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Voykit pocket guide · Mauritania

Tichit

Go for 1–2 nights if you have a 4x4 and a guide; otherwise skip. The drive from Tidjikja is 200 km on tracks with no fuel or public transport.

Tichit is a remote medieval trading town on the high plains of eastern Mauritania, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a blue-grey stone mosque, ancient archaeological settlements and a thousand-year salt-trade history. It rewards travellers who have the time and logistics for a serious desert detour.

NouakchottAtarAzougiChoumNouadhibouNouamgharTerjitTichit100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Mauritania
Best months
Nov–Feb
Avoid
Jun–Sep (extreme heat)
Stay
1–2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
MRU
Money
Currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU), redenominated in 2018 (1 new = 10 old; prices are sometimes still quoted in old ouguiya). Cards are accepted in very few places outside a handful of Nouakchott hotels; bring euros in cash to exchange.
Daily spend
Budget MRU 1,500–3,000 (check) · Mid MRU 3,000–6,000 (check) · High MRU 6,000+ (check) (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Mauritel, Mattel and Chinguitel sell SIMs in Nouakchott; passport needed.
Emergency
Police 17 · Fire 18
Plugs
Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · Generators in desert auberges; bring a power bank.
Tipping
Driver or guide day: €5–10.; Cook on desert trip: €3–5 a day.
Water
Bottled only.
Toilets
Basic in auberges; the desert is the toilet on 4x4 days.

Get in

By air

THI · Tichitt Airport
Unpaved airstrip; no scheduled flights. Check with tour operators.

Typical fares

4x4 rental from Tidjikja (one way)
MRU 10,000–20,000 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Walk. The town is compact; a guide can show you the mosque, cemetery and stone architecture.

See and do

Known for

  • UNESCO-listed medieval trading settlement
  • Blue-grey stone mosque
  • Ancient stone settlements (c. 2000 BC)
  • Salt caravans and date harvest

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Tidjikja4x4 on desert tracks, about 200 km (124 mi)3–4 h each way
Ouadane4x4 via Atar, about 400 km (249 mi)6–7 h

Sleep

Tichit town
Limited guesthouses; book through a guide or agency. No formal hotels.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Helloالسلام عليكمas-salamu alaykum
Thank youشكراًshukran
Yes / Noنعم / لاna'am / la
How much?بكم؟bikam?
I don't understandما فهمتma fhemt

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Tea: Accept all three glasses; avoid: Leaving before the third
  • Dress: Cover arms and legs; avoid: Shorts in towns
  • Hands: Right hand to eat and pass; avoid: Left hand
  • Gender: Wait for women to offer a hand; avoid: Touching unrelated women

Scams and watch-outs

  • No fuel, no public transport: bring a 4x4, enough fuel for the round trip from Tidjikja, and a guide/translator.
  • Most locals speak only Hassaniya Arabic; French is not widely understood.
  • The road is a desert track: well-marked but barren. Carry water and supplies.
  • Check the security situation with your embassy before travelling to eastern Mauritania.

Tichit is remote and safe in terms of petty crime, but the desert environment and lack of services are the real risks. Always travel with a guide and a satellite phone.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Tichit yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • UNESCO-listed medieval trading settlement
  • Blue-grey stone mosque
  • Ancient stone settlements (c. 2000 BC)
  • Salt caravans and date harvest

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Tichit

إلى تيشيت، من فضلك

To Tichit, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

French may be understood in Tidjikja but not in Tichit itself.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/tichit). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.