Expedition to Chad ► The lost city of Zerzura

Trip to Chad from 28 Jan. to 16 Feb. 2026 / From 4,818€

An expedition to Chad, one of the most beautiful and remote places in the great Sahara Desert, from a historical, archaeological, and anthropological perspective.

Our goal is to explore the Erdi Ma area in the heart of the Chadian Desert, not far from the Libyan and Sudanese borders. It is a “last place”... There are unexplored archaeological remains that could be the lost city of the Sahara: Zerzura.

Translated from Arabic as “The City of Starlings” or “of Small Birds,” Zerzura is cited in various works. However, one of the most notable is a medieval Arabic book, now lost, known as “Kitab Al Kanuz” or “Book of Hidden Pearls.” It is a work intended to guide the Bedouins to those places in the desert where treasures were hidden.

For 17 days, we will travel through the Ennedi Desert, the mythical Saharan lakes of Ouniaga, and we will venture into the unknown region of Erdi Ma in search of Zerzura. After exploring the archaeological remains of this land inhabited by the nomadic Toubou people, we’ll visit the rock art near the Guelta d’Archei oasis and spend one last night in the ruins of Ouada, capital of the African empire of Ouaddai (1635-1912), before returning to N’Djamena to catch our flight home. We’ll travel in all-terrain vehicles with desert-savvy drivers and an experienced fixer, a native of the Sahara.

This trip in collaboration with the Spanish Geographical Society (SGE), will be guided by Miguel Gutiérrez Garitano. He is an explorer, writer, historian, and reporter, who has led and conducted several expeditions to remote locations over more than twenty years of travel. A member of the Spanish Geographical Society, he has dedicated his life to collecting and researching stories in the most remote and inaccessible places on the planet.

Download the itinerary for this expedition to Chad

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Discover the highlights of this expedition to Chad

Exploration from N’Djamena to the Desert

The expedition to Chad begins in N’Djamena, the country’s capital and gateway to one of the most remote territories on the African continent. From here, we will journey north, following the path once taken by ancient trade caravans. Our destination: the extreme landscapes of the Sahara Desert, where nomadic peoples, legendary oases, and cultures that have endured for centuries still survive.

Towards the Heart of the Sahara

Shortly after leaving N’Djamena, the expedition to Chad will follow sandy tracks through Sahelian villages and semi-arid zones. Our first stop will be Moussoro, before continuing on to Kouba Olanga and the Well 110, a key meeting point for Tubu nomads and Red Arabs. Over these first few days, we’ll cross landscapes of dunes, rocky plateaus, and remote villages. The pace will be steady but unhurried, in tune with the rhythm of the desert.

Faya: Trade Oasis in Northern Chad

One of the highlights of the expedition to Chad will be Faya, an oasis town in the heart of the Chadian Sahara. With a population of around 50,000, Faya has long been a hub for trade between Libya and sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we’ll explore dusty markets, vast palm groves, and the traces of a life built around the trade in salt, natron and dates. From this point onwards, the route becomes more rugged, pushing the expedition to Chad deeper into scarcely inhabited territory.

Fossil Landscapes and Saharan Lakes

Beyond Faya, the expedition to Chad enters the vastness of the Erg of Bembéché, where we’ll encounter ancient rock engravings. Eventually, we will reach the lakes of Ounianga Kebir and Serir, UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These fossil water lakes are ecological marvels in the heart of the desert: saltwater basins surrounded by palm trees and ochre dunes. We’ll also visit nearby Lake Katam – smaller but equally striking. Here, the expedition to Chad pauses to take in one of the Sahara’s most breathtaking sights.

Erdi Ma and the Red Salt: Heart of the Expedition

We’ll then cross the salt flats of Demi, home to communities descended from former slaves. Soon after, we’ll arrive at the epicentre of our expedition to Chad: the region of Erdi Ma. This extraordinary enclave combines golden dunes, ephemeral lakes and deposits of salt stained red. We will spend three days here in search of Zerzura and conducting archaeological, historical and anthropological research. It will be a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of this virtually unexplored corner of the desert. Life in Erdi Ma unfolds far from modernity, shaped by the seasons, wells, and camel routes.

Ennedi and the Crocodiles of the Sahara

After leaving Erdi Ma, we begin the second stage of the expedition to Chad by entering the Mourdi Depression. Our journey continues across endless sandy plains until we reach Wadi Eliché, the natural gateway to the Ennedi Massif. The landscape changes dramatically: from dunes to spectacular rock formations that mark the start of a new phase in the expedition to Chad. One of the most unforgettable moments will be the visit to the Guelta of Archeï, an oasis where Nile crocodiles still survive. These living relics of a wetter era share the space with Tubu nomads and their herds. We’ll witness camels descending to drink as silence envelops the gorge. Afterwards, we’ll continue to Terkeï, an area rich in rock art and wind-carved stone formations.

Ruins in the Savannah

Later, the expedition to Chad will turn south, crossing the natural boundary between the desert and the savannah. We’ll reach Kalaït, a key point on the ancient routes between Lake Chad and the Red Sea. Here, a commercial kingdom once thrived, resisting French colonial advance until 1912. We’ll then visit Ouada, former capital of the Ouaddai Kingdom, where archaeological remains evoke a powerful past. Among ruins, legends and centuries-old mosques, we’ll uncover the history of one of the last African kingdoms to resist colonisation. This final stretch of the expedition to Chad will connect us with a different face of the country – one where animist and Muslim cultures have coexisted for centuries.

Meeting the Hadjerai, Guardians of the Guera Mountains

The expedition to Chad will culminate in the Guera region, land of the Hadjerai – the “inhabitants of the rocks.” Amidst mountains, villages and rocky landscapes, we will meet communities that have managed to preserve their traditions in the face of modernity. The return journey to N’Djamena will bring this Saharan odyssey to a close.