5-Day Tunisia Tour from Djerba: Amphitheatre, Kairouan & Sahara

Five days across Tunisia's layered history: Roman ruins, Islamic holy sites, desert oases, and the Sahara itself

A 5-day guided tour of Tunisia starting from Djerba, moving through El Jem, Monastir, Tunis, Kairouan and the Sahara oases, with accommodation included each night and a guide speaking English and French. The itinerary reaches the Bardo Museum's world-class mosaic collection, the fourth holiest city in Islam, mountain springs at Chebika and Tamerza, the salt flats of Chott el Djerid at sunrise, and the troglodyte villages of Matmata and Tamezret where Berber families still live underground. A minimum of four participants is required for the tour to run.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Gabes, El Jem, Monastir and Sousse

• Visit Jara market in Gabes
• Explore Amphitheatre of El Jem
• Visit Bourguiba mausoleum and Ribat Fortress in Monastir
• Stroll through Medina streets

Day 2: Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd

• Walk through Tunis medina and see Al-Zaytuna Mosque
• Visit the Bardo Museum
• Explore Antonine Baths ruins in Carthage
• Visit Sidi Bou Saïd village

Day 3: Kairouan and Tozeur

• Visit Great Mosque in Kairouan
• See Sidi Sahbi Mausoleum
• Explore Aghlabid Basins
• Free time in Kairouan medina
• Travel to Tozeur oasis city

Day 4: Chebika, Tamerza and Star Wars site

• Visit Chebika mountain oasis
• Explore Tamerza mountain oasis and canyon
• See Star Wars filming locations near Tozeur

Day 5: Chott el Jerid, Douz and Matmata

• Observe sunrise at Chott el Djerid salt lake
• Visit Douz oasis town and market
• Visit Tamezret Berber village and sample tea
• Explore Matmata troglodyte village
• Have lunch at Hôtel Sidi Driss in Matmata

The experience

The tour opens in Gabes at the Jara market, then moves to El Jem, where the Roman amphitheatre built around 238 AD still stands nearly intact: a rival to Rome's Colosseum, carved from stone blocks and engineered to seat 35,000 people for gladiator spectacles and animal hunts. From there you reach Monastir, where the 8th-century Ribat fortress overlooks the bay from its rear walls, and the city's medina opens into leisurely strolls through narrow streets. Accommodation is provided at a three or four-star hotel at the end of the first day.

Day two centers on Tunis and its surroundings. You walk the medina's labyrinth of narrow streets, pass the Al-Zaytuna Mosque founded around 732 AD at the heart of the old city, and spend time at the Bardo Museum, which holds one of the world's most significant collections of Roman mosaics alongside prehistoric and Islamic art. Carthage, now a district within Tunis, reveals the ruins of the Antonine Baths from the 2nd–3rd centuries AD: remnants of when the city served as the heart of the Phoenician Empire and later a Roman province. The day ends in Sidi Bou Saïd, a village of blue-and-white houses perched near the coast, with cobbled streets, artisan shops and views across the Mediterranean.

Day three takes you to Kairouan, the fourth holiest city in Islam, established in 670 during the Arab conquest of North Africa. The Great Mosque, the oldest in North Africa, stands with a minaret evoking a Gothic tower; the Sidi Sahbi Mausoleum displays vibrant mosaics and stucco work; the Aghlabid Basins, restored structures from the 9th century, sit nearby. Free time in the medina lets you browse the traditional Arab market before you travel south to Tozeur, known as the Pearl of the Desert for its palm groves, exceptional dates, and geometric brick architecture. The Sahara begins here.

Days four and five are spent in the mountain oases and deep desert. Chebika, nestled near the Algerian border, offers a waterfall descending into a pool, verdant palms framed by dramatic mountains, and the ruins of an ancient Berber village. Tamerza, Tunisia's largest mountain oasis, presents a canyon with perennial waterfalls and the abandoned village left behind after heavy rains in 1969. You watch sunrise over Chott el Djerid, the country's largest salt lake, where the white expanse and mirages shift with the seasons. Douz, the Gateway to the Sahara, is the hub for the region's date markets and Bedouin crafts. Camel and quad riding are available for an additional charge. Matmata and Tamezret are Berber villages built into the earth: troglodyte dwellings carved into rock around crater-like courtyards that stay cool year-round. Lunch is served at Hôtel Sidi Driss in Matmata, the underground hotel used as Luke Skywalker's home in the original Star Wars film, where the dining area recreates the movie set's kitchen. You'll sample herb tea in Tamezret before returning to your accommodation.

What’s included

• Accommodation at three or four-star hotels for five nights.
• a live guide speaking English and French.
• hotel pickup.
• entry to the El Jem Amphitheatre, Monastir's Ribat fortress, the Bardo Museum, Carthage's Antonine Baths, Kairouan's Great Mosque and Sidi Sahbi Mausoleum, and the Aghlabid Basins.
• lunch at Hôtel Sidi Driss in Matmata.
• herb tea in Tamezret.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Infant (under 12)

GroupUp to 45 · max 5 per booking

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by monia travel

Is this one for you?Five days is long enough to move through multiple regions (from the coast to the holy city to the deep desert) without rushing any single stop, though it rules out a leisurely second visit to any one place. The fixed itinerary and group format suit travelers who want a structured path through Tunisia's layers rather than the freedom to linger or backtrack.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 12).

What is the El Jem Amphitheatre like when you arrive there?

El Jem is a massive Roman ruin built around 238 AD with stone-block construction, tiered seating for up to 35,000 people, and an underground hypogeum for animals and gladiators. It stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site and rivals Rome's Colosseum in scale and preservation, showcasing Roman engineering across North Africa.

Does the tour include the Bardo Museum?

Yes. The Bardo Museum is visited on day two in Tunis and is recognized as one of the world's preeminent archaeological institutions, holding an extraordinary collection of prehistoric, ancient, and Islamic art, notably featuring a globally significant array of Roman mosaics.

What are the troglodyte dwellings in Matmata, and do you eat there?

Troglodyte dwellings are ancient Berber homes carved into the earth around expansive pits, creating cool, crater-like courtyards with surrounding rooms that provide natural insulation from desert heat. Lunch is served at Hôtel Sidi Driss, an underground hotel built within these cave dwellings and famous as the filming location for Luke Skywalker's home in Star Wars.

What is included in the tour price?

Accommodation at three or four-star hotels is provided each night; pickup is included; a guide fluent in English and French leads the group. Camel and quad riding in Douz are available for an additional charge.

What is Chott el Djerid, and when do you see it?

Chott el Djerid is Tunisia's largest salt lake in the Sahara Desert, a shimmering expanse that desiccates in summer to reveal vibrant salt crusts and mirages, and fills with shallow, colorful water in winter. You visit at sunrise on day five to watch the phenomenon unfold across the white flats.