Chad Travel Guide: Ennedi Massif, Zakouma National Park & FCDO Advice

A By Anna · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

N'Djamena Hassan Djamous (NDJ)

Flight time

about 9-11h from London to N'Djamena, with one stop

Best time to go

November-February for the desert; roughly December-May for Zakouma

Currency

Central African CFA franc (XAF)

Chad is one of Africa's largest countries, stretching from the Sahara in the north through the dry Sahel to wooded savannah in the south. It has more than 100 ethnic groups and two official languages, French and Arabic. For the small number of adventurous travellers who have made it here, Chad offers some of the most extraordinary desert scenery on Earth, from the sandstone arches of the Ennedi to the blue lakes of Ounianga in the middle of the Sahara, as well as a remarkable wildlife revival in Zakouma National Park.

Chad faces serious security challenges, including conflict spilling over from Sudan, armed groups in the Lake Chad region and banditry in border areas. At the time of writing the UK FCDO advises against all travel to large parts of Chad, including border regions, and against all but essential travel to the rest of the country, including N'Djamena. Travel insurance is usually invalid against FCDO advice. Please read the latest gov.uk FCDO travel advice for Chad, including its map, before planning anything. This guide focuses on the country's landscapes and culture for when travel is safer. For the wider region, see our Africa guide, or neighbouring Cameroon, Niger and the Central African Republic.

Why go

• Ennedi Massif: a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north-east, with natural arches such as Aloba, canyons, towers of sandstone and thousands of prehistoric rock paintings.
• Guelta d'Archei: a deep gorge pool in the Ennedi where camel herds come to drink and a few desert crocodiles have survived.
• Lakes of Ounianga: a UNESCO-listed chain of 18 lakes in the hyper-arid Sahara, some fresh, some salty, in shades of blue, green and red.
• Zakouma National Park: once devastated by elephant poaching, Zakouma has recovered under the management of the conservation group African Parks, with growing elephant herds, buffalo, lions and huge flocks of birds around its waterholes.
• Tibesti Mountains: the volcanic range around Emi Koussi, the Sahara's highest peak, is breathtaking but has long been off-limits.
• N'Djamena: the capital on the Chari River has a busy Grand Marché, the National Museum and a lively music scene.

Where to stay

• N'Djamena: a few international and mid-range hotels close to the river, mainly used by business travellers and aid workers.
• Zakouma: African Parks has run Tinga Camp and the seasonal mobile Camp Nomade, booked through specialist operators.
• Ennedi and the north: expeditions camp under the stars, with all logistics, water and vehicles provided by the operator.

Getting there

There are no direct flights from the UK. N'Djamena is usually reached via Paris (Air France), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) or Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines), with total journey times of roughly 9-11 hours. Travel into the Ennedi involves several days of driving or a charter flight. British travellers need a visa arranged in advance, and a yellow fever certificate is generally required. Malaria is present in much of the country, so check TravelHealthPro before you travel.

Chad is one hour ahead of the UK in winter and on the same time in summer. Distances are huge and roads outside the towns are often sand tracks, so expeditions use convoys of 4x4s with experienced drivers, satellite phones and supplies for several days.

Best time to visit

The Sahara is best from November to February, when days are warm and nights can be cold. March to June is extremely hot, often well over 40°C. Zakouma is normally open from around December to May, when the dry season concentrates animals around the water; the park usually closes in the rains, roughly June to November.

We research every guide carefully, but prices, opening times and timetables change. Check them shortly before you travel. Links to our booking partners are affiliate links.