Planning · 6 min read
We ride every day of the year, but the experience in January and the experience in July are not the same activity. Here is what each month actually feels like on the dunes at Erg Chebbi.
Daytime highs of roughly 18–28 °C, cold nights, clean light and the most reliable conditions. Any hour of the day is rideable, and full-day routes make sense.
December and January mornings drop to 2–8 °C. Bring a jacket, a scarf and gloves; we carry spare gloves.
Highs of 32–38 °C. Ride at sunrise or in the last two hours of daylight and it is excellent; ride at noon and it is a mistake. Prices and crowds are both lower than in spring.
Highs regularly above 42 °C and occasionally over 48 °C. We only run sunrise and late-evening departures in these months, and we shorten routes when the wind adds heat rather than relief.
It is still worth coming: the dunes are almost empty, the nights are extraordinary and a sunrise ride in July is genuinely comfortable.
Late February through April is the windiest stretch, when the chergui can blow sand for a day or two at a time. It rarely cancels a ride; it changes the route to the sheltered side of the erg and puts goggles on everyone.
If visibility genuinely drops, we move your ride to another slot at no charge. We never take a group out in a storm.
Sunrise and the two hours before sunset. The sand is firmer, the light is worth photographing and the temperature is on your side in every season.
Frequently asked questions
October, March and April combine comfortable temperatures with reliable weather. October is the quietest of the three.
At midday, yes. At sunrise and after 18:00 it is pleasant, and those are the only slots we run in July and August.
Rarely, and mostly in autumn. After heavy rain the seasonal lake Dayet Srji fills and flamingos arrive.
Yes. We run tours every day of the year, with departure times adjusted around the fast.
Send us your date and group size on WhatsApp. We usually reply within a few minutes.
