8-Day Tunisia: Roman Cities, Medinas & the Sahara

The six-day circuit takes the famous Roman sites. This one takes the ones archaeologists prefer: Bulla Regia, where the villas were built underground to escape the heat and the mosaics are still on the floors; Thuburbo Majus, a full forum in a field with usually nobody else in it; and Sbeitla's three capitol temples standing side by side.

It also gains the sea at Sousse and a night at Ksar Ghilane, where the hot spring runs at the edge of the dunes. Eight days is where a Tunisia circuit stops feeling like a highlights reel. Hotels and the desert camp 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
• 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
• Thuburbo Majus — a capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them
• 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
• 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
• 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
   Bulla Regia A Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
6. Day 3
   Dougga The best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills
7. Day 3
   Thuburbo Majus A capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them
8. Day 4
   Kairouan Islam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
9. Day 4
   Sbeitla A Roman forum with three golden Capitoline temples standing side by side
10. Day 5
    El Jem Amphitheatre One of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
11. Day 5
    Medina of Sousse A walled Aghlabid port town whose ribat and great mosque still face the sea
12. Day 6
    Tozeur A desert oasis of patterned brickwork, its palm grove fed by hundreds of springs
13. Day 6
    Chott el-Jerid A salt lake so flat and bright it produces mirages across the whole crossing
14. Day 7
    Douz & the Dunes The gateway to the Sahara, where the tarmac stops and the erg begins
15. Day 7
    Ksar Ghilane A hot-spring oasis at the edge of the great dunes, reached where the tarmac gives out
16. Day 8
    Matmata Berber pit dwellings carved into the earth, familiar from the Star Wars films
17. Day 8
    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

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

Thuburbo Majus

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

Zaghouan

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

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

Matmata

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

Gabès