How and Why Visit Tozeur [A Complete Guide]

We came to Tozeur because of a movie.  Well, not just one movie.  It was originally a trilogy, and now it’s three trilogies.  A trilogy of trilogies if you must.  Well, that was the reason for planning to visit Tozeur.  And it built from there.  There are vast desert horizons, ancient oases, and landscapes that look like they belong on another planet – hence the movies.  The ancient desert town of Tozeur is tucked away in southwestern Tunisia.  It’s the gateway to the Sahara, surrounded by palm groves, salt lakes, and dramatic canyon oases.  And yes, it’s also home to some of the most famous Star Wars filming locations in the world.  Here’s our guide to visiting Tozeur, in which I’ll cover everything you need to know to plan your visit: how to get to Tozeur, what to see and do, the best time to visit, and practical tips to make the most of your trip.

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Tozeur isn’t the kind of place you stumble across on a quick Tunisia itinerary. It’s far from the country’s tourist hotspots, getting here takes real effort, whichever mode of transport you use, but when you arrive, you’ll find a proper lived in town that still feels authentic, with friendly locals, and barely a tour bus in sight.  The desert starts, well, right at your door. You can see the evidence of ancient traditions right alongside incredible cinematic history, and yeah, you can slow it right down and chill out enough to soak it all in. If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-track adventure, Tozeur is it.

Where is Tozeur, Tunisia

Tozeur is in the southwest of Tunisia, on the edge of the Sahara Desert and just north of the vast salt lake of Chott el Djerid. It’s around 280 miles (450 kilometres) from Tunis — a drive that takes roughly seven to eight hours, depending on your route and stops. If you’d rather fly, direct flights from Tunis to Tozeur take just over an hour, landing at an airport that’s not even a ten-minute drive from the town centre.

Tozeur’s location makes it the perfect base for the oases of Chebika and Tamaghza, or heading further into the desert for an overnight camp. Looking at Tozeur on the map, it seems like it’s the last stop before the Sahara Desert takes over.  And sometimes it does.  Sandstorms are normal occurrences. One of the biggest, in 1857, lasted 72 hours.  It happened when the French army was posted here and immersed a few hundred of the palm trees of the Tozeur oasis to the top.  The trees at the time were 18 – 30 meters (60-100 feet) tall.  The French were thrown off their horses with the force of the storm, and the ferocity of the storm led the entire company to march up and down for 24 hours to avoid being buried alive!

How to Get to Tozeur

You won’t find Tozeur by accident, and you’ll need to plan your route here, but as ever, there are options.  You can fly from Tunis, take the bus, travel by train (at least part of the way), or drive yourself. Each has pros and cons depending on your budget, time, and travel style.  There are some tours also available from Tunis, Sousse, and Hammamet too.

My guide to the different forms of transport available in Tunisia is here.

Transport Option	Time (approx.)	Cost (approx.)	Notes
Flight from Tunis	1 hr	100–200 TND (£25–£50)  Get flight timetables here.	Fastest airport close to town
Train from Tunis	8–10 hrs	25–35 TND (£6–£9)	Trains are limited; check the timetable here.
Bus from Sousse	7–8 hrs	20–30 TND (£5–£7)	Budget-friendly, basic comfort. Check schedules here.
Rental Car from Tunis	7–8 hrs	From 80 TND/day (£20+) + fuel & tolls. Check prices here.	Flexible, stops en route possible.

Taking a Tour to Tozeur

If you’d rather skip managing your own logistics, for what can be long days of travel for the time you’ll get in Tozeur, then multi-day tours to Tozeur are a straightforward way to see the region. You can join them from Hammamet, Djerba, or even Tunis, for two to three days.

These tours include transport, a guide, accommodation, and visits to the main sights like the mountain oases, Chott el Djerid, and key Star Wars filming locations. Some itineraries also cover the nearby desert towns of Douz or Kebili. While you won’t have the same flexibility as travelling independently, tours save you the hassle of arranging long-distance transport in Tunisia and ensure you won’t miss the highlights.

Here are three options for you:

• From Yasmine Hammamet/Sousse: 2-Day Sahara Exploration
• From Tunis, Hammammet & Sousse: 2-Day Sahara Express Tour
• From Djerba: 2-Day Tour to Tozeur, the Mountain Oasis & Matmata

Flying from Tunis to Tozeur

Flying is the quickest way to get to Tozeur from the capital. Tunisair Express operates direct flights that take just over an hour, with fares starting from around 100 TND (£25) one-way if booked in advance.

They don’t fly every day, so you’ll need to juggle your dates if you get to Tozeur this way.  (After a problem with the train, we flew down, and it’s an easy trip.  You can check the schedules for these flights here.

The small Tozeur–Nefta International Airport is less than ten minutes from the town centre, making transfers quick and easy. You can book flights via 12Go Asia or directly with the airline. This option is ideal if you’re short on time or want to avoid the long drive across the country.

If you’re flying in, then you’ll get to see the two Boeing 747s parked up at the airport.  They were flown here on the orders of Saddam Hussein to protect them during the Gulf War and belonged to Iraqi Airways.  They’ve been in dispute ever since.  There’s more on them here.  If you don’t get to the airport to see them, then just hop to Google Maps, as you can see them on the satellite view.

You’ll need a taxi from the airport to get into town, and for that you’ll need cash. Read my guide to cash and ATMs in Tunisia here.

Taking the Train to Tozeur

Train travel to Tozeur is possible but not always practical. The Tunisian National Railways (SNCFT) runs a limited service between Tunis and Tozeur, with the journey taking around eight to ten hours. Services are not daily, so you’ll need to check the current timetable before planning your trip. The station in Tozeur is within walking distance of the town centre, which makes arrival convenient. Trains offer basic seating and are slower than buses or flights, but they can be a relaxed way to cross the country if you’re not in a hurry and want to avoid road travel.

Taking a Bus to Tozeur

Buses to Tozeur are operated by the national and regional companies, with routes connecting from cities like Sousse, Tunis, and Gafsa. The journey from Sousse takes around seven to eight hours, for instance, with a couple of comfort stops along the way. Buses are the most budget-friendly way to reach Tozeur, with fares starting from about 20 TND (£5).   You can check the schedule of buses here.  The site is available in French and Arabic, but the drop-down names are in Arabic.

You can expect basic comfort — no onboard toilets and limited legroom — but the services are generally reliable. The main bus station in Tozeur is close to the town centre, and it’s very close to the hotel we stayed at, so you can easily get to your accommodation on arrival.

You’ll spot it with the statue of Ibn Chabbat outside.  He died in 1281, but did a huge amount of work on the cultivation of palms and irrigation, including the system that he planned for Tozeur.  It’s still in use today!

Driving a Rental Car to Tozeur

Hiring a car in Tunisia obviously gives you the freedom to set your own pace and explore stops along the way, like Kairouan (read my guide here) or Gafsa. The drive from Tunis to Tozeur takes about seven to eight hours on decent paved roads, with some toll sections along the main routes. Fuel stations are frequent enough on the main roads, but you should plan well ahead once you get closer to the desert.

Car hire tips in Tunisia:

• An International Driving Permit is recommended alongside your national licence. (My guide to International Drivers Permits is here; it’s about Japan, but the concept is the same.)
• Traffic can be unpredictable in towns — defensive driving is key.
• Avoid driving at night in rural areas due to unlit roads and stray animals.
• If heading into desert tracks, a 4WD is essential.

Why come to Tozeur?

Tozeur is where desert landscapes meet rich cultural history.  Many of the buildings here are built with bricks of clay and sand that are then sun-baked, a technique first used in ancient Iraq!  The oasis here has 195 springs, and there are hundreds of thousands of date palm trees and orchards here. 

It’s here that you’ll find the deglet en nour dates that are quite simply the best in Tunisia and a top export for the country.  It’s said that a thousand camels a day left here loaded with dates in the 17^th century.

Tozeur is also the gateway to some of Tunisia’s most spectacular natural sites, from those sprawling palm oases to the shimmering salt flats of Chott el Djerid.  There is, of course, also the fading glamour of the Star Wars movie sets.  And as if that’s not enough, then there’s there’s Sahara – the largest hot desert in the world.

What to See and Do in Tozeur

Tozeur is more than just a jumping-off point for desert adventures — there are museums here within the town, a lovely old medina, a super central market, and the amazing Eden Palm too.

Visit the Star Wars Movie Locations

We’ve got to start with this, as this is the reason Tozeur made it to our list of places to visit in Tunisia.  Just outside Tozeur, you’ll find some of the most recognisable Star Wars sets, used in A New Hope and The Phantom Menace.   And when I say just outside, don’t get your hopes up, you’ll need transport to get here, you can’t just hop on a bus, or hitch a ride.

The most famous of the movie shooting locations is Mos Espa, built in the desert near Ong Jemel (Camel Neck), where you can still walk through the streets of this fictional spaceport. Reaching the sites requires either a 4WD or joining a local tour — you can’t take your regular rental car here, as the sandy tracks can be difficult. Tours from Tozeur often combine the film locations with nearby oases and the salt lake, making it an easy day out. For more details and exact locations, see my specialised guide to Star Wars filming sites in Tunisia.

Learn about Date Palms at Eden Palm

Next up, Eden Palm.  And I’ll fess up, we didn’t know about this place until we arrived in Tozeur, but it was a huge highlight of the visit.  And if you’re like us, eating dates at every meal in Tunisia, then you’ll want to come here too.

Dates are at the heart of Tozeur’s economy and culture, and Eden Palm is the perfect place to learn all about them. It’s a small museum and working plantation that offers guided tours to discover the history of date cultivation, the different varieties grown in the region, and the intricate irrigation systems that keep the oasis thriving.

Palm trees have a life of up to 150 years, but only produce fruit in their fifth or sixth year, needing their flowers (each tree has up to eight) to be artificially pollinated.  If you’re here between April and June, you might see this happening.

A palm tree usually has a life of 100–150 years and starts to produce fruit after the fifth or sixth year. The flowers, of which each tree bears up to eight, need to be artificially pollinated, a procedure that takes place between April and June.

If you visit in September, you may see the trees covered in plastic, as this is when the fruit starts to mature and the plastic protects the fruit from Saharan rain, dust, and parasites.  Dates are harvested in late autumn.  The sap of the tree can also be harvested – around 5 litres (1.3 US gallons) a day and used to make palm wine, known as lagmi. 

The museum is a little dry, but there are HEAPS of information boards and you’ll come out of it talking like the Date Tourism Authority.  I learned LOTS.

You’ll also get to taste fresh dates and date-based products, from jams to liqueurs. Our guide – we spoke in a mixture of English, French, and hand signals – was knowledgeable and passionate about the dates and the history of them in Tunisia and Tozeur.  Wandering about the garden with him, picking up windfalls and chewing on them, was absolutely fantastic.

Eat the local cuisine in Tozeur.

Food is an amazing part of any journey, and I’ll be upfront, I wasn’t expecting much from Tozeur or Tunisia as a whole.  But after our first 5-week trip to Tunisia, yeah, we went back for another 5 weeks.  And we don’t do that if the food isn’t good!

Tozeur’s food blends Berber, Arab, and desert influences, creating flavours that are hearty, spiced, and often cooked slowly to bring out deep, rich tastes. You’ll find dates, lamb, camel occasionally, and freshly baked bread, with street food just as tempting as sit-down dishes.  Here are a few things to try.

• Brik – A thin, crispy pastry stuffed with egg, tuna, and parsley, then fried until golden.
• Mittabga – A layered bread pie with spiced meat or vegetable filling, baked in a clay oven.
• Bambaloni – Tunisian doughnuts, fried and dusted with sugar — perfect for a mid-morning snack.
• Camel Meat in a Terracotta Jar – Slow-cooked with spices, resulting in tender, flavourful meat.
• Dates – Eat them fresh, stuffed with almonds, or baked into pastries.  But just eat them.

Where to eat in Tozeur: Try Restaurant Dar Deda for fabulous local dishes, Le Soleil for an atmospheric courtyard meal, or Café Berbere for sweet treats and mint tea.  Our favourite was Dar Deda – don’t miss the Tozeur Style Salad for a little green in your life!

Visit the Chebika Oasis

Known as the “Castle of the Sun,” Chebika is one of the most beautiful mountain oases in Tunisia, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) northwest of Tozeur.  There’s a mix of desert cliffs, natural springs, and lush palm groves here, and a short, easy walk from the village takes you past small waterfalls and shaded pools, with views opening out over the vast desert beyond.

The village dates back to Roman times, and was also a refuge for Berbers in the Djebel el Negueb Mountains over the centuries.  The Berber village was flooded in the 1960s and then abandoned.  You can walk down to the oasis and even swim in it, too.  The oasis was used as a movie location for both The English Patient and Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope.  It’s popular, so expect lots of vendors and souvenir stalls

Chebika is usually included in day trips from Tozeur alongside Tamaghza and Ong Jemel, and you can get there by car or with a guided tour. Arrive early or late in the day to avoid the harshest sun and enjoy the light at its most dramatic.

Explore the Tamaghza Oasis

Tamaghza is the largest mountain oasis in the region, about 40 miles (65 kilometres) from Tozeur, and is famous for its dramatic canyon setting. The highlight here is the Tamaghza Waterfall, which you reach by walking through the canyon.  It’s not as pretty as Chebika, but you’re in the area, so why not?  Tamaghza is easily reached by car or as part of a day tour, often combined with Chebika and Mides.

See the Camel Neck (Ong Jamal)

Ong Jemel, or “Camel Neck,” is a rock formation in the desert just outside Tozeur, named for its striking resemblance to a camel’s head and neck. You can’t miss it.  And it’s worth the short (but not particularly difficult climb up to the top for the view.  We visited on our Star Wars-inspired tour.

Explore the Medina of Tozeur (Ouled Hadef)

The medina of Tozeur, known as Ouled Hadef, is a maze of narrow lanes lined with distinctive sand-coloured brickwork in geometric patterns — a style unique to this region. This is the oldest part of town, dating back centuries, and wandering here feels like stepping into the past.

Don’t miss the doors that have three different door knockers, one each for me, women, and children; each makes a different sound to alert the inhabitants to who might be calling.

You’ll find small workshops, quiet courtyards, and occasional cafés tucked between the alleys. Unlike the busy and crowded medinas of Tunis or Sousse, Ouled Hadef is calm and rarely crowded, making it a pleasant place to explore at your own pace.

Go to the Central Market of Tozeur

The central market is a covered space filled with stalls selling fresh produce, spices, dates, and local cheeses, as well as household goods and clothing. This is where locals come for their daily shopping, so it’s lively in the mornings and quieter later in the day. It’s also a good spot to pick up edible souvenirs, like a box of Deglet en Nour dates or a jar of harissa. You’ll also find raw meat – camel and beef too!  It’s best for atmosphere and choice earlier in the day, and while prices are generally reasonable, a little friendly bargaining is expected.

Check out Chott el Djerid

Chott el Djerid is the largest salt lake in the Sahara, and it stretches between Tozeur and Kebili, covering more than 2,500 square miles (6,500 square kilometres). In summer, it salts up completely and is a blinding expanse of white salt crust, while in winter, shallow water reflects the sky.

The lake is famous for mirages, and the salt is farmed for sale.  You can drive across it on the main causeway, stopping at roadside stalls selling salt crystals and desert roses. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon, when the light is softer and the colours shift from gold to pink to blue.

Explore the Dar Cherait Museum

For a dose of culture and history, head to Dar Cherait Museum, just outside the town centre. It’s a privately owned museum located in a historic palace that showcases Tunisian heritage through the recreation of traditional homes – like a Bedouin tent – displays of jewellery, costumes, and everyday objects from across the country. It’s part museum, part cultural park, and does feel a bit theatrical — but it’s a good introduction to local traditions.

See Desert Animals at the Tozeur Zoo / Desert Park

A small wildlife park on the edge of town features desert animals like camels, fennec foxes, and gazelles, along with enclosures for local reptiles and birds. There’s also a small botanical section showcasing desert plants.

How long to spend in Tozeur

Because it’s such a long journey to get here, Tozeur deserves at least two or three full days.  You can see the town itself in half a day, but most of the highlights — the mountain oases, Chott el Djerid, and Star Wars sites — are outside the city and require you to drive or join tours. With three days, you can see the main attractions at a relaxed pace, enjoy a sunset in the desert, and still have time to wander the medina and central market without feeling rushed.

When to visit Tozeur

The best time to visit Tozeur is during the cooler months from October to April, when daytime temperatures are pleasant for exploring the desert and oases. We were here in Tunisia in November and December and found the climate pleasant. 

Summer can be brutally hot, with temperatures regularly topping 40°C (104°F), making outdoor sightseeing uncomfortable. Winter nights can be chilly, especially in the desert, so bring layers. Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable balance of warm days and cooler evenings.

What to Wear & Pack for Tozeur

Pack light, breathable clothing for the daytime, but don’t forget warmer layers for cool desert mornings and evenings. A wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and high-SPF sunscreen are essential for the strong Saharan sun.

Comfortable walking shoes or sandals are a must for exploring oases and markets, while sturdier shoes are better if you plan any desert treks. A lightweight scarf is useful for mosques, sun, wind, and dust protection.  You might need a lightweight fleece in the evenings in winter.

Where to Stay in Tozeur

Tozeur has a small but varied range of accommodation, from budget guesthouses to resort-style hotels.

• Résidence Le Ruisseau – Reasonably priced, great location for exploring the town, and within easy reach of the bus and train stations.  We stayed here for the proximity to the bus station, as this was our planned (early morning) departure from Tozeur.
• Palm Beach Tozeur – A resort-style option with a pool, ideal if you want more comfort and relaxation between sightseeing.

Final Words on Visiting Tozeur, Tunisia

Tozeur is one of those places that rewards the effort it takes to reach it; we truly enjoyed visiting. This is Tunisia at its most atmospheric — where the desert stretches endlessly beyond palm-fringed oases, and history sits side-by-side with film fantasy. Come here for more than just the beach, see some amazing landscapes, and stay in a real town that doesn’t segregate the tourist areas from the inhabitants. Whether you’re looking for Star Wars nostalgia, desert adventure, or simply curious about life on the edge of the Sahara, Tozeur combines a gloriously memorable mix of culture, scenery, and welcome.

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