Discover the ancient cities, beautiful oases, the charming desert in Mauritania and other natural and special places
Discover new cultures and enjoy a unique and magic experience
Do not hesitate, participate in this program and enjoy your lifetime trip
26 days/ 25 nights - Full Pension
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Nouakchott
Airport pickup and transfer to Hotel.
Day 2: Nouakchott - Touilit - Nouamghar - Timirist
We will leave Nouakchott going up the coast, passing the “Great Dune”. Depending on the time of day, we may have to wait for the tide to go out in order to drive past this stretch to reach the fishing town of Touilit, with its colorful canoes at the edge of the sea. Following a stop in Touilit, we will move on to Nouamghar and finally Timirist, at the entrance of Banc d’Arguin National Park. Lodging in haimas.
Day 3: Banc d'Arguin - Louik
Banc d’Arguin is one of the most important natural parks in the world for migratory birds. The park stretches along approximately 200 kilometers of coastline and includes several islands. We will visit the park and sail with the Imragen, a Black community of fishermen, in their rudimentary sailboats. Depending on the time of year, we will see how they fish aided by dolphins. We will also observe the different flocks of birds that populate these islands. Lodging at a guesthouse in Louik.
Day 4: Louik - Nouadhibou
From Louik, we go up into the desert at Nouadhibou, the second largest city in Mauritania, dedicated primarily to fishing and mining commerce. We will visit Cap Blanc, an extension of the Banc d’Arguin Park, where monk seals which are in danger of extinction, can be seen. Accommodations at a hotel.
Day 5: Nouadhibou - Choum
We leave Nouuadhiibou for Choum venturing onto the “Train of the Desert,” the longest (over 2 kilometers), heaviest train in the world. It carries iron and minerals from Zouerate to the port at Nouadhibou. In Choum, we will admire the white clay decorations on the houses painted by the women with their fingers. Lodging in haimas.
Day 6: Choum - Terjit
From Choum, we will move on along a lovely track to Terjit, at the foot of the Mauritanidas mountain range, where an oasis with thermal springs and marvelous pools awaits us for bathing. Lodging at a guesthouse with haimas.
Day 7: Terjit - Azougui - Atar - Chinguetti
Leaving Terjit, first we will visit Azougui, the ancient capital of the Almoravids who trekked to Spain in the eleventh century. This is now a sacred site housing the tomb of Imam El-Hadrami. In the afternoon, we will go via Atar to Chinguetti, the seventh holy city of Islam, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Lodging at a guesthouse.
Day 8: Chinguetti - Ouadane
From Chinguetti, our journey will take us across 120 km of fesh-fesh, the true sand dune desert with no tracks, where we will experience the isolation of the lost cities of the desert. Once we arrive in Ouadane, we will visit the museum that displays the surprisingly glorious past of this country. Lodging at a guesthouse with haimas.
Day 9: Ouadane - Tinigui
In the morning we will ride on camels and then we will leave for Tinigui where a family of marabouts lives next to an “enchanted” well. The marabouts are dedicated to curing the possessed and the ill with their effective techniques. Lodging at a guesthouse with haimas.
Day 10: Tinigui - Amogjar - Atar
Leaving Tinigui, we reach Amogjar. In the Amogjar canyon, we will see prehistoric paintings from the time when there were elephants, giraffes and other animals now extinct in this area. Afterwards, we will head for Atar, the current capital of the Adrar region, which is home to the largest, most colorful market in the region with its exotic products, typical to Saharan trade. Lodging at a guesthouse.
Day 11: Atar - Tagant desert
After preparing for the next few days’ journey, we will leave for the Tagant Desert. Lodging in a haima.
Day 12: Tagant desert
We will cross the desert and mountains, dunes and plains experiencing the total silence of the desert. Lodging in a haima.
Day 13: Tagant desert - Tidjikja
Following the unforgettable desert crossing, we reach Tidjika, a city founded in 1680 by the Moorish tribe “Idawali”. Tidjikja has a special architectural style, its buildings adorned with geometric paintings and gargoyles. In Tidjikja we will also take a ride around the largest palm grove in Mauritania. Lodging at a guesthouse.
Day 14: Tidjikja - Lekhcheb
Leaving Tidjikja, on the way to Tichit, we take a practically invisible track to Lekhcheb, village built around wells. Lodging in haimas.
Day 15: Lekhcheb - Zig
The theme of these travel days being "from dune to dune and well to well", we make our way to Zig. Our visit will be a grand event for the guardian of its well as, he lives in great solitude and receives very few visitors. Lodging in haimas.
Day 16: Zig - Tichit
From Tidjikja, our journey will take us to Tichit, a city filled with history, where we will see well-preserved houses with the typical doors and decorations Tagant. The city is divided into two areas: in the north reside the Shurfas in their houses of green stone and in the south, reside the Masana in their red houses. Lodging in haimas.
Day 17: Tichit - Aratane - Tagouraret
In order to reach Oualata tomorrow, we will leave Tichit and travel along a series of mountains called Dhar Tichit and Dhar Oualata. Aratane and Tagouraret are small oases where water is not always available. Lodging in haimas.
Day 18: Tagouraret - Oualata
From Tagouraret we continue to Oualata, considered to be the most beautiful city in Mauritania because of the spectacular decorations on the houses in the old quarter. Besides having been an important center for caravans, it is still home to one of the most important Quranic schools in the Islamic world, which exclusively admits only twenty students. Lodging in haimas.
Day 19: Oualata
We will spend the day in this city to discover all of its charms and rest up from the rough desert roads. Lodging in haimas.
Day 20: Oualata - Nema - Ayoun - Kiffa
From Oualata, we will head for Nema, the beginning or the end of the “Road of Hope,” the name of the asphalted road from Nouakchott to Nema. From there, we will travel to Ayoun, the capital of the Hodh el-Gharbi region. In the afternoon, we end the day in Kiffa, the capital of the region of Assaba, where there is a lovely market, famous for its local handicrafts. Lodging at a hotel.
Day 21: Kiffa – Selibabi
From Kiffa, we will leave the “Road of Hope” behind to set off on the road to Selibabi, a city at the southern point of Mauritania, between Senegal and Mali, where the atmosphere is very different from what we will have seen up to now. Accommodations in haimas.
Day 22: Selibabi - Kaedi
From Selibabi, we will move on to Kaédi, a city on the banks of the Senegal River, where the Black African culture of the Sahel region predominates over that of the Moorish culture. This is especially evident in the allure of its marketplace. Lodging at a guesthouse.
Day 23: Kaedi
We will spend this day traveling by canoe. We will go down the Senegal River for several hours observing the lifestyle, very different from that of the desert, along the shores of this enormous river. Lodging at a guesthouse.
Day 24: Kaedi - Bogué - Rosso - Keur Massène
We leave Kaédi to set out on the trip back through Bogué and Rosso to later reach Keur Massène, a village in the hunting region. Lodging in haimas.
Day 25: Keur Massène - Diawling Park - Nouakchott
In the morning, we will visit Diawling Natural Park, take a swim in the Atlantic and return to Nouakchott. Lodging in a hotel.
Day 26: Nouakchott
In the morning we will visit the markets and the museum. After lunch there will be enough time for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean and a visit to the bustling fishing port. At night, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Included:
- Transfers airport-hotel-airport
- Accommodation
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner (not including alcoholic beverages)
- Transportation in a 4x4 cars
- English-/French-speaking accompanying guide
- Food
- Local assistance
Not included:
- Air ticket (check best offer)
- Visa for Mauritania
- Travel insurance
- Vaccination
- Tip
- Any other unspecified costs
For your comfort, we recommend to you to provide:
- Bags of beds
- Torches
- Shoes of trek
Documents:
- Passport with minimum six months’ validity
- Obligatory visa for Mauritania
- Travel insurance
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Mauritania
Senegal
Morocco
Ecotourism
Cultural Journey
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