Our Chad holidays & tours
Rainbow coloured lakes, thrilling wildlife safaris far from the crowds, and the incredible Gerewol Festival where Chadian men put on elaborate dress and paint in an attempt to attract a partner – our Chad holidays are full of memorable moments. If you’re seeking adventure and you don’t run at the thought of spending days driving through the desert or setting up remote camps, Chad will beguile you. Our tours seek out ancient rock art, and explore the pioneering conservation success story that is Zakouma National Park. They also provide opportunities to meet and engage with different ethnic groups around Chad such as the Tubu people, always ensuring that traditional codes of behaviour are respectfully followed, and that these communities benefit from tourism on their own terms.
Gerewol festival holiday in Chad
Witness one of Africa's most colourful traditional festivals
From
£3099 to £3199
8 days
ex flights
The Gerewol Festival and Ennedi Mountains tour, Chad
Sandstone mountains, multi-hued lakes and the Wodaabe tribe
From
£7149 to £7349
23 days
ex flights
Chad holidays, untamed Tibesti
An incredible journey to the holy grail of Saharan travel.
From
£6199 to £6399
22 days
ex flights
Chad wildlife safari, Zakouma national park
An incredible off the beaten track wildlife adventure
From
£3849 to £3899
8 days
ex flights
Chad expedition to Ennedi
Tubu nomads, desert crocodiles and the Sahara's best scenery
From
£4399 to £4549
15 days
ex flights
Contact Us
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Chad map & highlights
This vast desert nation is characterised by savannah in the far south and Sahara in the north – with a wide band of semi-arid Sahel in the middle. Until the 1980s, Chad got by with just 30km of roads; today there are several hundred (still a tiny amount for such a sprawling country) but many remain unusable in the wet season. As soon as you leave N’Djamena, the capital, you’re in expedition mode: crossing dunes, desert and limestone landscapes in a 4x4; passing the odd palm grove or village; and setting up camp under the stars each night. To reach some of the geological attractions in the mountains, you’ll need to leave your vehicle and trek for an hour or two – this is true explorer territory.
1.
Douguia & the Sahel
2. Ennedi Plateau
3. Gerewol Festival, Dourbali
4. Ounianga Lakes
5. Tibesti Mountains
6. Zakouma National Park
2. Ennedi Plateau
3. Gerewol Festival, Dourbali
4. Ounianga Lakes
5. Tibesti Mountains
6. Zakouma National Park
Douguia & the Sahel
1. Douguia & the Sahel
In contrast to much of Chad, Douguia is a veritable oasis, overlooking the Chari River along the border with Cameroon. The simple hotel is a welcome respite, as it will often be hardy travellers’ first sight of luxuries such as a shower, electricity and running water after several days in the Sahara. Fishing villages line the riverbank; head out in a pirogue to spot hippos and birds and learn about local life.
Ennedi Plateau
2. Ennedi Plateau
A sprawling jumble of sandstone peaks, eroded into surreal sculptures over thousands of years by dusty desert winds. The semi nomadic Toubou people live here, and one of the highlights of Ennedi is seeing them bring several hundred cattle to drink in the Guelta d’Archei – a waterhole sunk between dramatic limestone cliffs and inhabited by one of the last Saharan populations of crocodile.
Gerewol Festival, Dourbali
3. Gerewol Festival, Dourbali
Men vying for the attention of women is universal – but rarely is their performance as peacock-worthy as it is in the Gerewol Festival. The more famous – and touristy – version happens in Niger, but few have the privilege of seeing Chad’s festivities, where the polygamous Mbororo men wear elaborate makeup and clothing, and dance and sing to attract a(nother) wife, a girlfriend – or just a fleeting night of passion.
Ounianga Lakes
4. Ounianga Lakes
18 Saharan lakes of strikingly different hues on a backdrop of red, yellow and white sandstone make up this UNESCO World Heritage Site, in an area with less than 2mm of rain per year. The lakes are both saline and freshwater – some are inhabited by fish – and you can take a dip in the freshwater Lake Boukou. Visit scattered nearby villages that once sat on important trade routes; the caravans have long since dried up.
Tibesti Mountains
5. Tibesti Mountains
This lunar landscape was historically out of bounds, but now Tibesti – ‘the place where mountain people live’ – is open to a tiny number of intrepid adventurers. The fiercely independent Toubou inhabit the date palm oases; rock art hints that they’ve been here for millennia. The Tibesti’s most surreal sight is the Trou au Natron, a vast, collapsed volcanic chamber with salt flats and a perfectly formed crater within.
Zakouma National Park
6. Zakouma National Park
Chad may not be synonymous with national parks and game drives – but the little-known Zakouma is a conservation success story, and one of the last refuges for wildlife in Central Africa. Across its varied vegetation zones live several hundred elephant – as well as a number of lions and leopard, and lesser known wonders, like pale foxes, servals and aardvarks. In total there are around 120 mammals species, plus 373 birds.
Our Chad holidays reviews
4.7
6Chad holidays reviews
Ghulam Tarafdar20 Dec 2023
Enjoying different tribal cultures. Ten out of ten.read more
Karel F14 Oct 2019
The most memorable part of the holiday was the Wodabe tribe. read more
Michael Cederborg08 Oct 2019
The most memorable part of the holiday was the early morning walks to see the Woodabe camp coming alive. read more
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