The Roman theatre of Dougga overlooking the plains
Circuit 6 × UNESCO 4.9★ 500+

7-Day Tunisia: Roman Cities, Sahara & Berber Ksour

Seven days from Carthage to the ksour: six Roman sites in the first three days, then the oases, the Star Wars sets, the Chott crossing, the dunes at Douz and the Berber villages, with El Jem on the way home.

Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Departure
Tunis
Group
up to 4 people
Transport
Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
Private
Yes — your group only, never shared
Sites
26
Accommodation
Quoted with your dates
Guide
Optional — licensed guide €60 per group
Best months
October to April
Driver speaks
French, English, Italian, German, Arabic
Larger groups
Minibus (9–20) or coach (21–50+), quoted on request
Main destinations
Carthage · Sidi Bou Saïd · Tunis Medina · Dougga · Testour · Bulla Regia · Thuburbo Majus · Zaghouan Water Temple

What is this tour?

7-Day Tunisia: Roman Cities, Sahara & Berber Ksour: 7 days / 6 nights from Tunis taking in 26 places, with a car and driver for your group only — from €1118 per vehicle for up to 4 travellers.

Three days of Roman Tunisia, then four in the south — and the contrast is the reason to take a week rather than three days.

The first half stays within a couple of hours of Tunis and covers six major classical sites: Carthage and the Tunis medina, Dougga and Bulla Regia in the western hills, then Thuburbo Majus, the water temple at Zaghouan and Uthina — three you will very likely have to yourself. Zaghouan is the one that ties it together: you see the spring and the temple that fed Carthage after standing in Carthage itself.

From day four the country changes. Kairouan, then Tozeur and the palm grove, Mos Espa still standing in the dunes at Ong Jemal, the mountain oases at Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, the causeway across the Chott el-Jerid, and the dunes at Douz. Day six is the ksour — Matmata's underground houses, the ridge villages at Chenini and Douiret, and the four storeys of grain cells at Ksar Ouled Soltane. El Jem on the way back north.

The price covers the vehicle and the driver for all seven days. Accommodation, site entry and a licensed guide where you want one are quoted with your dates — tell us how many of you there are and we come back with the whole figure before you commit to anything.

What you see

  • Carthage — the Punic capital Rome destroyed and rebuilt — baths, ports and villas above the sea
  • Sidi Bou Saïd — a clifftop village of blue doors and whitewashed walls above the Gulf of Tunis
  • Tunis Medina — a UNESCO-listed maze of souks, mosques and palaces, still trading as it has for centuries
  • Dougga — the best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills
  • Bulla Regia — a Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
  • Zaghouan Water Temple — the Roman nymphaeum that fed Carthage through a 132-kilometre aqueduct
  • Kairouan — Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
  • Tozeur — a desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs
  • Mos Espa & Ong Jemal — the Star Wars set still standing in open dunes, beside the camel-neck rock of Ong Jemal
  • Chott el-Jerid — a vast salt lake crossed on a causeway, its salt flats bright enough to throw mirages the whole way over
  • Chenini — a Berber village stacked on a ridge, cave houses around a white hilltop mosque
  • El Jem Amphitheatre — the Roman amphitheatre often called the Colosseum of Africa, among the best preserved anywhere

The circuit, day by day

  1. Day 1
    Pick-up From your hotel or the airport, at a time that suits you
  2. Day 1
    Carthage The Punic capital Rome destroyed and rebuilt — baths, ports and villas above the sea
  3. Day 1
    Sidi Bou Saïd A clifftop village of blue doors and whitewashed walls above the Gulf of Tunis
  4. Day 1
    Tunis Medina A UNESCO-listed maze of souks, mosques and palaces, still trading as it has for centuries
  5. Day 2
    Dougga The best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills
  6. Day 2
    Testour An Andalusian village of tiled minarets, built by Muslims expelled from Spain
  7. Day 2
    Bulla Regia Roman villas built underground against the heat, their mosaic floors still in place
  8. Day 3
    Thuburbo Majus A capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them
  9. Day 3
    Zaghouan Water Temple The Roman nymphaeum that fed Carthage through a 132-kilometre aqueduct
  10. Day 3
    Uthina A Roman colony with an amphitheatre and cisterns, and almost no other visitors
  11. Day 4
    Kairouan Islam's fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
  12. Day 4
    Lunch Free — you choose where and what, and the driver waits
  13. Day 4
    Tozeur The medina and the palm oasis, fed by hundreds of springs. A calèche ride through the grove is optional
  14. Day 4
    Ong Jemal & Mos Espa The Star Wars set still standing in open dunes, beside the camel-neck rock. Back to Tozeur for the night
  15. Day 5
    Chebika, Tamerza & Mides Three mountain oases and their gorges, by 4x4 — optional, as a half day or a full day
  16. Day 5
    Lunch in Tozeur Back in town between the gorges and the salt lake
  17. Day 5
    Chott el-Jerid A salt lake so flat and bright it produces mirages across the whole crossing
  18. Day 5
    Douz & the Dunes The medina, then the gateway to the Sahara where the tarmac stops. The night is at Camp Dunes Insolite
  19. Day 6
    Matmata The Sidi Driss set from Star Wars, and a Berber troglodyte house dug into the earth
  20. Day 6
    Toujane A stone village spilling down the mountainside on the road off the Matmata plateau
  21. Day 6
    Tataouine The town of fortified granaries that lent its name to the Star Wars desert planet
  22. Day 6
    Ghomrassen & Ksar Hdada Cave dwellings under the cliffs, then the vaulted granary used as the slave quarters in The Phantom Menace
  23. Day 6
    Chenini A Berber village stacked up a ridge around its white mosque
  24. Day 6
    Douiret A half-abandoned village on the next ridge. The night is in Douiret or at the Hôtel Dakyanus
  25. Day 6
    Ksar Ouled Soltane The best-preserved ksar in the south, its ghorfas stacked four storeys around two courtyards
  26. Day 7
    El Jem The Roman amphitheatre often called the Colosseum of Africa, on the road home
  27. Day 7
    Return Drop-off at your hotel

Every stop on this tour, explained one by one →

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle, your group only
  • Driver speaking French, English, Italian, German and Arabic
  • Fuel, tolls and parking
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Fixed price agreed up front, no deposit

Not included

  • Accommodation — quoted with your dates, not in the price above
  • Site entrance fees
  • Lunch and drinks
  • Licensed guide (optional)
  • Personal spending and tips

Who this tour suits

A good fit for

  • Travellers who would rather not share a coach with thirty strangers
  • Travellers with several days who want distance covered without driving
  • First trips to the Sahara: the drive south is long, and a driver makes it restful
  • Families and small groups up to 4 in one vehicle, at your own pace
  • Anyone who does not want to rent a car or drive in Tunisian traffic

Probably not for you if

  • You cannot manage uneven ground — ruins and medinas mean stone, steps and slopes
  • A desert camp is not a hotel: shared washrooms, no lift, no room service
  • Long drives tire you — some days cover 300 km or more between sites
  • You are looking for the cheapest seat on a shared bus rather than a private car

Best time to visit

Best months
October to April — warm days, cold clear nights, comfortable walking
Also good
May and September — hot but manageable with early starts
Hardest months
July and August — the deep south passes 40°C by midday

Desert nights are cold from November to February: bring a fleece even when the day was 25°C. Sandstorms are possible in spring and can close a piste for a day.

Common questions

Is this tour private?

Yes. The vehicle is yours alone — no other travellers are added, and there is no pick-up round of other hotels before the day starts. The price is for the vehicle, not per seat.

How much does it cost per person?

The price is €1118 for the whole vehicle, which carries up to 4 people. For a full group that works out at about €280 each; for two people it is half the total between you.

Where does it start?

Pick-up is from your hotel in Tunis, at the time you choose. Tell us where you are staying when you book and the driver comes to the door.

When is the best time of year for this trip?

October to April. This itinerary goes into the deep south, which regularly passes 45°C between May and September — the sites are still open, but the middle of the day becomes hard work.

Is accommodation included in the price?

No. The price covers the vehicle and the driver. Accommodation along the route is arranged for you and quoted with your dates — tell us how many of you there are and we come back with the whole figure before you commit.

Can you take a group of 10, 20 or 50?

Yes. Up to eight travel in one minivan; nine or ten in two vehicles with the same driver team; from eleven we put you in a minibus (up to 20) or a coach (up to 50, more on request), with a driver-guide who knows the sites. The price stays per vehicle and is quoted personally — send us the number and the date and you have the figure within the hour.

Places on this trip

Carthage
Carthage UNESCO

The Punic capital Rome destroyed and rebuilt — baths, ports and villas above the sea

Grand Tunis
Sidi Bou Saïd
Sidi Bou Saïd UNESCO

A clifftop village of blue doors and whitewashed walls above the Gulf of Tunis

Grand Tunis
Tunis Medina
Tunis Medina UNESCO

A UNESCO-listed maze of souks, mosques and palaces, still trading as it has for centuries

Grand Tunis
Dougga
Dougga UNESCO

The best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills

Béja
Testour

Founded by Andalusian exiles, its minaret carrying a clock that runs backwards

Béja
Bulla Regia

A Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors

Jendouba
Thuburbo Majus
Thuburbo Majus

A capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them

Zaghouan
Zaghouan Water Temple
Zaghouan Water Temple

The Roman nymphaeum that fed Carthage through a 132-kilometre aqueduct

Zaghouan
Uthina
Uthina

A Roman colony with an amphitheatre and cisterns, and almost no other visitors

Ben Arous
Kairouan
Kairouan UNESCO

Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns

Kairouan
Tozeur
Tozeur

A desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs

Tozeur
Mos Espa & Ong Jemal
Mos Espa & Ong Jemal

The Star Wars set still standing in open dunes, beside the camel-neck rock of Ong Jemal

Tozeur
Chebika

A mountain oasis where a spring runs through a gorge above the salt flats

Tozeur
Tamerza Canyon

A deserted mountain village beside a canyon and a year-round waterfall

Tozeur
Mides Canyon

A sheer-walled gorge on the Algerian border, used more than once as a natural film set

Tozeur
Chott el-Jerid
Chott el-Jerid

A vast salt lake crossed on a causeway, its salt flats bright enough to throw mirages the whole way over

Tozeur
Douz & the Dunes
Douz & the Dunes

The gateway to the Sahara and its camel treks, where the tarmac stops and the erg begins

Kébili
Matmata
Matmata

Troglodyte Berber houses carved down into the earth, familiar from the Star Wars films

Gabès
Toujane

A stone village spilling down the mountainside above the Matmata plateau

Gabès
Tataouine
Tataouine

The town of fortified granaries that lent its name to the Star Wars desert planet

Tataouine
Ghomrassen

A town under cliffs honeycombed with cave dwellings, and the home of the ftair pastry

Tataouine
Ksar Hdada

A fortified granary of vaulted cells, used as the slave quarters in The Phantom Menace

Tataouine
Chenini
Chenini

A Berber village stacked on a ridge, cave houses around a white hilltop mosque

Tataouine
Douiret

A half-abandoned Berber village on a ridge, its white mosque above rows of cliff dwellings

Tataouine
Ksar Ouled Soltane
Ksar Ouled Soltane

Four storeys of vaulted grain cells around two courtyards, the best-kept ksar of all

Tataouine
El Jem Amphitheatre
El Jem Amphitheatre UNESCO

The Roman amphitheatre often called the Colosseum of Africa, among the best preserved anywhere

Mahdia

Who runs this tour

Operator
Private Tunisia
Based in
Hammamet, Tunisia — pick-up across the Tunis, Hammamet and Sousse areas
What we operate
Private tours, airport transfers and tailor-made circuits with our own drivers
Driver languages
Français, English, Italiano, Deutsch, العربية
Payment
No deposit and no card online — you pay the driver on the day, cash or card (card +4.7%)
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours before departure, from your own booking page
Contact
+216 27 555 330 · contact@privatetunisia.com

Two things worth reading before you book: Operator price · no commission — why direct costs less → No shopping stops, no surprise payments, you are the only pick-up — our nine promises →

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