Mauritania is one of the least visited countries in the world, welcoming fewer than 5,000 visitors per year. Of that number, most come for one thing: the iron ore train. A 2.5km-long freight train that hauls iron ore across the Sahara from the mining town of Zouérat to the coast – and which you can ride, in the ore carts, for free.
It’s known as one of the most extreme train journeys in the world. It involves clambering into a freight cart filled with powdered iron ore, surviving a freezing desert night, and waking up to one of the most extraordinary sunrises you’ll ever see. It is completely worth it. But there are things you need to know before you go.
The train is also just one part of what is a genuinely incredible country to explore. Mixing desert adventures, a vibrant capital, and deep historical and religious significance, Mauritania is near the top on my list of African nations. If you’re planning a broader trip – and I’d strongly recommend you do – my complete Mauritania travel guide covers everything from hotels and flights to getting around the country. Also check out my Nouakchott guide as you’ll likely stop there on the way to the train. This post focuses entirely on the train itself. So let’s get to it.
Where does the Mauritania iron ore train run?
The train runs between Zouérat in northern Mauritania and Nouadhibou on the Atlantic coast – roughly 700km across the Sahara. Most tourists board at Choum, around 200km southwest of Zouérat, which cuts the journey to around 12 hours and means you board in the cooler evening rather than the blazing afternoon heat.
If you board at Zouérat, you’re looking at 17+ hours, a scorching afternoon start, a freezing night, and a brutal morning sun at the end. Very few people do this. Honestly, it’s not worth it. You’ll see enough daytime desert after sunrise.
When does the Mauritania iron ore train leave?
There is no set timetable. The train is meant to depart Zouérat around 15:00, but can leave several hours later. It takes 4–5 hours to reach Choum, meaning you could be waiting by the tracks well into the night. Pro tip: If you’re with an organised tour, the local fixers usually have contacts in Zouérat. They’ll call when the train sets off, so you have a rough idea.
Even with that you, we waited six hours by the side of the road. The train arrived at 23:00. We’d previously been told it would be more like 20:00 and had arrived earlier due to completing the previous stops ahead of schedule. It is what it is.
Bring food, water, cards, and group games. You will need them.
Getting to Choum
Most people start their Mauritania trip in Nouakchott, the capital. Flying in, sorting logistics, and getting bearings before heading out into the desert. Check out my guide on Nouakchott if you’re doing this!
From Nouakchott, the route to Choum takes you through Atar, the last main town before the train and the gateway to the stunning Adrar region. If you have a few days to spare, it’s absolutely worth spending time here. My guide to Atar, Chinguetti and the Adrar region covers what to see, including the ancient city of Chinguetti, one of the holiest cities in Islam and pretty remarkable.
Atar is also where you buy everything you need for the train journey. Do not leave this until Choum. There is nothing in Choum. Buy your blankets, protective gear, snacks, waters, and everything else here. See below for more.
Most people reach Choum as part of an organised tour from Nouakchott, which handles the transport logistics. If you’re travelling independently, you’ll need to arrange transport from Atar.
What to expect in Choum
Choum is not a town in any meaningful sense. There is a small settlement, but nothing to do, nowhere to eat, and nowhere to buy anything. Plan accordingly. Everything you need should already be in your bag by the time you arrive.
What there is, however, is desert. And a surprisingly beautiful one at that. The area around the tracks is open, flat, and completely unspoiled, and if you’re arriving in the late afternoon you’ll be rewarded with a genuinely spectacular sunset over the Sahara while you wait. Bring your camera out well before the train arrives.
There’s also a disused train carriage sitting near the tracks – weathered, rusted, and completely photogenic. Climb on it. It makes for great photos and gives you something to do during the hours you might be waiting.
Speaking of which: use the bathroom before the train arrives. You’re going to have to hide behind said disused train carriages to do it, which is not glamorous, but is functional. Honestly, go many times as you can bring yourself to. Once you’re on the train, your options become significantly less appealing.
Keep your ears open for the train – you’ll hear it before you see it, a low rumble that builds gradually over a minute or two. You’ll feel the vibrations in the ground. There will be false alarms – we though we heard it coming at least 5 times (still unclear what it was we actually heard. Stay alert, stay ready, and when it comes, move quickly.
What to wear on the Mauritania iron ore train
This is the section most people underestimate. Getting this wrong makes the experience miserable. Getting it right makes it incredible.
The ore gets absolutely everywhere. I am not exaggerating. It’s fine powder, it’s magnetic, and it will find its way into everything – your phone, your AirPods case, your… crevices, even your lungs if you’re not careful. Where possible protect your belongings inside plastic bags (garbage or laundry bags work well). And honestly, just before you get on the train, but everything inside your bag and leave it there. You are not going to need snacks or headphones. Really.
The ore also stains. Wear old, dark clothing and shoes you don’t mind ruining. I wore a yellow puffer jacket and bright blue trainers. They did not survive.
The cold is the other thing nobody properly warns you about. I rode in January with night temperatures of 12–15°C, which sounds manageable until you remember you’re outdoors, and have to factor in wind chill from a train moving at 50km/h. Even with four layers, thermals, a coat, and a blanket I was convinced I had frostbite in my toes by 3am. (I didn’t. But still.) If you’re riding between October and March, bring a windbreaker and a cold-weather sleeping bag (even an arctic one if you can find it). You will not find these in Mauritania so bring them from home. And your experience being better far outweighs the hassle of carrying them around.
What to pack specifically:
- Ski mask/goggles – essential for protecting your eyes from ore. I found one on Amazon that fits over glasses and it was genuinely the best thing I brought. Get one before you go – you won’t find them in Mauritania.
- Thermals – not available in Mauritanian markets, bring from home.
- Gloves and hat – same.
- Traditional blue scarf (~200 MRU / $5) – buy one in Atar. Locals wear these daily around their faces, heads and necks. It’s to protect from dust and sand, and they work brilliantly for ore. People in Atar will happily show you how to wrap it properly.
- Blanket (~500 MRU / $12.50) – buy in Atar. Soft, fluffy, and essential. In warmer months this plus layers may be enough. In winter it is not.
- Laundry bags or bin bags – to protect your backpack and day bag from ore. I bought giant reusable laundry bags in Atar market and this was, if I say so myself, an innovation. Several people in my group followed suit. I’m claiming fashionista status.
- Imodium – because the likelihood of your stomach being affected at some point on your Mauritania trip is high. And given there is nowhere to use the bathroom on the train, you do not want to be without medication during a stomach upset.
- Painkillers – hours in the sun waiting followed by a cold night gave me a solid headache. Panadol was a lifesaver.
- Snacks and water – you’re unlikely to really want them, but to be safe. Buy in Atar. There is nowhere in Choum.
Boarding the train
You get no warning. The train announces itself as a low rumbling that gradually intensifies – we heard it about two minutes before we saw it. When it arrives, there’s a rush. You have to climb up yourself and lift your own bags, nobody helps. The train stops for around 15–20 minutes, so you don’t need to panic, but the faster you board the more time you have to arrange your space before the train starts moving. Decent tour companies will lend you a shovel to flatten the ore so you can lie on it. Ours did not do this. We ended up laying on a slope, which wasn’t the best.
Cart strategy matters more than you’d think. Position yourself near the front of the train so you’re not getting ore blown from loads of carts in front. Your tour guide or the locals who come out to watch the train will know roughly where the front stops, and you can wait there. Put your bags at the end of the cart facing the engine, not the trailing end, otherwise they’ll be in the corner of every sunrise photo. We did not do this… We had to rearrange the cart at 4am while moving at full speed with numb fingers. If you’re in a group spread across multiple carts, the back cart gets the cleanest sunrise shots, with nobody behind them, unobstructed views etc. And choose carts away from other groups if possible. Other people’s heads ruin photos.
On the train
Keep your essentials – phone, water, painkillers, sunglasses – in a small bag next to you rather than buried in your pack. My phone froze and started malfunctioning when I checked it in the middle of the night; I ended up tucking it inside the blanket with me to warm it up. Skin-on-skin contact, like a baby.
Avoid sleeping right up against the cart walls too. They get extremely cold overnight. If you don’t have a shovel to flatten the ore, try and use your feet to level the surface as best you can (RIP your shoes, but worth it).
You probably won’t be hungry or thirsty, the adrenaline takes care of that. But force yourself to drink a small amount of water. Twelve hours is a long time, and once the sun comes up properly from around 9am it gets hot fast. Save drinking until the second half of the ride, to limit the bathroom trips.
On the subject of bathrooms, obviously there isn’t one. Most people try not to go, but sometimes nature calls. If you really can’t hold it, you can squat down in the corner of the cart and go. Make sure you agree with your group which corner is the potty before you set off. Otherwise you might wake up to find your friends taking insta photos while standing in your pee.
Oh, and the most important advice for being on the train: look up at the stars. The train passes through some of the darkest skies on earth. I have never seen anything like it before or since.
The sunrise
When the sky starts shifting from dark purple to deep orange, and the sheer expansiveness of the desert rolls out in every direction. It is one of the most rewarding travel moments I have had. The kind you don’t really have words, and just bask in the wonder of how beautiful the world really is. You can’t fully photograph it in all its glory, so at least spend some time just admiring it with your own eyes.
And then – obviously take photos. They look iconic. You look iconic in them. Take more photos than you think you need too. With the train moving so quickly and you trying to balance on moving piles of ore, 90% of them will come out terribly.
Arriving in Nouadhibou
The train terminates in Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s second city on the Atlantic coast, arriving around 11am–12pm. It arrives in the middle of nowhere near the port so you’ll need to arrange a pickup from there. If travelling with a tour company, they’ll arrange this for you.
The first thing you’ll want to do is shower – budget 30–40 minutes for a first attempt at getting the ore off, and expect to need a second round later. Contact your hotel in advance and ask about early check-in; most will accommodate given the train schedule. Then, sleep. You won’t have slept much and you’ll need it before you explore the city.
Check out my guide for Nouadhibou here – designed for those with an afternoon after the train.
Practical tips summary
Board at Choum, not Zouérat unless you want 17+ hours outdoors with relentless winds.
Start your trip in Nouakchott and work your way through the country – it’s worth far more than just landing, driving to the train, and leaving.
Buy everything you need in Atar – blanket, headscarf, laundry bags, food. Nothing is available in Choum.
Bring ski goggles, gloves, and sleeping bags from home – you won’t find them in Mauritania.
Winter riders: a cold weather sleeping bag is non-negotiable.
Go to the bathroom before boarding. Repeatedly.
Position yourself near the front of the train for the best photos, and put your bags facing the engine so they don’t get in the way of said photos. Thank me later.
Oh and also. Look at the stars.
FAQ: Mauritania Iron Ore Train
How long is the Mauritania iron ore train ride? From Choum to Nouadhibou, around 12 hours. From Zouérat at the start of the line, 17+ hours.
When is the best time to ride the Mauritania iron ore train? Spring (March–May) or autumn (October) give the most comfortable temperatures. January is cold. Summer is extremely hot.
Is it safe to ride the iron ore train in Mauritania? It’s physically demanding rather than conventionally dangerous (unless you do something stupid like try to jump between carts. Do not do this). The risks are cold exposure, ore inhalation without protection, and the chaos of boarding in the dark. Take the right kit and you’ll be fine. Oh an also just watch your balance, do not fall off the train. That is obviously also a risk.
Do I need a tour to ride the iron ore train? Most people do it as part of an organised tour from Nouakchott, which handles transport to Choum and pickup in Nouadhibou. Independent travel is possible but requires way more planning.
What happens to your clothes after the iron ore train? Assume anything light-coloured is ruined. Wear your oldest darkest clothes and shoes you were planning to throw away anyway. Anything you do keep will need to be washed 2-3 times.
Is the iron ore train ride fun? Yes, even when you’re freezing cold. The thrill, seeing the stars in one of the darkest skies in the world, the beauty of the sunrise, and the accomplishment when you finally get to the other end. It’s unmatchable.
Also Worth Reading
Planning your wider Mauritania trip? These posts cover everything else you need.
Mauritania: A Complete Beginner’s Guide – visas, flights, SIM cards, money, and everything else you need before you arrive.
Visiting Nouakchott – an honest guide to Mauritania’s surprising capital, including the rooftop trick that gets you the best view in the city.
Chinguetti, Atar & the Adrar Region – ancient sand-buried cities, islamic manuscripts, and the geological wonder you can’t see from the ground.
Nouadhibou: How to Enjoy the End of the Ore Train – what to do, where to stay, and how to travel onwards.
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