Mauritania – the Land of Poets

Overview

Start: Nouakchott, Mauritania

Finish: Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Duration: 13 Days

A 13-day trip into the rarely visited Saharan nation, Mauritania.

On the adventure we begin in the capital Nouakchott, then venture into its dramatic desert interior, crossing enormous dunes, passing other worldly rock formations and stopping at oasis towns along the way.

We have chance to swim in natural oasis pools, ride camels, spend time with the nomadic communities who call this harsh environment home and camp under the starlit Saharan sky.

We also cross high mountain passes to reach the “Eye of Africa” rock formations, which can be seen from space, take in ancient rock art sites and stop at a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Ouadane – one of the most important pilgrimage and religious centres of the region.

Towards the end of the trip we have chance to ride the famous “Iron Ore Train” through the desert, then finish the tour with a brief stop on the Atlantic coast at Nouadhibou and ending back in Nouakchott.

Highlights:

Visit the “Eye of Africa”
Ride the “Iron Ore Train” (optional)
Authentic Saharan experience
Visit the oasis town of Ouadane, plus many more

Route

Itinerary

Arrive in Nouakchott in the morning and transfer to hotel.
After a briefing, enjoy a walking city tour with your guide.

Overnight in Nouakchott.

After breakfast we begin our journey east into the Adrar region. Our first stop is the oasis town of Terjit where we can explore streams and go swimming in the natural pools.

After lunch we continue to the regional capital Atar where we visit the
local market.

Overnight in Atar.

This morning we will take a trip to some sand dunes and to the village of Azougui. Then we will go off road into the Jraif region.

Overnight in Jraif.

We continue our journey across the northern edge of the Adrar towards El Beyyed, crossing the salt flats of Sebkha Chemchane on the way.

Once in El Beyyed we will visit a small pre-historic museum as well as the local well, the center of all nomadic life in the region.

Overnight in El Beyyed.

Today we visit the French colonial forts of Bir Ziri and El Ghallaouiya.

Near El Ghallaouiya we will also find pre historic drawings and tombs from pre-Islamic eras.

Overnight in El Ghallaouiya.

An early start as we explore the mountain pass of Trig Chouail.

We then continue through soft sand roads and difficult terrain to Guilb er Richat. This will be a long days drive.

Overnight at Guilb er Richat

A morning exploring the “Eye of the Sahara”.

Just south of the Guilb er Richat, we will find the ruins of Agouedir, a 15th century Portuguese fort .

Then we continue the drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ouadane.

Overnight in Ouadane.

Ouadane, which means Two Valleys, was once an important part of the trans-Saharan trade route. It was also the starting point of pilgrimage and religious center of the region.

We will walk through the ruins of the old town built along the hills.

We then continue our drive through the sands towards the oasis of Tanouchert before arriving in Chinguetti, another World Heritage Site.

Overnight in Chinguetti.

We spend the morning exploring the old town of Chinguetti, visiting its mosque and minaret.
The city also has 12 libraries – the vast majority of the books have not been copied or digitised.

After lunch we take a camel tour to explore the outskirts of Chinguetti and visit Entkemkemt oasis.

Overnight in Chinguetti.

Today we drive to Mhaireth, a diverse oasis of sand dunes, lakes and rocks.

En-route we stop for some rock paintings at Agrour and at Fort Saganne, built in the early 1980s.

Overnight in Mhaireth.

After breakfast it is time to leave the north and head to Ben Amira, the largest monolith in Africa and second largest worldwide.

We then drive to Choum, where we will await our final adventure of the tour.
Here we will board the Iron Ore Train to Nouadhibou.

Optional – For those not taking the train – you will stay overnight in Choum.

The train will arrive in the port city of Nouadhibou sometime in the morning. After some breakfast, a shower and if possible, a visit to the local fishing port, you will be transferred to Nouakchott for a final night.
Overnight in Nouakchott.

Optional – For those not taking the train you will be transferred from Choum to Nouakchott on this day.
Overnight in Nouakchott.

Transfer to airport.
End of trip.

Accommodation
Breakfast
Airport transfers
All ground transport
Guiding
Camping equipment
Meals when camping
Drinking water
Visa support

Iron Ore Train supplement
International flights
Insurance
Lunch and dinner (unless specified)
Visa cost
Tips

Dates & Prices

Package Confirmed Dates

Trip Status Current Status

Tour Price in USD

Booking

23rd Mar

4th Apr, 2026

Available

$ 2500

Book

Information

On this trip we will spend time in hotels and auberges in the cities and towns, along with a number of days camping in the desert.
We do not and cannot offer a uniform accommodation standard on our itineraries. We consider comfort, location, design, character, historical interest and whether the money we spend will go into the pockets of the local community when we make our choices of where to stay.
The accommodation in hotels will be based on you sharing a twin room when staying in hotels.

We do not directly arrange international flights to Mauritania. We can suggest routes and operators.

We do not arrange Mauritanian visas directly. We will provide visa support.
Most nationalities need to apply for an e-Visa prior to travelling.

All meals are included outside of Nouakchott.

This adventure is a road-trip. When we choose our vehicles and drivers we take into consideration the road conditions, the length of journey and the competence of the man behind the wheel. Your comfort and enjoyment of the journey is the first priority.

On this trip you will be accompanied by an experienced English-speaking local guide for the full length of the trip.

The deserts of Mauritania do have travel warnings from some governments. This is due to the unrest in Mali. While we do not take this risk lightly, the routes and people are well known to our team. We must state that the tour leader has the final word with regards to changes in the itinerary for safety reasons. Whilst the route we have chosen passes through areas that we consider to be stable things can change and we may have to alter the route or cancel sections of the trip at short notice.