Firstly, safe and secure Mauritania is nearby – there's even a short direct flight from Las Palmas! Secondly, the country is a very special blend of the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa, where the traveller encounters numerous ancient caravan towns, a vastly hospitable population and travels on the world's longest train on an iron ore load in the heart of the Sahara. During this long tour, you will explore Mauritania in greater depth and see rarely visited sites such as the majestic Ben Amera and the Banc d'Arguin National Park, and spend some nights in the desert under a starry sky – an unforgettable experience! In safety, with your own guide.
It is also possible to start this tour from the Moroccan border, from Nouadhibou or from the Senegalese border.
Read also about our shorter tour of Mauritania!
Day 1
Arrival in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Pick-up from the airport and accommodation at the 3-star Hotel Flora in Nouakchott.
Day 2
After breakfast, we start the long drive towards the Sahara Desert. After about five hours we arrive at the oasis of Terjit, a lush oasis surrounded by majestic mountains. At the oasis, you can take a dip in a cool spring. We stay overnight in traditional Mauritanian tents.
The total daily driving time is about 420 kilometres, or about 5 hours.
Day 3
After breakfast, we continue deeper into the Sahara. We drive through the small village of Mheirith, known for its unique rock formations, to Chinguetti, a medieval caravan town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is known for its ancient libraries and stunning architecture. We stay overnight at Auberge Caravane du désert in Chinguetti.
Day 4
We continue our exploration of Chinguetti in the morning, then drive to the town of Ouadane, also a UNESCO World Heritage-listed medieval caravan town. We explore the city's magnificent architecture, then drive a short distance east of the city to a remarkable geological formation known as the Richat Structure or "Eye of the Sahara". The massive formation, which resembles an eye, is about 45 kilometres wide in diameter. In the evening we return to Ouadane, where we stay overnight at Auberge Zaida.
Day 5
After breakfast, the journey continues. We drive to the Amogjar Pass, where we see magnificent lava formations and 6,000-year-old rock art. Next, we arrive in Atar, the major centre of the region. We will visit the town's market, where it is possible to buy local handicrafts, for example. Overnight at Hotel du Nord in Atar.
Day 6
Today, we travel some 300 kilometres to the mining town of Zouérat, north of Atar. After lunch, we board an iron ore train. The train is the longest and heaviest in the world and carries Mauritania's main export, iron ore, from the outskirts of Zouérat. A train ride on top of a load of iron ore is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, quite a dirty one, but certainly a memorable one. We travel in our own carriage across the Sahara for about five hours to the small town of Choum. Bring your ski goggles from home in case of ore dust!
Overnight in Choum at a local guest house.
NOTE: It is possible to skip the iron ore train trip and replace it with another programme.
Day 7
Today we drive across the desert to a monolith called Ben Amera. Ben Amera is the second largest of its kind in the world, just behind Australia's Uluru. We will enjoy lunch and dinner at our desert camp at the foot of Ben Amera. Accommodation at the desert camp.
Day 8
After breakfast, we set off on a long journey across the Sahara. We drive all the way to the Atlantic coast to the village of Iwik and the Banc d'Arguin National Park. Characterised by shallow beaches, the national park is an important wintering and nesting area for birds, and at least flamingos and pelicans can be seen in the area. Banc d'Arguin is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Accommodation in a guesthouse in Iwik.
Day 9
The desert adventure continues today as we continue southwards, eventually arriving at a place called Tiwilit. The area is known for its beautiful coastline. We will stay in a desert camp.
Day 10
Today we drive back to Nouakchott and explore Mauritania's young capital, which was still a sleepy fishing village in the 1950s. Today it is home to around a million Mauritanians – at the crossroads of the Sahara and the Atlantic! We will visit the fish market on the Atlantic coast, the camel market and the Mauritanian National Museum. Lunch and dinner. Accommodation at Hotel Flora in Nouakchott.
Day 11
Depending on the departure time of your flight, you may have some free time today to explore Nouakchott on your own. Transfer to the airport.
The price of the trip includes:
Not included in the price: