What to do in Tunisia?

Are you looking to travel to North Africa and have chosen to visit Tunisia? You won't regret it! This country, much smaller than its neighbors, is filled with historical sites and beautiful places, and you can also discover an amazing culture. If you're still unsure about what to do in Tunisia, this article will guide you through the most beautiful discoveries and must-see visits in the country

Tunisia is a popular tourist destination for a good reason! Its favorable climate and particularly pleasant living conditions are enough to inspire a journey to explore this country, but many other surprises await you

Tunisia is a country that fascinates with the richness of its culture, influenced for over two millennia by Arabs, Romans, Berbers, French, and many other peoples. Between visiting the main cities, discovering ancient ruins, and exploring the Sahara Desert, you will find a variety of activities to enjoy.

If you love nature, you will find landscapes of great variety and have the opportunity to relax and enjoy the beach, as well as hike through mountains, the desert, and lush plains. You will also have the chance to discover an incredible historical heritage, consisting of monuments and major archaeological sites such as Dougga and Carthage. The only thing I recommend is to book your activities and visits in advance to avoid disappointment once you're there!

The capital of the country, Tunis, is a magnificent city located in the heart of a rich region where you can discover many important places.

Perched on a hill along the shores of Lake Tunis near the Mediterranean coast, this modern and traditional city features a superb medina that dates back to the Ottoman Empire.

You'll find typical souks and grand buildings and monuments such as the Zitouna Mosque, also known as the Olive Mosque, the Sidi Mahrez Mosque, the Dar Hussein Palace, as well as mausoleums, madrasas, and the Bab el Bhar Gate, the main entrance to the medina from the New Town of Tunis.

The New Town, which developed during the colonial era, also includes many sites of interest such as La Goulette (the Port of Tunis), the St. Vincent de Paul Cathedral, and the Clock Tower at the January 14, 2011 square, nicknamed >.

In Tunis, there are also some major museums such as the MACAM Tunis (the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) and the Bardo National Museum, housed in a magnificent palace and which is the second most important museum in Africa, after the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Carthage is a city located just a few kilometers from Tunis, which played a very important role during antiquity. As a strategic crossroads of the Mediterranean, this city founded nearly a millennium BCE prospered to the extent that it became a threat to the Roman Empire, leading to its destruction during the Punic Wars in the 3rd century BCE.

Today, Carthage is a must-visit tourist city in the Tunis region, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, where several archaeological sites still testify to its magnificent past. Notably, you can discover the ancient Roman baths, the amphitheater, the Punic quarter, the ruins of the old aqueduct, and many remains of ancient houses.

Carthage also hosts other points of interest like the National Museum of Carthage, dedicated to the fascinating history of the city, and the Oceanographic Museum of Carthage, home to many marine species.

Sidi Bou Saïd is a coastal village, sometimes considered a neighborhood in its own right in Tunis, located just steps from famous Carthage. It is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its gentle lifestyle, typically Mediterranean architecture with its whitewashed houses and blue doors, along with the beauty of the coast and the Gulf of Tunis, attract thousands of tourists each year.

You can discover some stunning spots like the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace, and enjoy spectacular views from the heights of Sidi Bou Saïd, especially at the Ras Qatarjama viewpoint and the Sidi Chabaan viewpoint.

Very touristy, the village also features cafes, restaurants, and hotels that overlook the sea

One of the most immersive activities you can do during your trip to Tunisia is, of course, to explore the desert. A part of the Sahara Desert (more precisely, a portion of the Grand Erg Oriental) extends into Tunisia over approximately 400 km long and 150 km wide.

Many organizers offer excursions into the Tunisian desert, allowing you to immerse yourself in beautiful landscapes and discover a surprisingly rich fauna.

The oasis of Douz, located in the south of the country, is the main access point to the Sahara Desert in Tunisia. It is probably from this charming little town that you will embark on a desert safari in Tunisia, where you can engage in numerous activities: camel rides, visits to troglodyte villages and archaeological sites, quad outings, and nights in a Bedouin camp under the stars... You can also head into the Tunisian desert from Tunis or Djerba A unique experience that I highly recommend booking in advance!

Tozeur is the most iconic oasis in the Tunisian desert, highly valued for its stunning palm grove. This city, existing since antiquity, reached its peak during the Middle Ages when it was a major commercial hub. Today, Tozeur is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the country, serving as another gateway to the Sahara alongside the oasis of Douz. Quad or buggy rides, camel trekking, nights in the desert... many activities originate from here, and the city also hosts several points of interest like a beautiful medina, traditional souks, and the Dar Cheraït Museum.

The palm grove of Tozeur, or Touareg palm grove, extends around the city. It is the most important date-producing area in Tunisia. You can discover very beautiful lush gardens, the Sahara Zoo, and several viewpoints offering breathtaking views of the city and the desert.

Chott El Djérid is a vast salt lake located between Kébili and Tozeur, forming the natural northern limit of the Tunisian desert. This incredible site is the largest salt flat in the Maghreb. It stretches between the desert and mountains for nearly 300 km and about 5,000 km².

Here, the scenery formed by salt deposits and sand extending as far as the eye can see is breathtaking. They have even been immortalized in cinema as part of the Star Wars saga. It is here that scenes set on the planet Tatooine were filmed, which is named after the Tunisian town of Tataouine.

Chott El Djérid is typically explored on a 4x4 excursion from Tozeur or another nearby site. Its visit is included in some desert safari packages in Tunisia.

Matmata is a fascinating troglodyte village, currently home to over 2,000 residents. This village, located between Douz and Médenine in a region of deep valleys, has all its houses excavated directly from the rock. Most dwellings are centered around a courtyard roughly ten meters in diameter, carved into the rocky soil of this stony desert.

For a long time, the village remained hidden, and its inhabitants lived in seclusion. Only since the second half of the 20th century has it become a very popular tourist site.

There is another essential troglodyte village in Tunisia: Chenini. It is located within the province of Tataouine at several hundred meters of altitude. Its houses are carved directly into the cliff, providing an unforgettable view of the valley. Atop this cliff lies the Chenini ksar, dating back to the 12th century, one of the most visited fortified villages in the region.

Dougga (or Thugga) is located about 100 km from Tunis, near Téboursouk. This archaeological site is one of the most important and extensive in the country. Situated at an altitude of 600 meters in a beautiful green valley, it is home to an ancient Punic city.

Visitors can discover the remains of baths, a Roman forum, a theater, numerous residences, and several significant monuments such as the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Capitol of Dougga, the Libyan-Punic Mausoleum of Dougga, and the Temple of Juno Caelestis.

Hammamet is a city in northeastern Tunisia, greatly appreciated by tourists for its beautiful beaches and also its kasbah. It originated under the Roman Empire and gained importance during the Middle Ages, during which it became a fortified town. Having become the domain of a billionaire in the 1930s, it has since risen in prominence and is now one of the top destinations in the country. It notably features a picturesque medina with a souk and many shops, as well as a modern marina lined with hotels, restaurants, and even an amusement park.

The Hammamet Kasbah overlooks the medina; this massive fortress built in a typical Islamic military style was designed in the 9th century and protected the city from invaders for over a millennium. It houses the Dar-el-Bey, an ancient royal residence turned museum, and beautiful gardens featuring a wide variety of plants and flowers. From the ramparts of Hammamet's fortress, you can enjoy a memorable panoramic view.

Hammamet also includes several other points of interest such as the Great Mosque of Hammamet, erected in the 12th century, and the ruins of Pupput, one of the most important Roman necropolises in all of Africa.

Monastir is a very vibrant and modern city located on a peninsula near Hammamet in the east of the country. It is a popular destination for European tourists due to its atmosphere, beaches, and quality infrastructure.

With its typical medina, local markets and souks, mosques and monuments... the city has many surprises in store, but its most iconic site is undoubtedly the Ribat of Monastir. This immense Tunisian fortress was built at the end of the 8th century; it is the largest ribat in all of the Maghreb. Visiting it offers a deep dive into the history of the city and the region, providing beautiful views from the ramparts, and also discovering a very interesting Islamic arts museum inside that houses many relics.

Located about an hour's drive from Monastir, the El Jem amphitheater (or Coliseum of El Jem) is a historical monument classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, built in the 2nd century CE by the Romans.

Along with Carthage and Dougga, it is one of the largest archaeological sites in the country. With impressive dimensions (148 meters long, 124 meters wide, and 36 meters high) and a capacity of 36,000 spectators, it is the third-largest Roman amphitheater in the world, behind those in Rome and Capua.

Nearby is another must-visit site, the El Jem Archaeological Museum, the third most important archaeological museum in Tunisia, after the Bardo Museum and the Sousse Archaeological Museum.

Djerba is an iconic site in Tunisia, located in the southeast of the country. Nicknamed 'Djerba the Sweet,' this little slice of paradise is one of the most visited spots in Tunisia.

Djerba is the largest island off the northern coast of Africa. Entirely flat, it covers just over 500 km² and is home to around 160,000 residents. It's a very popular resort area, favored for its excellent sunshine and for its beautiful sandy beaches and transparent waters that stretch for miles.

In addition to offering everything you might desire during a beach holiday, Djerba is rich in cultural and historical attractions. You can discover Houmt-Souk and Midoun, timeless towns that host vibrant and colorful souks, as well as Djerbahood, a village that welcomes artists from all over the world, and many other points of interest like the El Ghriba synagogue and the Lalla Hadria Museum.

Oudna is a Roman archaeological site located in the Ben Arous governorate. The incredible remains that have been found here during excavations demonstrate the significance of the ancient city of Oudna in that era.

Visitors can view several religious buildings, including the capitol, composed of three temples dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, and is one of the largest Roman temples discovered in Africa. The 110-meter-wide amphitheater is impressive; it could accommodate more than 15,000 spectators and was partially carved directly into the ground at the foot of a hill. From its heights, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views over the plain and the ancient aqueduct.

The Oudna archaeological site also houses very well-preserved Roman baths, including rooms where one can still appreciate mosaics that decorate the pools, as well as many other treasures such as large richly decorated villas.

Kairouan is a city in eastern Tunisia, classified by UNESCO, and it is the first holy city of the Maghreb for Muslims. It is also known as the city of three hundred mosques, but it is especially known for the largest of them all, which is a destination not to be missed.

The Kairouan Mosque is the largest in the Maghreb. It is also called the Oqba Ibn Nafi Mosque, built in the 7th century, spreading over an area of 9,000 m². In addition to its incredible architecture, this wonder fascinates with the beauty and richness of its interior, with its pink marble columns and immense crystal chandeliers. This mosque has inspired many other mosques throughout the Maghreb, the Middle East, and southern Spain.

The city of Kairouan has some other beautiful surprises in store, such as its authentic souks, the Raqqada Museum of Islamic Art, the Bey's House (which houses the Museum of Oriental Carpets), and the Aghlabid Pools, which have served as a water reservoir for the city for over 1,000 years.

That's it for this article; I hope you now know what to do in Tunisia If you have any other ideas for outings and activities, feel free to leave a comment!