A sandstone plateau southeast of Djanet known for some of the most photogenic desert scenery in the Sahara. The Tadrart Rouge (Red Tadrart) is distinct from the better-known Tassili n'Ajjer — it is higher, redder, and in many ways even more dramatic, with pinnacles and natural arches rising from a sea of golden sand dunes.
Visits require the same combination of guide and permit as Tassili, arranged through tour agencies in Djanet. The journey from town takes several hours by 4WD across open desert. Most itineraries combine Tadrart with sections of the Tassili, spending a week or more in the combined area and sleeping in the open. The landscape changes dramatically over short distances: deep red gorges open onto wide gravel plains, which give way to towering dunes, which give way again to rocky plateaus with ancient engravings underfoot. It is the kind of place that is difficult to describe and easy to spend too much time trying to photograph.