Compare Grand Tour of Tunisia by Audley Travel vs Signature Tunisia by Kensington Tours

Day 1: Tunis , Sidi Bou Said

Accommodation: Dar Said

Upon arrival into Tunis you'll be met at the airport and driven to your hotel.

Day 2: Sidi Bou Said

Accommodation: Dar Said

Today you will be picked up by your guide and taken to explore the Old Tunis Medina. There are plenty of cafes to grab a bite of lunch here, before you move on to visit the spectacular Bardo museum, which houses an incredible display of mosaics. Afterward your will head over to nearby Carthage for a short visit before returning to your hotel.

Day 3: Sidi Bou Said

Accommodation: Dar Said

You have another full day excursion with your driver and guide today, this time to the amazing Roman ruins at Dougga & Bulla Regia - this is a long but very interesting day!

Day 4: Sidi Bou Said

Accommodation: Dar Said

A full day at leisure to relax at your hotel and further explore the lovely Sidi Bou Said.

Day 5: Sidi Bou Said , Kairouan

Accommodation: La Kasbah

This morning you head south towards the holy Islamic city of Kairouan. En route you will stop and spend some time exploring the impressive Roman site of Thurburbo Majus. Arriving in Kairouan, you'll stay for two nights at your hotel.

Day 6: Kairouan

Accommodation: La Kasbah

Two extraordinary excursions today, beginning with a tour of Kairouan, including the awesome Great Mosque. After lunch, it`s on to the spectacular Roman amphitheatre of El Jem, probably the most famous single sight in Tunisia.

Day 7: Kairouan , Tamerza

Accommodation: Tamerza Palace

A drive inland takes you to another well preserved Roman site at Sbeitla. Following an extensive tour of the ruins you continue into the desert to the picturesque town of Tamerza, where you'll stay for three nights at your hotel.

Day 8: Tamerza

Accommodation: Tamerza Palace

This morning you will visit (and hike in) the mountain oases of Southwest Tunisia, including Mides, Chebika and Tamerza. After an energetic morning, the afternoon is free to relax.

Day 9: Tamerza

Accommodation: Tamerza Palace

The highlight today is a charming journey on the Red Lizard steam train. Primarily a tourist journey these days, the train winds through scenic gorges and mountains to Selja station, before embarking on a return journey.

Day 10: Tamerza , Ksar Ghilane

Accommodation: Tamerza Palace

A long but rewarding day, with a stunning desert drive across from Tamerza to Ksar Ghilane. En route you traverse the Chott El Jerid salt lake and make stops in Tozeur and Douz. Your accommodation for one night is an en suite tent.

Day 11: Ksar Ghilane , Jerba

Accommodation: Dar Dhiafa

A remote journey for you today, taking in some dramatic mountain scenery and visiting the troglodyte / Berber settlement of Matmata, which will be very familiar to Star Wars fans! A short ferry ride to the Island of Jerba brings the long journeys to an end, giving you the chance to unwind in comfort with two nights at your hotel.

Day 12: Jerba

Accommodation: Dar Dhiafa

You have today at leisure to relax and possibly visit the impressive El Ghriba Synagogue.

Day 13: Jerba

After breakfast you'll catch a domestic flight to Tunis, to catch your international flight.

Day 1: Tunis

Accommodation: Sheraton Tunis Hotel & Towers

A private vehicle with driver will provide a transfer to the airport.

Ideally located in the central business and diplomatic district, the Sheraton Tunis Hotel & Towers overlooks the entire city of Tunis. Inside, the knowledgeable concierge service will put guests at ease, making restaurant reservations or recommending local attractions.  All of the 285 guest rooms feature balconies with city views. The Towers rooms include evening cocktail service and hors d'oeuvres in the private Towers Lounge.  Keep in touch with the full-service business center, providing 24-hour Internet and e-mail access through WIFI. The hotel also offers thoughtful services like complimentary parking and a car-rental desk right on the premises. Re-energize at the state-of-the-art SPA and fitness center, take a plunge in the outdoor swimming pool, or utilize the indoor whirlpool with aqua gym. SPA services include everything from balneotherapy, hydrotherapy to massages and beauty treatments.

Day 2: Tunis

Accommodation: Sheraton Tunis Hotel & Towers

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

Enjoy this day of touring beginning with a visit to the National Museum of Bardo. This museum holds an extensive collection of ancient Roman mosaic, considered one of the largest, complete collections in the world. Next, visit the Medina of Tunis, exploring the narrow souk lined streets before heading to lunch.  Next, head out to visit the ancient city of Carthage.  Explore the ruins which surround this once prosperous Roman city including stops at the Tophet, the Phoenician cemetery, the Punic Harbours, Antonin's Bath, the Carthage Museum and the Saint Louis Cathedral. Continue from here to the village of Sidi Bou Said, boasting spectacular breathtaking views of the Gulf of Tunis.

Day 3: Tunis - El Kef

Accommodation: Dar Chennoufi

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

Depart from Tunis and travel to one of the best preserved Roman historical sites in all of Tunisia, Dougga. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, Dougga is an outstanding example of ancient Roman architecture, with numerous well preserved columns and structures spread across this 65 hectare site. Next, head out to explore the archaeological site of Bulla Regia, known for its semi-subterranean housing, and outstanding collection of Roman mosaics.  Upon completion of the tour a transfer to El Kef is provided.

Dar Chennoufi:

The charming Dar Chennoufi lies in the heart of a region once known as the kingdom of Jugurtha, amidst a six hectare olive grove, only a few kilometres from the medina of Le Kef.  This hotel welcomes its guests with its truly convivial and authentic atmosphere. Surrounded by nature and exquisite quietness, Dar Chennoufi is an excellent starting point to visit the numerous historic and geological sites of the region and a perfect place to relax, discover or refresh oneself.

Day 4: El Kef - Tunis – Kairouan

Accommodation: La Kasbah

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

Enjoy breakfast, bright and early in the morning before departing toward the city of Makthar. Formerly known as Mactaris during the reign of the Roman Empire, this ancient location is littered with ruins of Roman architecture. Explore the many arches, amphitheatres and temples of this once occupied city, before traveling to the holy city of Kairouan.

Set out to Kairouan for a walk through this holy Islamic city, founded in 671 by Okba Ibn Nafâa. It centralized location, proved beneficiary in adding to its renowned reputation for unique, elegant carpet manufacturing, which feature across a wide range of mosques. Visit the impressive Mosque Sidi Okba, founded in the 7th century; this marvel reflects the greatness of the Islam Empire during this era. Visit the Aghlabiden pool, the city's main water reservoir, followed by a stop at Saint Abou Zemaa El Balaoui, also known as the "prophet Berber".  Explore the old town (Medina) and enjoy walking through its characteristic markets (the souks).

La Kasbah:

La Kasbah is seated in Kairouan, the focal point for many Muslim pilgrims traveling from around the world. With a simple, Arab-influenced layout and design, the hotel is host to 94 rooms, 2 junior suites, and a presidential suite. Each promises all the amenities of home as well as international phones. Rakada, the hotel restaurant, promises a menu with all sorts of dishes from around the world. Dine a la carte at Sofra. Pass the time lounging by the pool or sipping Turkish coffee at the cafe.

Day 5: Kairouan – Tozeur

Accommodation: Dar Cherait

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

A private vehicle with driver will provide a transfer to Sbeitla for some exploration around the ruins of this once flourishing, Roman city.  Similar to the monuments at Dougga, Sbeitla is renowned as one of the best preserved Roman, archaeological sites in all of Tunisia.  The history of this once bustling city is unknown, but the presence of such megalithic structures led researcher and historians to believe this area was quite undeveloped until the Roman occupation.  Next, travel to Tozeur, home to one of the most famous oasis in the world, surrounded by 200 springs, and sheltered by an estimated 400000 palm trees.

Dar Cherait:

Get into the wonderful world of the Dar Cherait Hotel, a legendary palace situated in the heart of the Tozer palm forest that has so enchantingly grown from the desert. The beauty and refinement of this palace discreetly fits this unforgettable paradise.

Day 6: Douz - Tozeur

Accommodation: Dar Cherait

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

After breakfast, a private vehicle with driver will provide the travel means required for touring through the Sahara canyons and oases.  Begin with a visit to the old mountain perched town of Chebika which hosts a natural spring that supplies water to the oasis.  Next, travel to Tamerza, a once lively town but was abandoned after severe flooding in 1969.  Take a chance to admire the local waterfall before visiting the canyons of Mides, located near the Algerian border.  Upon completion of the days touring a return transfer to Tozeur is provided.

Day 7: Tozeur - Douz - Ksar Ghilane

Accommodation: Capement Yadis Ksar Ghilane

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

Early in the morning, after breakfast, depart towards Ksar Ghilane Oasis.  The warm water spring provides an excellent water temperature, perfect for a soothing bath.  After checking into camp, where a lunch will be provided it off across the dunes to visit the Ksar Ouled Soltane, an ancient Roman fort, seemingly abandoned as if to have been drowned by the sand of the dunes.

Capement Yadis Ksar Ghilane:

A shimmering mirage awaits you in the Tunisian Sahara - nestled at its own oasis in the midst of the desert, offering its charm and shade, its spring and the whispering waters of its seguias:  Capement Yadis Ksar Ghilane welcomes you to this hospitable land of colours and contrasts, spices and scents.

Day 8: Tataouine - Ksar Ghilane

Accommodation: Sangho Privilege

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

After an early breakfast, depart towards Tataouine for some touring.  Upon your arrival into Tataouine, visit the old hilltop Berber village Chenini, one of the remaining Tunisian villages where the Berber dialect is still spoken.  After checking into the hotel, and lunch, hit the road to visit the various surrounding area Ksar, which were ancient Berber granaries used to stockpile crops.

Sangho Privilege:

The Sangho Privilege is a haven for adventurers touring the fortified granaries of the Ksour. The four-star Sangho Tataouine is an architectural gem. A complex of 62 stone bungalows of the local rough red brown stone follow the contours of the hill side on which they are built. The lush gardens along the winding stone paths attract rare desert birds. There is a side courtyard with a fireplace and traditional goat hair tent for evenings under the piercing stars which penetrate the black desert sky.

Day 9: Tataouine – Sfax

Accommodation: Sangho Privilege

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Accommodation: Golden Yasmine Olivier Palace

Freshly renovated, Les Oliviers Palace in Sfax, Tunisia, is a sleek choice of accommodations for visitors to North Africa. Each of the 137 rooms promise carefully chosen themes as decided by international designers. Some rooms feature kitchenettes, while all have heating and air conditioning that guest can personalize. Dine at any of the two restaurants on site, which serve a variety of European and local cuisine. Its downtown location gives guest the perfect opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, and cultures of this marvellous Tunisian city and it surroundings.

Day 10: Sfax - Sousse

Accommodation: El Mouradi Palace

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

Hit the road for El Jem, a once thriving Roman agricultural region, boasting its grandiose Colosseum, second only in size to that of Rome, attests to the area's great wealth during the Roman reign. The sight of this amphitheatre rising in the distance like a Colossus is both wondrous and slightly strange as the present surroundings give no hint of its former importance. It was the scene of games and circuses during the ancient Roman times, with a capacity of holding 35000 viewers.  Hit the road to visit Mahdia, the first capital of Fatimid dynasty, situated on a rocky peninsula, 1500m in length and less than 500m in width.  Next, continue to Monastir, a modern resort and harbour town, located along the Dkhila coast. Visit the area Ribat or fortress, this defensive structure was built along the southern coast of the Mediterranean, forming a defensive wall stretching as far as Morocco and Egypt.  These walls were aimed at protecting the Muslim empire from sea invasions. Next, visit the Bourguiba’s Mausoleum before continuing to Sousse. With such a mild climate, calm and beautiful coastline it is no wonder why Sousse has long captivated audiences as ancient as the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs, who later all settled in this lovely town.

El Mouradi Palace:

El Mouradi Palace is an Arabian style hotel which offers high standard accommodation and leisure facilities.

Day 11: Sousse - Tunis

Accommodation: Dar El Medina

Private Vehicle & Guide & Driver.

After breakfast, the tour begins with a visit to Zaghouan. This quaint town is famed for its roses, which were originally cultivated by Muslim refugees whom departed Spain in the 17th century.  Zaghouan is also known as the source location of water used to feed the city of Carthage, via aqueduct, during Roman times. Next, depart to Tuburbo Majus, or Colonia Julia Aurelia Commoda, as it was referred to during the Roman era, which was originally a Punic town converted into a Roman veteran's colony. Continue to Tunis, stopping along the way to take photos of some ancient Roman aqueducts.

Dar El Medina:

This 12 room hotel is a converted traditional house located right in the Tunis Medina. It features whitewashed and tiled surroundings, with latticed windows. The many-levelled mansion is a surprise after the narrow street, with inner courtyards providing light, space and shade.

Day 12: Tunis

A private vehicle with driver will provide a transfer to the airport.