GRAND-SAHARA-AVENTURES
DAY TOURS - TREKS AND TOURS IN TUNISIA
TWO-DAY TOUR TO TATAOUINE FROM ZARZIS
KSOUR TOUR IN THE BERBER REGION OF TATAOUINE – DEPARTURE FROM ZARZIS
A Journey Through the Berber Heritage of Southern Tunisia
Explore Tataouine and its ksour, true gems of Berber heritage.
This two-day tour takes you through hilltop villages, desert landscapes, and unique historical sites.
Day 1: Zarzis – Matmata – Tamezret – Toujane – Ksar Hallouf – Ksar Hadada
Departure at 7:30 a.m. from Zarzis, towards Matmata, famous for its troglodyte houses which inspired Star Wars sets.
Continue to Tamezret, an authentic Berber village, where a typical lunch at a local's house will allow you to savor local specialties and chat with the locals.
In the afternoon, discover the village of Toujane, renowned for its Berber crafts, notably its kilim rugs and its woolen bakhnoug shawls.
Stop at Ksar Hallouf, a fortified granary that is an example of Berber ingenuity.
End of the day in Ksar Hadada, where you will spend the night in a troglodyte lodge and enjoy a traditional dinner.
Day 2: Ksar Hadada – Tataouine – Ksar Ouled Soltane – Chenini – Guermassa – Ksar of Médenine – Zarzis
After breakfast, visit the Tataouine market.
Exploration of Ksar Ouled Soltane, an impressive four-story fortified granary, which served as the setting for several Star Wars scenes.
Continue to Chenini, a hilltop village offering an exceptional panoramic view.
Lunch in Guermassa, followed by a visit to its typical ksar.
Before returning to Zarzis, stop at the Ksar of Médenine, another emblematic site of Berber heritage.
Return to Zarzis at the end of the afternoon after two days rich in cultural discoveries.
CIRCUIT PROGRAM
Day 1:
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Departure for Matmata, from your place of stay in Zarzis at 7:30 am.
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Stops photos along the way.
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Visits to the troglodyte houses of Matmata.
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Lunch at the inhabitant.
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Visit of the village of Toujane.
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Visit of Ksar Halouff.
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Visit of the Ksar Jouamaa.
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Visit of Ksar Hadada.
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Dinner and night in a troglodyte hotel.
Day 2:
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Departure for the city of Tataouine and free time.
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Visit of Ksar Ouled Soltane.
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Guided tour of the village of Chenini.
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Lunch in a typical restaurant in the village of Guermassa.
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Visit of the Ksar of Medenine.
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Return to your place of stay in Zarzis at the end of the afternoon. around 5:30 p.m.
CIRCUIT PRICES
For 5 people, price per person | 180 € |
For 4 people, price per person | 205 € |
For 3 people, price per person | 255 € |
For 2 people, price per person | 325 € |
The price includes:
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Private 4x4 transport.
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The services of an ONTT* approved guide.
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Meals from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day.
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Accommodation in a troglodyte cottage.
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Entrance fees to visits included in the program.
Excluded from the price:
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National or international flights.
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The drinks.
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Optional extra activities.
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Tips and personal purchases.
*Tunisian National Tourist Office
Learn more about the ksour of the Berber region
The Ksour of Tunisia: Treasures of Berber heritage
Called ksars in the singular and ksour in the plural, these perched villages are sites that you will have the opportunity to discover during this two-day excursion.
The ksour of Tunisia are fortified granaries intended for the use of one or more tribes. They are mainly located in the southeast of the country, between Matmata and Tataouine, where there are about 150 of them.
These ksour are an integral part of Tunisian cultural heritage and bear witness to its historical and sociological evolution.
The unique architecture of the ksour:
The ksar is generally accessible by a single entrance, protected by a door, except in the case of plain ksour.
These structures served as places for social gatherings, reception of visitors and markets for commercial exchanges.
In the center of the ksar, the main courtyard is lined with ghorfas, storage cells that can be arranged on several levels, up to four stories. Some ksour, like Ksar Ouled Soltane, have up to 440 ghorfas, while the average is between 150 and 200.
Ghorfas are small, superimposed rooms, closed on the outside, forming a compact wall.
They are usually 4 to 5 meters deep and about 2 meters high and wide.
These spaces were used to store food for long periods, sometimes up to seven years of drought.
The cereals were stored in the lower part, sometimes in compartments separated by low walls.
The olives and cheeses were hung on olive wood bars, placed high up and ventilated by two openings in the walls.
The Ghorfas and their unique organization
The different ghorfas are adjacent but do not communicate with each other, unless they belong to the same owner.
There is no corridor allowing horizontal movement from one ghorfa to another, and they are not always aligned at the same level.
It is accessed by a rudimentary staircase or by means of olive wood bars inserted into the wall.
In some ksour, a small discreet space was sometimes set up between two ghorfas to hide precious goods.