TUNISIA 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS TOUR PACKAGE
DAY 1: TUNIS AIRPORT – TUNIS
Arrival to Tunis airport, welcome and assistance.
Transfer to the hotel El Mouradi Gammarth 5* check in. Dinner and overnight at hotel
DAY 2: TUNIS – BARDO – MEDINA – CARTHAGE – SIDI BOU SAID – TUNIS
After breakfast, visit of the world-famous Bardo Museum in Tunis, which has the finest collections of Roman mosaics in the world. There are also some interesting Early Christian mosaics which introduce the manner in which Christian art developed.
Next, we go for a short orientation tour by foot of the old Medina. Tunis is made up of two enclaves, the old town or Medina and the new town, built by the French as their administrative headquarters, a role it continues to fulfill today for modern Tunisia. The Medina was founded by the first Arab conquerors and it is full of monuments from both the Arab and Turkish periods, not least the Great Mosque built by the Aghlabid dynasty in the eighth century AD.
Free time for lunch and continuation to the site of ancient Carthage. Founded by Phoenician traders from the Levant as a trading depot en route to south-west Europe, it eventually became an independent and powerful entity in its own right.
This aroused Rome’s long-term enmity and there followed the famous Punic Wars which eventually saw Carthage’s total destruction. Subsequently re-founded by the Romans we will look over what remains of both cities. This will include the Byrsa Hill where Carthage was founded, c. 814 BC according to Roman sources; a site featuring the characteristic Tophet Graves of the Carthaginians; and the Archaeological Park centered on the Antonine Baths. We’ll visit as well the Second World War American cemetery in Carthage.
Nearby is the very handsome coastal town of Sidi Bou Said, much loved by painters, where we will have a short walking tour.
Check in at the same hotel of stay. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 3: TUNIS – KAIROUAN – GAFSA – TOZEUR
After breakfast departure to Kairouan, a purely Arab city filled with outstanding examples of the finest Islamic architecture in Tunisia: the Great Mosque of OKBA, the oldest place of worship in North Africa, and the mausoleum of Sidi Sahabi, a companion and a disciple of the Prophet Mohamed. We will see the impressive pools, built in the 9th century to collect and store winter rainwater. Then into the Medina (old town), the ancient market place encircled by 11th-century walls. Then a walking guided tour through workshops bakeries magnificent houses and religious monument Stop in Kairouan and panoramic visit to Islam Holy City. Continuation to Gafsa, Free time for lunch and departure to Tozeur.
On our arrival in Tozeur, it soon becomes quite clear that the main attraction of this desert city is its vast oasis. This oasis covers about ten square kilometers which has been planted with some 400,000 palms and is fed by 100 springs. We check in at the hotel in Tozeur.
We’ll have some time to relax then do some exploration of this very interesting and unique town. We will take a horse-drawn carriage into the oasis. We will learn about the date harvest and have the opportunity to sample some local dates or date wine “Legmi”, the medieval town with its distinctive desert architecture & decorative brickwork. Check in at the hotel Ksar Rouge 4*. Dinner and overnight at hotel
DAY 4: TOZEUR – CHEBIKA – TAMERZA – CHOTT EL DJERID – DOUZ
This morning, we will drive to the Mountain Oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides. Located amidst the rugged outcrop of the Atlas Mountains, not far from the Algerian frontier, these date back to Roman times, when they were military outposts to control the caravan trade. In Chebika, we take a walk to see the Berber village, waterfalls and the spring of the water, we continue to the picturesque village of Tamerza, with its spectacular sightseeing made famous in the film, The English Patient.
Return to Tozeur for lunch and drive across the Chott el Jerid, the Great Salt Lake, the barrier between the Sahara and fertile North. If we are lucky, we may see some mirages on the horizon. Arrival to the town of Douz called also the “Gateway of the Sahara”. Check in at the hotel El Mouradi Douz 4* and free afternoon. Here you have the opportunity (optional) to have a camel ride passing through deserted landscape and picturesque sand dunes, Ultra- light airplane or motor glider, Car cross or buggy trip in the Sahara. Return to hotel Dinner and overnight.
DAY5: DOUZ – MATMATA– MAHRES – El JEM – SOUSSE
After breakfast, departure to Matmata of Star Wars notoriety, but more importantly, center of the most extensive number of traditional troglodyte pit homes in the region. The Berber people built these simple underground dwellings to escape the extremes of weather and any unwelcome invaders, to get a feel for troglodyte living. We will visit one of these dwelling caves, then visit the hotel Sidi Driss, where scenes from the Lars homestead in Star Wars were filmed. Then drive to Mahres , free time for lunch and continuation to El Jem to visit the largest and most spectacular Roman amphitheatre in North Africa. Continue to the coastal town of Sousse. Check in at hotel Riadh Palms 4*. Dinner and overnight.
DAY6: SOUSSE – MONASTIR - PORT EL KANTAOUI – HAMMAMET
After breakfast, drive to the Medina of Sousse, a UNESCO World Heritage site, founded in the 9th century B.C, Sousse is the third city in Tunisia after Tunis and Sfax. Continue the short distance to Port El Kantaoui, visit of the Marina and free time for lunch. Drive to Monastir: the marina, the esplanade of the Ribat, the cemetery dominated by the narrow minarets and the mausoleum of Bourguiba. Climb the 90 steep steps to the watchtower of the Ribat for a panoramic view of the city and surrounding beaches to take your breath away. Drive to the coastal town of Hammamet. Check in at a resort hotel El Mouradi Hammamet 4*. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY7: HAMMAMET – THUBURBO MAJUS – DOUGGA (UNESCO) –
After breakfast, today is devoted to an exploration of the major Ancient Roman Sites of northern Tunisia.
The site at Tuburgo Majus is quite extensive and covers about 40 hectare. It has been partially excavated and is dotted with many buildings, mostly monumental, such as the capitol, with its six façade columns or the temple of Peace and that of Mercury, the summer baths and the winter baths, as well as the market and the residential quarter.
Continue to Dougga, the best-preserved site in Tunisia, a settlement of Numidian origin in the 2nd century BC, later promoted to the status of municipium by the Romans. You can walk along its ancient stone-
Drive to Tunis, check in at hotel El Mouradi Gammarth 5*. Dinner and overnight at hotel
DAY8: TUNIS – TUNIS AIRPORT
Breakfast in the hotel. Departure transfer to Tunis airport.