Local desert guides · Foum Zguid
Our tours
Private 4x4 trips with a driver-guide, starting in Foum Zguid: a day on the Lake Iriki basin, or two or three days across it to the dunes of Erg Chigaga.
1 day
A full day by private 4x4 from Foum Zguid onto the wide, flat basin of Lake Iriki (Iriqui), inside Iriqui National Park, with a local driver-guide who knows the pistes.
Price on request
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2 days / 1 night
The classic short crossing from Foum Zguid: a day by private 4x4 across the Iriki basin, a night at a bivouac among the Erg Chigaga (Chegaga) dunes, and a second morning in the sand.
Price on request
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3 days / 2 nights
Three days, two nights and one whole day with nothing to do but be in the Erg Chigaga (Chegaga) dunes: the slower way into the desert from Foum Zguid, usually by way of the Lake Iriki basin.
Price on request
View this tourAsk us about these formats — we will tell you honestly what is possible for your dates.
All our tours start in Foum Zguid and head out onto the Lake Iriki basin. What changes is how far you go and how long you stay.
The Lake Iriki day trip is for travellers short on time, or anyone who wants to see the basin and Iriqui National Park before deciding on something longer. You leave in the morning, spend the day on the pistes and the open floor of the basin, and there is no overnight stay.
The two-day tour to Erg Chegaga is the classic crossing. The route runs across the Iriki basin to the dunes of Erg Chigaga, where you spend the late afternoon on the sand, the night in a bivouac and the early morning watching the light come back. If you want a single trip that captures both the lake and the dunes, this is the one we suggest first.
The three-day tour follows the same idea at a slower pace, with two nights in the desert. It suits people who want time to walk, to sit with the landscape rather than pass through it, or to recover from a long drive before the real journey begins.
If you are unsure, tell us how many days you have and what matters most to you. We will say which option fits.
Every tour is private. You travel by 4x4 with a driver-guide who knows the pistes, and the vehicle carries only your party, whether that is a couple, a family or a group of friends. There is no fixed timetable shared with strangers, so stops, photo breaks and the rhythm of the day can follow your interests within what the terrain and the light allow.
Your guide will also make the practical calls: which track to take if the basin is wet, when to stop because of heat or wind, where to stand for the sunset.
You will not find live availability or instant booking on this site. Desert trips depend on the season, the state of the tracks and the camps, and on your own plans, so we prefer to look at each request individually.
“On request” simply means: tell us what you would like, and we will check it and reply. That applies to dates, to an extra night, to a different finishing point, and to experiences that do not have their own page yet, such as longer circuits.
Anything that is not yet confirmed on the tour pages, from meals to bedding, is listed there as “confirmed in your written quote”. If something matters to you, such as a dietary need or travelling with children, mention it in your first message.
If you can spare the time, the two-day tour gives you the full arc: the crossing of the Iriki basin, an evening and a night in the dunes, and sunrise before you leave. If you only have one day, the Lake Iriki day trip still shows you the basin and the national park without an overnight stay.
Because the price depends on things we only know once you write to us: your dates, how many of you are travelling, where you want to finish and any changes to the itinerary. We would rather send you an accurate written quote than display a figure that does not apply to your trip.
Ask us. Where an overnight tour finishes is agreed when we prepare your quote, so mention your onward plans in your request.
Longer circuits and other desert experiences can be discussed on request. Describe what you have in mind and we will tell you honestly whether we can do it.