# Tunisia Tunisia packs Carthage, Roman amphitheatres, Sahara oases and the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said into a short hop from Europe. Tunisia has ten UNESCO sites, from Carthage to Sidi Bou Said. See where to go, itineraries, costs and safety tips, then plan your route in the Guided app. Canonical: https://www.go-guided.com/en/destinations/tunisia # Tunisia # Tunisia travel guide: Everything you need to know before visiting Tunisia Sidi Bou Said, the blue-and-white hilltop village about 20 km from Tunis, became Tunisia's tenth UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2026. In one trip you can stand in the Punic ports of Carthage in the morning and, a few days later, sleep in a camp on the edge of the Sahara near Douz. More than 11 million visitors came in 2025, a record. It's also good value. On Numbeo's 2026 cost of living index Tunisia comes in slightly below Morocco and at about half the level of Italy, and a fricassé from a street stall costs around 1 TND. The Roman sites are on a scale few countries can match. History lovers get the most out of it, but it also works for a spring or autumn beach holiday or a first night in the desert. In this Tunisia travel guide we cover where to go, itineraries, where to stay, getting around, costs and practical tips for planning your trip. ## 5 reasons to visit Tunisia Tunisia has good beaches, but we think the history is the better reason to go. 1. Walk the Roman streets of Dougga and the Punic ports of Carthage, two of the country's ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 2. Climb the stands of El Jem's amphitheatre, built around 238 AD and still 36 metres high. 3. Watch the sun go down over the Gulf of Tunis from Sidi Bou Said, a short train ride from the capital. 4. Spend a night in a desert camp beyond Douz, then cross the salt flats of Chott el Djerid to Tozeur. 5. Eat brik and lablabi for a few dinars, with a spoonful of harissa on the side. ## Where to visit in Tunisia? Where should a first trip start? In the north, with Tunis and the ruins around it, then down the coast and, with time, into the desert. These are the 12 places we'd plan around. ### Lose a morning in the medina of Tunis The medina of Tunis grew up after 698 around the Zitouna Mosque, which was built in 732 and rebuilt in 864. UNESCO listed it in 1979, and the old city and kasbah hold about 700 monuments. Most mosques are closed to non-Muslims, and the Zitouna has a 5 TND ticket, so ask at the gate about access. Go early, because many souk stalls shut from mid-afternoon. For the full atmosphere, sleep inside the walls in a dar, a guesthouse in a restored family house. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0031", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "The minaret of the Zitouna Mosque in the medina of Tunis", "asset": { "_ref": "image-e6a1ca346118cc88d09b213152bf903065f296a2-2400x3597-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "dfH_S?yFT0tmyZtSWAo}OtMxn3ayXToJnhaxo#ofWXfP", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 0.6672226855713094, "height": 3597, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#5d4239", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 4.23, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#673a1f", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 4, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#af755c", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.51, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#aec5d4", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.05, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#f4cc84", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0, "title": "#000" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#af755c", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.51, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#bf744a", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.14, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "YSgKHQZ9Wq+nh2OHeIl3dlFgEgU2" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### See the mosaics at the Bardo National Museum The Bardo opened in 1888 inside a beylical palace and holds one of the world's great collections of Roman mosaics, along with treasure recovered from the Mahdia shipwreck. It reopened in 2023, though some rooms are still being renovated, and it's closed on Mondays. Entry is 30 TND, rising to 45 TND in January 2027. Buy the combined ticket with Carthage (45 TND, 70 TND from January 2027) and do the two on consecutive days. Metro line 4 gets you there in about 30 minutes. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0036", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "A Roman floor mosaic showing human figures", "asset": { "_ref": "image-b28b9cb83842947fb1894920afe490d44aba9215-2400x1200-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "MTG+aZRiS6%g%h_Nt7tRRjWA%hWBRPogV@", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 2, "height": 1200, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#433523", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.87, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#48310a", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.82, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#433523", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.87, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#b9c8d6", "foreground": "#000", "population": 4.78, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#d4c49c", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#8a7250", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.17, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#715631", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 4.22, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "YAgKDIJ2y5WfaZd6hng4cGIEOA==" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Ride the TGM between the ruins of Carthage By tradition, Phoenicians from Tyre founded Carthage in 814 BC under Queen Dido, or Elissa. Rome destroyed it in 146 BC, then rebuilt it as a Roman city, and what survives is scattered across a seaside suburb. One 20 TND ticket (30 TND from January 2027) covers about seven stops, among them the Antonine Baths, Byrsa Hill with the Carthage Museum, the Tophet and the Punic Ports. The TGM light railway from Tunis Marine stops at Carthage Hannibal, Byrsa and Salammbô for about 1 TND a ride. Hop between stations and finish at Sidi Bou Said, a few stops up the line. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0041", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Ancient ruins of Carthage beside the sea under a clear sky", "asset": { "_ref": "image-e46f02904a704db964389cc1738d8119df97a819-2400x1800-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "V^FaUqN1n%j[ayThRlf5azjuIAn$oej@aye-t6WUayfk", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.3333333333333333, "height": 1800, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2c565a", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.01, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#546520", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.08, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#85ccfb", "foreground": "#000", "population": 9, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c6b7aa", "foreground": "#000", "population": 2.04, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#85ccfb", "foreground": "#000", "population": 9, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#83975b", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.6, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2f84ef", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.1, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "aKYJTYyEd3dvd4hwiHd5bIVgWAiX" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Stay for sunset in Sidi Bou Said Sidi Bou Said was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 25 July 2026. The village grew up around the shrine of the Sufi saint Sidi Bou Said al-Baji, and a 1915 decree protected its look. Storms in January 2026 caused landslides, so tour buses and heavy vehicles are banned from the hilltop, though the village is open. Come by TGM train, not by car, since trains run every 10 to 20 minutes from Tunis. Arrive late in the afternoon for mint tea with pine nuts and a bambalouni doughnut, then ride one stop on to La Marsa for dinner. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0046", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "A blue studded door with potted plants in Sidi Bou Said", "asset": { "_ref": "image-342fac58b8ba39e7fbbeea9aa6f257409bc93a86-2400x3200-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "dVLzs*tR~8s:rqjs%gWB=pae5YkCbxWXRjf6tSoKs,WB", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 0.75, "height": 3200, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#485043", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.03, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#06579d", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 2.3, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#0892dc", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 9.81, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#e2d3bf", "foreground": "#000", "population": 7.31, "title": "#000" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#5cccfc", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#9e7358", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.11, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#0892dc", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 9.81, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "KfgJLQj5p4Z8uTeId4qYZ/eKf6/4" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Go early to Dougga's Roman town UNESCO calls Dougga, the ancient Thugga, the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa, and it's the site we'd hire a car for. Its 2nd-century theatre seats about 3,500, and the Capitol still stands on the slope. Dougga is about 110 km from Tunis, 1.5 to 2 hours by car. Without one, take a louage to Téboursouk and a taxi from there. There's very little shade, so arrive early. UNESCO added it to the list in 1997, and the ruins spread over about 75 hectares. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0051", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "A partly standing Roman temple among ruins on a hillside", "asset": { "_ref": "image-79561aa77264ee143e3694090ba889733b8ba7d8-2400x1600-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VMBE5x-okY%1jD1BIpogNHaxVWS6M{kCkY$HxWt4jtRk", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5, "height": 1600, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#47522c", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.67, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#044c8d", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.57, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#227bc0", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.54, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ccb496", "foreground": "#000", "population": 3.51, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ddc1a3", "foreground": "#000", "population": 1.44, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#a38660", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.31, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#227bc0", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.54, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "mbYFVY6vXKQhSpiAg1qaaHhwiAeH" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Mix beach days and Punic ruins in Hammamet and Cap Bon Hammamet pairs a 15th-century medina, inside 13th-century walls, with Yasmine Hammamet, a 277-hectare resort zone, and Enfidha-Hammamet airport is close by. Cap Bon, the peninsula beyond, is where we'd want a car. Kerkouane, listed by UNESCO in 1985, is the only Phoenicio-Punic city to survive, abandoned in about 250 BC. Kélibia has a fort and its own Muscat wine, and Nabeul is the pottery town that holds a harissa festival in October. Louages from Tunis take just over an hour. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0056", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Crenellated walls, a stone gateway and blue planters at the medina in Yasmine Hammamet", "asset": { "_ref": "image-54f4a9e47ae4cb1bb1434e9904bf2e4d689048b6-2400x1600-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VJE.ttDg%KWBt8tp?7E1bcWZyFMxxUW?NHE5xtjDWYt7", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5, "height": 1600, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#4c432a", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.8, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#1a3d6b", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.23, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#947f5e", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.97, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#b1bdc6", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.06, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#8496e4", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.03, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#947f5e", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.97, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#7c90c2", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 4.25, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "mxgKHYKgp5quhGdbeEZ5eY7Q8Scc" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Base yourself in Sousse, with Monastir up the line Sousse is the most practical base on the coast. Its medina has been on the UNESCO list since 1988, and the 8th-century Ribat, with a tower added in 821, gives you a view over the rooftops. Trains from Tunis take about 2 hours 15 minutes, Kairouan is under an hour away by louage and El Jem is 1 hour 15 minutes by train. The Métro du Sahel runs on to Monastir, whose Ribat of 796 appears in Life of Brian, and to Mahdia, the old Fatimid capital, where the beaches are quieter. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0061", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "The Ribat of Sousse under a blue sky", "asset": { "_ref": "image-23e177a4f9ffd3f01ea22007be4f28c9201a8e27-2400x1607-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VnJa$WkDRjkCWAX=oLjYkCjYyZofWXbIayM}Rjf,bIj]", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.4934660858742999, "height": 1607, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#67523d", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.5, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#5b381d", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 2.38, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ac8964", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 8.84, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#afc2d4", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.21, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#abcbf4", "foreground": "#000", "population": 8.24, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ac8964", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 8.84, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#b48b62", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 3.59, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "pRgKLYZnd2ePiGePh1eGm4eAcQgY" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Visit Kairouan's Great Mosque in the morning Uqba ibn Nafi founded Kairouan in about 670, and UNESCO listed the city in 1988. Its Great Mosque measures 126 by 75 metres, its minaret is among the oldest still standing in the Muslim world, and the minbar dates from 862. Non-Muslims can enter the courtyard only, from about 8am to 2pm and until noon on Fridays, so the morning is your window. A multi-site ticket costs 20 TND, rising to 30 TND in January 2027. Buy a box of makroudh, the local date pastry, before you leave. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0066", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "The Great Mosque of Kairouan and its square minaret", "asset": { "_ref": "image-3468e134b4ba9e1e04eaf1fc7ef638f49a415aff-2400x1800-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VTCR7{9bE2=VNHE=xtofayj]DOs*xUJrs--MRiV@WCjY", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.3333333333333333, "height": 1800, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2e445c", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.37, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#0d4f83", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.6, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2481c9", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 7.76, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#cdccaf", "foreground": "#000", "population": 2.01, "title": "#000" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#f6d28b", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.6, "title": "#000" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#a78752", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.33, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2481c9", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 7.76, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "XpYJRYoxaIa4iYiAiIhmmGaAZweI" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Climb the amphitheatre at El Jem El Jem's amphitheatre was begun around 238 AD and never finished, yet it still rises 36 metres and measures 148 by 122 metres. UNESCO calls it the largest colosseum in North Africa, and it held about 35,000 spectators. Monty Python used it for Life of Brian. Entry is 20 TND including the museum, rising to 30 TND in January 2027. It opens at 7.30am in winter and 7am in summer, and we'd be there at opening or late in the afternoon, after the tour coaches have gone. In July and August the El Jem Symphonic Music Festival holds concerts inside the arena. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0071", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Inside the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem", "asset": { "_ref": "image-cf6a387c784d826aa98b69dc2e8fa845804a545f-2400x1350-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "MMHn]I_2IUjYf5JEkXRjjYoI%%R:jEj?Rj", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.7777777777777777, "height": 1350, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUHBv/EACIQAAIBBAEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEESEFBhIUMRVBkf/EABcBAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwT/xAAZEQADAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIRITH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AHkd1yltcNFMxZRtXxo0n6g5G/7ijtIqkexnFbGLauDvZpVMx+QSE7iPtSM1nVW+ss5lbSJRdys87MSzE/dFU+84uxM7Hxo/yinkD//Z", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#3c3127", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 8.92, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#100906", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.73, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#3c3127", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 8.92, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#a2b9d4", "foreground": "#000", "population": 6.7, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#a2bae4", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.2, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#857a6d", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 8.73, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#8ca4d0", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.01, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "YhgKFIJPd3mGdnd/d5qIUoAoBQ==" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Pick Houmt Souk over the resort strip on Djerba At 514 km², Djerba is the largest island in North Africa, and it joined the UNESCO list in 2023. A causeway and the Jorf to Ajim car ferry link it to the mainland, and flights from Tunis take about an hour. Houmt Souk is the main town and our pick if you'd rather have markets and cafés than a hotel strip, while the beach resorts are in Midoun's zone touristique. In Erriadh, the Djerbahood project has covered the village walls with more than 250 murals since 2014, free to walk. El Ghriba, traditionally described as Africa's oldest synagogue, draws pilgrims every spring. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0076", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "White arches and blue doors in the courtyard of El Ghriba synagogue on Djerba", "asset": { "_ref": "image-9b89eee6a8e3e35106465129c035e00822c06bc2-2400x1600-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VOIhjV4oNEM{Rj01oM%MWCof~Vs.E1t7Rk9FMyxuogay", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5, "height": 1600, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQYA/8QAIRAAAgICAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAARBQYHEjEiUWH/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgP/xAAaEQACAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIRMQMS/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwASjBQgkaZnsquiQAdjWsRWQ1rvHPXtWnEkikaG9j6OX/Q3byhcpo9ixK354jLmPoHhaSiVY2Z0+Skn0cp9lWBRljZEWqSSTFmA2c2PSInm21HvNmHoUf/Z", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#3c5763", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.88, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#1e436b", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.42, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#1e436b", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.42, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#abbad6", "foreground": "#000", "population": 1.01, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#e8ac94", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#5c84ab", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.14, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#449cbc", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "5PcJDYJxdWiAeoiNhTeGibFgfob4" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Sleep in the dunes beyond Douz, stopping at Matmata Matmata is known for its troglodyte homes, dug down around courtyards 6 to 8 metres deep. One of them, Hotel Sidi Driss, was the interior of the Lars homestead in Star Wars. It's still a basic hotel, and a look round costs about 5 TND. We'd treat Matmata as a stop on the drive from Djerba, not a place to stay. Douz, about an hour and a quarter further on, is the gateway to the Sahara, and the reason to come is a night in a desert camp. Ksar Ghilane, a hot-spring oasis deeper in the dunes, is reached only on a guided 4x4 trip. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0081", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Camels resting on the sand in the Tunisian Sahara", "asset": { "_ref": "image-1938456f65d75c1801fa8a197996963f13724b92-2400x1600-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VkLp$_xYNHkCs.3?S4oekBbHPVS4oeoLR*K5xZR*WBoK", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5, "height": 1600, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#3a2b26", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 5.1, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#743e23", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 3.57, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#f2b078", "foreground": "#000", "population": 7.09, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#9cc9c0", "foreground": "#000", "population": 2.17, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#f2b078", "foreground": "#000", "population": 7.09, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ac8056", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#34d4d8", "foreground": "#000", "population": 5.27, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "ZhkGTZY7qGduiYhviSVcc3hwhQdH" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Cross Chott el Djerid at sunrise to Tozeur Douz to Tozeur is about 125 km, just under two hours, and most of the drive crosses Chott el Djerid, the largest salt pan in the Sahara, on a causeway. Go at sunrise for the colours and the mirages, and don't walk off the causeway onto the crust. Tozeur is a palm oasis known for Deglet Nour dates, harvested in autumn, and for Ouled el Hadef, its old brick quarter. The Mos Espa set from Star Wars still stands near Ong Jemel, weathered but free, and we'd only go with a local 4x4 driver. To get back to Tunis, fly (about 1 hour 10 minutes) or take the daily train if you have a full day to give it. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0086", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Two people walking across the wet salt flat of Chott el Djerid", "asset": { "_ref": "image-87d1e652438ac3eb3c93295e25267ea9289e10ca-2400x1600-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VbNm=;9FnhoeRjlVjtniafWBIqofoIWBkCflf6xaoLay", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5, "height": 1600, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGB//EACAQAAICAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAEQUSITEyQWH/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQP/xAAZEQACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIEERP/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/ANX4yTVRVsGMxqCzA+Tj3hXp2q0diqT0YbHYayBpTNISjfH8OUnHztFGAngD0BmasyHOrHdK7Z++uGJUtOygn3hl7MPBH//Z", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2b2623", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.16, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#2a4959", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#b8d0dd", "foreground": "#000", "population": 6.12, "title": "#000" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#a5bccd", "foreground": "#000", "population": 5.4, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#b8d0dd", "foreground": "#000", "population": 6.12, "title": "#000" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ac9483", "foreground": "#000", "population": 5.11, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#528cac", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "MggGHYaAZ3aNd3eGd3iYh4hwlgl3" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ## Tunisia itinerary ideas for your trip The week-long route stays in the north and on the Sahel coast, where trains and louages do most of the work. The two-week route adds a flight to Djerba and an overland run through Matmata and Douz to Tozeur. ### 5 to 7 day Tunisia itinerary **Day 1-2**: Tunis, with the medina in the morning and the Bardo in the afternoon. **Day 3**: Carthage by TGM, then sunset in Sidi Bou Said. **Day 4**: A day trip to Dougga by car or with a driver (drop this on a 5-day trip). **Day 5**: Train to Sousse for the medina and the Ribat. **Day 6**: Kairouan in the morning, Monastir in the evening. **Day 7**: El Jem at opening time, then the train back to Tunis or a flight home from Monastir. ### 10 to 14 day Tunisia itinerary **Day 1-3**: Tunis, the Bardo, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said. **Day 4**: Dougga. **Day 5**: Cap Bon for Kerkouane and Kélibia, then a night in Hammamet. **Day 6-7**: Sousse as a base for Kairouan, plus Monastir or Mahdia. **Day 8**: El Jem, then fly from Tunis to Djerba (or drive south). **Day 9-10**: Djerba, with Houmt Souk, Djerbahood, El Ghriba and Guellala. **Day 11**: Ferry from Ajim to Jorf, a stop in Matmata, then on to Douz. **Day 12**: Douz, a sunset camel ride and a night in a desert camp. **Day 13**: Cross Chott el Djerid at sunrise to Tozeur, then Mos Espa by 4x4. **Day 14**: The Tozeur oasis, then fly back to Tunis. Keep the desert days for October to April. You can build this route yourself, or move the days around, in the **Guided trip planner**.## Fun things to do in Tunisia A night in the Sahara is the one experience we'd put above everything else on this list. The concerts depend on your dates, since they happen in Roman venues in high summer. ### Spend a night in a desert camp near Douz Day trips miss the best part, which is the sunset from the edge of the dunes and the stars once the light goes. Most camps beyond Douz pair the night with a camel ride. Go between October and April, with warm layers for the cold winter nights. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0157", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "A campfire burning in the desert at night", "asset": { "_ref": "image-5b5c74c0e7327b4369df275a9dc618fbcc16fb96-2400x1597-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "V371NAbb00sl^k0gWA}@o#I:Ioofs.WARk=wayI=oLxD", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5028177833437695, "height": 1597, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAANABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUEBgf/xAAcEAABBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDBAURIRP/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQP/xAAaEQACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIRAyEx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDBcdW9CBpOshjfCkznXdSLA3TDbjMjPRm+t3pPs1nDNSMbazWOB48OJ4rJyXBxxpq2VeaLUhGkKJJYkc8klCWzOj//2Q==", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#493936", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.26, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#37170f", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.04, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#493936", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.26, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c1a394", "foreground": "#000", "population": 2.08, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#e2a596", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#6b6da5", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.04, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c85336", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "ywcKDYIHmHd2iXeFeJd3hieAdAJ4" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Catch a concert in a Roman theatre The Carthage International Festival takes over the city's Roman theatre every summer. Its 60th edition ran from 16 July to 19 August 2026, with tickets from 30 TND to 150 TND on teskerti.tn. El Jem does the same inside its amphitheatre, with the symphonic festival in July and August. ### Follow the Star Wars trail Much of what George Lucas filmed in southern Tunisia is still there. Start at Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata, then cross Chott el Djerid to the Mos Espa set and the Sidi Bouhlel canyon, nicknamed Star Wars Canyon. Djerba stood in for the exteriors of Mos Eisley. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0166", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Domed adobe buildings of a Star Wars film set in the southern Tunisian desert", "asset": { "_ref": "image-a8a036ab96abcb1af1df581a868ca4bb837f9f18-2400x1594-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VsNcpMTKV?oJWCGwxuaebHj@u5xYf+kCoKIpRiozofj@", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5056461731493098, "height": 1594, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#8d5a3e", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.85, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#712304", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.05, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#8d5a3e", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.85, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#bacedc", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.14, "title": "#000" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#fcc479", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.02, "title": "#000" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#99745c", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.4, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c45c10", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.01, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "7CgKPYxoeHerh4ifiDiVZYaAYgko" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Go to the Festival of the Sahara in Douz Every December, Douz fills up for camel and horse races and poetry. The 58th edition is scheduled for 19 to 22 December 2026, and it's the best reason we know to visit the desert in winter. ## When to go to Tunisia? When is the best time to go? For us it's May for the ruins, with mild days and the heat still to come, or late September to October, when the sea is still warm and the desert season is opening. Tozeur reaches 40 °C in July, which is too hot for the Sahara. Ramadan in 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 9 March, depending on the moon, and many cafés close by day. - **Spring (March to May)**: highs of 19 to 27 °C in Tunis and a green north, plus the last comfortable weeks for the desert, though the sea is still cool. - **Summer (June to August)**: 31 to 35 °C on the coast and 40 °C in Tozeur, with beach season and summer festivals, but July and August can bring heatwaves and local power or water cuts. - **Autumn (September to November)**: the sea stays warm into October and the date harvest starts in the oases, just as the desert season opens. - **Winter (December to February)**: highs of 16 to 18 °C in Tunis and the wettest months in the north, but the best time for the Sahara if you pack for cold nights.[grid: non-text section] ## Where to stay in Tunisia? We'd split a first trip between two or three bases rather than one resort, since the north and the south each need their own starting point. Hotels add a tourist tax of 4 TND a night at 2-star level, 8 TND at 3-star and 12 TND at 4 and 5-star, for guests aged 12 and over and for up to 10 nights. Rentals and campsites don't charge it. ### Tunis or La Marsa A medina dar puts the old city on your doorstep, and the centre around Avenue Habib Bourguiba is easiest for trains. We'd still pick La Marsa, or Gammarth just beyond it, on the TGM line, for the beaches and the restaurants. ### Sidi Bou Said The village has a handful of small boutique hotels. They cost more than Tunis, but after the day visitors leave, the lanes are yours. ### Sousse or Port El Kantaoui Choose a medina guesthouse in Sousse for walking to the sights, or a marina resort at Port El Kantaoui for the pool. Monastir airport is close. ### Djerba and the south On Djerba, restored funduks and guesthouses in Houmt Souk suit people who want town life, and Midoun's zone touristique has the beach resorts. In the south, stay in an oasis hotel in Tozeur and book a camp beyond Douz for at least one night. > **Guided tip: **Stay in La Marsa or Sidi Bou Said rather than central Tunis if you want evenings by the sea. From Sidi Bou Said the TGM gets you to the medina in about 30 minutes. ## Getting around when visiting Tunisia SNCFT trains run down the coast from Tunis as far as Gabès, and shared louages cover nearly everywhere the rails don't reach. Ferries from Marseille (Corsica Linea, CTN) and from the Italian ports of Genoa, Civitavecchia, Palermo and Salerno (GNV, Grimaldi, CTN) dock at La Goulette. From Tunis-Carthage airport, Transtu buses 35 and 635 go to Tunis Marine for about 1 TND, and a metered taxi costs about 15 TND to 20 TND, though touts will ask for more. ```json:object { "_key": "tn0228", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "Yellow taxis parked in a line at sunset", "asset": { "_ref": "image-ed9a79372d3a9ce60c08edd131d2c38c6bcb5752-2400x1597-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VvHeRa%MIUxaof~W%2NGt6j@x]ogWBayR*NeWVayWVRj", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5028177833437695, "height": 1597, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#354b5f", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.73, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#172c3c", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 4.84, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#354b5f", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 6.73, "title": "#fff" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c6b1b1", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.93, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#ecccb0", "foreground": "#000", "population": 3.79, "title": "#000" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#667e98", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 1.15, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#b4542e", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.01, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "GwgSFYI7iZefl3iKd3d3d3iflfZJ" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ``` ### Take the train along the coast Tunis to Sousse takes about 2 hours 15 minutes for about 7.6 TND in second class or 10.3 TND in first, and you buy tickets at the station. The Métro du Sahel branch serves Monastir and Mahdia, and other lines reach Bizerte and Tozeur. For Djerba, Tunisair flights from Tunis save you a long day on the road. Tozeur has flights too, but only a few days a week. ### Ride a louage between towns Louages are shared minibuses with about eight seats. They leave when they're full, and fares are fixed and paid at a booth in the station, not to the driver. In Tunis, southbound louages leave from Moncef Bey and Cap Bon ones from Bab Alioua. Tunis to Sousse costs 12 TND to 13 TND and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, faster than the train. SNTRI runs long-distance coaches too. ### Hire a car for Dougga and the south A small car costs about 80 TND to 120 TND a day, and petrol is about 2.5 TND a litre. Police checkpoints are common, so keep your licence and rental papers to hand, ideally with an International Driving Permit. Don't drive at night, and in the south sleep only in main towns or organised desert camps. ### Use metered taxis in Tunis Uber doesn't operate in Tunisia, and Bolt has been suspended since March 2025. Yellow taxis in Tunis use meters, with a 50% surcharge from about 9pm to 5am. Ride-hailing alternatives to Bolt include Yassir and inDrive. > **Guided tip: **Use trains or louages along the coast and louages inland. Only hire a car or driver for the day trips to Dougga and Cap Bon, and for the desert. ## Food and drinks you should try when visiting Tunisia What should you eat first? A fricassé from a street stall, a small fried roll stuffed with tuna, potato, egg, olives and harissa, for about 1 TND. Ojja, eggs in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce, is the other one to order whenever you see it. ### Brik Brik is thin malsouka pastry folded around an egg, often with tuna, capers and parsley, then fried. It costs about 2 TND to 4 TND at a snack bar. ### Lablabi Lablabi is chickpea broth ladled over stale bread, topped with harissa, cumin, olive oil and an egg. A bowl costs about 3 TND to 5 TND, and we rate it the best cheap meal in the country. ### Couscous and harissa Both are on UNESCO's intangible heritage lists. Couscous was listed in 2020 jointly with Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco, and on the coast it often comes with fish. Harissa got its own Tunisian listing in 2022. It's a paste of sun-dried chillies with garlic, coriander and salt. ### Makroudh and mint tea with pine nuts Makroudh is a semolina pastry filled with dates and soaked in honey or syrup, and Kairouan is famous for it. Have it with mint tea topped with pine nuts. ### Celtia beer and boukha Celtia is a lager brewed by SFBT since 1951. Boukha is a fig spirit of 36 to 40%, first made by the Tunisian Jewish community in the 1880s. Wine goes back a long way too. Mago of Carthage wrote about growing vines, and today the country has seven wine AOCs, mostly on Cap Bon, including the Muscat of Kélibia. ## Culture and local habits you'll notice when visiting Tunisia Arabic is the official language, but everyday speech is Tunisian Arabic, called Derja, and about half the population uses French. Most Tunisians are Sunni Muslim, and Djerba has an old Jewish community centred on El Ghriba. Greet people with your right hand and accept tea when it's offered. If you're invited home, bring a small gift rather than money and take your shoes off on carpets. Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites and in rural areas, and never walk in front of someone who's praying. Many traditional cafés are mostly men, with chicha on the terrace. Tip about 10% in cash in restaurants. We'd learn a few words of Derja before landing, starting with these. - **Aslema**: hello - **Yaishek**: thank you (choukran is understood too) - **Bslama**: goodbye - **Inshallah**: God willing ```json:object { "_key": "tn0290", "_type": "mainImage", "alt": "An outdoor café terrace with woven chairs under a yellow facade in Tunisia", "asset": { "_ref": "image-664687b050b5125855e53ab07e5c681a44c86118-2400x1593-jpg", "_type": "reference" }, "layout": "intrinsic", "markDefs": null, "metadata": { "_type": "sanity.imageMetadata", "blurHash": "VaMPswRk-nt6%1?FoLt6WCj[~Ut6IpWVM|xCofRlj[WC", "dimensions": { "_type": "sanity.imageDimensions", "aspectRatio": 1.5065913370998116, "height": 1593, "width": 2400 }, "hasAlpha": false, "isOpaque": true, "lqip": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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", "palette": { "_type": "sanity.imagePalette", "darkMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#5f6154", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 0.04, "title": "#fff" }, "darkVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#79541f", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 4.76, "title": "#fff" }, "dominant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#eccc8c", "foreground": "#000", "population": 16.06, "title": "#000" }, "lightMuted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c1ae7e", "foreground": "#000", "population": 0.82, "title": "#fff" }, "lightVibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#eccc8c", "foreground": "#000", "population": 16.06, "title": "#000" }, "muted": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#9a7f4f", "foreground": "#fff", "population": 7.85, "title": "#fff" }, "vibrant": { "_type": "sanity.imagePaletteSwatch", "background": "#c19956", "foreground": "#000", "population": 3.13, "title": "#fff" } }, "thumbHash": "IzoODYK2mHmLeIiPdYZ4ePmLjr/4" }, "objectFit": "fill" } ```[newsletterForm: non-text section] ## Costs of a holiday to Tunisia For a Mediterranean trip, Tunisia is cheap, and we think nowhere else on that sea gives you this much history for the money. Numbeo's 2026 cost of living index gives it 29.0, slightly under Morocco at 31.2 and about half Italy's 61.3. Spain (51.4) and Greece (53.3) sit in between, while Egypt is cheaper again at 21.5. In October 2026, €1 bought about 3.36 TND. What adds up is resort hotels in August and desert tours, and site tickets rise from January 2027.[grid: non-text section] ## Practical tips for visiting Tunisia Money catches most people out, because the dinar is a closed currency. The rest is easy to sort before you go. ### ✔ Check the entry rules for your passport Many nationalities, including the UK, most EU countries and the US, can visit Tunisia without a visa for up to 90 days, and there's no e-visa system. The UK asks that your passport is valid for your whole stay and stamped on arrival, and the US recommends six months' validity. Drones are banned without authorisation. Rules differ by nationality, so check the official UK entry requirements or the US State Department country page before you book. ### ✔ Don't take dinars in or out Importing or exporting dinars is illegal. Keep your exchange receipts (ATM slips don't count), because you'll need them to change money back, and do it before security at Tunis-Carthage airport. If you bring in more than 5,000 TND worth of foreign currency and want to take it home, declare it on arrival. ATMs charge a fixed fee of about 10 TND to 15 TND on foreign cards, so always choose to be charged in dinars. Hotels and supermarkets take cards, but louages and souks want cash. ### ✔ Know which areas to avoid Both the UK and the US advise against travel to the areas near the Algerian and Libyan borders, and the UK also advises against all but essential travel to Kasserine Governorate. The main tourist areas are outside these zones, but the UK says terrorist attacks are likely, and a state of emergency has been in place since 2015, so expect visible security. Avoid demonstrations, most common at weekends and on 14 January and 17 December in central Tunis. Watch for theft and confidence tricks. Harassment of women is reported, rising in summer. Same-sex relationships are illegal, and don't photograph police or military sites. Read the FCDO travel advice for Tunisia before you go. For emergencies dial 197 for police, 190 for an ambulance and 198 for the fire service, not 112. ### ✔ Dress for where you are Resort dress is fine at the hotel pool, but cover up in towns and at religious sites. In Ramadan, keep eating and drinking out of sight during the day. ### ✔ Pack the right plug and pick up a SIM Plugs are types C and E at 230 V. Ooredoo, Orange and Tunisie Telecom sell SIM cards at the airport, and you'll need your passport to buy one. ## Fun facts about Tunisia Our favourite piece of Tunisian trivia involves a desert town and a film set. - George Lucas named Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine after the town of Tataouine, and filmed Star Wars across southern Tunisia. - Hannibal led Carthage's armies over the Alps in 218 BC. - Harissa has its own UNESCO intangible heritage listing, added in 2022. - Cape Angela, near Bizerte, is often cited as the northernmost point of Africa. - Tunisia's National Dialogue Quartet won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. - The 1956 Code of Personal Status banned polygamy, and 13 August is still marked as National Women's Day. With ten days or more you can go from the harbours of Carthage to a camp in the dunes beyond Douz, and that's the trip we'd plan.Ready to map out your trip to Tunisia? We hope this Tunisia travel guide has given you a clear starting point for your trip. Stay tuned for more inspiration, itineraries and practical tips to help you shape your perfect holiday to Tunisia. And don't forget to check out our **Guided app**, where you can create your own trip or use trips shared by other travellers for free.## FAQS about visiting Tunisia ### How many days do you need in Tunisia? Five to seven days covers Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, plus Kairouan and El Jem from a base in Sousse. With 10 to 14 days you can add Cap Bon, Djerba and the Sahara around Douz and Tozeur. You can plan either version, and see how the travel days fit, in the **Guided app**.### What is the best part of Tunisia? The north is best for history, with Carthage and Dougga both within reach of Tunis. The Sahel coast has Kairouan and El Jem near the beaches, and the south has Djerba and the desert, best from October to April.### What is Tunisia known for? Tunisia is known for Carthage and its Roman ruins and for the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said. The Sahara oases where Star Wars was filmed, and harissa, come next.### Can you travel Tunisia without a car? Yes. Trains run along the coast and louages link almost every town. Domestic flights cover the long hop to Djerba and Tozeur, though a car or driver makes Dougga and the desert much easier.### Is Tunisia expensive? No. Tunisia scores 29.0 on Numbeo's 2026 cost of living index, slightly under Morocco and about half the level of Italy. Resort hotels in August cost more, and site tickets go up in January 2027.### Is Tunisia safe to visit? The main tourist areas are outside the restricted zones, but terrorism is the main concern. The US rates Tunisia Level 2 (exercise increased caution) and the UK says attacks are likely. Both governments advise against travel to the Algerian and Libyan border areas, and the UK adds Kasserine Governorate. Check their latest advice and avoid demonstrations.### Can you drink alcohol in Tunisia? Yes, in licensed restaurants and hotels and in some supermarkets. Look for Celtia beer and boukha, the fig spirit. It's harder to find during Ramadan and religious holidays, and public drunkenness is frowned upon.