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🇲🇷Things to Do in Mauritania
From the ancient manuscripts of Chinguetti to riding the world's longest train through the Sahara - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Mauritania sits almost entirely within the Sahara Desert, and its most striking sights reflect that directly - a UNESCO-listed medieval trading and scholarship city half-swallowed by sand, and one of the longest trains in the world hauling iron ore across hundreds of kilometers of open desert, which adventurous travelers can ride for free atop the ore cars. Here are 4 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Chinguetti
A UNESCO World Heritage medieval trading city and center of Islamic scholarship, with ancient manuscript libraries still held by local families, and parts of the old town increasingly encroached upon by desert sand.
📍 Chinguetti, Adrar Region
🚉 The desert library town is 90km east of Atar on a sand-blown road: 4x4 shared taxis run from Atar in about two hours, and Atar itself has a weekly flight and a road from Nouakchott.
The Iron Ore Train
One of the longest and heaviest trains in the world, running roughly 700km across the Sahara from Zouerat to Nouadhibou - some travelers ride in the open ore cars, a genuinely rugged, dusty experience.
📍 Zouérat to Nouadhibou
🚉 The 2.5km-long ore train from Zouerat to Nouadhibou is free to ride on top of the wagons and takes about 16 hours through the desert - it is the classic Mauritanian journey, and dust, cold and no facilities are part of it.
Adrar Plateau
A desert region holding several of Mauritania's ancient caravan cities, including Chinguetti and Ouadane, along with dramatic dune and rock formations.
📍 Adrar Region
🚉 Atar is the gateway to the plateau: 4x4s with drivers are hired there for Ouadane, Terjit and the Guelb er Richat, all on desert tracks with no signage or fuel.
Banc d'Arguin National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage coastal park where the desert meets the Atlantic, known for its enormous population of migratory birds and traditional Imraguen fishing communities.
📍 Banc d'Arguin, Atlantic coast
🚉 The park lies between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou on the coast: access is by 4x4 on the beach road at low tide, or by boat with the Imraguen fishermen, arranged in advance.
Mark Mauritania, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Mauritania?
A week lets you combine Nouakchott, the Adrar Plateau's ancient cities, and the Iron Ore Train experience, given the desert distances and travel time involved.
What's the best time to visit Mauritania?
November-February has the most comfortable desert temperatures. Summer heat across the Sahara is extreme and best avoided.
Is Mauritania good for a first-time visit?
It rewards preparation - infrastructure is limited outside Nouakchott, and an organized desert tour or experienced guide is commonly used for the Adrar region and the Iron Ore Train.
Do I need a visa to visit Mauritania?
Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival or apply for an e-visa online in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: mauritania-visa.com.
What are some things to do in Mauritania on a tight budget?
Riding the Iron Ore Train in the open ore cars is free (a private cabin costs a small fee), local Mauritanian food is inexpensive, and shared bush taxis are a cheap way to travel between desert towns.
Can I rent a car in Mauritania, and what licence do I need?
Check your government's travel advice first, as border regions and the east carry warnings. Where travel is advised, hiring a 4x4 with a driver is the normal arrangement and the sensible one - desert navigation, sand driving and fuel planning are specialist skills, and there are no road markings once you leave the tarmac. A foreign licence with an International Driving Permit is accepted, and the minimum age is generally 25. Convoy travel and a satellite phone are standard for desert routes. Confirm current requirements with a Mauritanian embassy before travelling.