Tunis

An ancient capital on the southern Mediterranean shore, with the ruins of Carthage, the Medina old town and blue-and-white Sidi Bou Said.

Tunis is the capital of Tunisia, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean on the west side of the Gulf of Tunis. Over three thousand years it has been a center of Carthaginian, Roman, Arab and Ottoman power. The city is divided into the Medina old town (a World Heritage Site) and the new town built during the French protectorate; to the northeast, the TGM suburban light rail runs in turn to the ruins of Carthage, the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa beach. Main areas to explore: in the old town, the Zaytuna Mosque, the souks and the Beylical tombs; the Roman mosaics of the Bardo Museum; the various Carthage sites; and Sidi Bou Said. There are three classic day trips: a southwest route to Dougga, Bulla Regia and Chemtou (requires a private driver for a full day); a southern route to Uthina, the Zaghouan water temple, Thuburbo Majus and Hammamet; a northeast Cap Bon route to Kerkouane and Kelibia; and a northern route to Utica, Ghar el Melh and Bizerte. The best seasons are Mar–May and Sep–Nov; summers are hot but good for the seaside. Tunis–Carthage International Airport is about 8 km from the city center. We suggest staying 4–5 days. Dress conservatively when entering mosques, restaurants have limited daytime hours during Ramadan, and photography is prohibited near the presidential palace and government buildings.

Top sights

• Carthage – The ruins of the ancient Carthaginian empire and the capital of the Roman province of Africa, scattered along the sea on the outskirts of T…
• Sidi Bou Said – A blue-and-white town on a clifftop, with white walls, blue doors, and bougainvillea against the Mediterranean. It is Tunisia's most photog…
• Medina of Tunis – A labyrinthine Arab old city with more than 700 historic monuments, the Zitouna Mosque, and traditional markets organized by trade. It has…
• Bardo National Museum – A national museum housed in a 19th-century Beylical palace, with the world's richest collection of ancient Roman mosaics, including the fam…
• Dougga – One of the best-preserved Roman towns in North Africa. The Capitolium, theater, baths, and a Libyco-Punic mausoleum are scattered across an…
• Al-Zaytuna Mosque – Tunis's oldest mosque and Islamic seminary, at the heart of the Medina in the old city; non-Muslims can climb to the arcades and visit the…
• Avenue Habib Bourguiba – Tunis's 'Champs-Élysées', with French colonial architecture, tree-lined promenades and cafés linking the new city with the old city gate of…
• Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul – A neo-Romanesque Catholic cathedral on Bourguiba Avenue, blending Byzantine and Moorish influences; a landmark of the colonial era.
• Tourbet el Bey – The family mausoleum of the Husainid beys of Tunis, with green-tiled domes, colorful ceramic tiles and marble carvings inside.
• Dar Ben Abdallah – An 18th-century aristocratic residence in the Medina, now a folk museum, with finely detailed courtyard tiles and stucco carvings.
• Belvédère Park – Tunis's largest city park, with hillside greenery and a zoo, offering views over the whole city and Lake Tunis.
• Antonine Baths – The largest Roman imperial bath ruins in Africa, with towering columns by the sea and vaulted underground galleries; a highlight of the Car…
• Acropolium of Carthage – A 19th-century Catholic cathedral on the summit of Byrsa Hill in a Byzantine-Moorish style, now a cultural venue.
• Punic Ports of Carthage – The remains of ancient Carthage's circular naval harbor and rectangular merchant harbor, once able to moor about 220 warships; today they a…
• Tophet of Salammbô – Carthage's Punic sanctuary and cemetery, with rows of stelae and urns that bear witness to the controversial sacrificial rituals.
• Ennejma Ezzahra – An Arab-style palace on the hillside of Sidi Bou Said, now a center for Mediterranean and Arab music overlooking the bay.
• La Marsa Beach – The most popular urban beach on the northern outskirts of Tunis, with cafés lining the seaside boulevard and specialty ice creams and desse…
• Gammarth – A resort area north of La Marsa, with white hotels along the bay, wide clean beaches, clear water and a lively nightlife.
• Uthina (Oudhna) – A Roman city ruin just 30 km from the capital, with a large amphitheatre, the Capitolium and cisterns, and very few visitors.
• Thuburbo Majus – A Roman town ruin in the fields, with well-preserved Capitolium columns, a forum and the Patron's Colonnade.
• Zaghouan Water Temple – A water-source temple built by the Romans to bring water to Carthage, with a semicircular colonnade backed against Mount Zaghouan; it marks…
• Kerkouane – The only surviving Punic city site in the world, with bathtubs in seaside homes and mosaics bearing the Tanit sign.
• Kelibia Fortress – A Byzantine-Spanish-Ottoman fortress on a headland of the Cap Bon peninsula, whose walls overlook the fishing harbor and the blue bay.
• Bizerte Old Port – The canal-side old port of Africa's northernmost city, lined with colorful houses, fishing boats and kasbah walls, with a relaxed atmospher…
• Ghar el-Melh – A historic pirate port and Ottoman fortress town on a lagoon, with nearby sandbars and beaches that serve as a hidden escape for Tunis resi…
• Utica – Said to be a Phoenician colony older than Carthage, later the capital of the Roman province of Africa, with mosaic-floored houses still in…
• Bulla Regia – A unique Roman city of “underground villas,” where wealthy residents built their living rooms below ground to escape the summer heat, with…
• Chemtou – A famous source of yellow marble in the Roman Empire, with ancient quarries, a laborers’ camp, and a museum co-founded by Germany and Tunis…
• Sidi Mahrez Mosque – An Ottoman-style mosque in the Bab Souika district of northern medina, where clusters of white domes form one of the most photogenic skylin…
• Ichkeul National Park – A UNESCO World Heritage wetland where hundreds of thousands of migratory birds overwinter around the lake, with an eco-museum and birdwatch…

Where to eat

• Dar El Jeld – A famous Tunisian restaurant housed in an 18th-century mansion in the Medina, renowned for its courtyard setting, refin…
• Fondouk El Attarine – A historic caravan inn next to the spice market, serving Tunisian dishes from a daily handwritten menu for lunch, along…
• El Mrabet – An old cafe and restaurant in the Souk El Trouk, reputedly the oldest cafe in the Medina, where you can sit on the floo…
• Dar Belhadj – A traditional restaurant in a restored Medina mansion, known for its couscous, tagines, and occasional live music, also…
• Dar Zarrouk (Sidi Bou Said) – A scenic restaurant in the blue-and-white town of Sidi Bou Said, featuring a terrace overlooking the coast and marina…
• Chez Slah – An established, family-run seafood restaurant in the city center, known for its grilled fish and red mullet, though rec…

Itineraries

• Tunisia Classic North-South Loop – Head south from Tunis to the oases and the Sahara, then return north via El Jem, connecting major World Heritage sites.
• Carthage & Cap Bon Peninsula Loop – Start from Tunis and loop around the Cap Bon Peninsula to see Punic ruins, coastal fortresses, and white medinas.
• Northern Tunisia Ancient Ruins & Coast Self-Drive – Loop around the northern coast and inland ancient cities, from Carthage to Dougga, and on to Cap Bon.
• In-Depth Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara – Explore the north and the Sahel by train, rent a car to head south, and finish with a flight out of Djerba Island.
• Algeria & Tunisia Ancient Heritage – Fly across two countries, connecting Tipasa, Timgad, Carthage, Dougga, and Kairouan.