Grand Tour of Tunisia

Begin your tour with a visit to the ruins of ancient Carthage. After lunch in an atmospheric restaurant specialising in Tunisian and Mediterranean cuisine, explore Sidi Bou Said, which is perched high above the cliffs overlooking the sea and is considered one of Tunisia’s most attractive villages.

Leaving Tunis today, first stop at Utica’s ancient Phoenician and Carthaginian ruins before exploring Africa’s northernmost city, Bizerte. Continue to Ichkeul National Park, where the lake and wetlands are a renowned stopping-off point for thousands of migrating birds. Lunch will be a choice of either a picnic lunch in the park or at a local restaurant in Bizerte. Your final stop will be the pottery-making village of Sejnane before driving to your accommodation in Tabarka.

Some of the greatest treasures of the Roman world lie inland from Tunis in what was the ancient province (and former kingdom) of Numidia. First, visit Bulla Regia, once the capital of the 2nd-century Numidian king Micipsa, and see the well-preserved Roman underground villas. Then, continue to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dougga and explore what are arguably the finest Roman ruins in Tunisia. Later, drive to dramatically-located El Kef.

This morning, explore little-visited El Kef, where sightseeing will include a stroll through the picturesque blue and white medina and the opportunity to take in the commanding views from the hilltop kasbah. You will also visit the mausoleum of Sidi Bou Makhlouf, the Jewish synagogue (from the outside), and the ruins of the Roman Baths. In the afternoon, drive to the gloriously situated Roman ruins at Maktar (ancient Mactaris). After time exploring the site, continue through the central region of Tunisia to Kairouan.

Revered as the fourth most important holy city in the Muslim world after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem, places visited today will include the city’s attractive medina and souqs, the Mosque of the Three Doors and Aghlabid pools. Enjoy a visit to a local cafe to taste traditional Tunisian sweet pastries and tea and spend time at the Great Mosque of Okba, one of Kairouan’s most impressive sights.

Begin the day by travelling east to Sousse where you will have a walking tour through the city’s beguiling walled medina. Then continue to Mahdia, an attractive coastal town where, once more, its relaxed whitewashed lanes and other attractions are best seen on foot. Returning inland, drive to El Djem to visit the magnificent Roman amphitheatre – a structure that is in a better state of preservation than the Colosseum in Rome. Sightseeing complete, journey to the city of Sfax where you will check into your accommodation for the night.

This morning, visit the Medina of Sfax and discover the largest fish market in Tunisia. Make a brief stop at the spice bazaar in Gabes before journeying inland to Matmata. Learn about the haouch hafera (sunken troglodytic houses), which were developed to combat the local climate extremes. Drive the short distance to the quiet hilltop Berber village of Tamezret, which will be your base for the next two nights.

Today’s excursion focuses on the magnificent countryside surrounding Tataouine. First, visit the Berber mountain village of Toujane, followed by a stop in Medenine to explore the town’s fortified granary, known as a ksar. Next, there will also be time to discover what is arguably the best example of Berber ghorfas (grain-storing vaults) in the region at Ksar Ouled Soltane. Continue to the deserted Berber villages of Douiret and Chenini. These atmospheric settlements both have stunning locations and are fascinating places to explore. Stop briefly at the completely abandoned village of Guermassa before visiting Ksar Hadada, another fine example of a ksar, before returning to Tamezret for the night.

Morning exploration of Tamezret before departing for the Sahara Desert. Enjoy a BBQ lunch in the desert before continuing to your comfortable tented camp in the Grand Erg Oriental, a field of sand dunes in the heart of the Sahara Desert. This evening, enjoy the remarkable beauty of this magnificent setting.

After a leisurely start and more time to appreciate the imposing desertscape, drive across Africa’s largest salt lake, the Chott el Djerid, to Tozeur.

Tozeur was once one of the great desert gateways to Sub-Saharan Africa and retains a unique charm. Start today with an interesting walk through the narrow alleyways of Tozeur’s old Ouled Hadef quarter before exploring the town’s expansive oasis, which is best seen on a relaxing horse and cart ride. Later today, journey across the desert sands to watch the sunset over the dunes. En route, pass Ong Jemel (an enormous rock resembling a camel), fossilised dunes, and a virtually intact film set used in two Star Wars movies.

The day is at leisure until your afternoon/evening flight back to Tunis. This morning, there is the opportunity to take a cooking class (supplement applies). Learn how to make traditional Tunisian and Berber dishes before sitting down to enjoy the end results over lunch. On arrival back in Tunis, you will be met by a Corinthian Travel representative and transferred to your hotel near Carthage.

Explore the modern French-era part of Tunis before moving onto the thronging souqs and grand monuments inside the city’s walled medina for an immersion into North Africa. After lunch in a beautiful old mansion, visit the famed Bardo Museum, where a world-class collection of brilliantly executed Roman mosaics and sculptures is on display.

A private transfer will take you from your hotel to Tunis International Airport, where you will check in for your onward flight.