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Day 1  – 23 Oct 

Fly from London to Tunis and then check-in at Tunis hotel

Day 2 – 24 Oct Tunis and Around

• Phase 1: Downtown & The Historic Medina (08:30 – 11:30)

• • 08:30 | The Modern Spine: Start your morning walking down Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the French-colonial heart of the city. Admire the Art Nouveau municipal theatre and the striking Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul.
  • 09:00 | Enter the Time Machine: Walk through Bab El Bahr (The Sea Gate), the stone archway separating the modern city from the ancient world. You are now in the 1,000-year-old UNESCO-listed Medina.
  •  09:30 | Zitouna & The Rooftops: Wind through the souks to the 7th-century Al-Zaytuna Mosque. While non-Muslims can only enter the outer courtyard, the best views are from above. Head to the rooftop terrace of Cafe Panorama or Café El Bey to sip a morning espresso surrounded by vibrant Tunisian mosaics.
  • 11:00 | Transit to the Coast: Walk 15 minutes out of the Medina to the Tunis Marine TGM station. Buy a 1st Class ticket to Carthage Salammbô (approx. 1 TND).
• Phase 2: The Complete Carthage Ruins (11:30 – 15:30)
  • *12:00 | The Punic Ports (Get off at Carthage Salammbô): Walk to the circular Punic Ports and the Sanctuary of Tophet. This is where Carthage’s maritime empire was born. 🎟️ Ticket Stop: Go to the entry gate here and buy your multi-site combined ticket (approx. 12–30 TND, cash only). Keep this paper slip safe; it is your passport to the rest of the day.
  •  13:00 | Byrsa Hill (Hop back on the TGM to Carthage Hannibal): Take the train 2 stops north to Carthage Hannibal. Walk up Byrsa Hill to visit the Punic Quarter. The views over the Gulf of Tunis from here are incredible. (Note: The indoor National Museum on the hill is closed for renovations, but the outdoor archeological park remains open). Walk downhill toward the Roman Villas and the Roman Theatre.
  • *14:30 | The Antonine Baths (Walk to Carthage Dermech): Walk down toward the coast to reach the Baths of Antoninus. This is the crown jewel of the ruins—a colossal Roman bath complex sitting right at the water’s edge.
  • 15:30 | Train to the Cliffside: Walk 5 minutes from the baths to the Carthage Dermech TGM station. Buy a ticket to Sidi Bou Saïd (approx. 5-minute ride).

• Phase 3: Sidi Bou Saïd & Sunset (16:00 – 19:30)

• •  16:00 | Get Lost in Blue & White: Step off the train and head up the hill into Sidi Bou Saïd. This village is a living postcard of striking white walls, bright blue doors, and tumbling pink bougainvillea.
  •  17:00 | The Iconic Café Stop: Walk down to the legendary Café des Délices (also known as Café Sidi Chabaane). Nab a terraced seat cascading down the cliffside. Order a traditional Tunisian mint tea with pine nuts or almonds and watch the sun dip below the horizon over the marina. Expect tourist-premium pricing here, but the panoramic sea view makes it well worth it.
  • 19:00 | Heading Back: Walk back down to the Sidi Bou Saïd station and take the TGM train straight back to central Tunis (~35 minutes), or hail an InDrive rideshare if you want a direct car back to your hotel.

• Starting early allows you to complete this massive loop with plenty of time to explore both major archeological sites.
  •  06:00 AM: Depart Tunis. Enjoy an empty road heading west.
  •  07:15 AM: Arrive in Testour. The town is just waking up. Grab a quick breakfast café, admire the counter-clockwise clock on the Great Mosque, and buy some famous local sheep’s cheese.
  •  08:00 AM: Depart Testour.
  •  09:30 AM: Arrive at Bulla Regia. Because you are early, you will descend into the subterranean Roman villas before the sun makes them hot and stuffy. You will have the underground mosaics entirely to yourself.
  •  11:30 AM: Depart Bulla Regia and drive south toward Dougga.
  •  12:30 PM: Arrive at Dougga. Spend 3 to 4 hours wandering this sprawling, mountainside UNESCO city. You have enough time to see the Capitoline Temple, the Theater, and the Libyco-Punic Mausoleum.
  •  04:00 PM: Depart Dougga for the drive back to the capital.
  •  05:30 PM: Arrive back in Tunis with plenty of time to freshen up, relax, and enjoy dinner.
• Hotel : Dar Kenza – Tunis

Day 4 – 26 Oct  Holy Kairouan & Sbeitla to Tozeur

• By driving straight south to Kairouan first, you create a smooth, sweeping crescent arc down to Tozeur instead of a jagged zig-zag.
  •  06:00 AM: Depart Tunis and head straight down the southern highway.
  •  08:15 AM: Arrive in Kairouan. This early arrival is perfect. The morning light on the sandstone of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is spectacular, and the ancient Medina will be peaceful. Visit the mosque and the Aghlabid Basins.
  •  10:30 AM: Depart Kairouan heading west toward the interior spine of Tunisia.  12:15 PM: Arrive in Sbeitla. Grab a quick lunch near the site entrance.
  •  01:00 PM: Explore the Roman ruins of Sbeitla. The three grand temples standing sideby-side against the blue sky look magnificent in the early afternoon sun.
  •  03:00 PM: Depart Sbeitla for the final leg to the desert.
  •  06:00 PM: Arrive in Tozeur. You will roll into the desert oasis just as the temperature begins to drop, giving you a relaxing evening to check into your hotel and unwind.
• Hotel : Ksar El Jerid

Day 5: 27 Oct  Mountain Oasis

• •  08:30 AM – 4×4 departs your Tozeur hotel.
  •  09:30 AM – Arrive Chebika Oasis (Off-road dirt tracks begin).
  •  11:30 AM – Arrive Tamerza Canyon.
  •  01:00 PM – Lunch near the canyons.
  •  02:30 PM – Arrive Midès Gorge (Rugged border tracks).
  •  05:00 PM – 4×4 returns you to your Tozeur hotel.
• Hotel : Ksar El Jerid

Day 6: 28 Oct Star Wars & Salt Flats

• • 08:30 AM – 4×4 departs your Tozeur hotel with your luggage loaded.
  • 09:15 AM – Off-road dune bashing starts toward Ong Jemel.
  • 10:00 AM – Explore Mos Espa Star Wars set.
  • 12:30 PM – Return to Tozeur for lunch.
  • 01:00 PM – Fatnasa Petrified Sand Dunes
  • 02:00 PM – Cross the Chott el Jerid salt flat (Smooth but unique terrain).
  • 05:30 PM – Sunset over the salt flats.
  • 06:30 PM – Arrive at your hotel in Douz.
• Hotel : Sahara Douz

Day 7: 29 Oct Sahara Deep Dive

• • 08:30 AM – 4×4 departs Douz hotel with all luggage loaded.
  • 09:30 AM – Leave paved roads. Tire pressure is lowered. Deep sand dune navigation begins.
  • 12:00 PM – Arrive at Ksar Ghilane Oasis.
  • 12:30 PM – Swim in the thermal pool and have lunch.
  • 03:00 PM – Optional camel ride or quad biking in the dunes.
  • 05:00 PM – Drive deep into the dunes to your Luxury Desert Camp.
  • 07:30 PM – Traditional dinner and stargazing
• Hotel: Campement Zmela (They will provide round transfer from Ksar Ghilane)

Day 8 30 Oct Matmata

• • 07:30 AM – 08:30 AM: Enjoy breakfast at your luxury desert camp, pack your bags, and board the 4×4.
  • 10:00 AM – Chenini Berber Village
  • 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Drive from Ksar Ghilane toward the rugged mountains of Tataouine. The landscape transforms from rolling sand dunes to rocky, lunar canyons.
  • 11:30 AM – 12:30 AM: Explore Ksar Ouled Soltane. This is one of the most spectacular Berber granaries, featuring multi-story vaulted storage units (ghorfas) stacked four levels high.
  • 12:30 AM – 01:15 PM: Drive to Ksar Hadada.
  • 01:15 PM – 02:00 PM: Walk through Ksar Hadada, another beautifully preserved granary. Star Wars fans will instantly recognize this location as the filming site for the Mos Espa slave quarters in The Phantom Menace.
  • 02:00 PM – 02:30 PM: Drive into the mountain village of Matmata.
  • 02:30 PM – 04:00 PM: Local Family Lunch. Sit down with a local Berber family inside their active, subterranean troglodyte home. You will enjoy authentic, slow-cooked Tunisian couscous and freshly baked tabouna bread dipped in local olive oil.
  • 04:00 PM – 05:30 PM: Visit the Matmata Museum and explore the unique geography of the town, seeing how homes are dug entirely into the earth to escape the intense desert heat.
• Hotel Touring Club Marhala Matmata

Day 9: 31st Oct The Colosseum of El Jem to the Coast

• You leave the desert behind today and head straight north into the heart of Roman Africa before finishing the day at the Mediterranean sea.
  •  07:00 AM – 08:00 AM: Breakfast at Hotel Touring club Matmata. Pack your bags and meet your driver.
  • 08:30 AM – Visit a Berber house
  •  09:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Drive north from Matmata to Sfax. This 3.5-hour drive transitions from arid desert plains back into lush, olive-tree-lined landscapes.
  • 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM: Visit Sfax Medina . Port . Had special Sfax grilled meat for lunch
  • 1:30 AM – 2:30 PM:  Drive 1 hr to El Jem
  •  2:30 AM – 3:30 PM: Explore the Amphitheatre of El Jem. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the third-largest Roman amphitheatre in the world. Because it is better preserved than the Colosseum in Rome, you can descend into the underground tunnels where gladiators and wild animals were kept, and climb to the top tiers for sweeping views
  • 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Drive from El Jem north to the coastal city of Sousse.
  •  04:30 PM – 06:30 PM: Explore the Sousse Medina and Ribat. Walk the ramparts of the 8th-century Ribat fortress for spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea, and wander the historic souks within the stone walls of the Medina.
  •  06:30 PM: Check into your coastal resort hotel in Sousse
  • Evening: Relax by the beach, take a walk along the marina, and enjoy a fresh seafood dinner by the water.
• Hotel Soussana

Day 10: 1st Nov Coastal Morning & Departure

• •  06:30 AM – 07:30 AM: Beach time and enjoy sunrise over Mediterranean Sea.
  •  07:30 AM – 08:30 AM: Enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
  •  08:30 AM – 09:15 AM: Complete your final packing and check out of your hotel. Meet your driver and guide at the lobby.

• •  09:15 AM – 10:30 AM: Drive north from Hammamet to Tunis-Carthage Airport. This is a direct, smooth highway run (A1) that typically takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, factoring in light morning traffic approaching the capital.
  • 10:30 AM: Arrive at the airport terminal. You are now perfectly positioned with 3 hours to spare before your 13:45 departure.
  •  10:45 AM – 11:30 AM: Say goodbye to your driver and guide, enter the terminal, pass the initial baggage scan at the entrance, and check in your luggage.
  •  11:30 AM – 12:45 PM: Clear customs, passport control, and the final security gates. Grab a coffee or buy last-minute Tunisian dates and olive oil at the duty-free shops.
  •  12:55 PM: Flight boarding begins.
  •  13:45 PM: Your flight departs Tunis.