Frequently asked questions

Complete support before and during your trip: help with obtaining your visa, tailor-made itinerary design, guides, interpreters and cooks, vehicle mechanics and auto-electricians with towing, camps and camping equipment, a welcome at the border and assistance with formalities, plus travel advice.

Yes. We guide you through the Mauritanian electronic visa procedure and set out the documents required and the usual processing times, so that your authorisation arrives well before departure.

Of course. We answer every question about visiting Mauritania — destinations, seasons, budget, safety, daily life — with no obligation on your part.

We will still advise you. Whether you travel with us or with someone else, we are happy to give you honest, on-the-ground guidance about your programme, your tracks and your equipment.

That is the heart of what we do. We build the programme around the time you have, your pace and your interests, from a weekend to a long Saharan expedition.

Yes, a discovery day in the city of your choice: a guided visit that lets you take in the main sites and local life in a single day. Ideal for a short stay or a stopover.

Yes. Highly experienced tour guides who know the terrain, the history and the desert, and interpreters in eight languages: Arabic, French, English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese and German.

Yes, we provide cooks who travel with the group and prepare meals at camp, taking any special diets into account if you tell us in advance.

Yes. We have mechanics and auto-electricians, as well as a towing service anywhere in Mauritania. Call us, give us your position, and we take care of the rest.

Yes: complete, ready-to-use camps and camping equipment, at any time and in any place you choose in Mauritania.

Yes, we provide support for independent journeys and convoys: rally raid and convoy assistance for 4x4s, and also for motorbikes and bicycles, including logistics, fuel, water and mechanical support on the road.

Yes. Our guide meets you at the border post and accompanies you throughout your stay in Mauritania — you are never on your own, from the very first kilometre.

Yes, we explain in advance the documents and steps required on entry and exit, and we accompany you at the post so that the formalities run smoothly and with as little waiting as possible.

Since January 2025, all visitors to Mauritania must apply for an electronic visa before travelling. Processing times range from a few hours to several weeks. Senegal grants visa exemption to many countries, though not all, while The Gambia operates a visa-on-arrival system. We recommend familiarising yourself early with the rules applying to your country and applying for the necessary visas well ahead of your trip, and booking your flight shortly after the quotation is confirmed.

Yes. No terrorist operation has been recorded on Mauritanian soil since 2011, and the country is today among the most stable in the Sahel. The main destinations are visited normally throughout the season.

In 2007, near the town of Aleg. No comparable incident has been reported since.

The far-eastern border strip between Algeria and Mali. It contains no tourist destination anyway, so there is no reason to go near it.

Its effects largely stop at the border. Mauritania hosts tens of thousands of Malian refugees in Hodh Ech Chargui without insecurity spreading inside the country.

Yes. Neither town has seen any security incident in recent years. Travelling in convoy or with a local guide is recommended for desert logistics, not for safety reasons.

Mauritania is a calm country and petty crime remains rare. Modest dress, respect for the customs of a conservative society and booking desert tours through a licensed agency are advised.

The sun and dehydration above all: hat, sunscreen and at least 3 to 4 litres of water a day. Then the logistics — vast distances, widely spaced petrol stations, limited network coverage off the main roads. Security itself is rarely an issue.

Courteously and generally with goodwill. You will pass many checkpoints: keep your passport within reach and prepare photocopies of your ID page and visa (known locally as fiches) to hand out — it speeds up formalities considerably.

Never set off alone: two vehicles minimum, sand ladders, full tyre kit and tools, GPS loaded with tracks, satellite phone, 5 litres of water per person per day and spare fuel. Report your route before leaving and do not drive at night. In the northern border areas, never leave the existing tracks: landmines remain.

Private clinics in Nouakchott provide decent care; the interior mainly has basic health centres. Bring a personal medical kit and make sure your insurance covers medical evacuation.

Bottled water, available everywhere. Tap water and well water are not recommended for visitors; on desert trips, jerrycan water should be filtered or treated.

Yes, but a localised one: mainly in the south (Senegal River valley, Guidimakha, Assaba, the Hodhs) during and after the rainy season, from July to October. Nouakchott and the entire desert north present very low risk. Consult a doctor before departure about prophylaxis, and use repellent and a mosquito net.

Yes: horned vipers, saw-scaled vipers and, further south, cobras. Encounters remain rare and these animals flee from people; accidents almost always involve someone who stepped or reached out without looking.

Prevention: high boots, a lamp at night, never a hand in a hole or under a stone, a closed tent, shoes shaken out on waking. In case of a bite: reassure and immobilise the victim, remove rings and watches, keep the limb still and low, never cut, suck or apply a tourniquet, and reach a medical centre as fast as possible. Memorise the snake's appearance without trying to catch it.

Yes, several species, some with painful stings. Basic reflexes: shake out shoes and sleeping bag, don't sleep directly on the ground without a mat, don't lift stones with bare hands. A sting warrants medical attention, especially in children.

From October to April, ideally November to March: warm sunny days and cool nights. Summer (May–September) is very demanding in the desert, but it is the season of the guetna, the date harvest in the oases.

In winter, 25 to 30 °C by day and sometimes 5 to 10 °C at night, less in the Adrar. In summer, 45 °C and above in the shade. The day/night gap is considerable: always pack a fleece, even if you came for the sun.

Yes. This dry, dust-laden wind blows mainly from December to March, veiling the sky in an ochre haze, cutting visibility and sometimes delaying flights. Bring a chèche, sunglasses and protection for your cameras.

Only on the spot: the ouguiya (MRU) is not convertible and cannot be bought abroad. Change euros in cash at a bank or a licensed bureau, or withdraw from ATMs in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou (Visa is more widely accepted than Mastercard).

Rarely. Only a few large hotels and agencies accept cards, often with a commission. Mauritania runs on cash: bring euros to change and a reserve of local currency before leaving the capital.

It is not systematic but always appreciated. Budget the equivalent of €5 to €10 a day for a guide, slightly less for a driver, and a small amount for a porter or parking attendant. In restaurants, rounding up the bill is enough.

The currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU, symbol UM). As a guide: €1 ≈ 43-45 MRU, $1 ≈ 39-40 MRU, £1 ≈ 50-52 MRU, with slight daily variation — check the rate on your departure date. The euro is the easiest to change, followed by the dollar; sterling is accepted only in banks and bureaux in Nouakchott. Note too that many people still count in old ouguiya (1 new = 10 old), so always confirm which unit is meant.

It works well: buses and minibuses on the paved routes (Nouakchott–Rosso, the Road of Hope, Nouakchott–Atar–Nouadhibou) and bush taxis everywhere. Departures happen when the vehicle is full rather than at fixed times. The iron ore train from Nouadhibou to Zouérate remains a unique experience.

With offline apps (Maps.me, OsmAnd), a GPS loaded with GPX tracks and a compass as backup. Tracks split and shift with the sand: a local guide remains the safest and most rewarding solution.

Via the Guerguerat post south of Dakhla, the only crossing open. Between the two posts lies a short no man's land where staying on the marked track is essential because of landmines. Allow several hours for formalities, vehicle insurance to be bought on the Mauritanian side, and cash in euros.

Two crossings: Rosso, the busier one, with a ferry crossing and a reputation for waiting and touts; and the Diama dam further south, generally preferred by drivers — reached by a track alongside Diawling National Park, with a toll to pay.

Posts do exist, notably towards Mali in the south-east and an opening towards Algeria in the far north, but these routes are not advised for independent travellers and their opening status varies. Check with the authorities and your embassy shortly before departure.

A temporary import permit (passavant) is issued at the border for a limited period, extendable at customs in Nouakchott, and local insurance is compulsory and bought on the spot. Make sure the papers are in the driver's name, otherwise a power of attorney is required. Selling a vehicle locally is strictly regulated.

Seven airlines link the country to destinations abroad on a regular basis: Mauritania Airlines (the national carrier), Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca, Tunisair via Tunis, Air Algérie via Algiers, Air Sénégal via Dakar, Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and Air France via Paris, along with the link to Las Palmas (Canary Islands), served from both Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. Most international flights land at Nouakchott-Oumtounsy International Airport, with Nouadhibou also receiving international services; Mauritania Airlines additionally operates domestic routes to the main cities. Frequencies vary by season, so check them when booking.

Yes, bivouacking is common and culturally well accepted. Move away from dwellings, ask permission near villages and palm groves, and leave no waste behind. In winter, bring a warm sleeping bag: Saharan nights are cold.

It exists but remains very small, essentially in Nouakchott. In practice, spontaneous hospitality — an invitation to tea or to sleep under a tent — is far more common than the platform itself.

Yes, with a little planning. Rice, couscous, vegetables, lentils, bread, dates and fruit are everywhere, but the cuisine is very meat-based: tell your agency or host in advance, as the idea of a "meal without meat" is not a given.

Covering clothing (shoulders and knees, men included), long and warm greetings, and the right hand for eating and handing things over. Accept tea when it is offered: it is the heart of Mauritanian hospitality. Avoid displays of affection in public.

Very little. There is no commercial hassle comparable to other destinations. You may get a few offers from guides or money changers in Nouakchott and at the borders, but without excessive insistence.

No. Arabic is the official language and Hassaniya the everyday one, alongside Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof. French remains widespread in administration, business and among educated people, but not everywhere.

With difficulty, outside professional guides and some young people. A few words of French or Arabic make travelling far easier.

Do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. Many shops and restaurants close until sunset and office hours are shortened; in return, evenings are lively and invitations to break the fast are frequent.

A polite refusal is perfectly acceptable. If you wish to give, do so discreetly and in small amounts; with children, supporting a local school or association is better than encouraging individual begging.

Only after asking permission, particularly with women. Prohibited subjects include military and administrative buildings, police stations, ports, airports and border posts. A little conversation opens far more doors than a telephoto lens.

Alcohol is prohibited, as are pork, narcotics (very heavy penalties), drones and any religious proselytising material. Military equipment, weapons and night-vision binoculars also cause problems at the borders.

No, unless you hold prior official authorisation, which is rarely granted. Drones are regularly confiscated on entry, at the airport as well as at land borders. Better not to bring one.

Three: Mauritel (the widest coverage, especially inland and in the desert), Chinguitel and Mattel. Prepaid SIM cards are inexpensive and registered with your passport in a few minutes at any agency or sales point. Local data costs far less than roaming, though the great sand seas remain without coverage. Mobile wallets (Bankily, Masrvi, Sedad) are also widely used across the country.