7-Day Roman & Punic Tunisia: The Archaeology Circuit
Seven days across the Punic and Roman sites, from the Bardo’s mosaic halls to the amphitheatre at El Jem — with Kerkouane, the one Punic town Rome never built over, and Bulla Regia, where the villas were dug underground and the floors are still in place.
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Departure
Tunis
Group
up to 5 people
Sites
17
This is the archaeology, without the coach. The route runs north to south in the order the roads do: Carthage and the Bardo first, then the Cap Bon for Kerkouane and Neapolis, the north-west for Utica, Bulla Regia and the imperial marble quarry at Chemtou, then Dougga and Thuburbo Majus, the water temple at Zaghouan, Kairouan, Sbeitla and El Jem, and the walled port at Sousse on the way back.
Seven of the seventeen stops are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. What makes it different from a group tour of the same places is the clock: you arrive when the site opens rather than when a coach is ready, you stay at Dougga as long as Dougga deserves, and if the mosaics at Bulla Regia take an hour longer than the schedule says, they take an hour longer.
The price covers the vehicle and the driver for all seven days. Accommodation, site entry and a licensed site 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
Bardo Museum — a beylical palace holding the richest collection of Roman mosaics in the world
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
Kerkouane — the only Punic town never rebuilt by Rome — its streets and pink bathtubs are Carthaginian
Nabeul — Tunisia’s pottery town, with a Friday market and workshops open to visitors
Utica — older than Carthage and the city that outlived it — Punic tombs under Roman mosaic floors
Bulla Regia — a Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
Chemtou — the imperial quarry whose yellow marble paved Rome, with the cut faces still standing
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
Thuburbo Majus — a capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them
Zaghouan Water Temple — the Roman nymphaeum that fed Carthage through a 132-kilometre aqueduct
Uthina — a Roman colony with an amphitheatre and cisterns, and almost no other visitors
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
The circuit, day by day
Day 1Pick-upFrom your hotel or the airport, at a time that suits you
Day 1Bardo MuseumA beylical palace holding the richest collection of Roman mosaics in the world
Day 1CarthageThe Punic capital Rome destroyed and rebuilt — baths, ports and villas above the sea
Day 1Sidi Bou SaïdA clifftop village of blue doors and whitewashed walls above the Gulf of Tunis
Day 2KerkouaneThe only Punic town never rebuilt by Rome — its streets and pink bathtubs are Carthaginian
Day 2NabeulTunisia’s pottery town, with a Friday market and workshops open to visitors
Day 3UticaOlder than Carthage and the city that outlived it — Punic tombs under Roman mosaic floors
Day 3Bulla RegiaA Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
Day 3ChemtouThe imperial quarry whose yellow marble paved Rome, with the cut faces still standing
Day 4DouggaThe best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, standing almost alone in the hills
Day 4TestourFounded by Andalusian exiles, its minaret carrying a clock that runs backwards
Day 5Thuburbo MajusA capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them
Day 5Zaghouan Water TempleThe Roman nymphaeum that fed Carthage through a 132-kilometre aqueduct
Day 5UthinaA Roman colony with an amphitheatre and cisterns, and almost no other visitors
Day 6KairouanIslam’s fourth holy city, built around the Great Mosque and its vast cisterns
Day 6SbeitlaA Roman forum with three golden Capitoline temples standing side by side
Day 7El Jem AmphitheatreOne of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
Day 7Medina of SousseA walled Aghlabid port town whose ribat and great mosque still face the sea
Day 7ReturnDrop-off at your hotel
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
Places on this trip
Bardo Museum
A beylical palace holding the richest collection of Roman mosaics in the world
Grand Tunis
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
Kerkouane UNESCO
The only Punic town never rebuilt by Rome — its streets and pink bathtubs are Carthaginian
Nabeul
Nabeul
Tunisia’s pottery town, with a Friday market and workshops open to visitors
Nabeul
Utica
Older than Carthage and the city that outlived it — Punic tombs under Roman mosaic floors
Bizerte
Bulla Regia
A Roman town that built its villas underground, mosaics still on the floors
Jendouba
Chemtou
The imperial quarry whose yellow marble paved Rome, with the cut faces still standing
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
Thuburbo Majus
A capitol and forum standing in open farmland, usually with nobody else in them
Zaghouan
Zaghouan Water Temple
The Roman nymphaeum that fed Carthage through a 132-kilometre aqueduct
Zaghouan
Uthina
A Roman colony with an amphitheatre and cisterns, and almost no other visitors
Ben Arous
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
One of the largest Roman amphitheatres ever built, and among the best preserved anywhere
Mahdia
Medina of Sousse UNESCO
A walled Aghlabid port town whose ribat and great mosque still face the sea
