Sidi Bouhlel Canyon
- Hike
- Distance
- 4.6km
- Duration
- 2.5HRS
- Ascent
- 113M
Listed 4.6 km / drawn track 3.2 km
Elevation profile
66-174 M / TERRAIN TILES SAMPLED ALONG THE TRACK
Photographs
Photos: Stefan Krasowski (CC BY 2.0)
Start point
- Car
- About 30 km north-east of Tozeur off the Tozeur-Gafsa road; the last part is a desert track.
- Louage
- Louage from Tunis Moncef Bey station to Tozeur (verify locally), then 4x4 taxi or tour.
- Bus / train
- SNCFT train Tunis-Tozeur, then 4x4.
The trail
An out-and-back scramble up the desert ravine known as the Star Wars canyon, north-east of Tozeur.
The canyon takes its name from the nearby marabout of Sidi Bouhlel and cuts into the dry, eroded ridge north-east of Tozeur. Its stony bed and eroded walls stood in for the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine in Star Wars and were also used for Raiders of the Lost Ark and The English Patient. The walk follows the ravine floor upstream over gravel and rock steps to the upper gorge and returns the same way.
- Star Wars filming location
- Eroded desert ravine
- Marabout of Sidi Bouhlel
- Views over the chotts
Weather and season
- SEASON
- Oct-Apr
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17 C | 6 C | 5 mm |
| February | 18.5 C | 7 C | 10 mm |
| March | 22.5 C | 10.6 C | 14 mm |
| April | 27.9 C | 15 C | 10 mm |
| May | 32.1 C | 19 C | 4 mm |
| June | 36.8 C | 23.3 C | 1 mm |
| July | 39.7 C | 26 C | 0 mm |
| August | 38.7 C | 25.9 C | 3 mm |
| September | 35 C | 23.3 C | 6 mm |
| October | 29.3 C | 18.1 C | 9 mm |
| November | 22.4 C | 11.7 C | 10 mm |
| December | 17.6 C | 7.3 C | 7 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
- None; carry 2 L.
- Guide
- recommended
- Hazards
- No shade; flash floods; loose rock steps.
- 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.