TOUR OVERVIEW
This heart-pounding Saharan adventure begins in Nouakchott, which is likely the sandiest capital city you'll ever see! We'll hit the ground running and head out of the city to the lush and peaceful oasis of Tergit, where we'll have the opportunity to swim and camp in traditional tents. During our desert drives, you'll see incredible rock formations and huge monoliths. We'll then head to the ancient library city of Chinguetti, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. We'll wander through the mostly abandoned mud-brick buildings, and see firsthand some of the important manuscripts and old tools used by the Mauritanians that once lived here. At night, we'll hear some lively traditional music and maybe even have a dance party!
Of course, the highlight for most people will be riding the massive iron ore train. You can feel the rush of wind while you brave the dust as you lay on top of the iron ore under the stars of the Sahara. Alternatively, get to know some locals and ride in the more comfortable passenger car - the choice is yours!
After a much needed shower and some rest, we'll explore Nouadhibou before heading back down to Nouakchott. Back in the capital, we'll get an in-depth look at the city. We'll look for bargains at the bustling central market, see the famous colourfully painted boats at the always busy Port Du Pêche fish market, and try our luck haggling for a camel at Africa's second-largest camel market. Those of us continuing on to Algeria will say our goodbyes after one final group dinner, and head to the airport for the night flight to Algiers.
View the full itinerary
If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please
get in touch
and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.
This tour is also part of
The Extreme North Africa Tour
, if you're interested in seeing more of the region while you're there. If you'd like to do a bit more, but don't have time for the whole Extreme North Africa Tour, Libya can also be done in conjunction with Tunisia and Algeria in the
Mauritania and Algeria Winter Combo Tour
.