Tunisia Historic Tour

Arrive in Tunis and check in at hotel.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Tunis is the modern bustling capital of Tunisia, but it still retains its distinctive Arab flavour with a colourful Souk crammed with exotica from hubble bubble pipes to baklava. Our morning tour will take us on foot around the Medina with it's concentration of streets and souks in the heart of the old city. In the afternoon, we take local transport to visit the attractive town of Sidi Bou Said, where scarlet bougainvillaea cascades over the walls of the narrow streets, and colourful shops overflow with carpets, pottery and jewellery.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

We take a short drive to visit ancient Carthage. Founded around 1000 BC by the Phoenician Queen Dido, Carthage grew to be the most important and powerful trading centre on the Mediterranean and in the known world. The mighty fleet of hundreds of armed ships was an efficient deterrent against invaders for many centuries. Its geographical situation as the gateway to Africa (today only six hours by boat from Sicily), meant that it was a crucial strategic post which the Romans fought hard to attain. After the 3rd and final Punic war the Romans sacked Carthage in 146 BC, destroyed much of the old town and set about constructing the Pro-Consular capital of Africa from the debris. Today many of the ruins date from the Roman period but we'll also see the two ancient Punic harbours, once the very foundation of Carthaginian prosperity. We drive to Kairouan this afternoon, the holiest city in Tunisia which retains a strong spiritual feel. It is also the birthplace of great poets and doctors of religious law, echoing the traditional Islamic link between Art and Faith. In the afternoon we take a sightseeing tour through the Medina. The imposing archway through the walled ramparts leads us into the labyrinth of the medina and covered market. Here traditional crafts such as copper and silver engraving, carpet weaving and saddle making are carried out. This is a good place to stop for a coffee scented with rose water or try a local delicacy 'makroudh'. They are small wheat cakes soaked in honey and stuffed with dates.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we will visit the Great Mosque, the 4th holiest Islamic centre after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Originally constructed in the seventh century, the Mosque has a myriad of columns and arabesque bas-reliefs surrounding an immense marble courtyard. We also visit the Mosque of the Barber, richly decorated with exquisite patterns and carvings. Leaving Tunisia’s spiritual centre, we head for Sfax, her economic centre. En route we visit the magnificent amphitheatre in El Djem, second only to that of Rome, which looms unexpectedly out of the plains rich in olive groves. The olives were the wealth of the region and commercialisation of olive oil led to 'Thysdrus' becoming an important and prosperous trading centre for agricultural products. The huge amphitheatre, larger than those at Nimes and Arles, was constructed with stone from quarries over 30 kilometres away! Later we travel on to Tunisia's second city of Sfax. Sfax is certainly the wealthiest and most sophisticated city in the country. The great medina, with its impressive gateway and towering solid walls topped by jagged ramparts, hide a multitude of narrow alleyways leading to the mosque in the centre.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning is free for personal exploration in Sfax before we continue our journey across the desert to Matmata. This area is one of the most famous sites in Tunisia due to its ‘invisible village’ first recorded in the 4th century. Camouflaged by the sandy pockmarked landscape and situated within craters, you can find around 50 or so underground dwellings. Home to one of the oldest Berber tribes, many of the caves are still in use today. Circular pits with vertical walls have been dug out of the sandstone and a sunken courtyard created with tunnels cutting into the walls to form caves and rooms. This subterranean home is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We have the opportunity to experience this unique dwelling style in our 'cave hotel' this evening.

Overnight Basic Hotel (H) Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Situated close by is the tiny stone village of Tamezret, perched on a hill with the pink and blue mountain of Djebel Tabaga in the distance. We will visit this walled village before continuing through to the oasis town of Douz. We arrive in Zaafrane and travel out into the vastness of the Sahara on camels, the time honoured method of desert transport. After a short trek we return to Zaafrane and drive to the desert town of Douz where we will spend the night.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we cross the Chott-el-Jerid – the largest salt flats in the Sahara – where we may see mirages. We then continue on to Tozeur, the capital of the south. It is a busy market town and baskets made of palm fibres hang from every corner. During your free afternoon you may wish to visit as this is the place to pick up some exotic bargains but you must be sure to barter! Alternatively you may opt to visit the fascinating Dar Cherait Folklore Museum (if open) with displays of treasures from the Arab world and scenes of simple Tunisian life.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Today we have a free day to relax and soak up the atmosphere of Tozeur. In the morning there may be the possibility to take a ride on the Red Lizard train through the gorges of Selja (if it is operating). In the afternoon there is an optional walk round the palmerie. The palm grove here is the second biggest in the country with 200,000 trees spread over 10sq km.There is also the option to visit the set of the ‘Star Wars’ village by 4WD or alternatively take an excursion by 4WD to the Tamerza desert oasis.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

A long day’s drive as we travel through untouched Tunisia. We will doubtless see donkeys loaded with water from the public wells and small farms where cacti are grown for sisal. In winter it is not uncommon for a flurry of snow to be found on the high passes. We will visit the Roman ruins of Sbeitla, or 'Sufetla', reached through a huge triumphal arch built in 138AD while Antonius Pious was Emperor. All that is known about this town comes from its inscriptions in its walls and stones. The most impressive ruins are those of the Forum. The Forum is entirely surrounded by a well-preserved 70m x 67m wall and contained within are 3 temples dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. Ruins of the great baths, churches and two Byzantine fortresses can also be seen. The prosperity of the town was ensured by the production of olives, the staple diet of Rome's legions. Some of the ingenious olive presses can still be seen today, but its history still remains obscure. We continue on to Le Kef.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we visit Bulla Regia. This unusual Roman site is distinctive in that villas were built underground to avoid the searing heat. Colourful mosaics are found scattered through the site, their vivid colours having been well-preserved in the cool and shade. The afternoon is free to relax or take a sightseeing tour around Le Kef, (The Rock). The city clings to Jebel Dyr – the largest mountain in the region. From its Kasbah, a beautifully preserved monument constructed by Arabs and rebuilt by the Turks, are commanding views over the plains. Some scattered remains date back to the Roman period including those of large baths, cisterns, fortifications and Christian basilicas, as well as a few Arab monuments. It is worth visiting the museum where there is a well presented exhibition on the life of the nomadic tribes whose tents can be sometimes spotted in the surrounding plains.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

We leave for Tunis stopping en route at the magnificent Roman city of Dougga perched on a plateau surrounded by fertile land fed by abundant springs. The capitol, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva in 166 AD is arguably the most beautiful Roman monument in North Africa. We'll see the amphitheatre where the 'Comedie Francaise' regularly performs, the square of the twelve winds and even the town brothel! We will then return to Tunis and visit the Bardo museum, housed in an old palace. It is an excellent National museum brimming with treasures of Tunisian history dominated by the Punic, Roman and Christian periods. It is said to house one of the best collections of Roman/Byzantine mosaics. We will then spend our final night in Tunis.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast