Looking for things to do in Tunisia? Add these to your list

One of the best places to visit in Tunisia is the enchanting city of Tunis, the capital. Start your sightseeing at the Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in the 7th century by the Arabs and once the beating heart of Tunis for over 1000 years. At the heart of the medina, you can find the Al-Zaytuna Mosque (also known as EzZitouna), named after an olive tree, the oldest in the city. Admire the architecture and the iconic mosaics before heading off in search of the city’s souks. 

One of the best souks is the Blacksmith’s souk, south of the mosque, which is less touristy. Explore the winding streets and head up to one of the rooftop cafés for views over the city, one of the unmissable things to do in Tunisia. You also shouldn’t miss the Bardo Museum and other Tunis neighbourhoods like the beautiful Ville Nouvelle, which was the colonial French quarter. You’d be forgiven for wondering if you’d somehow taken a wrong turn and ended up in Paris.

Tunisia’s archaeological sites are among its most compelling draws, and anyone plotting a cultural itinerary full of Tunisian sightseeing should start with Carthage. This UNESCO World Heritage site is vast, scattered across a wide swathe of coastline just east of Tunis, and deserves unhurried time to do it justice. Here, layers of Phoenician and Roman history surface in sun-bleached fragments from grand remnants to quieter, half-buried details, all hinting at the city’s former power. Build in a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, too: its carefully curated collections add vital context, helping you piece together what you’ve just walked through

Continue exploring Roman ruins and head to the city of El Djem. Here, the remnants of the 3rd-century amphitheatre of El Jem, the largest in North Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage site, demonstrate the grandeur and power of Imperial Rome. At its prime, this colosseum would have held 35000 spectators and its style echoes that of the colosseum in Rome, something quite unheard of in North Africa. If you are left wanting more, other standout archaeological sites include Dougga and Bulla Regia, often paired together on the same day trip.

With a skyline of cerulean-domed rooftops that might just make you think of Santorini, Sidi Bou Said has been working its spell for generations. Its crisp white-and-blue, Andalusian-Ottoman architecture is the headline act, making it one of the most beautiful places in Tunisia, but it’s the town’s bohemian rhythm that keeps you lingering. Sip mint tea on café terraces scented with jasmine (the Café des Nattes is popular), pick up artisan souvenirs at artful boutiques tucked down steep lanes and savour golden-hour views over the Bay of Tunis.

History buffs will want to make for the Dar el-Annabi Museum, set inside an 18th-century mansion, to witness what life was like back in the day. If you’d rather swap the midday glare for cooler interiors, head up to Ennejma Ezzahra, the hilltop palace once owned by French baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger, now home to the Centre for Arabic and Mediterranean Music. 

If you fancy travelling further south than Hammamet for your sunshine, Sousse is just the place. Famously nicknamed the “Pearl of the Sahel”, this seaside city celebrates a 3,000-year history best explored by wandering its winding streets. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed medina is a fabulous place to start, home to the Great Mosque of Sousse, as is the 9th-century ribat and the Kasbah. Admire the echoes of the city’s past before diving into its vibrant, modern centre, home to some of the best beachfront resorts in the area.

Yet, while its cosmopolitan style makes it a fun place to be, it is its Mediterranean charm and picture-perfect beaches that draw in travellers keen to unwind and unplug from the stresses and demands of daily life. Bou Jaafar, the city’s long, white-sand beach, is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon, and the nearby resort area of Port El Kantaoui with its marina and golf courses, is a great spot for travellers in search of more leisure options.

Inland, the city of Kairouan shifts the mood entirely. Often described as one of Islam’s most important cities, it is known as the “City of 300 Mosques” and has long carried an almost pilgrimage-like pull. It is often remarked that if one cannot get to Mecca, then seven pilgrimages to Kairouan are of equal value. The city’s centrepiece is the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Sidi Uqba Mosque), one of the top things to do in Tunisia and a major Islamic architectural landmark. Beyond the mosque, the UNESCO-listed medina invites visitors to stroll along its maze-like streets, linger in the courtyards and snap up souvenirs like handwoven carpets and silver tea sets in the souks. Just outside the medina, the mausoleum of Sidi Sahbi adds another layer of history, ornate, atmospheric, and quietly moving.

There are many beautiful places in Tunisia, but none as awe-inspiring as the south. Famous, not only for the dunes and star-heavy skies, but for the oases. It is hard not to be wowed by the first time you see that improbable spill of green against desert gold. Tozeur is one of the most practical starting points for exploring the Tunisian desert, known for growing the best dates in all of Tunisia; it is still home to a community of people, making it one of the handful of inhabited oases in the country. 

Nearby Nefta is often cited as Tunisia’s largest oasis, while Douz offers Instagrammable surroundings with palm groves and pale dunes that look almost powdered. For intrepid explorers, one of the things to do in Tunisia is to explore the mountain oases. Chebika and Tamerza are the stand-outs, where water threads through rocky gorges and small waterfalls cut through the heat with refreshing force.

Close to these southern oases lies one of Tunisia’s most otherworldly landscapes, Chott el Djerid, a vast salt pan, spanning 7,000 km²,  that changes character with the seasons. In cooler months, it can hold shallow water that glints in shifting tones of pink, greens and blue and can be sailed across by boat. In the height of summer, the heat evaporates the water and distorts the horizon into mirage-like illusions through a phenomenon known as Fata Morgana, turning the whole place into a shimmering, surreal stage set. It’s an easy stop on a desert route and one of the best things to do in Tunisia if you are in the area.

If visiting a Hollywood film set sounds like a must-do in Tunisia, then make a stop in Tataouine. If the name sounds familiar, you are not imagining it. It helped inspire Star Wars’ Tatooine and the surrounding area is peppered with locations used during filming. Book yourself onto a tour and explore some of the iconic sets, some with original props, or take time to explore them at your own pace. Yet, cinematic associations aside, this corner of the country is fascinating for its ksars: traditional Berber granary-fortresses built from stone and clay, stacked into honeycomb-like forms and threaded with exterior staircases. The most visited include Ksar Ouled Soltane and Ksar Mourabitine, two major Tunisian tourist attractions. 

Those in search of an architectural wonder will want to venture to Matmata, famous for its unusual troglodyte dwellings carved into the earth. Designed and built by the Berbers as a form of defence and shelter from enemies, they also provide much-needed practical comfort in extreme temperatures. From above, they look like craters but visitors exploring them on the ground will discover a series of tunnels revealing a world of circular courtyards and cave-like rooms. Just like the ksars in Tatouine, Matmata’s dwellings have also doubled as film sets, but little known to visitors, many of them are still family homes, so it is important to be respectful.

With so many things to do in Tunisia, the chance to enjoy some downtime on an island beach break is undeniably tempting. Connected to the mainland via a causeway on an original Roman route, the island of Djerba is easily reachable by road. Get into the gentle ebb and flow of island life by exploring Houmt El Souk, the island’s main town, and drift through the markets, stopping to admire the artisan goods along the way. 

A trip to the Borj el Kebir fortress, the largest and best-preserved castle and one of the most visited historical sites on the island, is a must. Further out, the El Ghriba Synagogue,  often described as one of the oldest in North Africa, speaks to the island’s layered cultural history, while Erriadh draws visitors for “Djerbahood”, a street-art project that splashes contemporary creativity across traditional walls. In Guellala, pottery studios keep another local craft tradition alive.