Amanda traveled to Tunisia twice in 2018 for work (March & August). We visited as a couple in November 2024. The continent is quite large, and Northern Africa was very unique and felt more like the Middle East than what you would normally envision when you think ‘Africa’. If you’re thinking of visiting Tunisia, we would recommend working with a travel agency to help book excursions. On our latest trip, we learned it’s illegal for Tunisians to drive foreigners unless they are licensed to do so. Also, Tunisia has a ‘closed currency’, meaning that they only accept Tunisian Dinar with the exception of the Tunis airport which doesn’t accept any Dinar. While hotels, restaurants and some shops in Tunis will accept credit card, the majority of the country is cash based. There are ATMs available in the Tunis airport where you can withdraw dinars for small fee. The other option is to take USD and find a Western Union where you can find a reasonable exchange rate.
Most Recent Visit
November 2024
How to Get Here
From another African country. The first trip was done in conjunction with Uganda and Nigeria. It’s very unlikely that you will find a direct flight from one part of Africa to another. This trip via Turkish Airlines required a layover in Istanbul. Make sure you leave enough time for customs and security to avoid running through the airport (which may have happened to Amanda and her coworker LOL).
From the US or other non-African country: Quite a few major airlines fly to Tunis. Air France, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, etc. The second trip originated in Seattle with a layover in Paris on Delta. The primary airport is in Tunis which would likely be on any itinerary if you were to visit so it serves as a good jumping off point. In November 2024, we found a great deal on flights from Seattle to Paris on Aer Lingus, so we booked a round-trip ticket SEA>CDG and then separately purchased a round-trip ticket from Paris to Tunis on Air France. We booked a one-night stay (both directions) at the Ibis hotel at CDG. This was so convenient and made the travel to/from the west coast much easier.
Trip Length
We spent 6 days in-country on our 2024 trip with 4 travel days (within Tunisia as well as to/from). Four of these days were in the south and the rest of the time in Tunis. If we were planning this trip again, we would shorten our visit to the south by 1 day and add 1 more day in-country. This would allow for the two things we did not have time to do, a day trip to El Jem as well as time at the Bardo Museum in Tunis. We would also recommend going in the spring or early winter, especially if you want to head south. Our guide told us that the Sahara Camp is not open June – August because the temperature often reaches over 50C/120F.
Where to Stay
On our trip to the south, we stayed at guest houses, a mix of bed & breakfast and hotel. We had good experiences at all of these and would recommend booking via Booking.com or directly through the property for better rates. Most locations you will find will include dinner & breakfast in the room rate. Each meal is a set menu, usually with a few courses. A typical breakfast will include bread with jams/Nutella, yogurt, fruit, hard boiled eggs, tea and coffee. A typical dinner will include bread, a Mediterranean type of salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions) and/or soup, a meat or fish dish with rice or potatoes. Meat is usually lamb or chicken. We did have the opportunity to try camel meat, and it was really delicious and reminded us of lamb. Only young camels are used for meat as adults are too tough.
Dar Hi – Very cool property in Nefta, just outside of Tozeur. This was the second most expensive lodging of our trip at $161/night in 2024. Dinner and breakfast were included. A perk for Amanda was the hair dryer, which was not available at any of our other lodgings outside of Tunis LOL.
Dar Ayed Tamezret – This property is one of two in Tamezret. The staff and property were lovely. Our room was spacious and there are a lot of outdoor spaces to relax in. We paid $82/night (2024) which included dinner and breakfast.
Hotel Dar Dhiafa – Another great property on Djerba Island. Very pretty property with a great restaurant. Dinner was not included in our rate ($94/night in 2024) but offered a menu with a variety of beef and fish dishes that was a nice change from the set menus we had the majority of the trip.
Camp Guerba – Tunisia’s form of glamping. A yurt-like structure with solid floor, beds, running water, and electricity on the ‘edge’ of the Sahara Desert. After a bumpy 4×4 ride over dunes we arrived at the camp to find quite a few permanent structures in addition to the tents. A dining hall, bathrooms and some private employee areas, and a fire pit add to the approx. 14 tents. We were joined by 2 other guests and 4 employees the evening we stayed here. Dinner and breakfast were included in our $100/pp per night (in 2024) cost.
There are quite a few chain hotel options in Tunis including Sheraton and Golden Tulip. Amanda stayed at the Golden Tulip Carthage Tunis and Le Corail Suites Hotel both of which were very clean and safe. It is important to note that there are areas in Tunis and the surrounding neighborhoods that are ‘dry’ and therefore no alcohol can be purchased within those areas if that is important to you. There are also quite a few ‘Airbnb’ type accommodations in the Tunis area.
What to Do
Tunisia sits on the Mediterranean Sea and has a lot of good beaches from what we hear. We explored a bit of Tunis but spent most of our time in the south where we visited some Star Wars filming sites, experienced traditional Amazigh/Berber traditions and camped in the Sahara.
Sidi Bou Said & La Marsa
Sidi Bou Said is a neighborhood on the outskirts of Tunis. At first glance you might think you were in Greece. Think white buildings with blue doors, cute staircases and winding streets with beautiful flowers. Sidi Bou has many shops and restaurants. Be prepared for pushy vendors (as with any tourist spot). Amanda’s favorite shop is on the right side of the road if you’re heading up the main street. It’s a gorgeous old house turned shop with a variety of pottery, clothing, wood carvings, mosaics, etc.
Dougga
Dougga is about a two-hour drive outside of Tunis. The city was controlled by many empires over the years which is evident in varying architectural influences. There is a small fee to enter the site (10 TND in 2024). There are guided tour options from Tunis but if you’d like to avoid a large tour bus, you can also work with a travel agency and hire a private driver/car. There are English speaking guides on-site, but we decided to do a self-guided tour. We spent about 2 hours walking around taking pictures. I would highly recommend a visit as it is said to be one of the most intact examples of Roman ruins in North Africa and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Sahara Desert
Visiting the Sahara Desert is a bucket list item for many people. We would recommend experiencing it with Ghilane Travel Services. They have been in business for over 25 years and will basically accommodate any type of experience you’d like to have. We had an English-speaking driver which made communication much easier since none of us spoke French or Tunisian Arabic. We chose to travel over the dunes by 4×4 vehicle, but quads/4-wheelers or camels are also an option. ‘Dune surfing’ was definitely a highlight and reminded us of riding a slower version of a rollercoaster. We sped to the camp just in time to see sunset and enjoy a tea which is a common tradition when checking into hotels. A fire was built, and dinner was cooked the in the ground just the way the Amazigh/Berbers did. We got to experience the baking of the bread in the coals of the fire along with some traditional music for our entertainment. Our one regret was not getting up in the middle of the night to look at the stars. When we went to bed, the moon was shining bright and there were clouds in the sky. We could see stars, but they were faint. A friend in our group woke up in the middle of the night and said that it was a beautiful clear night, and he could see stars from one horizon to the other. We got up early for sunrise and then had a hearty breakfast with omelets which was a nice change of pace.
Desert & Mountain Road Trip with Star Wars sites
We flew to Tozeur from Tunis and were picked up at the airport by a driver who delivered us to our first guest house in Nefta. The next morning, we were picked up and had a day full of sightseeing. First stop was the Chebika Oasis. This was a great first stop. We hired a local guide who gave us information about the area. Be prepared to walk by many aggressive vendors. Don’t hesitate to negotiate with them. On our way to the next area, we stopped at a panorama viewpoint.
We made a quick stop at the Tamaghza Waterfall and had some tea. Our next stop was in the village of Mides. Here we had a tour of the Oasis by a local resident and restaurant owner. We walked through the canyon up to the historic Berber village. We had a great view of the canyon as well as the Algerian border.
We explored Mos Espa as well as the Lars Homestead while in the Nefta area. There was a large tour group (we heard over 600 people) that were in the area as well. There are no fees to enter these Star Wars sites, and they are quite popular so you can expect to not be the only people around. A 4×4 vehicle with a driver experienced in driving the salt flats and sand is highly recommended. Our driver actually stopped quite far away from the Lars Homestead site because the sand was wet, and he didn’t want to get stuck.
We ended the day on the Eriguet dunes with a tea arranged by our guide. Tea is a huge part of the culture here and it was a fun way to end the day and watch the sunset. We did have quite the soundtrack with the large group blasting music, but the view made up for it.
In Tozeur, we first took a walking tour of the medina with our guide Safa. We stopped in the museum and were included in a quick demo of an Amazigh wedding. We then hopped in a horse drawn carriage and had a tour of the oasis.
After we left Tozeur, we headed towards Douz. To do so, you cross Chott el Djerid which is a large salt lake. We were amused that Google Maps shows this as an actual lake. It looks like you’ll cross a bridge but in reality, it’s a raised road with views of the vast open area all around you. We definitely saw mirages which was pretty crazy. A few tourist spots have been created along the way as shown below.
For our last two days in the south, we headed east passing through Tamezret, Matmata, Toujane, and Medenine ending on Djerba Island. In Tamezret we had a lunch with a cooking experience at Cafe Berbere. This is an activity we would not have typically chosen to do but Scott was a good sport and Amanda, and our friend Jasen had fun. We also visited to Berber Museum which was ‘ok’. We don’t speak French, so we used Google Translate to understand the host. Only takes about 15 minutes to tour the traditional house and look at the artifacts.
A must stop for Star Wars fans (and a fun one even if you just enjoy the movies and aren’t a superfan) is Hotel Sidi Idriss. We would not recommend staying here unless you’re a diehard fan. It is minimalistic and not very comfortable based on the reviews. We stayed a few minutes away at Dar Ayed which was great. There is a small entrance fee (1 TND/pp) and they play the theme music as you enter the main area. There are remnants of the movie set as well as some pictures/posters showing the scenes. Definitely walk around behind the entrance so you can get the view from above.
We wrapped up our trip to the south in Djerba. Our guest house, Dar Dhiafa, is located in Djerbahood. This neighborhood is known for its murals and street art. We walked around snapping some pictures and then grabbed a taxi to Houmt Souk. We walked through the bazaar and headed to the water to check out the Gazi Mustapha Tower. We decided against going in for a tour and enjoyed the breeze and sunshine instead. We wrapped up our journey with a flight back to Tunis.
One of the most popular spots within Tunis is the Carthage Ruins. There are nine sites around the city included in the entrance fee. We visited 3 of the sites in the short time we had prior to heading back to the airport on our final day. We started with the Baths of Antoninus then headed to Archaeological site of Carthage/St. Louis Cathedral and finished up with the Punic Ports of Carthage.
A few things on our ‘to do’ list would be to take a day trip to El Jem, visit the Bardo Museum and the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace. We had a great trip and cannot thank Nicole and Houssem enough for all the logistics planning and playing our tour guides, translators, and personal ATMs! Let us know if you have any questions about visiting Tunisia.