz or via Tataouine and Chenini; about 8 h from Tunis.
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Moncef Bey station to Douz (verify locally), then 4x4 transfer.
Nearby
The trail
A loop across the dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental from the Ksar Ghilane oasis to the Roman fort of Tisavar.
Ksar Ghilane is one of the southernmost oases of Tunisia, on the eastern edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, with a hot spring pool among its palms. About 4 km across the sand stands Tisavar, a small Roman fort of the Limes Tripolitanus that guarded this frontier of Africa Proconsularis and was later reused by Berber tribes. The loop crosses soft dunes and tamarisk hummocks to the fort and back to the oasis for a swim in the spring.
- Grand Erg Oriental dunes
- Roman fort of Tisavar
- Hot spring pool
- Desert sunsets
Weather and season
- SEASON
- Nov-Mar
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.4 C | 5.1 C | 5 mm |
| February | 17.1 C | 6.4 C | 7 mm |
| March | 21.3 C | 10 C | 12 mm |
| April | 27.1 C | 14.5 C | 6 mm |
| May | 30.8 C | 18.1 C | 3 mm |
| June | 35.1 C | 22 C | 0 mm |
| July | 38 C | 24.5 C | 0 mm |
| August | 37.1 C | 24.3 C | 1 mm |
| September | 34.1 C | 22.6 C | 4 mm |
| October | 28.3 C | 17.6 C | 7 mm |
| November | 21.2 C | 11.3 C | 11 mm |
| December | 16.1 C | 6.6 C | 8 mm |
Monthly normals 2011-2020 at the start point, from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Shaded months are the season this trail is listed for.
Practical
- Water
- Only at the oasis; carry 2 L.
- Guide
- recommended
- Hazards
- Heat, disorientation in dunes, sandstorms; walk early or late.
- Route
- Approximate line along mapped paths between verified waypoints. Follow a guide or a GPS track on the ground.
Go with a guide
These operators and clubs organise guided hikes in Tunisia:
- WildyNessTunisian booking platform for guided hikes with local guides (Cap Blanc, Mides, Selja, Dahar, El Haouaria), several with GPS downloads.
- Association Tunisienne des RandonneursHiking association in Tunis that runs and writes up group hikes across the country.
- Mosaic North AfricaTour operator offering custom hiking trips, including the Chebika, Tamerza and Mides oases.
- Destination DaharPublishes the official topoguide (12 stages, 194 km) of the Grande Traversee du Dahar.
- Grand Sahara AventuresDjerba-based operator running Berber village and desert treks in the south.
- Destination TunisTunis-based guide publishing and leading day hikes around Tunis and Cap Bon.