Tunisia: Oases and Sahara

Begin your Tunis sightseeing by exploring the modern French-era part of the city before moving on to the thronging souqs and grand monuments inside its 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. Explore Sidi Bou Said, perched high above the cliffs overlooking the sea and considered among Tunisia’s most attractive villages.

Begin your afternoon sightseeing with a visit to El Ghriba synagogue and a walking tour of Djerba’s lively capital, Houmt Souk. Return to Erriadh for an orientation walk around the village. In 2014, Erriadh had a unique makeover thanks to a 2014 street art initiative known as Djerbahood, when a large percentage of the whitewashed walls were adorned with imaginative murals and other forms of eye-catching street art.

Leave Djerba island for the Berber village of Tamezret, with stops en route in the Tataouine region. First, pass through the crossroads town of Medenine to explore its traditional ksar (fortified granary). Continue to Ksar Ouled Soltane, where you will explore arguably the best example of Berber ghorfas (grain-storing vaults). Your next stops will be the atmospheric ruined Berber villages of Douiret and Chenini, both of which have stunning locations. Continue to Ksar Hadada, which is another fine example of a preserved fortified granary (ksar), before driving towards Matmata and the nearby Berber hamlet of Tamezret, your base for the next two nights.

Today will be a relaxing day discovering Tamezret, Matmata and the surrounding villages. This morning drive to Matmata, where you will see the haouch hafera (sunken troglodytic houses), which were developed to combat the local climate extremes. Sightseeing options this afternoon include visits to nearby Beni Zelten and Toujane, with the possibility of a hike in the surrounding hills.

Visit the Berber villages of Taoujout and Zeraoua, including the photogenic Marabout de Zraoua. Continue towards Douz in the Grand Erg Oriental in the Sahara Desert. En route, you will have a BBQ lunch under the shade of a tented canopy in the dunes. After a lunch break, continue to your comfortable tented camp in the Grand Erg Oriental, a field of sand dunes in the heart of the Sahara Desert. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the remarkable beauty of this magnificent setting.

This morning, drive to Tozeur across Africa’s largest salt lake, the Chott el Djerid.

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. Journey north across the desert sands to watch 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.

Transfer to Tozeur Airport for your return flight to Tunis International Airport. On arrival back in Tunis, you will be met by a Corinthian Travel representative and transferred to your hotel.

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