6-Day Grand Tour of Tunisia: North to Sahara

This is the country in one journey rather than a series of day trips out of one hotel. You start on the coast at Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd, cut inland through Dougga's hillside forum, sleep at Kairouan, stand in the El Jem arena, then keep going south until the farmland stops and the Chott el Jerid begins.

Six days is the shortest circuit that reaches the Sahara without the whole trip becoming driving. The car is yours throughout, so mornings start when you decide and a place that holds you gets the extra hour. Hotels along the route are confirmed with your dates when you book.

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
• Kairouan — Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
• El Jem Amphitheatre — one of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
• Tozeur — a desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs
• Chott el-Jerid — a salt lake so flat and bright it produces mirages across the whole crossing
• Douz & the Dunes — the gateway to the Sahara, where the tarmac stops and the erg begins
• Matmata — Berber pit dwellings carved into the earth, familiar from the Star Wars films

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 2 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 3 Kairouan Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
7. Day 4 El Jem Amphitheatre One of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
8. Day 4 Tozeur A desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs
9. Day 5 Chott el-Jerid A salt lake so flat and bright it produces mirages across the whole crossing
10. Day 5 Douz & the Dunes The gateway to the Sahara, where the tarmac stops and the erg begins
11. Day 6 Matmata Berber pit dwellings carved into the earth, familiar from the Star Wars films
12. Day 6 Return Drop-off at your hotel

Places on this trip

Carthage UNESCO

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

Grand Tunis

Sidi Bou Saïd UNESCO

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

Grand Tunis

Tunis Medina UNESCO

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

Grand Tunis

Dougga UNESCO

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

Béja

Kairouan UNESCO

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

Kairouan

El Jem Amphitheatre UNESCO

One of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere

Mahdia

Tozeur

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

Tozeur

Chott el-Jerid

A salt lake so flat and bright it produces mirages across the whole crossing

Tozeur

Douz & the Dunes

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

Kébili

Matmata

Berber pit dwellings carved into the earth, familiar from the Star Wars films

Gabès