7-day Tunisia tour: Sahara, Roman ruins and coastal Medinas

Underground Berber houses, a 35,000-seat Roman amphitheater, and salt flats in one week

A 7-day guided tour of Tunisia starting in Tunis and looping through the country's most significant historical and natural sites: the UNESCO Medina of Sousse, the El Djem Coliseum (a 3rd-century Roman amphitheater), Matmata's troglodyte dwellings carved into limestone hills, the Sahara edge at Douz, desert oases at Chebika and Tamerza, Roman cities at Sbeitla and Dougga, and the walled Medina of Tunis. You travel with a live guide, stay overnight at each location including a night in an underground troglodyte guesthouse, and return to Tunis on day seven. Hotel pickup is included. Entrance fees to monuments are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Sousse, El Djem, and Matmata

• Explore Medina of Sousse
• Visit El Djem Coliseum
• Tour troglodyte houses in Matmata

Day 2: Chenini, Ksar Ouled Soltane, Hdada

• Visit Ksour in Chenini village
• Explore Ksar Ouled Soltane granary
• Discover Tataouine Governorate landscape

Day 3: Douz, Chott el Djerid, Tozeur

• Visit Douz town
• Explore Chott el Djerid salt lake

Day 4: Chebika, Tamerza, Ong Djemel

• See Ain Chebika waterfall
• Explore abandoned Old Tamerza village
• Visit Ong Jemel and Eriguet Dunes

Day 5: Sbeitla and Kairouan

• Explore Roman ruins of Sbeitla
• Visit historic city of Kairouan

Day 6: Dougga and Tunis

• Tour ancient city of Dougga
• Explore Medina of Tunis

Day 7: Sidi Bou Said and Carthage

• Visit village of Sidi Bou Said
• Explore ruins of Carthage

The experience

The route moves through layers of Tunisia's past without backtracking. Day one takes you south from Tunis to Sousse, where the Medina (a UNESCO site and one of the best-preserved Islamic cities) opens onto narrow streets, the Great Mosque, and traditional houses. From there you push inland to El Djem, home to the Coliseum, a limestone amphitheater built around 250 AD with three levels, underground chambers for animals and gladiators, and seating for 35,000. That same day you reach Matmata, a village of troglodyte houses carved into soft limestone hills as protection against desert heat. You sleep in one of these underground dwellings, experiencing the interconnected rooms and central courtyards that have housed Berber families for centuries.

Days two and three move deeper into the south. Chenini shows you ksour, fortified granaries built into rocky hillsides, and the 12th-century Chenini Mosque on the hilltop. Ksar Ouled Soltane, another fortified granary, stands as a prime example of Berber architecture adapted to harsh terrain. Ksar Hadada sits in the Tataouine Governorate, the same rocky desert landscape used as a filming location for Star Wars. You overnight at Ksar Ouled Debbab Hotel, a historical site itself. Day three continues to Douz, known as the Gateway to the Sahara, then crosses the Chott el Djerid. A shallow salt lake that becomes mud flats in the dry season and fills with migratory birds and flamingos when rain comes. You stay at Ksar Rouge Hotel in Tozeur.

Days four and five focus on desert oases and abandoned settlements. Chebika holds Ain Chebika, a natural spring that cascades down a mountainside surrounded by palm trees and rocky cliffs. Tamerza includes the ruins of an old village abandoned in the 1960s after flooding, its crumbling houses and narrow streets still standing. Ong Jemel and the Eriguet Dunes offer open desert landscape. Day five takes you north to Sbeitla, a Roman city that served as the capital of Africa Proconsularis between the 1st and 6th centuries. The site preserves a forum, temples, basilicas, theaters, baths, and houses. The three most prominent temples stand dedicated to Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. You overnight in Kairouan, founded in 670 AD and once the capital of Ifriqiya, a center of Islamic learning that spread Islam throughout North Africa.

The final two days loop back north. Day six visits Dougga, a UNESCO Roman city with a Capitol temple on a hilltop, theaters, public buildings, and mosaics spread across the site. Then you return to Tunis for the last night, exploring the Medina: a walled city dating to the 9th century with souks, traditional craftsmanship, and architecture that blends Moorish and Andalusian styles. Day seven includes a visit to Sidi Bou Said, a whitewashed village on a hill above the Mediterranean with blue doors and wrought-iron details, and Carthage, where you can walk the Tophet burial ground, the Antonine Baths complex, and villas with preserved mosaics. The tour ends in Tunis.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Tunis.
• seven nights of accommodation including one night in a troglodyte guesthouse in Matmata and stays at historical sites and 4- to 5-star hotels.
• a live guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian, French or two other languages.
• transportation between all stops.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Greek

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tunez-Monumental

Is this one for you?If you speak English, Spanish, Italian or French fluently, you'll follow the guide's commentary without strain. The guide delivers the history and context live, so you get real answers to questions as they arise, not a pre-recorded narration. Choose this tour if you want a guide who can adapt to your pace and interests rather than a fixed script.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

54 verified traveler reviews

5 ★54

4 ★0

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Greek.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

What kind of accommodations do I stay in during the 7 days?

You sleep at hotels and historical sites throughout the route. Night one is in an underground troglodyte guesthouse in Matmata, a traditional Berber dwelling carved into limestone. Night two is at Ksar Ouled Debbab Hotel, a fortified granary site. Nights in Tozeur, Kairouan, and Tunis are at 4- and 5-star hotels including Ksar Rouge and Kasbah Kairouan. Each location is chosen to keep you close to the day's sites.

What is included in the 7-day price, and what costs extra?

Hotel pickup from Tunis is included, as are all accommodations and the guide. Entrance fees to the monuments (El Djem, Sbeitla, Dougga, the Medina of Tunis, Carthage, and other sites) are not included and are paid separately. Lunches are also not included. Breakfasts and dinners are typically at your hotel.

Can I do parts of this route on my own, or is it a fixed group itinerary?

This is a guided tour with a set itinerary and fixed accommodations at each stop. The route and daily schedule are set by the operator. If you want to customize the stops or timing, you would need to discuss that with the operator before booking, as the standard tour follows the seven-day path through Sousse, the south, and back to Tunis.