THE ULTIMATE TUNISIA ITINERARY
15 Jun 2023 || TUNISIA
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Tunisia, sandwiched between the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean, is an enchanting land of contrasts. In the south, epic Sahara Desert landscapes stretch endlessly. Slow, sun-bleached island life beckons and ancient, fortified Berber villages dot the horizon. To the north, verdant, hilly farmland, scattered with sporadic Roman ruins, surround the metropolitan capital of Tunis. No matter where you visit, the energetic medina alleys buzz with souq vendors that rarely, if ever, see foreign tourists. Whether you’re in Tunisia to experience a little bit of north African Maghreb culture, explore a Star Wars filming location or chill on a beach, an adventure around Tunisia will not disappoint.
Tunisia is a distinctive nation that deserves so many more visitors than it receives. Offering up exciting opportunities for independent travellers, whether road tripping or backpacking on affordable public transport, it’s ideal for your next trip!
This Tunisia Itinerary will have you checking out the top sites across the country, regardless of your travel style. Whether on a strict budget or looking to splash out a little, both options result in a fantastic Tunisian holiday.
For a general introduction to travelling around Tunisia, including transport, money, accommodation, prices, sim cards, clothing, language, safety, Ramadan, seasons and more, check out our backpacking in Tunisia guide.
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Why Tunisia?
Tunisia is perceived by some as the little sibling of tourist-mecca Morocco; however, we consider this a little unfair. Tunisia absolutely holds its own; with eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and more Roman-Punic ruins than you can visit in one trip, it’s got the culture buff covered. The country also has dynamic medinas, just like Morocco, but without the touts, price-hikes, hassle and crowds. It also has some beautiful Mediterranean beaches with glistening turquoise oceans, surrounded by little cafes and fashionable bars.
In the south, it’s often about Star Wars for many, with a multitude of references and filming locations. For the rest, this region, in our opinion at least, is spectacular because of the ksars (ancient, fortified villages), often set dramatically high on cliffs, resulting in impressive views. There are more ksars that you can count in southern Tunisia – later, we’ll mention our favourites.
As you travel west, Tunisia starts to blend with the Sahara Desert; in fact, Douz is colloquially named ‘the gateway to the Sahara’. Make the journey across Chott El Jerid, the largest salt pan in the Sahara, arriving at the ancient town of Tozeur. This dense, hectic little place near the border with Algeria, surrounded by deserts and date palms, feels distinct from the rest of Tunisia.
In the far north west, a change in scenery will have you imagining you’re in the north of England! The region is packed with olive-green farmland, grazing sheep and some of the greatest archaeological sites in Tunisia.
We believe this Tunisia Itinerary can satisfy any range of interests. Included here are hiking opportunities, medinas, beaches, ruins, villages and things to do within the capital city, Tunis.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TUNISIA ITINERARY
Here are our personal top-eleven highlights in Tunisia to motivate you!
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El Jem – a spectacular Roman Amphitheatre to rival Rome, but with a fraction of the visitors.
Sousse Medina – iconic blue and white décor meets friendly residents, this was our favourite medina in Tunisia.
Djerbahood – world class street art in a traditional Djerba village.
Ain Darahim – English countryside on the northern Algerian border.
Bizerte – tourist-free, pretty port town with colourful buildings.
Dougga – set up on a hill with impressive views, these are the greatest (in our opinion) Roman ruins in Tunisia.
Kairouan – home to the oldest mosque in northern Africa and a centre for Arabic learning.
Mosque of the Seven Sleepers – a quirky mosque just outside Chenini, one of the many beautiful ksars in Tataouine.
Chott El Jerid – cruising the largest salt pan in the Sahara feels otherworldly.
Sidi Bou Said – although touristy, the beauty of this azure and white suburb of Tunis cannot be denied.
Zaghouan – a hikers mecca; the tallest mountain in eastern Tunisia and a challenging trek.
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GETTING AROUND ON THIS TUNISIA ITINERARY
This Tunisia itinerary has been written with both public transport and self-driving in mind.
Louages, or public minivan services, operate from every town and are fast. They do not get overpacked and are a very cost-effective way of navigating the country. Trains are another public transport option but apparently are uncomfortable and slow outside of Tunis. Public transport is ideal for travellers with a little more time, as it can be a little less flexible than driving. For more information, check out our guide to backpacking around Tunisia.
We found self-driving was the easiest and most time-conscious way to travel around Tunisia. The roads are decent, the drivers are fine and we found it to be pretty straightforward over all, even in Tunis. This option is better for people trying to fit more in their schedule or wanting more flexibility. Check out our driving in Tunisia guide when it’s been written (we’re writing it now!).
CAR HIRE FOR THIS TUNISIA ITINERARY
We always rent our vehicles all over the world, including this recent trip in Tunisia, with Discover Cars. They’re often the most affordable, plus they paid out immediately on an insurance claim we made when our car took some heavy damage in Sicily. We fully recommend them.
If you book through the link below, we make a small profit, at zero cost to you, which helps us write these posts with no advertising! We only endorse products and companies we *actually* use regularly.
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TAKE A LOOK → BOOK CAR RENTAL
TUNISIA ITINERARY MAP
Below is a saveable Google Map with all the places mentioned on this Tunisia itinerary. Cities are marked in purple, ruins are marked in red and other places of interest are in yellow.
TUNISIA ITINERARY
This itinerary can be stretched over three or even four weeks (or cut down to as little as two), depending on transport and energy levels. There are optional extras included for travellers with more time and notes where trips can be done quicker. We believe this to be the best Tunisia itinerary for first time visitors who want to see a little of everything the country has to offer.
Where we have accommodation or restaurant suggestions, we’ve mentioned them (only ones we have personal experience with and liked!). Any places with entry or parking fees are also noted.
If a destination is a bit more tricky or slow to reach with a louage (extremely rare), that is also noted. The distances between locations are for cars; louages may have more convoluted routes!
⋅ Tunis: 1-3 days ⋅
Most international visitors arrive by air into Tunis International Airport, or by ferry into Goulette Port. We arrived by ferry and left by air.
Spend a few days getting settled in and check out some of what Tunis has to offer, including the big-hitters Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, the UNESCO designated Tunis Medina and the Bardo Museum (if it is open). These activities and many more day trips are detailed in our Weekend in Tunis guide.
Number of Days: This would comfortably cover two full days unless you rush about a lot.
Accommodation suggestion: Dar El Jeld (for an incredible luxury stay with superb rooftop bar and restaurant).
⋅ Sousse – Monastir – Kairouan: 2-3 days ⋅
Although Sousse is a popular beach lover’s destination, we adored the town for its UNESCO designated medina. The walled old town of Sousse was one of our trip highlights and we recommend a stop in Sousse just for this alone.
Another valuable stop nearby is Kairouan, the fourth most holy city in Islam, with its famous Grand Mosque from 670 CE. It is also a fantastic place to pick up a Tunisian rug if you have shopping on your to-do list.
Monastir, just a little east of Sousse, is known for its Ribat (a small frontier fortification) and oceanfront promenade.
All these cities were particularly friendly. We felt at ease in all of them, with no touts or hassle anywhere. There is a little more information about these three towns in our Tunis guide.
Route: we would recommend choosing accommodation in either Sousse or Monastir (depending on your preferences), and spending an afternoon/evening at the Sousse Medina, a half-day wandering around Monastir and a half-day/day trip to Kairouan.
Number of days: if you are in a rush, drive to Sousse/Monastir, spending the afternoon/evening and an overnight stay, then drive to Kairouan the next morning and onto the next stop below.
Accommodation: for somewhere that feels a little less resorty, stay near the Sousse medina, or head out towards Monastir, where this classic Tunisian seafront town mixes with ancient architecture, resulting in a far more local vibe. Our recommendation: Dar Lekbira Boutique Hotel (Sousse Medina area – medium budget, no immediate parking, but free parking directly outside the medina).
⋅ El Jem – Sfax: 1 day ⋅
El Jem is an itinerary highlight for most visitors to Tunisia. It’s an imposing Roman Amphitheatre (entry fee 8 TND) set in the centre of the town of El Jem, an hour drive south of Sousse. Spend the morning and grab some amazing croissants from the local bakery (we found the best ones here!).
Next, head south to Sfax to check out the medina. We didn’t love the vibes in Sfax as much as Sousse (the drivers have anger management issues there it seems), however the medina is still world class and worth a visit. Settle in for the night near the medina.
Accommodation: Borj Dhiafa (we didn’t stay here but heard so many good things about it from others we know who did).
⋅ Djerba: 3-4 days ⋅
Djerba is a place where you could choose to shorten or extend your stay. Some might hang around for the beaches (depending on the season – summer is packed with sunworshippers in Djerba). Others might just stay for enough time to see the exquisite village of Erriadh, where the Djerbahood project is, visit the famous El Ghriba synagogue, take a wander along the coast , spot flamingos or explore an abandoned hotel.
Number of days: we travel slow and spent five days on the island of Djerba. During this time (it was April so not exactly beach weather), we did everything listed above and just had a rest! Djerba is also known for quad biking, horseback riding and water sports if any of these are your cup of tea. You could easily spend just two days, have a look around and move on if you’re pressed for time though.
Accommodation: Dar Lola (super friendly, really central, right in the middle of the old town in Houmk Souq).
