Cycling from Douz to Ksar Ghilane (Tunisia)

I just took a trip in Tunisia from Tozeur to Douz, skirting Chott el Jerid to the south. I’m back with the urge to keep going further south via the 4x4 tracks to connect Douz to Ksar Ghilane. Has anyone driven this route recently or explored southern Tunisia? Thanks for your tips! fix

Hey cyclist,

From what I’ve read on various forums, the trail seems doable, especially if you're on a mountain bike.

About the Chott loop you did—was it really worth it in terms of scenery? I’m on the fence about doing it; I’m worried it might be a bit monotonous (even by car, haha).

I’ll be there soon! How about you?

To be continued

Hello Lyon

Sorry about last night if, on top of cycling, you're also into football.... Regarding the loop around Chott el Jerid via the south, it's pretty nice. The first part from Hazoua to Matrouha along the Algerian border is the most monotonous but still exotic. We camped in the middle of nowhere. The rest is much better. First, a stop 17 km after Redjim Maatoug at the "roses des sables" quarry—a tiny campsite that’s burned down twice, but the owner is lovely (sand-baked flatbread, mint tea, night in the only Berber tent, roses des sables as a souvenir), and you pay what you want. In Sabria, we stopped at an old French army fort that was used for filming *Fort Saganne* and now welcomes trekkers. In Douz, we stayed at the only campsite listed in the *Guide du Routard*. The owner is French, and you can grab a beer at the bar. For bikes, there’s no extra fee with Tunisair as long as you stay under 25 kg per person. Don’t hesitate if you want more info. Bye, fx

I made the connection from Douz to Ksar Ghilane via the track last year by motorbike. It was really great. Here’s what I can say: 1) The road is good between Douz and the desert café, except for the first km; 2) It’s a bit rough between the desert café and the start of the dunes: there’s quite a bit of sand on the track, so it might be a bit tough on a bike; 3) The dunes: they start 15 km before Ksar Ghilane and last for 5 to 10 km. On a bike, I think it’s pretty intense because the sand is only firm if you’re going fast enough (at least 20 km/h). 4) After the dunes, it’s an easy track, then a small field of mini-dunes (similar to point 3, but smaller). Anyway, it’s an amazing experience. We left around 4 PM, slept at the desert café, and arrived the next day around 6 PM. Along the way, apart from the desert café, there are two other little roadside stalls in the middle of nowhere—so my advice is: water, water, and more water (but it’s heavy). Cheers, Xav

Hi there, The Tour de Chott El Djerid via the south is fully paved—it’s not a dirt track. Between Douz and Ksar Ghilane, it’s all tarmac. You leave Douz heading toward Matmata, then at the junction with the pipeline, take a right. Ksar Ghilane is signposted. In total, it’s just under 150 km. There *is* a track between the two, but it disappears at times under the sand dunes. Can you even cycle on dunes? Cheers

hey there qqchlimit

Nice to see a biker giving tips to a cyclist. Thanks for the road book. bye fx

Just so you know, there’s at least one other road that’s paved up to 500 m from Ksar Ghilane, and you can cycle it. It’s not the same route, and you won’t run into any dunes except on the horizon, nor any motorbikes using the track.

Hi there,

Why bike? It's better to travel by quad from Tozeur - Douz - Ksar Ghilane.

Soon,

hi, you can do about twelve Ksar Ghilane trips, but take the track, not the dunes because there are two routes, but in the end, you can do it. I did this route by moped—it was great! For more info, feel free to contact me. Thanks

Hello Fix06,

Not sure if this post is still active, but here goes...

There are actually two ways to get from Douz to Ksar Ghilane: the "road" way—paved road from Douz toward Matmata, then after 70-80 km at Bir el Soltane (not 100% sure about the name), take a right onto the long stretch of pavement heading due south toward Ksar Ghilane, which eventually meets up with the "pipeline" track all the way to El Borma.

I don’t think that’s the route you’re interested in... The adventurous way, as my "colleague" described, is via the track that starts south of Douz (past the tourist zone). He explained it really well—it’s doable and often used, but there are a few pretty "hairy" spots.

And that’s the one I think you’ll love! I did the trek with friends over 5 days, taking it easy. Worst case, you’ll just have to push your bike through the sandy patches, but as long as you’ve got enough supplies—especially water—you’ll be fine.

No need for GPS or a satellite phone. If you’ve got a Tunisianna SIM card, you’ll get reception and can make a call if something goes wrong. At the very least, there’s always someone passing by (4x4s, camel herders, etc.).

Seriously, I’m a little in awe that you’re cycling around the chott—respect!

a+

Bonjour Fix, Nous avons prévu 3 semaines à vélo dans le Sud Tunisien avec mon conjoint cet hiver, et je serais fort intéressée par cette piste qui relie Ksar Ghilane à Douz en passant par Jebil National Park (nous le ferions dans ce sens a priori). Est-ce que vous l'avez finalement empruntée ? Nous sommes en gravel, mais chargés (matériel de bivouac et ce qu'il faut pour être autonome). Pensez-vous que ce soit réalisable, et en combien de temps ? J'ai compté entre 90 et 110 km entre Ksar Ghilane et Douz. Merci d'avance ! Marlène

Concernant le tour du Chott que tu as fait, est ce que cela vaut vraiment le coup au niveau paysage... j'hésite à le faire, j'ai peur que ce soit un peu monotone ( même en voiture lol ).

le Chott c'est une sorte de lac salé et il est préférable aller à Douz pour voir les dunes. Donc oui c'est un peu monotone. Après c'est à vous de voir. Au sud de Douz donc dans les dunes on peut trouver des concrétions calcaires, des roses des sables, des arbustes minéralisés.... contrairement à ce que l'on pourrait penser le désert ce n'est pas si vide que ça. Ah sinon en poussant plus au sud on peut trouver des dolines très profondes. Au hasard de mes pérégrinations j'ai trouvé un gouffre profond.

et je serais fort intéressée par cette piste qui relie Ksar Ghilane à Douz en passant par Jebil National Park (nous le ferions dans ce sens a priori). Est-ce que vous l'avez finalement empruntée ?

je vous conseille d'aller consulter les autorités à Douz c'est vivement recommandé ; et de laisser votre itinéraire ( gendarmerie ?)) Parce que là vous êtes vraiment en plein désert il n'y a absolument rien sur des kilomètres à la ronde et s'il vous arrive un problème personne ne viendra vous porter assistance. Et puis même en hiver il faut bien se couvrir face au rayonnement solaire