UNESCO Sights of Tunisia

Day 1 Arrival Tunis

Upon arrival Tunis International Airport, you will be met by your private driver/guide and taken to your hotel for check-in. Depending on your time of arrival we will start to explore Tunis, or you can relax in your hotel. Overnight in Tunis

Day 2 Tunis medina – Brado museum

Today we start with visiting the fantastic Bardo museum that is located in one of Tunisia’s finest palaces. This museum has international fame for its splendid mosaics that were found in the Roman villas. The museum is divided into departments, rooms and galleries, which in chronological order are prehistory, and illustrating the various stages of Tunisia’s history. After you have seen all of the Bardo museum we head deep into the medina of Tunis that was founded by the Arabs in the 7^th century. It the largest medina in Tunisia, and holds more than 700 monuments including palaces, mosques, madrasses, and fountains. With maze of tunnels, and alleys dotted with mansions is a real pleasure to wander around. The architecture is specially designed for the climate, with narrow streets that are cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. Nowadays more than 15.000 people live here and make a living from trade in selling North African handcraft products such as carpets, wool, spices, coper and many more. Overnight in Tunis.

Day 3 Tunis – Carthage – Kerkouane – Sousse

Today we will drive from Tunis to Sousse, the third city of Tunisia, and along the way we will stop at Carthage and Kerkouane. Carthage is one of the best ancient roman cities in North Africa. You will take a dive into history and explore various highlights such as an amphitheatre, Phoenician Cemetery, Antonin’s Bath, Punic Harbors, the Carthage Museum and many more.  Kerkouane is an old Punic settlement in north-eastern Tunisia. This city was abandoned in the 3th century, and was never rebuilt, so that is very much worth seeing. It offers a unique insight of the Punic times. In ancient times it had around 300 houses, and 2000 inhabitants. Archaeological uncovered evidence of goldsmiths, glass making, and stone carving. Overnight in Sousse

Day 4 Sousse medina

The city of Sousse is located in the central-east of Tunisia, on the Gulf of Hammamet, and about 140 kilometres south of the capital Tunis.  After a good breakfast we will start to explore one of Tunisians finest medinas. It’s a popular tourist’s destination for foreigners, as it is with local Tunisians. It has a rich mix of historical heritage in a beautiful setting.The walls of the medina were built in 859AD on the foundations of Byzantines structure, and they stretch 2.25 km, and are 8m high. Some of the highlights are; the Great Mosque, the archeologically museum, the 11^th century Medina’s water supply came through Citterns, and the Zaouia Zakkak minaret, built in the 17^th century. Overnight in Sousse

Day 5 Sousse – El Jem – Free planning

In the morning we will drive to the stunning UNESCO colosseum of El Jem. This colosseum is the third largest in the Roman world. It was built between AD 230 and 238, and it could hold up to 35,000 spectators. It illustrates the grandeur and extent of the Rome Empire. Beside the Amphitheatre there is also e splendid Archaeological museum that displays splendid mosaics. There is also a roman village dating back from AD 170, called the house of Africa.  Next to the museum there is an entire old roman village street excavated.  There is also a visit planned to the WWII museum and visit the bunker of the German general Rommel. Overnight in Sousse.

Day 6 Sousse – Kairouan – Le Kef

After breakfast we will explore the city of Kairouan. It is considered to be the fourth holiest site in Islam, because of the presences of the great Mosque. It has been told that this is the oldest mosque in North Africa. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670, who makes this the first stronghold in the Maghreb. The city offers some splendid sights such as: The great mosque of Kairouan is known as The Sidi Okba mosque, after the founder of Kairouan. The first construction works are dating back to 670 CE. The zaouia of Sidi Abib el Ghariani is a very special woodcarving and stuccowork dating back from the 14^th century. Bir Barouta was built in 1676 surrounding the town well. The well supposed to be in connection with the well of Zem Zem in Mecca. The 18^th century media house from Maison du Gouverneur is nicely decorated with teak, marble, and cedar. Overnight in Le Kef

Day 7 Le Kef – Dougga – Bulla Regia – Tabarka

Our first stop of today is the ancient city of Dougga that covers an area of approximately 75 ha lies in the middle of the countryside. The ruins Dougga with all its components are a testimony to more than 17 centuries of history. It is truly an example illustrating different cultures such as; Numidian, Punic, Byzantine, Roman, and the Arabs.

The Numidians, that are the original establishers of the town, built the site on a hillside, with a very nice view overlooking the fields, and hills beyond. Second stop of today are the Underground Roman Villas of Bulla Regia. This is no UNESCO sight but definitely worth a visit. The villas where built by rich Roman grain and olive merchants to hide from the intense summer heat. It’s a very interesting and amazing place to visit. It has beautiful mosaics, and it shows how the rich Romans protected themselves against the sun.  Overnight in Tabarka

Day 8 Tabarka – Ichkeul National Park – Sidi Bou Said 

Today we will drive along the coast towards Ichkeul National Park. The UNESCO Ichkeul National Park lake and wetland are a major stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, such as ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingos. One’s North Africa stretched with great freshwater lakes, but now only the lake of Ichkeul still remains that covers about 8500 hectares. There are some magnificent views of the park from the visitors centre, a perfect place for bird watchers.  The best time to visit is the winter time. The park is backed by the mountain Jebel Ichkeul with a height more than 500 meters.

On our way to Tunis we will explore the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said. This enchantingly village is a distinctive mix of Andalusian, Ottoman, and of Spanish Muslims architecture. It’s a labyrinth of winding streets and secret places, where of steps lead to hidden gardens and wooden gates opening onto flower-filled courtyards. Next to the amazing architecture you will find souvenir shop, bakeries, café’s, and at the bottom of the cliff lies the beach with a yacht marina. Overnight in Tunis

Day 9 Tunis – Home

Depending on your departure time you can explore Tunis for the last shopping