Find places in Tunisia

Must-Haves

• Medina of Tunis (Medina)
  A UNESCO listed old city of covered souks, mosques, palaces and courtyard houses.

Fun for Everyone

• Avenue Habib Bourguiba (Centre Ville)
  A tree lined boulevard of cafés, the cathedral and the Municipal Theatre, made for an evening stroll.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Off the Beaten Path

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul (Centre Ville)
  A grand Romano Byzantine style cathedral from the French era on the main avenue.

Must-Haves

• Souk el Attarine (Medina)
  The old perfume sellers' souk beside the Zitouna Mosque, fragrant with essences and incense.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Marché Central (Centre Ville)
  The city's main food market, piled with fish, olives, spices and harissa.

Off the Beaten Path

• Souk ech Chaouachiya (Medina)
  The souk where craftsmen still make the red felt chechia caps by hand.

Great for Date Night

• Dar El Jeld (Medina)
  Refined Tunisian cooking served in a restored mansion near the Kasbah.

Must-Haves

• Fondouk El Attarine (Medina)
  Tunisian dishes in a restored merchants' inn in the heart of the souks.

Must-Haves

• Café M'Rabet (Medina)
  A historic café in the souks with carpets, tiled walls and mint tea.

Fun for Everyone

• Café de Paris (Avenue Habib Bourguiba)
  A classic people watching terrace on the capital's main boulevard.

Must-Haves

• Carthage Film Festival (Centre Ville)
  A celebrated festival of Arab and African cinema, held each autumn in Tunis cinemas.

Fun for Everyone

• Belvedere Park (Belvedere)
  The city's largest park, with shady paths, a small zoo and hilltop views.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ichkeul National Park (Bizerte region)
  A UNESCO listed lake and wetland where migrating birds gather in winter.

Great for Date Night

• Dar Ben Gacem (Medina)
  A boutique guesthouse in a restored seventeenth century medina house.

Must-Haves

• Dar El Medina (Medina)
  A guesthouse in a traditional house with a roof terrace over the souks.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Saf Saf (La Marsa)
  A traditional café around an old well where a camel once drew water.

Must-Haves

• Ennejma Ezzahra (Sidi Bou Said)
  Baron d'Erlanger's palace, now a centre for Arab and Mediterranean music.
• 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.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dar El Annabi (Sidi Bou Said)
  A traditional family house with tiled rooms and a roof terrace you can tour.
• Tophet of Salammbô (Carthage)
  A haunting Punic sanctuary of small carved stone markers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bambalouni stalls (Sidi Bou Said)
  Sugar dusted Tunisian doughnuts fried fresh on the main street.

Great for Date Night

• 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.

Must-Haves

• Carthage Archaeological Site (Carthage)
  The scattered Punic and Roman ruins of Hannibal's city, a UNESCO site.

Off the Beaten Path

• Punic Ports (Carthage)
  The circular military harbour and merchant port of ancient Carthage.

Must-Haves

• Carthage International Festival (Roman Theatre, Carthage)
  Summer concerts and shows in the restored Roman theatre.

Fun for Everyone

• La Marsa Beach (La Marsa)
  A popular family beach and corniche close to Tunis.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• 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.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mahdia Medina and Skifa Kahla (Mahdia)
  A quiet old town on a headland entered by a dark fortified gate.

Must-Haves

• 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.
• Bourguiba Mausoleum (Monastir)
  The golden domed tomb of Tunisia's first president.

Off the Beaten Path

• El Jem Archaeological Museum (El Jem)
  Rich mosaics displayed in a reconstructed Roman villa.

Must-Haves

• El Jem International Symphonic Music Festival (El Jem)
  Classical concerts held inside the Roman amphitheatre in summer.

Fun for Everyone

• Boujaafar Beach (Centre)
  The city beach, a short walk from the medina and busy all summer.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mahdia Beach (Mahdia)
  Long white sand and clear water, calmer than the resort strip.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Movenpick Resort and Marine Spa Sousse (Boujaafar)
  A beachfront resort hotel close to the medina.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mosque of the Three Doors (Medina)
  One of the oldest carved facades in Islamic architecture.

Must-Haves

• Aghlabid Basins (Kairouan)
  Huge ninth century reservoirs that once supplied the city with water.
• Medina of Kairouan (Medina)
  A calm UNESCO listed walled city of white lanes and studded doors.

Fun for Everyone

• Bir Barouta (Medina)
  An old well where a camel turns the waterwheel, a curious local tradition.

Must-Haves

• Kairouan carpet shops (Avenue Ali Belhouane)
  The country's carpet capital for knotted rugs and woven mergoums.

Off the Beaten Path

• Souk of the Medina (Medina)
  Coppersmiths, tailors and spice shops along quiet arcaded streets.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Makroudh pastry shops (Avenue Ali Belhouane)
  Warm date filled semolina pastries, the city's famous sweet.

Must-Haves

• Mawlid celebrations (Kairouan)
  Kairouan fills with pilgrims and festivities for the Prophet's birthday.

Must-Haves

• 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.

Fun for Everyone

• Borj el Kebir (Houmt Souk)
  A fifteenth century seaside fort with views of the coast.

Off the Beaten Path

• Guellala Heritage Museum (Guellala)
  Djerban traditions, crafts and weddings brought to life.

Must-Haves

• Houmt Souk (Houmt Souk)
  The island's main town of souks, funduks and a fishing harbour.

Fun for Everyone

• Djerba Explore Park (Midoun)
  A crocodile farm, heritage village and museum for families.
• Hotel Sidi Driss (Matmata)
  The troglodyte hotel used as Luke Skywalker's home in Star Wars.

Off the Beaten Path

• 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.

Must-Haves

• Sidi Mahrez Beach (Zone Touristique)
  A wide pale beach with calm shallow water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Seguia Beach (Zone Touristique)
  A quieter stretch of sand toward the south east of the island.

Fun for Everyone

• Flamingo Island (Ras Rmel) (Houmt Souk)
  Boat trips to a sand spit where flamingos gather.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Guellala pottery workshops (Guellala)
  Watch potters fire clay in traditional half buried kilns.

Great for Date Night

• Dar Dhiafa (Erriadh)
  A boutique hotel in restored traditional houses with pools.

Fun for Everyone

• Radisson Blu Palace Resort and Thalasso Djerba (Zone Touristique)
  A beach resort with spa and family facilities.

Must-Haves

• Ouled el Hadef old quarter (Medina)
  Lanes of yellow brick laid in geometric patterns.

Fun for Everyone

• 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.

Off the Beaten Path

• Corbeille of Nefta (Nefta)
  A palm filled hollow below Nefta's Sufi shrines.

Must-Haves

• 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.
• Chott el Djerid (Tozeur)
  A vast salt lake that shimmers with mirages at dawn.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mides Canyon (Mides)
  A dramatic gorge on the edge of the mountains.

Must-Haves

• Dar Cheraït Museum (Zone Touristique)
  Traditional southern life, costumes and crafts.

Great for Date Night

• Anantara Tozeur Resort (Tozeur)
  A luxury desert resort with pool villas.

Must-Haves

• International Festival of the Sahara (Douz)
  Camel races, poetry and music each late December.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Douz Thursday market (Douz)
  A weekly market with livestock, spices and desert goods.