Tunisia · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Tunisia
These are the places worth your time in Tunisia, from the souks of Tunis and the cafés of Sidi Bou Said to the amphitheatre of El Jem, the holy city of Kairouan, the beaches of Djerba and the oases of Tozeur. Classics sit beside quiet corners few travellers ever see, so every kind of visitor finds something to love.
Places to Visit in Tunis
Things to Do
- Medina of Tunis (Medina)
A UNESCO listed old city of covered souks, mosques, palaces and courtyard houses. - Avenue Habib Bourguiba (Centre Ville)
A tree lined boulevard of cafés, the cathedral and the Municipal Theatre, made for an evening stroll.
Arts and Culture
- Zitouna Mosque (Medina)
The great mosque at the heart of the medina, founded in the eighth century, seen from its courtyard entrance. - Bardo National Museum (Le Bardo)
One of the world's great collections of Roman mosaics in a former beylical palace. - Dar Ben Abdallah Museum (Medina)
A restored eighteenth century mansion showing traditional Tunis family life. - Tourbet el Bey (Medina)
The domed mausoleum of the Husseinid beys, covered in tiles and carved plaster. - Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul (Centre Ville)
A grand Romano Byzantine style cathedral from the French era on the main avenue. - Municipal Theatre of Tunis (Centre Ville)
An Art Nouveau theatre that hosts concerts, plays and festival shows.
Shopping and Markets
- Souk el Attarine (Medina)
The old perfume sellers' souk beside the Zitouna Mosque, fragrant with essences and incense. - Marché Central (Centre Ville)
The city's main food market, piled with fish, olives, spices and harissa. - Souk ech Chaouachiya (Medina)
The souk where craftsmen still make the red felt chechia caps by hand.
Restaurants
- Dar El Jeld (Medina)
Refined Tunisian cooking served in a restored mansion near the Kasbah. - Fondouk El Attarine (Medina)
Tunisian dishes in a restored merchants' inn in the heart of the souks.
Cafés
- Café M'Rabet (Medina)
A historic café in the souks with carpets, tiled walls and mint tea. - Café de Paris (Avenue Habib Bourguiba)
A classic people watching terrace on the capital's main boulevard.
Events
- Carthage Film Festival (Centre Ville)
A celebrated festival of Arab and African cinema, held each autumn in Tunis cinemas.
Nature and Outdoors
- Belvedere Park (Belvedere)
The city's largest park, with shady paths, a small zoo and hilltop views. - Ichkeul National Park (Bizerte region)
A UNESCO listed lake and wetland where migrating birds gather in winter.
Stays
- Dar Ben Gacem (Medina)
A boutique guesthouse in a restored seventeenth century medina house. - Dar El Medina (Medina)
A guesthouse in a traditional house with a roof terrace over the souks.
Places to Visit in Sidi Bou Said
Cafés
- Café des Délices (Sidi Bou Said)
Terraces stepping down the cliff with mint tea and sweeping views over the gulf. - Café des Nattes (Sidi Bou Said)
A famous café at the top of the main steps, with mats, pine nut tea and painters' history. - Saf Saf (La Marsa)
A traditional café around an old well where a camel once drew water.
Arts and Culture
- Ennejma Ezzahra (Sidi Bou Said)
Baron d'Erlanger's palace, now a centre for Arab and Mediterranean music. - Dar El Annabi (Sidi Bou Said)
A traditional family house with tiled rooms and a roof terrace you can tour. - Antonine Baths (Carthage)
The largest Roman bath complex in Africa, right on the seashore. - Carthage National Museum (Byrsa Hill, Carthage)
Punic and Roman finds on the citadel hill with views over the bay. - Tophet of Salammbô (Carthage)
A haunting Punic sanctuary of small carved stone markers.
Restaurants
- Bambalouni stalls (Sidi Bou Said)
Sugar dusted Tunisian doughnuts fried fresh on the main street.
Stays
- Dar Said (Sidi Bou Said)
A boutique hotel in a nineteenth century house with a garden and pool. - La Villa Bleue (Sidi Bou Said)
A white and blue boutique hotel on the cliff with sea views.
Things to Do
- Carthage Archaeological Site (Carthage)
The scattered Punic and Roman ruins of Hannibal's city, a UNESCO site. - Punic Ports (Carthage)
The circular military harbour and merchant port of ancient Carthage.
Events
- Carthage International Festival (Roman Theatre, Carthage)
Summer concerts and shows in the restored Roman theatre.
Nature and Outdoors
- La Marsa Beach (La Marsa)
A popular family beach and corniche close to Tunis.
Places to Visit in Sousse
Things to Do
- Medina of Sousse (Medina)
A UNESCO listed walled old town with busy local souks. - Amphitheatre of El Jem (El Jem)
One of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, a UNESCO site. - Port El Kantaoui (Port El Kantaoui)
A marina village with boat trips, cafés and easy family evenings. - Ribat of Monastir (Monastir)
A seafront fortress used as a film set, with views from its tower. - Mahdia Medina and Skifa Kahla (Mahdia)
A quiet old town on a headland entered by a dark fortified gate. - Friguia Park (Bouficha)
A wildlife park with African animals and shows, popular with families.
Arts and Culture
- Ribat of Sousse (Medina)
An early Islamic fortified monastery with a watchtower view over the city. - Sousse Archaeological Museum (Kasbah)
Superb Roman mosaics in the old kasbah at the top of the medina. - Great Mosque of Sousse (Medina)
A ninth century mosque with a plain fortress like courtyard. - El Jem Archaeological Museum (El Jem)
Rich mosaics displayed in a reconstructed Roman villa. - Bourguiba Mausoleum (Monastir)
The golden domed tomb of Tunisia's first president.
Events
- El Jem International Symphonic Music Festival (El Jem)
Classical concerts held inside the Roman amphitheatre in summer.
Nature and Outdoors
- Boujaafar Beach (Centre)
The city beach, a short walk from the medina and busy all summer. - Mahdia Beach (Mahdia)
Long white sand and clear water, calmer than the resort strip.
Stays
- Hotel Movenpick Resort and Marine Spa Sousse (Boujaafar)
A beachfront resort hotel close to the medina.
Places to Visit in Kairouan
Arts and Culture
- Great Mosque of Kairouan (Medina)
The oldest mosque in North Africa, with a vast marble courtyard and ancient minaret. - Zaouia of Sidi Sahab (Kairouan)
The Mosque of the Barber, with beautiful tiles and carved plaster. - Mosque of the Three Doors (Medina)
One of the oldest carved facades in Islamic architecture.
Things to Do
- Aghlabid Basins (Kairouan)
Huge ninth century reservoirs that once supplied the city with water. - Bir Barouta (Medina)
An old well where a camel turns the waterwheel, a curious local tradition. - Medina of Kairouan (Medina)
A calm UNESCO listed walled city of white lanes and studded doors.
Shopping and Markets
- Kairouan carpet shops (Avenue Ali Belhouane)
The country's carpet capital for knotted rugs and woven mergoums. - Souk of the Medina (Medina)
Coppersmiths, tailors and spice shops along quiet arcaded streets.
Restaurants
- Makroudh pastry shops (Avenue Ali Belhouane)
Warm date filled semolina pastries, the city's famous sweet.
Events
- Mawlid celebrations (Kairouan)
Kairouan fills with pilgrims and festivities for the Prophet's birthday.
Places to Visit in Djerba
Arts and Culture
- El Ghriba Synagogue (Erriadh)
One of Africa's oldest synagogues, with blue tiles and painted wood. - Djerbahood (Erriadh)
A village of murals by artists from around the world. - Borj el Kebir (Houmt Souk)
A fifteenth century seaside fort with views of the coast. - Guellala Heritage Museum (Guellala)
Djerban traditions, crafts and weddings brought to life.
Things to Do
- Houmt Souk (Houmt Souk)
The island's main town of souks, funduks and a fishing harbour. - Djerba Explore Park (Midoun)
A crocodile farm, heritage village and museum for families. - Ksar Ouled Soltane (Tataouine)
Fortified granaries stacked in tiers, a day trip from the island. - Chenini (Tataouine)
A Berber hill village carved into a ridge above the desert. - Hotel Sidi Driss (Matmata)
The troglodyte hotel used as Luke Skywalker's home in Star Wars.
Nature and Outdoors
- Sidi Mahrez Beach (Zone Touristique)
A wide pale beach with calm shallow water. - Seguia Beach (Zone Touristique)
A quieter stretch of sand toward the south east of the island. - Flamingo Island (Ras Rmel) (Houmt Souk)
Boat trips to a sand spit where flamingos gather.
Shopping and Markets
- Guellala pottery workshops (Guellala)
Watch potters fire clay in traditional half buried kilns.
Stays
- Dar Dhiafa (Erriadh)
A boutique hotel in restored traditional houses with pools. - Radisson Blu Palace Resort and Thalasso Djerba (Zone Touristique)
A beach resort with spa and family facilities.
Places to Visit in Tozeur
Things to Do
- Ouled el Hadef old quarter (Medina)
Lanes of yellow brick laid in geometric patterns. - Chak Wak Park (Zone Touristique)
A park of giant sculptures telling the story of civilisations. - Eden Palm (Tozeur)
A small museum and garden all about dates and the palm tree. - Mos Espa Star Wars set (Ong Jemel)
The Phantom Menace set slowly sinking into the dunes. - Corbeille of Nefta (Nefta)
A palm filled hollow below Nefta's Sufi shrines.
Nature and Outdoors
- Palmeraie of Tozeur (Tozeur)
A vast palm grove fed by springs, best by bike or calèche. - Chebika Oasis (Chebika)
A mountain spring and waterfall in a rocky gorge. - Tamerza Waterfall (Tamerza)
A desert waterfall near an abandoned old village. - Mides Canyon (Mides)
A dramatic gorge on the edge of the mountains. - Chott el Djerid (Tozeur)
A vast salt lake that shimmers with mirages at dawn. - Ong Jemel (Ong Jemel)
A rock shaped like a camel's neck in the dunes. - Douz dunes (Douz)
The start of the Grand Erg Oriental for sunset camel rides. - Ksar Ghilane hot spring (Ksar Ghilane)
A warm spring pool among the dunes.
Arts and Culture
- Dar Cheraït Museum (Zone Touristique)
Traditional southern life, costumes and crafts.
Stays
- Anantara Tozeur Resort (Tozeur)
A luxury desert resort with pool villas.
Events
- International Festival of the Sahara (Douz)
Camel races, poetry and music each late December.
Shopping and Markets
- Douz Thursday market (Douz)
A weekly market with livestock, spices and desert goods.
Places to Visit in Hammamet
Things to Do
- Hammamet Medina (Hammamet)
A small walled medina right on the beach. - Carthageland Hammamet (Yasmine Hammamet)
A theme park for families.
Arts and Culture
- Dar Sebastien (Hammamet)
A villa and cultural centre whose theatre hosts the summer festival.
Nature and Outdoors
- Yasmine Hammamet Beach (Yasmine Hammamet)
Long sandy beaches beside the marina resort.
Places to Visit in Dougga
Things to Do
- Dougga Archaeological Site (Dougga)
A whole Roman town on a hillside, a UNESCO site. - Bulla Regia (Jendouba)
Roman villas with underground floors and mosaics in place.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Restaurant El Ali (Medina, Tunis)
A cultural café and restaurant with a rooftop terrace over the medina. - Hotel Majestic (Centre Ville, Tunis)
A faded grand colonial hotel with character in the heart of the new town. - Lablabi stalls of Bab Souika (Bab Souika, Tunis)
Steaming bowls of chickpea soup with bread, egg and harissa for a cheap breakfast. - Kheireddine Palace (Medina, Tunis)
A restored palace that now hosts the city museum and temporary exhibitions. - Le Golfe (Les Berges du Lac, Tunis)
A modern bar and lounge area by the lagoon in the new Lac district. - Au Bon Vieux Temps (Sidi Bou Said, Sidi Bou Said)
Seafood and Tunisian dishes on a terrace overlooking the bay. - Ice cream cafés of the La Marsa corniche (La Marsa, Sidi Bou Said)
Families gather on the seafront for ice cream and fresh juices on summer evenings. - Gammarth beach clubs (Gammarth, Sidi Bou Said)
Seaside lounges and clubs where Tunis goes out on summer nights. - Sousse Sunday Market (Centre, Sousse)
A big weekly market for clothes, spices and household goods. - Medina food stalls (Medina, Sousse)
Fricassé, brik and grilled meats for a cheap and authentic lunch. - Acqua Palace water park (Port El Kantaoui, Sousse)
Slides and pools for a hot family day out by the resorts. - Bars of Port El Kantaoui marina (Port El Kantaoui, Sousse)
Relaxed bars and terraces around the harbour. - Le Lido (Port, Sousse)
A long running seafood restaurant near the port. - Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada (Raqqada, Kairouan)
Early Islamic manuscripts, coins and ceramics outside the city. - La Kasbah Kairouan (Kairouan, Kairouan)
A hotel in an old kasbah building beside the medina walls. - Restaurant Sabra (Medina, Kairouan)
Simple local cooking near the medina gate. - Cafés of Bab ech Chouhada (Medina, Kairouan)
Sit with locals over tea and coffee at the old city gate. - Houmt Souk fish auction (Houmt Souk, Djerba)
Lively morning auctions where fishermen sell their catch. - Midoun weekly market (Midoun, Djerba)
A busy local market for produce, clothes and crafts. - Haroun (Houmt Souk, Djerba)
A seafood restaurant on the harbour. - Djerban rice stalls (Houmt Souk, Djerba)
Fragrant steamed rice with greens and fish, a local speciality. - Hotel Erriadh (Houmt Souk, Djerba)
A simple hotel in an old funduk with a courtyard. - Dar Tozeur (Medina, Tozeur)
A guesthouse in a traditional brick house in the old town. - Le Petit Prince (Tozeur, Tozeur)
A long time favourite garden restaurant by the palmeraie. - Cafés of Place Ibn Chabbat (Tozeur, Tozeur)
Mint tea and dates in the town's main square.