Day-by-day programme of this 9-day itinerary across From Tunis to the Sahara, via Kairouan and the oases.
Day 1 โ Arrival in Tunis
Landing in Tunis, the capital on the Mediterranean: between the labyrinthine UNESCO medina and the Bardo museum, treasury of the finest Roman mosaics in the world.
- โ๏ธ Tunis โ Aeroporto di Tunisi-Cartagine (TUN)
- ๐ Tunis Medina โ The medina of Tunis, a UNESCO site, is a maze of covered lanes full of life: souks of perfumes, fabrics, copper and spices around the great Zitouna Mosque, palaces and madrasas. You lose yourself amid the cries of merchants and the rooftop cafes overlooking the minarets. From here, in the afternoon or the next day, you visit the famous Bardo museum.
- ๐ Bardo National Museum โ The Bardo Museum, housed in a sumptuous beylical palace, holds the richest collection of Roman mosaics in the world: entire floors recovered from the cities of the ancient province of Africa, with hunting scenes, mythology and daily life of extraordinary vividness. A journey into the opulence of Roman Africa. You dine and sleep two nights in Tunis.
- ๐จ Royal Victoria Hotel, Tunis โ Centro / La Marsa, Tunisi
Day 2 โ Carthage and Sidi Bou Said
The ruins of Carthage, Rome's rival overlooking the sea, and the white-and-blue village of Sidi Bou Said, one of the most photographed in the Mediterranean.
- ๐ Carthage โ Carthage, the powerful Phoenician city that rivalled Rome and later a splendid Roman metropolis, spreads over a hill overlooking the gulf: you visit the Antonine Baths by the sea, the Byrsa hill, the Punic ports, the amphitheatre and the Roman villas with their mosaics. Among pines and sea, you breathe the history of the Mediterranean. Just beyond, on the cliff, the prettiest village in Tunisia.
- ๐ Sidi Bou Said โ Sidi Bou Said is a white-and-blue dream perched on a cliff over the sea: whitewashed lanes, cobalt-blue doors and windows studded with nails, bougainvillea and lazy cats, panoramic cafes where you sip mint tea with pine nuts (the famous Cafe des Nattes). Loved by painters and artists, it is the country's most romantic corner. At sunset the light is magical. You return to Tunis.
Day 3 โ Kairouan and El Djem
Southward: Kairouan, the fourth holy city of Islam with its Great Mosque, and El Djem, the colossal Roman amphitheatre best preserved after the Colosseum.
- ๐ Great Mosque of Kairouan โ Kairouan is the holiest city in the Maghreb, the fourth sacred site of Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Its Great Mosque (9th century), with the immense paved courtyard, the forest of reused Roman columns and the oldest minaret in the world, is a masterpiece. The medina is famous for carpets. You continue towards the coast, to El Djem.
- ๐ El Djem Amphitheatre โ The El Djem amphitheatre, a UNESCO site, rises gigantic and solitary in the middle of an inland town: it is the best-preserved Roman colosseum in North Africa, holding 35,000 spectators, still with its three tiers of arches and the underground chambers for gladiators and beasts. Walking in the empty arena is impressive. You continue to the Sousse coast for the night.
- ๐จ Hรดtel Medina, Sousse โ Centro / medina, Sousse
Day 4 โ To the desert: Matmata and Tozeur
A long transfer south-west: the troglodyte houses of Matmata (a Star Wars set) and the oasis of Tozeur, on the edge of the great salt lake.
- โ๏ธ Sousse โ Matmata โ Matmata
- ๐ Chott el Djerid โ You cross the Chott el Djerid, the immense salt lake (over 5,000 sq km) that in summer becomes an expanse of blinding salt crossed by mirages, with pink and violet hues at sunset. A straight road cuts it in two, among mounds of salt and crystals. You reach Tozeur, a great oasis of houses in decorated brick, the gateway to the Sahara. You sleep two nights here.
- ๐จ Dar Tozeur โ Centro / zona oasi, Tozeur
Day 5 โ Mountain oases and Star Wars
The spectacular mountain oases of Tamerza and Chebika at the foot of the Saharan Atlas, and the Mos Espa Star Wars set among the dunes.
- ๐ Chebika โ At the foot of the mountains, on the border with Algeria, hide the mountain oases: Chebika and Tamerza, where springs create waterfalls and emerald palm groves amid canyons of ochre rock and abandoned villages. You walk among the gorges and pools, in a landscape that was a set for 'The English Patient'. A stunning contrast between rock and green. In the afternoon, the Star Wars desert.
- ๐ Mos Espa (Star Wars set) โ In the desert near Tozeur, on the dunes of Ong Jemel, is the Mos Espa set, the home town of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, left standing among the sand: the domes and buildings of the space village create a surreal atmosphere. You reach it by 4x4, perhaps with a dune ride at sunset. A dream for fans and beyond. You return to Tozeur.
Day 6 โ Douz and the Sahara
Douz, 'the gate of the Sahara', where the golden dunes begin: a camel trek through the sand and a night under the desert stars.
- โ๏ธ Tozeur โ Douz โ Douz
- ๐ฏ Sahara at Douz โ In the late afternoon you set off in a camel caravan among the Sahara dunes: you advance at the camels' slow pace as the sun sets and the sand turns gold and red. You reach a Berber tented camp, where dinner around the fire, music and a star-crammed sky await. Dawn over the dunes is the highlight. Night in the desert (or in Douz).
- ๐จ Hotel Sahara Douz โ Campo nel deserto / Douz
Day 7 โ Tataouine and Djerba
The ksour, the fortified Berber granaries around Tataouine (more Star Wars sets), and arrival on Djerba, the island of the Lotus-eaters myth.
- ๐ Tataouine โ Around Tataouine (whose name inspired the planet Tatooine in Star Wars) are the spectacular ksour: fortified Berber granaries made of mud-brick cells (ghorfa) stacked on several floors around a courtyard. Ksar Ouled Soltane is the most scenic, used as a set for Anakin's home. A timeless atmosphere. You continue to the sea and Djerba.
- ๐ Houmt Souk โ You reach Djerba, the gentle, luminous island where Ulysses, according to myth, met the Lotus-eaters. The main town Houmt Souk is a charming weave of white lanes, souks, old fondouks (caravanserais) turned into cafes and one of the oldest synagogues in the world (the Ghriba). A relaxed, Mediterranean atmosphere. You sleep two nights on Djerba.
- ๐จ Djerba Holiday Beach, Houmt Souk โ Houmt Souk / zona spiagge, Djerba
Day 8 โ Djerba, sea and relaxation
A last day of relaxation on Djerba: the golden beaches, the street-art village of Djerbahood and the last Tunisian flavours before heading home.
- ๐ Djerbahood โ In Erriadh, an old village on the island, in 2014 over 150 street artists from around the world painted the white walls of the houses, creating Djerbahood: an open-air museum of colourful murals among the lanes, where every corner is a surprise. The rest of the day is for the sea: the golden sandy beaches of the north-east coast, a last swim and mint tea. You return to the hotel.
Day 9 โ Departure from Djerba
Return flight from Djerba. End of the tour among medinas, Roman ruins and Sahara.
- โ๏ธ Djerba โ Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (MXP)
