Sahara 2 Days Tour VIP In Tunisia | Guided FUN | PICKUP ALL City

Roman stone, desert dunes, and film history. This two-day private trip from Sousse links Tunisia’s biggest sights with a long but rewarding run into the Sahara. I like the private vehicle and flexible pace, and I also like the chance to visit both Matmata’s troglodyte homes and Star Wars filming sites. The main catch is that the $104.99 price covers transport and a driver-host, not your meals, lodging, entrance fees, or optional desert activities.

This is best understood as a chauffeured road trip with local help, rather than a traditional escorted tour with a full-time history guide. Guides such as Hsin Benhamra, Yemmen, and Othmen have earned praise for smooth driving, practical advice, restaurant choices, and arranging desert extras. Still, you should budget carefully, since the add-ons can raise the final cost.

Key things to know before booking

• El Jem begins the journey with a Roman colosseum, but the 3.5 euro entry ticket is extra.
• Matmata offers real cultural contact, including a Berber home, tea, bread, olive oil, and honey.
• The Sahara portion is flexible, with camel rides, quad biking, hotel stays, or tent accommodation available at added cost.
• Day two packs in salt flats, oases, canyons, Star Wars sites, and Kairouan, so expect plenty of time in the vehicle.
• This is a private VIP service, with pickup from your chosen location and itinerary changes possible within the two-day schedule.
• The advertised price is only the starting point, not the likely total for a full desert holiday.

What the $104.99 tour really gives you

For $104.99 per person, you get a new air-conditioned vehicle, pickup from a selected city or hotel, a private trip for your own group, and a multilingual driver-host. The host provides general facts and cultural pointers during the drive, helps with food choices, and can adjust the amount of time spent at stops.

That flexibility matters. If you want extra photo stops, a slower visit at El Jem, or more time at the desert dunes, you can ask. The experience is not tied to a large group timetable. You also receive WhatsApp support before, during, and after the trip, with the host’s number normally sent the evening before departure.

The price does not include accommodation, dinner, breakfast, lunches, optional rides, or the El Jem admission ticket. A desert tent with dinner and breakfast costs about 43 euros per person. A four-star hotel with dinner and breakfast costs about 55 euros per person, depending on the group arrangement.

You can also add a quad excursion for roughly 20 to 25 euros per person, or a camel ride for about 10 to 15 euros per person. The extra 4×4 trip to Ong Jmal costs around 120 euros for a Jeep carrying up to six people. That can be reasonable when shared, but it changes the budget quickly.

My advice is to treat the listed price as the transport portion. If you add lodging, meals, and a desert activity, calculate the full cost before booking. The value is strongest for a small group that wants a private driver and does not want to arrange this route alone.

El Jem: a powerful first stop

The El Jem Amphitheatre gives the trip an impressive opening. Often compared with Rome’s Colosseum, it is one of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built and the second-largest surviving Roman colosseum.

You have about 50 minutes here. That is enough to walk around the monumental exterior, take photographs, and appreciate the scale of the stone structure. If you want to enter, allow another 3.5 euros per person for the ticket.

The short visit is practical because the route ahead is long, but it can feel rushed if you want to explore every corridor. I would make the amphitheatre your first priority for photos, then ask your host how much time remains before the next drive.

The driver-host offers general information rather than detailed, site-specific history. If Roman architecture is your main interest, you may want to arrange the optional in-depth history guide, listed at about 94 euros per day. For most people, the basic explanation and free time should be enough.

Matmata’s underground homes and movie history

Matmata is one of the most distinctive stops on the route. At a local troglodyte house, you can see how rooms were carved into the ground, forming a cool underground home around an open courtyard.

The visit lasts about 30 minutes and includes Berber tea, local bread, olive oil, and honey. The house is still inhabited, which makes this more than a staged photo stop. A voluntary tip is appropriate as a thank-you for the welcome.

You should approach this visit with respect. It is someone’s home, not simply a museum. Ask before photographing people or private areas, and remember that the tip is voluntary, not an admission fee.

Lunch and a toilet break are scheduled around Matmata. Food costs about 9 euros per person, though the exact price depends on what you order. The host helps select a restaurant based on your preferences, which is useful if you want something local without spending time comparing menus.

At Hotel Sidi Idriss, you enter one of Tunisia’s best-known film locations. The site was used for the first part of Star Wars and is associated with Luke Skywalker’s home. The setting is unusual even if you are not a film fan, with the underground rooms and stark surroundings making it a memorable photo stop.

Do not confuse this place with Ong Jmal. The better-known desert set from another part of the films is not included in the standard route. Reaching it requires a 4×4 Jeep and an additional payment of about 120 euros for up to six people.

Douz and the first Sahara sunset

Douz is known as the Gateway to the Sahara, and this is where the trip shifts from archaeology and village life to open desert scenery. The plan allows about two hours around Douz and the dunes, with sunset described as a main highlight.

You can choose a camel ride or quad tour, but neither is included. A camel ride costs about 10 euros per person, or around 15 euros for two people. Quad excursions cost roughly 20 euros per person, with the listed price also indicating about 25 euros for two people.

The camel ride is the quieter option. The quad ride suits you if you want speed and engine noise among the dunes. Ask for the exact current price before setting out, since the supplied figures are approximate.

The overnight choice shapes the entire evening. You can pay about 43 euros per person for a tent with dinner and breakfast, or around 55 euros for a four-star hotel with dinner and breakfast in the Douz area. One positive account described camel riding, an evening show, sand-baked bread, dinner, and breakfast at a desert camp.

The tour description does not promise the same program for every booking, so confirm what your selected accommodation includes. If you want stars, quiet, and a stronger desert feel, choose the tent. If you value a private room and hotel facilities, choose the hotel.

Sunrise at Chott El Jerid

Day two starts at Chott El Jerid, Tunisia’s second-largest salt flat. The planned stop is short, about 20 minutes, but sunrise can make it worthwhile.

Salt flats are not a conventional sightseeing stop. You are there for wide views, unusual colors, reflections when conditions allow, and photographs. The experience depends heavily on light and weather, so keep expectations sensible.

Because this comes after a desert night, an early start is likely. Confirm the exact departure time with your host and keep water, a jacket, and your camera ready before leaving the accommodation.

Ong Jmal requires the optional 4×4

The Ong Jmal section is listed as an optional 4×4 adventure, not part of the standard transport. For about 120 euros per Jeep, up to six people can ride across the sand with a professional driver.

The trip includes dune driving, desert views, and a visit to the Star Wars filming area. The description also mentions local displays involving scorpions and snakes kept as pets. That will appeal to some people and unsettle others, so ask your host what is planned before paying.

This add-on makes financial sense for a full Jeep. A solo couple would pay more per person unless other members of the group share the vehicle. It also adds a more adventurous side to the trip, but you should not assume it is included simply because the stop appears in the day-two schedule.

Chebika oasis and Tamaghza’s cliffs

Chebika provides a welcome change after the salt flat and desert roads. The oasis has greenery, cliffs, paths, and waterfalls. You can walk around, stop for a café or snacks, and, if conditions allow, take a brief swim.

The stop lasts about an hour. Wear shoes with a decent grip and bring a small towel only if you plan to enter the water. The information provided does not promise a particular water level or swimming setup, so treat swimming as an optional possibility, not the main reason to book.

Tamaghza follows with a short stop at the canyons, where you can take panoramic photographs from above. There is also an opportunity to feed milk to baby camels. A tip for the camel owner is appreciated.

The old town of Tamaghza adds another 30-minute photo break, with views toward the old settlement and surrounding terrain. These stops are brief, but together they give the second day variety. You move from salt flats to palms, waterfalls, cliffs, old buildings, and desert roads instead of spending the entire day among dunes.

Lunch on the long road back

A second local lunch break is planned for about 30 minutes, with food costing around 9 euros per person. The stop also provides café time, a toilet, and a chance to stretch your legs.

This is where the private format helps. You can tell the host what sort of food you want, and the company offers assistance choosing restaurants. Still, meals remain your responsibility, so carry a little extra cash for food, drinks, tips, and small purchases.

The schedule is ambitious. Since the route covers much of southern and central Tunisia, you should expect long periods in the vehicle. That is the trade-off for seeing so many different places in two days.

Kairouan closes the journey

The final stop is the Great Mosque of Okba in Kairouan, one of North Africa’s oldest and most important mosques. The planned visit lasts about 30 minutes and is viewed from a high vantage point rather than presented as a full guided mosque tour.

You also receive traditional sweets and tea from Kairouan at no extra cost. It is a pleasant local touch after two full days on the road, and it gives you a final taste of regional hospitality.

Because the stop is short, do not expect an extended architectural study. If religious monuments are central to your interests, ask in advance exactly where you will view the mosque and how much free time you will have.

The driver-host is the heart of the experience

The strongest part of this trip is the person behind the wheel. Hsin Benhamra has been praised for clear communication before departure, punctuality, neat presentation, smooth driving, and helpful explanations. Yemmen has been praised for taking guests to authentic food places and making extra stops when requested.

Othmen is also described as doing more than driving, helping organize accommodation, restaurants, and the day’s stops after discussing preferences with the group. These details explain why the experience can feel personal even though the base product is mainly a vehicle and driver-host.

The exact host may vary, so do not book on the assumption that one named person is guaranteed unless the company confirms it. The most useful approach is to message through WhatsApp before the trip, state your priorities, and ask for a written estimate of optional costs.

The host provides general facts in your chosen language, but detailed history is not included. If you want long explanations at every monument, pay for the separate specialist guide or choose a different tour designed around formal guiding.

Is the pace too ambitious?

Two days is enough to see the headline stops, but this is not a slow holiday. You cover long distances between Sousse, El Jem, Matmata, Douz, Chott El Jerid, the mountain oasis area, and Kairouan.

You will spend substantial time in the vehicle. That is not a flaw if you want a broad sample of southern Tunisia, but it may feel tiring if you prefer relaxed mornings and long walks at each site.

The flexible format lets you adjust stops within the overall time. It does not remove the distance. Check the route on Google Maps before booking, as the operator advises, and decide if two days suits your energy level.

The tour is most suitable for couples, families, and small groups who want a private road trip with pickup and local help. It is less suitable if you want every meal, ticket, activity, and hotel night included in one simple price.

Pickup, communication, and practical details

Pickup is offered from your selected location, normally directly in front of your hotel reception at the chosen time. The host’s WhatsApp number is generally sent around 22:00 the evening before, with fuller instructions, safety information, and extra material sent before departure.

If the driver or host is more than eight minutes late, contact the host through WhatsApp or contact the company. This is a small but useful rule when you are waiting outside a hotel in an unfamiliar place.

Service animals are allowed, public transport is nearby, and most people can participate. Cruise passengers using pickup from La Goulette must pay a required port fee of 37 euros for one to four people, or 47 euros for five to eight.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the experience begins. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Final verdict: book it for freedom, not all-inclusive simplicity

I would book this trip if I wanted a private route into the Sahara, flexible stops, and a driver-host who could help with food, lodging, and local arrangements. The combination of El Jem, Matmata, Douz, Chott El Jerid, Chebika, Tamaghza, and Kairouan gives you a broad look at Tunisia in a very short time.

I would not book it without first adding up the extras. The advertised $104.99 is attractive for private transport, but accommodation, meals, tickets, camel rides, quad biking, and the Ong Jmal 4×4 can bring the final bill much higher.

Before paying, confirm three things: your exact pickup point, your preferred overnight stay, and the full price of every optional activity. If you accept the long driving days and see the tour as a private chauffeur service with local guidance, it offers strong convenience and plenty of memorable stops. If you want a fully guided, all-inclusive package, choose a tour with those costs built into the headline price.

FAQ

Is pickup included from Sousse?

Yes. Pickup is offered from your selected location, including directly in front of your hotel reception at the arranged time.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your own group participates, and the itinerary can be adjusted within the two-day duration.

Are meals included?

No. Lunch costs about 9 euros per person, and the host helps you choose restaurants based on your preferences. Dinner and breakfast are included only with selected paid accommodation options.

Is accommodation in the Sahara included?

No. A tent stay with dinner and breakfast costs about 43 euros per person, while a four-star hotel with dinner and breakfast costs about 55 euros per person, depending on the group.

Are camel rides and quad tours included?

No. Camel rides cost about 10 to 15 euros, and quad tours cost about 20 to 25 euros, with prices depending on the arrangement.

Is the El Jem Amphitheatre entrance ticket included?

No. The entrance ticket costs about 3.5 euros per person.

Can I visit the Star Wars site at Ong Jmal?

Yes, but it requires an optional 4×4 Jeep trip costing about 120 euros for up to six people. It is not part of the standard included route.