Ong Jemel to Mos Espa
- Hike
- Distance
- 6.9km
- Duration
- 2.5HRS
- Ascent
- 0M
Elevation profile
0-1 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Barbaralandi76 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Habib M'henni (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start point
- Car
- 4x4 only, about 30 km from Tozeur; hire a driver in Tozeur or Nefta.
The trail
A walk across the dunes from the camel-neck rock of Ong Jemel to Mos Espa, the Star Wars town left standing in the sand.
North-west of Tozeur the desert breaks into sandstone ridges and dunes. Ong Jemel, the camels neck, is a rock that stands like one over the sand. From there the walk heads south-west across the dunes to Mos Espa, the town built in 1997 for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and left in place, its domes slowly being taken back by the sand. The area is reached only by 4x4, so arrange the drop and pick-up with a driver from Tozeur or Nefta.
- Ong Jemel camel-neck rock
- Open dunes of the Djerid
- Mos Espa film set
- Desert light at sunrise
Weather and season
- SEASON
- October to April; early morning
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.8 C | 5.9 C | 4 mm |
| February | 18.4 C | 7 C | 9 mm |
| March | 22.4 C | 10.6 C | 13 mm |
| April | 27.9 C | 15.2 C | 11 mm |
| May | 32.3 C | 19.4 C | 4 mm |
| June | 37 C | 23.8 C | 1 mm |
| July | 40 C | 26.5 C | 0 mm |
| August | 38.9 C | 26.4 C | 2 mm |
| September | 35 C | 23.6 C | 5 mm |
| October | 29.1 C | 18 C | 9 mm |
| November | 22.1 C | 11.6 C | 9 mm |
| December | 17.3 C | 7.1 C | 6 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
- Carry all of it; sellers sometimes at Mos Espa.
- Guide
- recommended
- Hazards
- Heat, glare and sandstorms; easy to lose direction in the dunes.
- 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.