Tunisia must count as one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world. The country is full of excellent historical attractions, and lays claim to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The ruins of Carthage, with a history dating back to 814 BC, are the most famous sight – but there are plenty more for visitors to discover, from the magnificent El Djem Amphitheatre to the famous collection of mosaics in the Bardo Museum, to the prime archaeological sites of Dougga and Bulla Regia.
Day 01 Arrive Tunis
Arrival to Tunis airport, welcome and assistance. Transfer to the hotel in Tunis capital. Check in at a resort hotel.
Check – In at hotel.
Day 02 Tunis – Carthage – Sousse (180 Kms / 2H 16M appx.)
After breakfast, visit of the world-famous Bardo Museum in Tunis, which has the finest collections of Roman mosaics in the world. There are also some interesting Early Christian mosaics which introduce the manner in which Christian art developed.
Next, we go for a short orientation tour by foot of the old Medina. Tunis is made up of two enclaves, the old town or Medina and the new town, built by the French as their administrative headquarters, a role it continues to fulfill today for modern Tunisia. The Medina was founded by the first Arab conquerors and it is full of monuments from both the Arab and Turkish periods, not least the Great Mosque built by the Aghlabid dynasty in the eighth century AD.
Free time and continuation to the site of ancient Carthage. Founded by Phoenician traders from the Levant as a trading depot en route to south-west Europe, it eventually became an independent and powerful entity in its own right.
This aroused Rome’s long-term enmity and there followed the famous Punic Wars which eventually saw Carthage’s total destruction. Subsequently re-founded by the Romans we will look over what remains of both cities. This will include the Byrsa Hill where Carthage was founded, c. 814 BC according to Roman sources; a site featuring the characteristic Tophet Graves of the Carthaginians and the Archaeological Park centered on the Antonine Baths. We’ll visit as well the Second World War American cemetery in Carthage.
Nearby is the very handsome coastal town of Sidi Bou Said, much loved by painters, where we will have a short walking tour.
Departure to the coastal town of Sousse. Check in at a resort hotel.
Day 03 Sousse–Kairouan–Gafsa–Tozeur (353 Kms / 5H 20M appx.)
After breakfast departure to Kairouan, a purely Arab city filled with outstanding examples of the finest Islamic architecture in Tunisia the Great Mosque of OKBA, the oldest place of worship in North Africa, and the mausoleum of Sidi Sahabi, a companion and a disciple of the Prophet Mohamed. We will see the impressive pools, built in the 9th century to collect and store winter rainwater. Then into the Medina (old town), the ancient market place encircled by 11th-century walls. Then a walking guided tour through workshops bakeries magnificent houses and religious monument Stop in Kairouan and panoramic visit to Islam Holy City. Continuation to Gafsa, Free time and departure to Tozeur.
On our arrival in Tozeur, it soon becomes quite clear that the main attraction of this desert city is its vast oasis. This oasis covers about ten square kilometers which has been planted with some 400,000 palms and is fed by 100 springs. We check in at the hotel in Tozeur.
We’ll have some time to relax then do some exploration of this very interesting and unique town. We will take a horse-drawn carriage into the oasis. We will learn about the date harvest and have the opportunity to sample some local dates or date wine “Legmi”, the medieval town with its distinctive desert architecture & decorative brickwork. Return to the hotel, Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 Tozeur–Chebika–Tamerza – Douz (236 Kms / 4H 25M appx.)
After brekafast, we will drive to the Mountain Oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides. Located amidst the rugged outcrop of the Atlas Mountains, not far from the Algerian frontier, these date back to Roman times, when they were military outposts to control the caravan trade. In Chebika, we take a walk to see the Berber village, waterfalls and the spring of the water, we continue to the picturesque village of Tamerza, with its spectacular sightseeing made famous in the film, The English Patient.
Return to Tozeur and drive across the Chott el Jerid, the Great Salt Lake, the barrier between the Sahara and fertile North. If we are lucky, we may see some mirages on the horizon. Arrival to the town of Douz called also the “Gateway of the Sahara”. Check in at the hotel and free afternoon. Here you have the opportunity (optional) to have a camel ride passing through deserted landscape and picturesque sand dunes, Ultra- light airplane or motor glider, Car cross or buggy trip in the Sahara.
Day 05 Douz–Matmata–Mahres–El Jem–Mahdia (418 Kms / 6H 47M appx.)
After breakfast, departure to Matmata of Star Wars notoriety, but more importantly, center of the most extensive number of traditional troglodyte pit homes in the region. The Berber people built these simple underground dwellings to escape the extremes of weather and any unwelcome invaders, to get a feel for troglodyte living. We will visit one of these dwelling caves, then visit the hotel Sidi Driss, where scenes from the Lars homestead in Star Wars were filmed. Then drive El Jem to visit the largest and most spectacular Roman amphitheatre in North Africa. Continue to the coastal town of Mahdia. Check in at a resort hotel.
Day 06 Mahdia–Sousse–Port El Kantaoui–Hammamet (162 Kms/3H appx.)
After breakfast, panoramic tour of the sea side of the fishing town of Mahdia. Drive to the coastal town of Sousse, Founded in the 9th century B.C, Sousse is the third city in Tunisia after Tunis and Sfax. Visit of the old Medina -a UNESCO World Heritage site. Continue the short distance to Port El Kantaoui, visit of the Marina and free time for lunch.
Drive to the coastal town of Hammamet. Check in at a resort hotel. Rest of the day at leisure for shopping or to relax in the resort hotel.
Day 07 Hammamet–Haouaria–Kerkouane–Hammamet (204 Kms/4H appx.)
After breakfast ,exploration day of the Cap Bon peninsular. In fact the region where life is based on farming, fishing and tourism, is known for being one of the richest parts of Tunisia.
The purpose is to see as many different aspects as possible by going to Kelibia: a typical fishing port since the Carthaginian era and the proof is the castle overlooking both the coast and the inland.
The other place is Kerkouane: a unique site, the only one that Romans did not use after destroying the city.
Everything remained the same and it became today the only site where the Carthaginian architecture, mosaics, private homes and market place can be seen.
On the same day and on the way back to the resort of Hammamet a stop at Nabeul, the Roman Neapolis, is a must as it’s the capital of the Cap Bon peninsular and the capital of the pottery work brought by the Ottomans since the 16th century.Back to the hotel in Hammamet.
Day 08 Hammamet – Tunis (70 Kms/ 1H 30M appx.) / Depart Tunis
Departure transfer to onwards destination.
| City | Nights | 5* Hotels |
| Tunis | 01 | Golden Tulip El Mechtel |
| Sousse | 01 | Riadh Palm Sousse |
| Tozeur | 01 | Ksar Rouge |
| Douz | 01 | Hotel Sun Palm |
| Mahdia | 01 | EL Mouradi Cap |
| Hammamet | 02 | Vincci Nozha Beach |
- Accommodation as per the program.
- Meals as per the program.
- Entrance fees.
- Local English speaking guide.
- All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
- Horse carriage tour in the oasis of Tozeur
- All taxes.
Branding
– Logo branding on Vehicles.
– Color and logo branding Merchandise.
– Departure gifts with company’s branding.
- Personal Expenses.
- All Domestic and International Flights with airport taxes.
- Camera / Video Camera Fees.
- Medical Aid.
- Tips.
- Travel Insurance.
- Visa (If any).
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.