Things to do in Douz - our 10 tips for the Gateway to the Sahara

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated August 2026 | What to do in Douz, Tunisia? Douz is a classic desert town that is often called the ”gateway to the Sahara” – because the town is located right on the edge of the vast desert. This is the place for those who want to experience desert adventures, dromedaries and starry skies!

Douz in Tunisia

Douz is a simple, sand-coloured city, where the nomadic desert culture is present in every corner and dromedaries are a natural part of the street scene.

We have been here once before, a couple of years ago, and now we came back on a press trip organised by the Tunisian Tourist Office, in connection with the Balloons Event Show Tunisia. We also had time for some individual excursions - and among other things we met friends who visited Douz by motorhome.

Douz is located in southern Tunisia, on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

What can you do in Douz?

Douz is where you go to experience the Sahara first hand, with dromedaries, quad bikes and tented camps right under the stars. Here are all our top, personalised tips in one list.

1. ride a dromedary

One of the absolute most fascinating things to do in Douz is to ride dromedaries, which more specifically is a one-humped camel within the camelid family. It's not just sitting on the dromedary that's the experience, but doing so in the Sahara desert.

Feeling the animal move beneath you, at a slow pace, while the endless sand spreads out over the horizon... This is an experience we will always carry with us! We even went for a short ride on horseback...!

READ MORE: Camel riding in Tunisia - island tour at the gateway to the Sahara

2. quad biking in the desert

A little more speed and adrenaline? In the same place where we rode dromedaries, at the edge of the great desert, we also went quad biking. If you ask us? Really Fun! You rush across the dunes and in the moment you forget everything else.

READ MORE: Quad biking in Tunisia - speedy experience in the Sahara

3. Camping under the stars

One of the absolute best ways to experience the Sahara desert is to do it in a tented camp, directly under the stars. We did this when we were here in 2021 and visited the camp Abdelati - an absolutely fantastic experience that we can highly recommend!

As we understand it, Camp Abdelati has now moved to a new location, even a little closer to Douz, and you can still book dinner or an overnight stay to experience the most amazing of the North African desert!

READ MORE: Living in tents in Tunisia - under the stars in the Sahara

4. Strolling in the souk

The centre of Douz is a fairly simple and relaxed town and one of the highlights is the souk, or local market. Here you'll find everything from dates and spices to carpets, ceramics and clothes.

5. Enjoy dates

Douz is located in one of Tunisia's most important date regions and its surroundings consist of large palm groves where mainly the date variety is grown Deglet Nour - queen of dates. The harvest time for dates is during autumn (October - November) so if you visit Douz during this time you will find fresh delicious dates everywhere, for example in the market and on hotel buffets.

READ MORE: Date facts - 17 things you (maybe) didn't know

6. Eat well at a local restaurant

Want to experience local food culture? There are many restaurants in Douz and we can highly recommend a visit to the restaurant The Gateway to the Sahara, in the centre of town. The waiter offered us a complete meal from starters to chicken and dessert, and we accepted.

The meal started with bread, tomato paste and spicy harissa. This was followed by lentil soup and brik (deep-fried parcel with filling) before the main course of couscous, salad, chicken and vegetable steaks.

Everything ended with a traditional sweet made from dates. If we have any complaints, it's that the portions were a bit too big, but everything felt genuine and was very, very good!

7. Experience entertainment at a desert camp

One of the things to do in Douz as a tourist includes evening entertainment at a desert camp. We went one evening to the camp Unusual Dunes, where tea was served, followed by entertainment and dinner. A fire was lit, and around it there was music and dancing. Most entertaining was watching the skilful riders performing tricks in the saddle.

Dinner was served in a cosy desert tent. The first plate - after harissa, olives and bread - included a large portion of rice, salad, steak and Tunisian tagine (a kind of potato and egg cake).

I made the mistake of thinking that this was the whole meal and ate my fill ... Soon afterwards came the main course: Root vegetables and tender meat. Well, everything was very good!

8. Spana in Musée du Sahara

In the centre of Douz you will find a museum called Sahara Museum. We never had time to visit this, but at the small museum you should be able to check out exhibits on nomadic life, traditional clothing and survival in the desert.

9. Take part in the Douz International Sahara Festival

One thing you can do in Douz, if you visit the city at the end of December, is to experience Douz International Sahara Festival. The festival has its origins in a local dromedary event organised among nomadic groups for a long time. Since the 1960s, it has developed into an international event, involving other countries from North Africa and the Middle East.

During the festival, you can expect primarily races and competitions with dromedaries, but also other activities such as horse shows, traditional music and other nomadic activities.

10. Take an excursion to Chott el Djerid

From Douz it is not far to the salt lake Chott el Djerid. This lake has a surface below sea level, but usually only the lowest parts of the lake are covered by water, making the landscape largely look like some kind of salt desert.

Many people stop to take photos of the spectacular scenery, and for Star Wars fans, it's also interesting to know that some scenes depicting the fictional planet Tatooine were filmed here.

More to do in Douz

There is, of course, even more to do in Douz, beyond our tips. Here are some more suggestions.

• Photography can be delicious in the glorious desert environments, not least at dawn and dusk.
• Jeep excursions There are different ones, which take you to places like rock formations and old caravan routes.
• Ksar Ghilane is an oasis in the desert with a hot spring, where you can make an excursion.

Where to stay in Douz?

There are many different accommodation options in and around Douz. We've checked out four of them, in completely different price ranges.

Luxury: The Residence Douz

If you want to live in luxury The Residence Douz definitely an option for you. We didn't stay here, but we had a coffee in the lovely lobby and got a tour of the area by golf cart. Here you can stay in large luxurious villas, with lovely bathrooms and access to a nice pool. The most luxurious villas also have a private pool.

Middle class: Sun Palm Douz

We stayed at Sun Palm Douz, which is a large, but slightly simpler hotel. Here too there is a really nice pool. The rooms are clean and fresh, if a little worn and with small windows.

At breakfast and dinner they serve a buffet, which is relatively large but not very exciting. However, we found some things that tasted really good, including freshly baked bread and tender meat.

Budget: Hotel 20 March

If you want to stay in a budget hotel (but really central!) Hotel 20 March an alternative. The hotel is located right next to the souk (market) and has a cosy courtyard. There are both en-suite rooms and rooms with toilets and showers in the corridor, depending on what you want to pay.

Camping: Camping Desert Club

Last but not least, you can choose to camp in Douz. If you come with your own campervan, or with a tent, you can stay at Camping Desert Club. This campsite is very nice and in a great location, with a two minute walk to the souk.

More to see and do in Tunisia

Want to discover more of Tunisia? Here you will find more tips and reports:

• Tozeur
• Star Wars sites in Tunisia
• Hammamet
• Sousse
• Djerba

Videos from our visit to Douz

Peter has edited two short films, on YouTube channels @freedomtravel_se, from our visit to Douz – one from the dromedary ride and one from the quad bike ride. Speed and fan! Note that Peter likes to play with AI so there are some AI moments in the videos.

Have you visited Douz?

Have you visited the gateway to the Sahara? How was your experience? Do you have any other tips on what to see and do in Douz?