Tunisia, the northernmost country in Africa, is part of the Maghreb region, bordered by Algeria and Libya. Know for its bustling souks, beautiful doors, ancient architecture and friendly people.
If you want to have a glimpse of the country one week is great, If you want to go deeper into de desert and visit off the beaten path locations, two weeks is perfect.
Tunisia is a small country, so is pretty much easy to cruise around with trains, louages (how mini-vans are called on long distance trips) and buses (found on the main routes).
I chose to do only the coast, but I skipped important destinations such as Kaiouran (Mosque of Uqba), Tozeur (Desert and Oasis) and El Jam (Amphitheatre of El Jem). I also skipped some Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia, you can check how to go here.
How to get there
By plane: Tunisia is really well connected to Europe. Flights specially from Paris start at 50 euros towards Tunis or Djerba. Some cheap connections from south of Italy as well, since they are very close between each other. The flight price range between 50 and 200 euros, depending on how much in advance you book. Also remind that the season is high in the Desert in Tunisian winter, and high on the coast in Tunisian summer.
By boat: I strongly recommend not to go by boat, as I did. Unless you are traveling with a camper-van or motorbike, and the ferry is your only option, I would come next time by plane. This trip takes between 24 and 28 hours in a kind of small run down cruise-ship. I first booked a boat with GNV from Civitavecchia to Tunis and paid 65 euros. I used the website Ferries Direct to book. My mistake, I came way to late for check-in, and they asked me for flight out and booking of accommodations for my whole stay. I had the flight to Mauritania, but I would not book 18 days of accommodation since I had couchsurfing hosts. So, in Italy in the harbor they didn’t even let me board, and no refund at all. My second attempt was with the company Grimaldi from Salerno to Tunis, I have paid 45 euros plus 3 euros to reserve a seat, that I ended up not using.
I booked one night in a hostel and a fake ticket for Germany for 3 days later. To board the boat went smooth in Italy, no questions asked at all, but on arrival in La Goulette harbor in Tunis, was another story. I even meet a Swiss guy that was send back on the same ferry because he could not prove the reservations and had no internet to purchase them. Every foreigner is stopped by immigration, they usually call the chief police that comes to talk to you and ask random questions, making it like you were in trouble. I have heard that Italians and French usually leave a 20 euro bill inside the passport, but I was totally against this practice. He asked me what was my job, I said deckhand on boats, he asked If I wanted to work in Tunisia, I said not. I showed him the bookings, he looked, looked, wait, looked and he let me go.
How to move around Tunis
In the city of Tunis, you have shared taxis (collectif), price usually is 1 to 1.5 dinar (0.30 to 0.45 eur). They are vans colored in yellow, or white with a stripe. Individual taxis are yellow and they have taximeter, short trips are cheap around 2 dinars (0.60 eur). When the front sign is red means the taxi is free, if if green, is busy (a bit illogic, but it is how it works). You also have unreliable metro system and tram. The tram goes from TGM Marine station in Tunis city centre to the costal districts (Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, La Marsa). The price is under 1 dinar, according to distance travelled and is totally unreliable, it leaves every half an hour after it gets full, no timetable at all. Runs from early morning and the last one is around 11pm.
Is important to know that individual taxis charge an expensive fee at night that can be double to triple the price from the day time.
How to move around Tunisia
You have many options to cruise around the cities but is hard to find information online. Trains are cheaper and slower, louages are faster but more uncomfortable.
Trains don’t leave on time and louages leave only when full. Every major city has a louage terminal and a train terminal.
If you take louage, you have to buy the ticket in the ticket booth, and then find the one for your destination. The earlier you are in the terminal, the fastest you leave.
Prices December 2023 by Louage: Tunis to Sousse 13 dinar (4 eur), Sousse to Sfax 12.4 dinar (4 eur), Sfax to Djerba 26 dinar (8 eur), Djerba to Tunis 43 dinar (13 eur). By bus from Djerba to Tunis is 33 Dinar (10 eur).
Top things to do in Tunis
Sidi Bou Said is the highlight of the capital, it is a town only in white and blue, by law, and looks like Santorini in Greece.
The medina of Tunis is the historic heart of Tunis, considered as one of the best preserved Arab-Muslim cities, and has been listed as a Unesco World Heritage since 1979. The medina is built around the religious center of the Grand Mosque Ezzaitouna, surrounded by a rich market place, private houses and narrow streets. During day time is extremely busy, at night extremely empty and can be dangerous.
Hammam is a must go if you come to Tunisia. It is like thermal baths where you can get massage and scrub for 10 dinar (3 euros). They are all over the country and usually you have a certain time for woman and another time for men. Sometimes men from 7h to 12h and woman 13h to 18h, sometimes woman from 10h to 18h and men from 19h to 22h, every Hammam has its own schedule. I went to Hammam El Kachachine in Tunis Medina and Marsaoui Hammam in Sidi Bo Said.
Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classical world. If you like ruins, this coastal district is a must visit.
Top things to do in Sousse
Ribat of Sousse most likely founded in the 8th century and reconstructed or completed in its current form during the early 9th century, is a kind of fort inside the Medina of Sousse. From there you have the best view on the entire city. For tourists, it cost 8 dinar (2.4 eur) to enter the Ribat, visit the museum and climb to the top.
Port El Kantaoui, built in 1979 is a tourist complex 10 kilometres north of Sousse. It is a large artificial harbour that provides mooring with 340 berths for yachts.
Top things to do in Monastir
Monastir marina and cliffs. The marina of Monastir is the most live from the entire country. Sailors from all over the world make a stop over in the harbor that has a lot of restaurants and night life. From there is also possible to book scuba diving trips. Just around the corner you can have a walk and watch natural cliffs of Monastir, from where you can see other cities of Tunisia from far.
The Hanafi Mosque of Bourguiba is a Mosque dedicated to the first president of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba.
Top Things to do in Hergla
Hergla is a small village north of Sousse, you can visit with a shared taxi from Sousse on a day trip. Tourism is starting there and some people say in the future it will look like Hammamet, a very touristy town in Tunisia. It has similarity with Sidi Bou Said, with while and blue architecture. There is a main mosque, beautiful doors, a tradicional cemetery on the hillside and a small harbor. It is also possible to swim in the beach on the summer.
Top things to do in Sfax
Sfax Medina was the most interesting Medina in whole Tunisia, because the city has always been industrial and the Medina is full of little workshops and factories.
Special thanks for @houcem.boudaya that showed us around and @kmarbenhmida that invited me for a tradicional Tunisian feast.
Eat Ice-cream inside the bread in one of the most famous Patisserie in Sfax.
Top things to do in Djerba
Djerba is an island in Tunisia accessible by plane, ferry or bridge. In the summer is high season there and plenty of all inclusive resorts are fully booked in the famous touristic zone, that starts in Radisson and follows the beach coast. The best place to stay is Houmt Souk, in the center, where you have the beautiful Medina and busy streets.
Djerbahood was a street art event where artists from all over the world gathered in the village of Erriadh to create 250 mural paintings.
Horse riding or camel riding in the beach is a common activity in the touristic zone of Djerba. The price offered was 30 dinar (9 euros), but after negotiating a lot I have paid 15 dinar (4.5 euros) for 20 minutes.
I swim at the ocean and was quite cold since I visited in the winter, end of December. In summer is pretty fair temperature, and the city is busy. There is a bit of nightlife in Medina, but the big night life scene happens in the hotels in the touristic zone.