Things to Do in Tozeur — Oases, Star Wars Sets, and Sahara Dunes

Tozeur is the gateway to the Tunisian Sahara and the most atmospheric base in the south. It sits at the northern edge of the Chott el-Djerid, the vast salt lake that doubles as Tatooine in the Star Wars films, with the Great Eastern Erg dune field to the south and a string of mountain oases an hour to the north. The town itself has one of the country’s most remarkable old quarters — a district of interlocking ochre-brick architecture built to a distinctive pattern not found anywhere else in Tunisia.

This guide covers the main things to do, from the old town and the palmerie to the movie set in the desert and the waterfall oases near the Algerian border.

Bled el-Hadhar — The Old Town

Bled el-Hadhar (“the inhabited land”) is Tozeur’s historic core, a dense quarter of traditional architecture characterised by its distinctive yellowish-pink brick, laid in decorative geometric patterns on every façade. The technique — interlocking rows of protruding and recessed brick — dates to the 14th century and is unique to the Jerid region. No two houses have quite the same pattern.

The district is compact and walkable. The best approach is to enter from the eastern side and follow the main alley northwest, allowing the lane system to carry you through residential and market streets without a fixed itinerary. The Dar Cherait Museum at the edge of the old town presents rooms of traditional Tozeur domestic life in a restored merchants’ house; entry approximately 8 TND as of 2026.

Allow 1–2 hours for Bled el-Hadhar at a relaxed pace.

The Palmerie

Immediately west of the old town, Tozeur’s palmerie (palm grove) is one of the largest in Tunisia — approximately 1,000 hectares of date palms, irrigation channels, and market gardens fed by artesian springs. The Deglet Nour variety produced here is considered among the finest dates in the world, with an almost translucent appearance and a honeyed flavour distinct from cheaper North African varieties.

Walking or cycling through the palmerie in the early morning is one of the most pleasant things to do in Tozeur. The light is soft, the temperature bearable, and the canopy of palms creates a different world from the desert outside. Horse-drawn calèche tours of the palmerie depart from the town centre at approximately 30–50 TND for a 1-hour circuit as of 2026.

In October–November, date harvest season, the palmerie is at its most active. Harvesters climb the palms to cut the heavily laden branches. The date harvest festival (Festival des Oasis) in November brings music, camel racing, and cultural events.

Chott el-Djerid

The Chott el-Djerid salt lake begins right at the southern edge of Tozeur, stretching 250 km east toward Kebili. It is the largest salt flat in the Sahara — one of the largest in the world — and in the dry season it transforms into a white and ochre expanse with atmospheric mirage effects: the horizon shimmers and dissolves, distant figures appear to float above the surface.

The main road (the GP16) runs directly across the Chott with pull-off points where you can walk out onto the surface. In winter and spring, the shallow edges fill with water that turns pink and violet at dawn. In summer the crust is solid and the heat is extreme.

The Chott is also Tunisia’s most important Star Wars landscape. George Lucas filmed the binary sunset scene of A New Hope here in 1976, and returned for sequences in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The open quality of the light and the complete absence of vegetation made it immediately right for the outer-rim planet of Tatooine.

• Entry: No charge — accessible from the main road
• Best times: Sunrise and the hour before sunset for photography
• Distance from Tozeur: The Chott edge is less than 5 km from Tozeur centre; the full crossing to Kebili takes about 40 minutes by car

Mos Espa — Star Wars Film Set

The Mos Espa set is a purpose-built desert settlement constructed in 1997 for the filming of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, approximately 10 km from Tozeur near the Nefta oasis. The set was used for the Mos Espa podrace sequence and remained in place after filming. Over the past two decades, dunes have advanced from the south and partially buried several of the lower structures.

The set consists of curved adobe-style buildings — slave quarters, market stalls, a cantina, and domed structures — spread across a shallow valley between two sand ridges. It is recognisable from the films and genuinely striking in its desert setting.

Access requires a reliable vehicle or an organised tour. The approach track from the Nefta road involves soft sand sections that will strand a standard car. Tozeur-based 4x4 operators run half-day trips to Mos Espa and the surrounding dunes for approximately 80–150 TND per vehicle (up to 4–5 passengers) as of 2026. Your hotel or the tourist information office on Avenue Habib Bourguiba can arrange this.

See our full Star Wars filming locations guide for the complete route covering Matmata and the Chott el-Djerid.

Mountain Oases — Chebika, Tamerza, and Mides

The three mountain oases north of Tozeur are among the most dramatic landscapes in Tunisia and are easily combined into a single full-day excursion.

The route north from Tozeur crosses the Selja Gorge — a canyon carved by an ancient river through red sandstone — before climbing to the escarpment where the oases sit at the edge of the Atlas foothills.

Chebika

Chebika is the first oasis on the route, built on a rocky outcrop at the base of a cliff face. A waterfall emerges from a canyon between the rocks and drops into a pool surrounded by palm trees before disappearing into the desert below. The old village, abandoned after catastrophic floods in 1969, is accessible via a short walk to the left of the main viewpoint.

• Entry: approximately 5–8 TND per person as of 2026
• Walk to waterfall: 20–30 minutes return from the parking area

Tamerza

Tamerza is the largest of the three mountain oases and has a small hotel (Hôtel Tamerza Palace, perched above the gorge) if you want to sleep in the oases rather than returning to Tozeur. The old village below the hotel is abandoned but intact — a full settlement of mud-brick houses, a mosque, and covered market streets that have been empty since the 1969 floods. The canyon gorge between new and old Tamerza has a series of natural pools fed by the spring.

• Entry: approximately 5–8 TND per person as of 2026

Mides

Mides is the furthest and least visited of the three, 5 km from the Algerian border. A gorge cuts through the escarpment here with sheer walls of layered sandstone up to 50 metres high. The effect is more dramatic than either Chebika or Tamerza but the infrastructure for visitors is minimal. The gorge is free to enter.

Getting to the mountain oases: The three sites are approximately 60–80 km north of Tozeur on paved roads. A hire car or organised 4x4 day trip is the standard approach. The return trip with stops at all three oases takes a full day (allow 8 hours minimum). Day tour operators in Tozeur charge approximately 150–250 TND per vehicle for the circuit as of 2026.

Camel Treks and Desert Overnight Camps

Tozeur’s proximity to the Great Eastern Erg — one of the main dune seas of the Algerian and Tunisian Sahara — makes it a practical base for camel treks ranging from a one-hour sunset ride (approximately 40–60 TND per person as of 2026) to multi-day trips with overnight camping in the dunes.

The Erg Chebbi-style overnight camp experience is more easily found at Douz (90 km east), which has the largest concentration of desert camp operators. But Tozeur operators can arrange overnight desert experiences from the local dune fields.

Tozeur Zoo and Belvedere Park

On the eastern edge of the town, the Tozeur Zoo (Parc du Belvedere) contains Saharan fauna — fennec foxes, desert monitor lizards, Dorcas gazelles, and various bird species. It is primarily a family attraction and secondary to the landscape sites, but it fills a morning well if you have children. Entry approximately 5 TND as of 2026.

Practical Notes

Getting around: The old town and palmerie are walkable. The desert sites require transport — hire a driver for the day (approximately 200–350 TND for a full desert day including Mos Espa, Chott, and dunes as of 2026) or join an organised tour.

When to visit: October–April for comfortable temperatures. May–September is very hot — daytime desert temperatures regularly exceed 40°C in July and August. Early morning starts are essential in summer.

Where to eat: The best local restaurants are along Avenue Habib Bourguiba and in the hotels. Restaurant de la Republique and Restaurant Capitole both serve affordable Tunisian food (approximately 20–40 TND per person as of 2026).

Accommodation: The most atmospheric option is a traditional maison d’hôtes in Bled el-Hadhar — rooms from approximately 120–200 TND per night as of 2026. Our full Tozeur where to stay guide covers the range from budget to luxury.

For a detailed planning guide to the Chott el-Djerid crossing and what to expect at the salt lake, see our Chott el-Djerid guide. For choosing between Tozeur and Douz as a Sahara base, our Tozeur vs Douz comparison sets the two side by side. Browse Sahara tours from Tunis that use Tozeur as the base for a 3–4 day southern circuit.