Desert Train & Chinguetti

8-Day Desert Train & Chinguetti Tour (Arrival via Nouakchott)

Embark on an unforgettable train journey along the Sahara’s only railway line, which has been in operation since 1963, heading toward the world’s largest iron ore mine: Zouerate. As the locomotive pulls away, we make our way toward the Ben Amira monolith to experience a Saharan camp at the foot of this geological formation. Finally, we pass through Chinguetti, the must-see oasis nestled in the heart of the Adrar sands. Book your ticket now to enjoy this unique experience.

YOUR TRAVELS  

J 1  Paris - Nouakchott - Azougui

Flight from Paris to Nouakchott. Arrival in the middle of the night around 1:45 a.m. Meet and greet by our local team and transfer to the hotel, a 30-minute drive from downtown.

In the morning, after breakfast, transfer by 4x4 to the Azougui oasis, a 6-hour drive, passing through the city of Atar, capital of the Adrar region.

Azougui: former stronghold of the Almoravid Berber tribes who ruled there from the 11th to the 12th century. Today, few traces of this civilization remain. Azougui is now best known for its palm grove, stretching some fifteen kilometers along the Wad Tayarit.

Check-in and overnight stay at the inn.

J 2  From Choum to Zouerate aboard the Desert Train

Our tour begins with an early morning transfer to the picturesque Choum train station to board the “Desert Train.” We explore this train, which was designed specifically for travelers like us.

The train is pulled by a locomotive followed by two passenger cars: a two-story car resembling a Mauritanian tea room, followed by a second sleeper car equipped with several comfortable cabins. Completely self-sufficient, this same diesel locomotive once pulled the famous “ore train.”

Our rail journey follows part of the route of the world’s largest train, the ore train that transports thousands of tons of iron ore daily from Zouerate to Nouadhibou.

We’re headed to Zouerate, a mining town built at the foot of the Iron Mountain, home to the world’s largest iron ore mine.

Boarding and lunch on board. The Mauritanian Saharan landscapes roll by before our eyes (4 to 5-hour journey). Perhaps we’ll come across the famous ore train?!

In the late afternoon, arrival in Zouerate. Check-in, dinner, and overnight stay at the hotel.

J 3  On the way to Ben Amira

We explore the impressive open-pit mine at Zouerate. In awe, we watch as the ore cars are loaded with thousands of tons of iron, while a mine representative gives us a tour of the active site. We come to understand just how important this resource is to the Mauritanian economy. For lunch, we head out of town for a picnic in the dunes, in the shade of the acacia trees, before visiting the Zouerate Museum.

The museum consists of three rooms: the first dedicated to prehistory, the second to contemporary Mauritanian documents and artifacts, and the third dedicated to the mine.

We then head to the outskirts of the mine and stroll through the traditional market. We come across women working with stone.

In the late afternoon, we board the train again, which carries us at the pace of its locomotive to the Ben Amira site.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

J 4  From Ben Amira to Ben Aïcha

That night on the rails took us to the Ben Amira monolith. Before reaching this imposing mass of black granite, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast aboard our sleeper train. With our stomachs full, we were transferred to the foot of Ben Amira, the third-largest monolith in the world after Ayers Rock and Mount Augustus in Australia.

From there, we began a leisurely walk toward its little sister, Ben Aïcha (about 1 hour and 30 minutes for 5 km).

Legend has it that they were once a single block and that, upon their “divorce,” the man, Ben Amira, left with the two children (represented by the two small stone blocks at the foot of Ben Amira). Aïcha, upon the separation, is said to have taken her servant with her.

Numerous rock paintings depict this story, and to mark the arrival of the new millennium, a symposium of some twenty artists of various nationalities visited the region to “express themselves” through this legend. Using peace as their main theme, they had thirty-five days to complete their works. Today, these works are still there and form a veritable open-air museum: from the mask created by the Italian artist to the woman’s face hidden inside a rock, dozens of original sculptures await you...

Picnic lunch on site and a walk toward the camp where we will spend the night. It is in this stunning setting, facing the Ben Amira monolith, that our Saharan khaïma (traditional Mauritanian tent) stands, under which we will spend the evening and the night.

J 5  Around Ben Amira

After breakfast, we set off on foot (about 1 hour and 30 minutes) or by 4x4 toward the village of Ben Amira. We’ll meet some villagers and take advantage of this friendly moment to share a cup of tea. Lunch on board the train.

In the afternoon, there’s an option to take a walk through the Ben Amira dunes to explore the area and discover new views of the monolith.

Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.

J 6  From Ben Amira to Chinguetti: Crossing the Adrar Plateaus

Back on our Saharan train, heading for Choum. The morning drags on as landscapes of dune ridges and black sandstone rocks roll by outside our windows. Once we arrive at our destination, we leave the train and its crew behind and board a 4x4 to head for what is known as “the Sorbonne of the Desert,” Chinguetti, nestled in the Erg Ouarane. Once again, the journey allows us to contemplate the vastness of the desert before crossing the impressive Amogjar Pass, which winds along an imposing sandstone canyon.

At the end of the day, we reach Chinguetti and head to our inn, where we will spend the evening and the night.

J 7  To Chinguetti

Visiting Chinguetti is like stepping onto another planet made of a thousand grains of sand... As you arrive in this small town with its dry-stone houses and see the surrounding sand dunes, you wonder how these 11th-century buildings have managed to withstand desertification without being swallowed up by the sand! We discover an authentic village: the sound of children, the smell of goats, and the dry desert wind seeping in through the bottom of the doors.

It’s no wonder Chinguetti is nicknamed “the Sorbonne of the desert”! Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, this holy city (the 7th in Islam), dedicated to the study of Islam, is home to five ancient libraries that together house nearly 7,000 books and works of inestimable rarity. We set out to explore these temples of knowledge, hoping to meet the person responsible for protecting these treasures. With his help, we’ll learn about the history of Chinguetti’s libraries and why this heritage is now under threat.

We leave Chinguetti behind and head to Atar by 4x4, stopping for a picnic in the canyon.

Arrival in the afternoon, visit to the Atar Museum and the market.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

J 8  Chinguetti - Nouakchott

Early morning transfer to Nouakchott. Picnic near Nouakchott. Visit to the beach and the fish market. Rest at the inn, dinner, and transfer to the airport at midnight.

J 9 Departure at 2:45 a.m.

 Fiche Technique de Train du Désert

                          Departure dates and prices (Flights: Paris, Nouakchott, Paris)