Where the Sahara exhales toward the sea, Tunisia gathers 3,000 years of history into a country you can actually savor in a week. Carthage once commanded the Mediterranean from these shores; Rome replied in stone, leaving amphitheaters and temples that still catch sunrise. Between them, Andalusian blues wash over Sidi Bou Said, while ribats and mosques keep watch along the Sahel coast.

Expect a mosaic of experiences: browsing spice-sweet souks in Tunis’s medina, tracing Punic trade routes through Carthage, and admiring the perfect geometry of Kairouan’s Great Mosque. Then add beach cafés in Sousse, a Roman colosseum at El Jem that rivals Italy’s, and pastries dripping with honey and orange blossom.

Practical notes: the Tunisian dinar (TND) is cash-forward but ATMs are common; modest attire helps for mosque courtyards; museums are often closed on Mondays (check hours). The Bardo Museum is open and magnificent again; spring and fall bring the best weather. Try brik (crisp egg-filled pastry), couscous with fish, and Kairouan’s famous makroudh.

Tunis

Tunisia’s capital is a layered city: Ottoman palaces and artisan souks in the medina, sleek cafés downtown, and Carthaginian ruins strung along the Bay of Tunis. Ride the vintage TGM line toward Sidi Bou Said for sea breezes, or stay in the old city to watch copper-smiths at work and inhale the perfume of jasmine.

Top sights include the UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis, the Bardo Museum’s peerless Roman mosaics, the ruins of Carthage (Antonine Baths, Byrsa Hill, Punic Ports), and the blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Said, where bambalouni donuts arrive warm with sugar.

Where to stay: Browse well-located stays on VRBO Tunis or compare hotels on Hotels.com Tunis.

Getting to Tunis: Fly into Tunis–Carthage (TUN). Compare fares on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com; from Europe you can also check Omio flights. Typical nonstop from Paris/Rome/Madrid is 2–3 hours ($90–$250 roundtrip shoulder season); from the U.S. East Coast via Europe 12–16 hours total ($650–$1,050).

Day 1: Arrival, first tastes of the Medina

Morning: In transit to Tunis.

Afternoon: Land, check in, and shake off jet lag with a gentle stroll through the Medina of Tunis. Enter via Bab el Bhar (Porte de France) and weave to Zitouna Mosque’s courtyard (modest dress; courtyard access for non-Muslims). Pause for mint tea and slivered-almond samsa at El Ali, a medina café-restaurant with terrace views and a menu of homestyle couscous and ojja (eggs with spicy tomato-pepper sauce).

Evening: Dinner at Dar El Jeld Restaurant & Lounge—housed in a restored palace, it’s where to try melt-in-the-mouth lamb with prunes, or seafood couscous paired with a North Tunisian Mornag wine. Nightcap on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, where Belle Époque façades glow and cafés hum.

Day 2: Carthage, Bardo Museum, and Sidi Bou Said (guided day)

Private tour: Medina, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Bardo Museum + lunch

Spend the day with a certified guide connecting the dots from Punic harbors to Roman baths and Ottoman alleys. The Bardo’s mosaic of Virgil is a showstopper; the Antonine Baths in Carthage frame the sea with giant arches; Sidi Bou Said adds blue doors, bougainvillea, and bambalouni on the cliff.

Lunch is included on this tour; in Sidi Bou Said, come back later this week for coffee at Café des Nattes or a sunset at Café des Délices over the gulf.

Day 3: Dougga and Bulla Regia via Testour (full-day ruins and countryside)

Full Day Dougga & Bulla Regia via Testour (Private, with lunch)

Northwest of Tunis, Dougga rises like a stage set above silvery olive groves—its Capitol and theater among the Roman world’s best preserved. Bulla Regia’s underground villas (built to beat the heat) keep intact mosaic floors you can tiptoe around; Testour’s Andalusian clocktower adds a curio of its own.

It’s a full-day out with countryside lunch—return to Tunis in the evening for a seafood feast at Chez Slah, known for impeccably grilled sea bass and local prawns (book ahead; it’s beloved by residents).

Day 4: Northern shores — Bizerte, Cape Angela, and seaside eats

Morning: Day trip north (1–1.5 hours by car) to Bizerte, a whitewashed port with a photogenic old harbor where blue fishing boats bob in the channel. Walk the kasbah ramparts and peek into the small Oceanographic Museum for maritime lore.

Afternoon: Continue to Cape Angela, the northernmost point of Africa, for breezy clifftop photos and a picnic. On the way back, stop at Ichkeul National Park (winter–spring is prime for birds) if time permits.

Evening: Back in Tunis, keep it simple with street-food: grab a brik à l’œuf at a reputable medina stall (ask your host for the current favorite), or sit down at El Walima for couscous with tender octopus. If you missed Sidi Bou Said at golden hour, hop on the TGM from Tunis Marine (~35–40 minutes) for coffee amid blue shutters and sea spray.

Sousse

Base yourself in Sousse for a coastal change of tempo—golden ramparts, a UNESCO-listed medina, and easy day trips to Kairouan, El Jem, and Monastir’s photogenic ribat. There’s history at every turn, plus cafés spilling onto the corniche and fresh fish straight from the harbor.

Top sights: the Sousse Ribat and Great Mosque, the Kasbah’s Archaeological Museum (more world-class mosaics), palm-lined beaches, and Port El Kantaoui’s marina for a sunset wander. Save appetite for grilled dorade, mechouia salad, and orange-blossom pastries.

Where to stay: See apartments and villas on VRBO Sousse or browse hotels on Hotels.com Sousse.

Getting from Tunis to Sousse: Morning SNCFT train from Tunis Ville to Sousse takes ~2h–2h20; first-class seat ~18–25 TND ($6–$8); taxis in Sousse are plentiful on arrival. A louage (shared minivan) is ~2 hours, ~15–20 TND. Private transfer door-to-door runs ~$120–$160 for up to 3–4 passengers. If you prefer to arrive directly into Monastir (MIR) or Enfidha-Hammamet (NBE) from Europe, compare fares on Omio flights or use Trip.com and Kiwi.com (seasonal routes often $60–$180 one-way).

Day 5: Tunis → Sousse, medina ramparts and a Monastir sunset

Morning: Take the early train south (aim for seats on the left for sea glimpses). Check in and refresh with a coffee at Café Sidi Bouhdid, perched on the medina walls with views out to the bay.

Afternoon: Explore the Sousse Medina: climb the Ribat tower for city panoramas, then the Great Mosque’s courtyard (note prayer times). For lunch, try Dar Soltane inside the walls—tagines arrive steaming, and their fish couscous is a local favorite.

Evening: Short hop to Monastir (25–30 minutes by train or taxi). Catch golden hour at the Monastir Ribat; afterward dine on the water at Le Pirate Monastir for grilled calamari, brik, and harissa-kissed salads. Return to Sousse for gelato along the corniche.

Day 6: Kairouan & El Jem — holy city and Roman colosseum (guided day)

Kairouan and El Jem (Private Day Tour)

Begin in Kairouan, the spiritual heart of Tunisia: walk the arcaded courtyard of the Great Mosque (among the oldest in North Africa), see the Aghlabid Basins, and wander the medina’s carpet workshops. Don’t leave without a still-warm makroudh—semolina diamonds filled with date paste and scented with orange blossom.

Continue to El Jem’s 3rd‑century amphitheater—astonishingly intact and larger than most expect, with hypogeum passages you can explore. Return to Sousse; celebrate the day with grilled dorade at La Daurade in Port El Kantaoui or a casual mechoui sandwich near the marina.

Day 7: Cook with a local family, beach stroll, and departure

Cook and Connect: Tunisian Culinary Adventure with a Local Family

Morning: Shop a traditional market with your hosts, then learn to prepare staples like salad mechouia, brik, and couscous the way families really do—stories and music included. It’s a soulful farewell to Tunisia’s flavors.

Afternoon: Time permitting, stroll the beach one last time, pick up hand-painted ceramics from a trusted medina atelier, and transfer to your airport or train. For flights home, compare on Trip.com, Kiwi.com, or (from Europe) Omio flights.

Where to eat and drink (save this list)

• Tunis: Dar El Jeld (palatial setting; lamb with prunes, refined service), Chez Slah (seafood institution; reserve), El Ali (medina café-restaurant; ojja and couscous), Café des Nattes & Café des Délices in Sidi Bou Said (classics for coffee, views, and bambalouni).
• Near Bardo Museum: Simple, satisfying grills on Avenue Habib Bourguiba La Manouba; ask your guide for today’s best couscous stop after touring the mosaics.
• Sousse & surrounds: Dar Soltane (inside the medina; traditional stews), Café Sidi Bouhdid (view-filled coffee/tea), La Daurade in Port El Kantaoui (market-fresh fish), Le Pirate Monastir (waterfront seafood; sunset tables go first).
• Sweet stops: Kairouan’s makroudh shops around the medina gates; in Sidi Bou Said, hunt down still-warm bambalouni dusted with sugar.

Getting around (quick tips)

• City transit: In Tunis, the TGM runs to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said; taxis are metered—ask for “compteur.”
• Intercity: SNCFT trains link Tunis–Sousse–Sfax efficiently; for flexibility, hire a licensed driver for day trips (your hotel can arrange).
• Etiquette: Ask before photographing people, dress modestly in religious sites, and tip 1–2 TND for small services and ~10% in restaurants if service isn’t included.

Optional swap (history lovers)

If you’d like one more deep-dive day instead of the Bizerte excursion, consider this guided option from Tunis that pairs perfectly with Day 3:

Private Excursion to Testour, Dougga and Bulla Regia from Tunis (similar route and highlights).

In one week you’ll have walked Punic ports and Roman corridors, sipped tea above a brilliant bay, and traced the sacred geometry of Kairouan before standing alone in El Jem’s shade. Tunisia rewards curiosity—compact enough to cross, rich enough to return. When you do, the desert oases and troglodyte villages of the south await.