Day 1 - Nouakchott
Arrive in Nouakchott and transfer to your hotel. Depending on when you arrive there may be time to explore the city. Overnight Hotel Azalai or similar.
Days 2-3 - Banc D'Arguin National Park
Our adventure starts as we leave the city behind and head to the world renowned Banc d’Arguin National Park. Banc d’Arguin is home to a huge variety of birdlife and we spend time exploring on land and sailing between the sand banks. Overnight in tented camp. (BLD))
Days 4-5 - Desert crossing – Akjoujt - Chinguetti
Head to Chinguetti, one of Islam’s holiest cities and a real gem of Mauritania. With its collection of historic buildings this is one of the Sahara’s most interesting towns, with a sense of history that is almost tangible. Accompanied by an expert guide we drive through a remote part of the desert, where we hope to encounter local nomads and see the traces of prehistoric man such as ancient pottery. We arrive in Chinguetti on Day 5. One night hotel, one night local guesthouse. (BLD)
Day 6 - Chinguetti
Explore the desert town of Chinguetti, once an important stop on the old Saharan camel caravans. We visit some of the old manuscript collections and climb the nearby dunes to eatch sunset over the town. Overnight La Gueila Guesthouse or similar. (BLD)
Day 7 - Ouadane
Founded in the 12th century Ouadane is a fascinating collection of old houses and mosques and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have plenty of time to explore the historic quarter and meet the people who still live here. Overnight local guesthouse. (BLD)
Day 6 - Belo sur Tsiribihina - Bekopaka
We make our way towards Belo encountering our first baobabs along the way. At Belo we leave our boat behind and travel by 4wd to Bekopaka. Our route today takes us across the Manambolo Rivers, which we cross by local ferry. Overnight Hotel Olympe du Bemaraha or similar. (BL)
Day - 8 - Guelb er Richat
Drive to the Guelb er Richat, an interesting crater like structure also known as the ‘eye of the Sahara’ and 40km wide. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 9 - Trig Chauail – El Ghallaouiya
Continue to the canyon of Trig Chauail. This site is rich in rock art, with hundreds of different examples displaying wildlife, hunters and chariots. We then head to the abandoned fort of Al Ghallauoiya, built by the French camel corps, where we camp for the night. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 10-12 - Erg Ouarane
We enter the immense sand sea of Erg Ouarane, eight hundred kilometres of sand dunes and one of the least known parts of the Sahara. Navigating by GPS, we forge a way through the sands, stopping to meet any nomads that we may encounter on the way. This is a spectacular but tough journey, and the thrill of it is very much in the knowing that very few have trodden this path before. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 13-14 - Aoukar - Oulata
Drive into the mountains of Aoukar, a difficult but spectacular journey. Once the shore of an ancient lake, long swallowed by the desert, it’s possible to find the remains of prehistoric villages dotted amidst the rocks and sand. We emerge from here at the oasis of Oulata. Overnight camping and local guesthouse. (BLD)
Day 15 - Oualata
A full day dedicated to exploring the small town of Oualata, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is known for its beautifully painted adobe houses, which merge the Berber art forms with those of sub-Saharan Africa, and also houses some ancient manuscripts in a small museum. Overnight local guesthouse. (BLD)
Days 16-18 - Aoudaghost
Drive south to the remains of Aoudaghost, believed to be the northernmost town of the ancient empire of Ghana, dating back to the 6th century. Our journey takes us through dunes, scattered acacia forests and past nomadic encampments. We’ll also discover the remains of a barely known site, Togba. At Aoudaghost we explore the site with its ancient clay granaries tucked away in caves. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 19 - Kiffa
Head to the small town of Kiffa, known for its traditional glass bead production, which we hope to see in process while here. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 20-22 - Nouakchott
A long drive from southern Mauritania back to the capital Nouakchott, arriving in the evening of Day 22. Here our adventure ends, and after a chance to shower off the desert dust, transfer to the airport for your flight home. Overnight camping (Day 20) and simple hotel (Day 21). (BLD)
Please note that we sell this trip in conjunction with our local partner and therefore you should expect people of different nationalities and a maximum group size of 16 on this tour.
The 2024 itinerary will be 21 days in duration and follow a slightly different itinerary. Please contact us for details.
What's included:
Airport transfers - We include arrival and departure transfers regardless of whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you. If you're booking them yourself, then please let us know the details so that we can arrange the transfers. Please note though that if you arrive earlier than Day 1 of the tour, and leave after the final day, we may need to make an additional charge for an airport transfer.
Accommodation - Accommodation as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we'll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you're used to elsewher
Guides - In most cases you will be accompanied by one guide from start to finish. However for very small groups, rather than having one guide with you throughout the trip you would have the services of different guides in different destinations.
Meals - As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). These will vary from trip to trip - in some areas it makes sense to include all meals while in others there is a good choice of restaurants and we feel people might like to 'do their own thing' now and again.
Entrance fees - Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you'd like to see, these would be at your own expense.
Domestic flights - One domestic flight is included within this trip.
What's not included:
Visas - We don't arrange visas for our travellers, but if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you. If you need any advice with visas then let us know.
Airport taxes - If there are any departure taxes to pay that are not included within the cost of your ticket, you'll need to pay these yourself.
International flights - Many of our travellers arrive from different destinations and so we don't include international flights in the cost of our tours. If however you would like us to book flights for you, then just let us know and we'll be happy to discuss your options.
Travel Insurance - If you need any assistance with this, then let us know - although we can't arrange it ourselves we can point you in the direction of a reputable provider that can assist.
