Tunisia is a country with amazing places and landscapes to die for. From pristine beaches in the Mediterranean to oasis at the Sahara, to ancient Roman ruins or remote troglodyte caves. Tunisian culture and geography are quite diverse. And offers beautiful locations that will blow the mind of all types of travellers. In the list below we are sharing 7 spectacular places to visit in Tunisia.
1. SIDI BOU SAID
One of our favourite places in the country, Sidi Bou Said is often compared to Santorini, Greece, due to its beautiful white houses with blue windows and doors. This small town just a bit North of Tunis is also located by the Mediterranean Sea, with its unforgettable shades of light blue. It’s a wonderful place to walk around and explore on foot, clicking beautiful pictures on the way.
2. CARTHAGE
The perfect place for history lovers. Another small town just 20 minutes away from Tunis Airport, Carthage breathes history all over. Founded by the Phoenicians in 814 BC, Carthage was a powerful empire until the 3rd BC, when the Romans took over the city. It served as an inspiration to Gustave Flaubert, and also to Game of Thrones, where the fictitious town of Carth is represented. There are several ruins worth visiting in the city, and a walk around its posh houses and lush gardens can also be quite pleasant.
3. TUNIS
A capital city can always say so much about a country. Tunis is said to have been a Berber settlement in the 4th century BC. Ever since, this diverse city has been the land of Romans, Ottomans, Muslims and the French. You cannot miss the Bardo Museum, as well as the Tunis Medina, a great place to shop local products and dive into Tunisian culture.
4. TOZEUR
You can’t visit the Tunisian Sahara and miss Tozeur. The main stop for those going to the Sahara by plane or Train, Tozeur is a little city filled with travel agencies and tours around the area. Although you should beware of flight delays, the day tours around the oasis and sand dunes is a really incredible experience. The guide drove us very close to the Algerian border, and we visited some locations where Star Wars was shot as well. It was one of the most memorable days in Tunisia.
5. DOUZ
As we mentioned before, transportation in Tunisia can be quite challenging, and Douz was one of the main places where we suffered from it. We stayed at a lovely but very touristic hotel just outside the sand dunes, which meant it was far from the centre of the city, and far from any taxis unless we were willing to pay for the overcharged hotel transfer. That being said, we had a blast in Douz, and although we couldn’t stay at a desert camp, we did a quad tour and it was just wonderful! The sand dunes are as fluffy and infinite as we imagined they would be, and it was totally worth it.
6. CHENINI
Whenever we were researching about Tunisia, we saw there were troglodyte caves, and found one on AirBnB at a very small village called Chenini. It’s south of Matmata and Tataouine (another village where Star Wars was shot, and that inspired the name of a planet featured in one of the movies), and a bit off the path for those in Douz or Tozeur. It was a complete headache to arrive there, but it was quite an experience! There are only 100 families living in this remote village, and at night there are almost no lights around. You can see such a starry sky that even the Milky Way is visible, and the sunrise with the view to the granaries is quite an experience. We loved it, although I have to say – the difficulty to reach there made it a little less special.
7. EL JEM
Our final stop in Tunisia, El Jem is a city around 2 hours south of Tunis. It has one of the largest Roman Amphitheaters in the world, and it’s absolutely worth a visit!It~s a UNESCO Heritage Site, built on the III Century, and its’ remains are quite well preserved. A must-see whenever you visit Tunisia.
If you want to know some amazing Tunisian street food, check this out.
