Mauritania tours offer something increasingly rare: a Sahara that still feels like the Sahara, with no queues, no crowds, and often no other tourists in sight. Between the dunes of Azoueiga, the medieval libraries of Chinguetti, and the flamingo lagoons of Banc d’Arguin, this is a country best explored with someone who knows exactly where to go and when. Whatever length of trip you’re planning, our Mauritania tours are built around a private guide, a comfortable 4×4, and an itinerary shaped to what you actually want to see.
Why choose Mauritania tours over other Sahara destinations
Most Sahara routes in North Africa are well travelled. Mauritania is not. Its tours pass through UNESCO World Heritage cities, past a geological formation visible from space, and along an Atlantic coastline still used by traditional fishing communities. A local guide who also drives means fewer logistics to manage and more time actually looking at what’s in front of you.
What sets our Mauritania tours apart
- Chinguetti and Ouadane – UNESCO-listed caravan towns with centuries-old manuscript libraries, still standing at the edge of the dunes. Family-run collections here hold Qur’anic texts, astronomy manuscripts and legal documents dating back centuries.
- The Iron Ore Train – Ride the longest train in the world across open desert, with no light pollution and a full view of the night sky. Most Mauritania tours that include the train board at Choum in the evening for an overnight journey to Nouadhibou.
- Richat Structure – Known as the Eye of Africa, this 40km-wide geological formation is best seen from the ground on a 4×4 approach through the surrounding dunes, since its true scale only becomes clear from aerial or satellite views.
- Banc d’Arguin National Park – A UNESCO-listed wetland where migratory flamingos and pelicans gather along the Atlantic coast, and where Imraguen fishermen still work using traditional methods passed down through generations.
- Terjit Oasis – A palm-lined spring in the Adrar region, a welcome break from the desert heat and a common overnight stop on multi-day Mauritania tours.
Choosing the right Mauritania tour for you
Our Mauritania tours run from a single day in Nouakchott to a full 8-day expedition covering desert, coast and UNESCO cities. Each itinerary includes a private guide who also drives, an air-conditioned 4×4, and entrance fees to the sites visited, so there are no surprises once you arrive.
- Short on time? The Nouakchott Private Tour covers the capital’s markets, mosques and coastline in a single day, and is a good introduction if you’re arriving or departing through Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport.
- Want the Sahara proper? The Adrar Tour takes you through Chinguetti, Ouadane, the Richat Structure and Terjit Oasis over four days, and is our most popular multi-day route.
- Have a week or more? The Mauritania Expedition combines desert, cities and coast over seven days, including time at Banc d’Arguin.
- Want it all, including the train? Our 8-day Iron Ore Train, Sahara Desert & UNESCO Sites tour adds the overnight train journey to the full circuit.
When to go
The best months for Mauritania tours are November through February, when daytime desert temperatures are manageable and overnight camping is comfortable. March and October are workable with earlier starts and more shade breaks built in. We generally avoid scheduling multi-day desert tours between June and August, when midday heat makes extended time outdoors uncomfortable.
What to expect day to day
A typical multi-day Mauritania tour combines driving time across open desert with stops at markets, historic sites and oases. Meals are a mix of traditional Mauritanian dishes, such as thieboudienne and grilled lamb, and simpler packed lunches on longer driving days. Accommodation ranges from small guesthouses in towns like Chinguetti and Atar to desert camping under open sky, depending on the itinerary chosen.
Planning ahead
Most visitors need an e-visa before arrival. See our e-visa guide for current requirements and processing times.
Ready to plan your Mauritania tour? Message us on WhatsApp or view all tours to get started.
Happy Travellers
I was very pleased with the services provided by Mohamed. He is clearly very knowledgeable of Nouakchott and his country, and went the extra length to ensure that the trip ran as smoothly as possible. Made some great recomemndations for lunch, and was friendly and courteous throughout. I really appreciated him going out of his way to help locate my lost luggage, and it really shows that he is not only a great tour guide, but a wonderful human being as well. I have no hesitation to recommend him with the highest possible accolades and he will no doubt be a great addition to any prospective traveler’s visit to Mauritania.
I enjoyed my day in Nouakchott with Mohamed. He is a really good tour guide with lots of knowledge and patience to talk about the city and his country. I enjoyed getting to know the different parts of the city where by myself I would not have known by myself. His English is excellent and therefore can explain and talk in very good detail. He made the tour great with his professionalism and personality. I enjoyed the most the sea and camel market where it is a great opportunity to understand local markets and see the beauty of the ocean. I definitely recommend for future travellers to have Mohamed as a tour guide.
Excellent tour to discover the capital and its most emblematic places, we loved seeing the camel and fish market on the beach, and Mohammed is very nice, punctual and reliable! Highly recommend this tour of Nouakchott!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed discovering Nouakchott and its markets. It was a pleasure showing you around!
I recommend Mohammed 100%. He is a great guide and with lots of experience. He shows you a bit of everything, at your own pace. We had a great day in the capital and we leave with awesome pictures and memories.
Thank you very much for looking after me on the tour.
Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better guide and driver. The driver Omar was safe, courteous, and responsive, eg slowing down when I wanted to take a picture. The guide, Mohamed was very competent. Besides the tour, this is perhaps best demonstrated when my return flight was cancelled and then reinstated. First, he helped me get a hotel at late notice, then when the flight was changed again, he immediately called me and helped me get to the airport and get through security efficiently. This competence, local knowledge and thoughtfulness would simply not be available to the independent traveller or someone without Mohamed’s experience.