Chott el Jerid
Chott el Jerid is a vast salt pan on the edge of the Sahara in southern Tunisia, covering about 5,000 square kilometres, among the largest salt flats in the Sahara. Its colours change through the year, and the road between Tozeur and Douz crosses it.
- Time on our journeys
- A short visit
- Region
- The Oases and the Chotts
- On our journeys
- Three of our six private journeys
Visiting Chott el Jerid
The chott is a salt pan on the edge of the Sahara and one of its largest salt flats. Geological changes through the year alter the colour of its water, which turns purple, pink and red. The contrast between the white salt crust and the surrounding desert is stark, and at sunrise and sunset the heat and the reflective surface produce mirages. Tatooine scenes of Star Wars were shot here.
Our journeys cross it between Tozeur and Douz, going east: the eight, ten and eleven day journeys on the morning after the oasis day, and the Students Fun Tour in the other direction, on its way to the oases.
What to see
- The crossing of the salt pan
- Colours that change from white to purple, pink and red
- Mirages at sunrise and sunset
- Tatooine scenes from Star Wars
Journeys that include Chott el Jerid
Four of our seven journeys visit Chott el Jerid. The day by day, the hotels and the price are on each journey's own page.
- The Splendors of Tunisia8 days, 7 nights. Reached on day 6.$2,190 a person, double occupancy
- Tunisia's Marvels10 days, 9 nights. Reached on day 7.$2,550 a person, double occupancy
- The Wonders of Tunisia11 days, 10 nights. Reached on day 7.$3,150 a person, double occupancy
- Students Fun Tour7 days, 6 nights. Reached on day 5.Group programme
Along the way in the Oases and the Chotts
Mountain oases, a salt lake that changes colour, and the sets where Tatooine was filmed.
- TozeurTwo nights
- ChebikaA short visit
- TamerzaA short visit
- MidèsA short visit
- NeftaA short visit
- Mos EspaHalf a day
Chott el JeridYou are here. A short visit.
Start with Chott el Jerid.
Tell us it belongs on your route and we shape the rest around your dates. We reply within one business day, US Eastern time. After a twenty minute call, a day by day proposal follows within 48 hours, with the hotels named and a firm price per person.
Starting takes two minutes. We ask for your rough dates, who is travelling and where to reply, and nothing about payment or passports.
Straight to our team in Tunisia.
Your dates, your pace and the budget, in twenty minutes.
The planning guide is free, and it asks for an email address and nothing else. It covers safety in plain terms, when to go, what it costs, getting there from the United States and one sample itinerary.
We reply within one business day, US Eastern time.