1 Week in Tunisia Itinerary

If you've always wanted to go to the beautiful blue and white city of Santorini or the gorgeous beaches in the south of France, consider a trip instead to the lovely country of Tunisia. Located on the warm waters of the Mediterranean in North Africa, Tunisia is an often overlooked travel destination as it gets overshadowed by Morocco to the west and Egypt to the east. But we wholeheartedly recommend taking some time to explore this hidden gem, with its ancient ruins, exquisite beaches, and Sahara sand dunes, you won't be disappointed. Even better still, it is significantly cheaper and less crowded than its popular neighbors. Use our one week Tunisia itinerary and we'll make sure you see the best there is!

Days 1-3: In and Around the Capital City, Tunis.

Three to four days in the capital is plenty of time to see the sights and acquaint yourself with the culture and history of the region and its people. 

Day 1. Bardo Museum and Habib Bourguiba Ave

Make your first stop in the capital city of Tunis be the Bardo Museum. The Bardo Museum is Tunisia’s oldest, biggest and most important museum, housing the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Open daily from 9:00am-5:00pm, entry fee is only 11 TND which is currently less than $4 per person. ​

Traditional Tunisian appetizers

After spending the morning immersing yourself in the history of the region, drive over to the impressive Habib Bourguiba Ave for shopping and lunch. A major street in Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba Ave is named after the country's first president following independence from France and was modeled after the remarkable Champs-Élysées of Paris. It is the perfect place to people watch, shop, eat and see the tangible influence the French have had on the country in terms of both its architecture and culture.  Start near the Monument of Ibn Khaldun in the Place de l'Indépendance and stroll your way east down the one mile street, ending at the large Clock Tower.

Day 2: Carthage and Sidi Bou Said

After breakfast on your second day, head to the ancient ruins of Carthage. Over 3000 years ago, General Hannibal from modern day Tunisia used elephants to attack and nearly conquer Rome, but his army was defeated and his city of Carthage was conquered by the Romans. Many of the Carthaginian ruins have been very well preserved, and in better condition than some of the Roman ruins of Rome! Don't miss the Antonin Baths, some of the largest thermal baths the Romans ever made. Take a few hours to explore the great history of this region.

At lunch time, head over to the nearby magnificent city of Sidi Bou Said, our personal favorite area in all of Tunisia. With its whitewashed buildings with bright blue accents along charming cobblestoned streets, built high up on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, this city bears a striking resemblance to the popular island of Santorini. It’s hard not to fall in love with this delightful seaside town just outside of Tunis.

Park near the bottom of the hill, just passed the mosque and meander your way up the hill through the small souq. At the top, you must pay a visit to the famous Café des Délices, known to locals as Cafe Sidi Chebaane. This restaurant/ cafe/ hookah lounge is built into the cliffs and has stunning views of the seaport down below with the blue sea and green mountains of Tunisia behind. Stopping in here for a drink or quick snack to admire the views is an absolute must! However, we do not recommend eating lunch here because sadly, service is painfully slow and dismissive, and the food is lackluster. Instead, we recommend dining at the beautiful Dar Zarrouk restaurant, which serves delicious traditional Tunisian plates amid a delightful setting.

There are also several small art museums and galleries worth exploring in Sidi Bou Said, and definitely don't miss the Dar El Annabi. This was the former residence of Sidi Bou Said's founder, which has now been turned into an attractive museum, showcasing Tunisian daily life. Don't forget to enjoy a free cup of mint tea in the back courtyard, or go up onto the roof for more views.

After exploring the city, make sure to try "bambalouni" from a street vendor for an afternoon treat. Bambalouni are fried donut-like sweets doused in sugar, and are the Sidi Bou Said specialty!

Day 3: Old Medina, Zaytouna Mosque, La Marsa, Gamarth
On your third day, start off downtown in the old city of Tunis called the "Medina". Wander through the souq alleyways for a peek at traditional North African/ Islamic architecture. Visit the impressive Zaytouna Mosque, which is the oldest mosque in Tunis, with its columns originally brought in from the ruins of Carthage. For a sky view of the Medina, head to the El Ali store and check out the views from the roof.

Spend the second half of your day contrasting old with new by visiting the ritzy neighborhoods of La Marsa and Gamarth. These cities have opulent white villas, beaches, and greenery that will rival the French Riviera. They are littered with five-star hotels and upscale restaurants and are the playgrounds for Tunisia's upperclass. They are great areas to have a special dinner, take a stroll, eat gelato and people watch.

Days 4-7 Djerba

In Homer's Odyssey, Ulysses details how high winds drove his ships to the shores of an island where the locals fed them lotus flowers, causing them to forget all thoughts of returning home. Legend has it, that this place was the island of Djerba- a small island off the coast of Southern Tunisia. .

Today, tourists flock to this extraordinary island to enjoy its incredible beaches-- arguably the very best in Africa! The island is still mainly rural, with wild stretches of beach and uninhabited plains in the center. There are numerous all-inclusive resorts on Djerba, our favorite of which is the Raddison Blu Palace Thalasso, a gorgeous new property with an extensive amount of sea-water pools, traditional hammams, and thalasso treatment rooms-- a therapy involving the use of sun and seawater to treat conditions ranging from eczema to depression.

Although it might be tempting to just remain in your luxurious beachfront resort, try to branch out some and explore what else this island has to offer. Reserve one day for the popular pirate boat attraction to Flamingo Island. Several large pirate ships leave each morning from the port, and as you sail through the sea, pirate actors do exciting tricks on the ship's masts high above. Your stop is Flamingo Island, a small uninhabited private island that is home to flocks of wild flamingos. The water there was the clearest water we've swum in in our entire lives, and is well worth the trip for this reason alone! After swimming, the pirates prepare a huge feast of traditional couscous and fresh grilled fish with all the usual accompaniments, to enjoy on the beach with a show, before sailing back in the afternoon. 

A Djerba Pirate Ship

The clearest sea water I've ever seen!

Pirate Show

Djerba is also home to one of the largest Jewish populations in North Africa, and the island's El Ghriba synagogue is one of the oldest in the world, dating back over 2,000 years. It is worth it to also pay a visit there and learn about Tunisia's Jewish heritage. In addition, there is also a large castle called Borj El Kebir that is interesting to explore, as well as a large crocodile farm to visit. But mostly, Djerba is a beach destination, so save lots of time for the clearest blue and warmest waters you've ever seen!

We return to the country of Tunisia every summer as we have family to visit there, and are thus experts in every area, restaurant, hotel, and attraction. So feel free to drop us a comment if you have any other questions or need further recommendations for your trip, we'd love to help you out. There are many other beautiful sites to see should you find yourself in Tunisia for over a week, such as the Roman colosseum of Jem, the Star Wars film sites of Tataouine, the music festivals and night life of Hammamet, and the gorgeous port city of Bizerte. More articles spotlighting these places will definitely come in the future! Happy travels!