Northern Tunisia Discovery

Begin your Tunis sightseeing 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 among Tunisia’s most attractive villages.

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 displayed.

Leaving Tunis today, first stop at the ancient Phoenician and Carthaginian ruins of Utica before exploring Africa’s northernmost city, Bizerte. After a picnic-style lunch inside Ichkeul National Park, where the lake and wetlands are a renowned stopping-off point for thousands of migrating birds, your next stop is 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.

In a morning cookery class, you will learn to make ‘Borzguen, ‘ a local couscous speciality made with lamb and dried fruits. Enjoy the fruits of your labour as a delicious lunch. This afternoon, 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.

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 this afternoon will include the city’s attractive medina and souqs, the Mosque of the Three Doors and the Aghlabid pools. Enjoy a break at a local cafe to taste traditional Tunisian sweet pastries and tea.

Spend time at the Great Mosque of Okba, one of Kairouan’s most impressive sights, before heading east to Sousse, where you will have a walking tour through the city’s beguiling walled medina. Travel the short distance to Monastir, where you will see the imposing mausoleum of the first President of the Tunisian Republic, Habib Bourguiba, and the city’s very fine ribat (fortress) before checking in to your accommodation.

This morning, 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. Next, see the fine mosaics in El Djem’s museum before continuing to the attractive coastal town of Mahdia. Discover Mahdia’s relaxed whitewashed lanes and other attractions on foot and then return to Monastir later in the day.

Today will be dedicated to exploring the Cap Bon peninsula. First, visit the pottery-making town of Nabeul before continuing to Kelibia, which has some of the finest sandy beaches in the Mediterranean. Continue to Kerkouane, a wonderfully preserved archaeological site which dates back to Punic (Carthaginian) times. The final stop on today’s journey is Neferis Winery, where you will take a short tour and sample the wines. Head to the beautiful historic medina of Hammamet, located on the Cap Bon peninsula, where you will relax for two nights. Time permitting, there will be an orientation tour of Hammamet before checking into your hotel.

Enjoy a relaxing day at leisure by the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Optional day trips are possible.

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