TUNISIA EXPLORATION

DAY 1: AIRPORT / TUNIS

Arrival at the airport, welcome by our representative and transfer to Tunis center. Check in at hotel Carlton 3*. Overnight.

DAY 2: TUNIS / CARTHAGE / SIDI BOU SAID / MEDINA

Our first destination will begin with a short orientation tour by foot of the old Medina which is a fascinating place to learn more about this north African city . Tunis is made up of two enclaves, the old town or Medina and the new one. It was one of the largest and richest cities of the Islamic world. Than we continue our distance to the site of Carthage wich was an ancient Phoenician city located on the northern coast of Africa. Its name means “new city” or “new town.” Before the rise of ancient Rome, Carthage was the most powerful city in the region because of its proximity to trade roads and its impressive harbor on the Mediterranean. At the height of its power, Carthage was the center of the Phoenician trade network. It eventually became the richest city in the entire Mediterranean region. Today, the ruins of ancient Carthage lie in present day Tunisia and are a popular tourist attraction . Nearby is the very handsome coastal town of  Sidi Bou Said. The blue and white village under the UNESCO protection thanks to its Turkish, Spanish Andalusian and Arabic styles of architecture mixed together. Sidi Bou Said is the village of the artists inspiration, musicians and celebrities. People go there to enjoy the beach, the shisha cafes, the light breeze, and the peaceful atmosphere that is a much needed break from the chaos of the capital .

Check in Hotel Residence Mahmoud 3* at Hammamet. Dinner and overnight .

DAY 3: HAMMAMET /TAKROUNA/ SOUSSE / EL JEM

Departure to Takrouna, the small village in the Tunisian Sahel region Its location, on the top of a rock is very impressive and the views from there are superb the Mediterranean Sea on the east and Zaghouan Mountains on the west. We continue until we reach the coastal town . It is easy to see why Sousse has become a favourite tourist destination. It has a good climate that makes it popular spot for relaxation, a beautiful medina, hotels of all classes, good restaurants, a stunning beach and many options for enjoying day-trips. Drive to El Jem where you’ll discover one of the best preserved and largest in the entire Roman empire, the amphitheatre of El Jem is a major symbol of the height of Roman Africa, which added its own particular touch to Roman culture. It is also a prime example of the best of Roman architecture, and sheds valuable light on those moments of collective madness that constituted the Roman games.

Check in at hotel Julius 3*  in El Jem village . Dinner and overnight

DAY 4: EL JEM / KAIROUAN/ MATMATA

Departure to Kairouan, a purely Arab city filled with outstanding examples of the finest Islamic architecture in Tunisia:  The Great Mosque of OKBA, the oldest place of worship in North Africa, and the mausoleum of Sidi Sahabi, a companion and a disciple of the Prophet Mohamed. We will see the impressive pools built in the 9th century to collect and store winter rainwater. We reach the Medina (old town), the ancient market place encircled by 11th-century walls. Then a walking guided tour through workshops and visit the three doors mosque, Barrouta well and the Andalusian part of the Medina. Drive to Matmata, the location for the disco scene in the first Star Wars film. Its fame comes from the unusual houses instead of building the houses, they were dug vertically into the ground . The first thing you will notice is how unique the town is with its underground Berber homes, troglodyte homes as they are called .

Check in at the guest house Dar Ayed.  Dinner and overnight

DAY 5: MATMATA / TOUJANE/ KSOUR REGION / TATAOUINE

This morning, we will drive crossing Toujane where you’ll discover the incredible troglodyte village located in the mountains. According to Amazigh Toujane means a spring of water at the beginning of the mountain in the Berberian region. .Few people remain in the village, most of its inhabitants have moved down the mountain to New city, a couple of miles away. They left the ancient town intact, and you can see the old brick houses and how people used to live before.  While moving on around to reach Tataouine , you’ll enjoy the desert which appears in all its implacable ruggedness. A vast rocky plain opens into majestic landscapes of mountains and desert plateaus, cliffs and rocky spurs. In this setting the astonishing architecture of the Ksour, collective fortified granaries of the Saharan nomads can be found. Just as impressive are the old Berber villages clinging to the mountain tops, such as Chenini and Douiret. A region out of the ordinary landscapes and historical traditions.

Check in at the hotel Al Rayan 3* .  Dinner and overnight.

DAY 6: TATAOUINE / CHENINI / DOUIRET / KSAR GUILANE

We leave the hotel moving to Chenini which is a must-visit site,18 kilometers from Tataouine and it’s probably the oldest Berber town in Tunisia. Located on a hilltop between two ridges to protect it from raiding parties , and the “Satellite” featured in the Star Wars movies. It was a fortified granary or Ksar. Like other ksour created by North African Berber communities. The oldest structures on the hillside date back to the 12th century, some of the buildings are still used to store grain for the villagers living in the valley below. We drive to the oasis of Ksar Guilane and there we’ll do a round trip in 4X4 among the sand dunes until Zmela camp welcomes you in the desert of southern Tunisia. There you’ll feel the warmth of nomadic hospitality. It is your ideal destination if you want to live in silence, far from the hustle and bustle of the city and rest in a magnificent place surrounded by superb dunes of fine sand and contemplate the magical  colors at sunset.

Dinner and overnight at the desert Camp “Campement Zmela”

DAY 7: KSAR GUILANE / DOUZ / CHOTT EL JERID / TOZEUR

This day, we will leave Ksar Ghilane until we reach Douz which is a village in southern Tunisia. Its location at the foot of the great dunes of the desert earned the title of “Gate of the Sahara”. It dives into the expanse of the desert, between the sand dunes, like a green island on a sea of golden sand. The spectacle of its natural landscape is fascinating. Douz is also the crossroads between oases, dunes of Grand Erg Oriental and Chott El Jerid. It is the ideal starting point for Méharées and Safaris.  The Tunisian South offers a wide choice of attractions to discover and this salt lake is one of them which is unmissable. It is the largest saline plain or sebkha in the country and the Maghreb region, extending over nearly 5000 km² of surface, between desert and mountains.  Immense, ancient interior sea almost entirely dried out, covered with a thick crust of blindingly white salt. 

In the afternoon, our destination will be Tozeur which is one of the largest oases in Tunisia and historically, one of the most important centers on the ancient caravan routes leading from Sahara to the Mediterranean and Algeria. On our arrival in Tozeur, it soon becomes quite clear that the main attraction of this desert city is its vast oasis.  This oasis covers about ten square kilometers which has been planted with some 800,000 palms and is fed by 100 springs.

Check in at the hotel Ras El Ain Tozeur 4*.  Dinner and overnight

DAY8: TOZEUR / ONG JEMAL "STAR WAR"

This morning, we’ll have some time to relax then do some exploration of this very interesting and unique town. We will take a horse-drawn carriage into the oasis to learn about the date harvest and have the opportunity to sample some local dates, the medieval town with its distinctive desert architecture and decorative brickwork.

Afternoon we’ll discover Ong Jemel, ‘the neck of the camel‘, which is located near Tozeur in southern Tunisia. This place is named after a large rock that is shaped like a camel and is located near the Salt Lake Chott el Gharsa. We need to arrange a 4×4 vehicle to reach this massive Sahara Desert canyon, but it is well worth the visit. Upon arrival, you will be able to climb to the top of the camel rock and take in the beautiful view of the canyon from the top. It has become a popular tourist spot mainly because it is famous for being ‘Mos Espa’ in the Star Wars films. There are scenes from both Star Wars the Phantom Menace and Star Wars Attack of the Clones filmed in Ong Jemel. 

Back to the hotel of stay in. Dinner and overnight.

DAY9: TOZEUR / CHEBIKA /TAMERZA / GAFSA / SBEITLA

Driving to the Mountain Oases of Chebika and Tamerza. Located amidst the rugged outcrop of the Atlas Mountains, not far from the Algerian frontier, these date back to Roman times, when they were military outposts to control the caravan trade. In Chebika, we take a walk to see the Berber village, waterfalls and the spring of the water, we continue to the picturesque village of Tamerza, with its spectacular sightseeing made famous in the film “The English Patient. A short break will be taken in Gafsa before we continue. Tunisia is famous for its historical sites and ruins, that’s why Sbeitla is such a top choice for anyone visiting this North African country. Located in central Tunisia, it offers a number of well-preserved Roman ruins that can take you back in time. It is just one of the many areas where you can visit well-preserved Roman ruins and have the opportunity to imagine what it must have been like living there all those many centuries ago.

Check in at the hotel Byzacene 4* in Sbeitla. Dinner and overnight.

DAY10:SBEITLA / EL KEF/ DOUGGA / TESTOUR

Departure to El Kef, a charming little town with a tumultuous past. Natural beauty is not the only thing this region has to offer. It  has held on to countless memories of its vibrant history, including its Ottoman fortress. You’ll enjoy the fabulous views of the mountains of the Jugurtha Tableland. Take a stroll through the old town of El Kef, which is nestled into the cliff face overlooking stunning valleys. Take a walk along mountain paths, in the forest or on the banks of a lake. Explore villages on your way, marvel at the work of craftsmen who weave esparto and craftswomen who create rugs and throws. Discover caves, megaliths, the remains of Roman towns and thermal springs.

After midday,  we’ll visit Dougga which is undoubtedly the best preserved and most impressive of all the Roman cities in Tunisia. As early as 1765 the English traveler, James Bruce, noted “these magnificent remains of taste and greatness, so easily reached in perfect safety by a ride along the Medjerda”. Splendid public buildings are laid out around a Capitol and a Forum, in imitation of Rome itself. Continue to the charming town of Testour which is perched on the hills of the Medjerda Valley and was known in ancient times as Tichilla.  It has a rather Spanish character as it was rebuilt by Muslim and Jewish refugees who began to build and reshape the architecture in their more familiar Spanish style.   They were seen to be industrious and wealthy people who took a pride in their new home, building mosques and bath houses with great imagination.  The beautifully decorative Great Mosque was built at that time, but the town remains both Muslim and Jewish.

Check in at the hotel Ibn Zaidoun3* in Testour. Dinner and overnight

DAY11: TESTOUR / CAP ANGELA / BIZERTE / UTIQUE / TUNIS

We start our day by discovering the northernmost point of the African continent CAP ANGELA which is considered among the most visited in the north of the country sheltering splendid beaches bordered by pine forests, greenery in all directions, magnificent cliffs and coves, vineyards and olive groves stretching as far as the eye can see, a gradient of blue between the sky and the sea, in short, an exceptional setting and unparalleled visual pleasure. Apart from its breathtaking natural landscapes, Cape Angela is also a historical treasure, with its famous lighthouse lit for the first time in 1890, an icon of the region. We continue toward a small seaside resort and historic town, Bizerte is known for its charming Old Port and its lovely medina. All around, the northern coast of Tunisia is a string of deserted beaches and rocky coves.  We’ll enter the medina to browse the charming alleys, discover a beautiful Ottoman-period fountain, and visit the small Oceanographic Museum housed in a medieval fort. Tunisia has an unbelievable wealth of Roman remains ,ancient city sites and fantastic mosaics we’ll drive to Utique to explore this old city that is believed to have been founded  in 1101BC, making it even older than Carthage. On arrival, we’ll see the Visitor Center which has some interesting informative plaques telling the history of this ancient Roman city.The site of the ruins of Utique is set on a low hill. The walls of several villas still remain, with plenty of decorative floor mosaics which remain fascinating as they are in situ and can be touched and admired close up, making this a truly amazing place to explore. Departure to Tunis.

Check in at hotel Carlton 3* . Overnight .

DAY12 : TUNIS AIRPORT

Breakfast

When time permitted transfer to Tunis Airport .