10-Day Tunisia: Coast, Roman Interior, Sahara & Ksour

Two more days buys both ends of the country. In the north, Bizerte's old harbour and Tabarka's Genoese fort on its rock, with cork oak forests in between — a green, wet Tunisia most visitors never see. In the south, past Douz, you continue into ksour country: Tataouine's fortified granaries and Chenini stacked along its ridge.

Between them is everything the shorter circuits carry — Carthage, Dougga, Kairouan, Sbeitla, El Jem, the Chott crossing and a night at Ksar Ghilane. Ten days, one vehicle, no fixed pace. Accommodation each night is 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
• Bizerte Old Harbour — the oldest port in Tunisia, its fishing boats still moored under the kasbah walls
• Tabarka — a Genoese castle on a rock, cork forests behind and coral diving offshore
• Bulla Regia — a Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
• Dougga — the best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills
• Testour — founded by Andalusian exiles, its minaret carrying a clock that runs backwards
• Kairouan — Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
• Sbeitla — a Roman forum with three golden Capitoline temples standing side by side
• El Jem Amphitheatre — one of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
• Medina of Sousse — a walled Aghlabid port town whose ribat and great mosque still face the sea
• Tozeur — a desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs
• Nefta — a Sufi oasis town above the Corbeille, a bowl of palms below the houses
• 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
• Ksar Ghilane — a hot-spring oasis at the edge of the great dunes, reached where the tarmac gives out
• Tataouine — the town of fortified granaries that lent its name to the Star Wars desert planet
• Chenini — a Berber village stacked on a ridge, cave houses around a white hilltop mosque
• 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
   Bizerte Old Harbour The oldest port in Tunisia, its fishing boats still moored under the kasbah walls
6. Day 3
   Tabarka A Genoese castle on a rock, cork forests behind and coral diving offshore
7. Day 3
   Bulla Regia A Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
8. Day 4
   Dougga The best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills
9. Day 4
   Testour Founded by Andalusian exiles, its minaret carrying a clock that runs backwards
10. Day 5
    Kairouan Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
11. Day 5
    Sbeitla A Roman forum with three golden Capitoline temples standing side by side
12. Day 6
    El Jem Amphitheatre One of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
13. Day 6
    Medina of Sousse A walled Aghlabid port town whose ribat and great mosque still face the sea
14. Day 7
    Tozeur A desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs
15. Day 7
    Nefta A Sufi oasis town above the Corbeille, a bowl of palms below the houses
16. Day 8
    Chott el-Jerid A salt lake so flat and bright it produces mirages across the whole crossing
17. Day 8
    Douz & the Dunes The gateway to the Sahara, where the tarmac stops and the erg begins
18. Day 9
    Ksar Ghilane A hot-spring oasis at the edge of the great dunes, reached where the tarmac gives out
19. Day 9
    Tataouine The town of fortified granaries that lent its name to the Star Wars desert planet
20. Day 10
    Chenini A Berber village stacked on a ridge, cave houses around a white hilltop mosque
21. Day 10
    Matmata Berber pit dwellings carved into the earth, familiar from the Star Wars films
22. Day 10
    Return Drop-off at your hotel

Every stop on this tour, explained one by one →

Common questions

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

Bizerte Old Harbour

The oldest port in Tunisia, its fishing boats still moored under the kasbah walls

Bizerte

Tabarka

A Genoese castle on a rock, cork forests behind and coral diving offshore

Jendouba

Bulla Regia

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

Jendouba

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

Kairouan UNESCO

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

Kairouan

Sbeitla

A Roman forum with three golden Capitoline temples standing side by side

Kasserine

El Jem Amphitheatre UNESCO

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

Mahdia

Medina of Sousse UNESCO

A walled Aghlabid port town whose ribat and great mosque still face the sea

Sousse

Tozeur

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

Tozeur

Nefta

A Sufi oasis town above the Corbeille, a bowl of palms below the houses

Tozeur

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

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

Kébili

Ksar Ghilane

A hot-spring oasis at the edge of the great dunes, reached where the tarmac gives out

Kébili

Tataouine

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

Tataouine

Chenini

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

Tataouine

Matmata

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

Gabès