Season 1 · Leg 5
Let's Sleep in the Sahara and Visit a Star Wars Set
An unofficial travel guide inspired by The Amazing Race. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by the show, its network or its producers.
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The route map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate and show the on-the-ground route in southern Tunisia. Download the KML for Google My Maps / Google Earth
Why go here?
Because you get to stand where Anakin Skywalker grew up and then sleep in a tent in the dunes. Southern Tunisia is full of fortified granaries called ksour, Berber villages carved into hillsides, and the start of the Grand Erg Oriental, one of the great sand seas of the Sahara. This leg is the one your friends will actually want to see photos from.
Getting there: LA to Djerba
Djerba is the gateway to the south, and it's easier than it sounds. Kayak showed LAX to Djerba one-way for $516 (Kayak), and the cheapest Djerba to LAX fare I saw was $642 (Kiss&Fly). I checked SNA and LGB too, but every option ran through LAX.
Total cost for flights: about $1,158 per adult (fares seen Oct 2026; they change daily)
Where we're staying
One night in Djerba on each end of the desert trip. Palm Beach Club Djerba has family rooms and a kids' club, from about $109 a night (Trivago). The middle night is in the desert, which comes with the tour.
Total cost for 2 nights: about $109 per adult, two sharing
Stops 1 to 3: Tataouine, Ksar Hadada and the road to Ksar Ghilane
The teams drove themselves, but I'd hire a driver-guide and let someone else read the dunes. Grand Sahara Aventures runs a private two-day 4x4 tour from Djerba that hits Tataouine, Ksar Ouled Soltane, Chenini and Ksar Hadada, then camps overnight at Ksar Ghilane. It's €285 per person for two people, and the price drops as your group grows (Grand Sahara Aventures). Meals, guide and the tent are included.
The Detour was Listening at Ksar Hadada or Puzzling at Ksar Ouled Soltane. With this tour we get both. Ksar Hadada was a set for Star Wars Episode I, and yes, you'll recognize it.
Running cost: about $319 per adult
Stop 4: The camel Roadblock
The Roadblock was a camel ride on compass bearings. At Ksar Ghilane, rides are €15 an hour, paid on site (Grand Sahara Aventures). An hour is plenty for most of us, and you'll walk funny for a bit.
Running cost: about $336 per adult
The Pit Stop: Ksar Ghilane oasis
The race ended at the oasis, and so do we. There's a natural hot spring at about 32°C, and you can swim in it after the camel ride. Then dinner at camp and stars like you've never seen. Find the palm trees, soak your sore legs, and look triumphant. That's where we'd meet Phil!
Running cost: about $336 per adult
Total cost of this leg for Pit Stop Passport racers: about $1,603 per adult (estimate, two adults sharing: flights $1,158 + Djerba hotel $109 + desert tour $319 + camel $17. It doesn't include drinks, tips or airport transfers. Prices checked Oct 2026, at €1 ≈ $1.12, and they will change. The US State Department advises against travel near the Libyan border, so stick with a licensed guide and read the advisory first.)
Family Pit Crew
A night in the desert might be the best thing you ever do with kids. Because the tour is private, it moves at your pace, and the driver can stop whenever someone needs a break.
Age rules, stop by stop
| Stop | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Private desert tour | Private 4x4, so it's built around your family. It's €175 per person for a group of four (Grand Sahara Aventures). Tell them the kids' ages when you book. |
| Camel ride | €15 an hour, paid on site. Ask at the camel station whether little ones can ride with a parent. |
| Desert camp | Real beds, sheets and blankets are provided. Winter nights can drop to about 0°C, so pack fleeces (Grand Sahara Aventures). |
What I'd skip with kids. I'd skip the quad bikes, even though the camp offers them. I'd also skip the long dune walk after dinner with sleepy kids and stargaze from right outside the tent.
Family-friendly places to stay
- Palm Beach Club Djerba. Family rooms and a kids' club, from about $109 a night (Trivago).
- TUI Magic Life Penelope Beach. A family resort with a kids' club, from about €54 a night (Destinia).
- Iberostar Waves Mehari (budget pick). Family rooms and a kids' club from $55 a night (momondo).
Total cost for the Family Pit Crew: about $5,701 (estimate for two adults and two kids: four sets of flights at $1,158 with kids at the adult fare = $4,632; Palm Beach Club 2 nights = $218; the desert tour for four at €175 each = about $784; a one-hour camel ride for four = about $67. It excludes drinks, tips and transfers. Prices checked Oct 2026.)