Tunisia
Tunisia is home to over 3,000 years of history. Modern day Tunisia is a melting pot
of civilizations from the Phoenicians and the Romans of the Ancient World to the Arabs and Europeans more recently, although the Berbers were the original inhabitants. Influences from all of these cultures can be found in different aspects of modern day life.

EXPLORING TUNISIA

Wander through the temples of the Roman ghost town of Carthage, barter in the labyrinthe souks and explore the sand dunes of the Sahara - the highlights of ancient Tunisia in a week!

Tour Highlights Kairouan "the city of 50 mosques" • Oasis of Mountains with a 4x4 Land Rover vehicle • Camel trek into the Sahara desert • Gabes-Matmata: Troglodyte underground houses • El Djem Colosseum

DAY 1 DEPART UK, ARRIVE TUNISIA
This morning you will fly to Tunisia. When you arrive at Tunis Airport you will be transferred to the northern suburb of Tunis: Carthage. When you reach the northern suburb, you will be able to check into your hotel and freshen up.

DAY 2 TUNIS/ BARDO MUSEUM – THE SOUKS & THE MEDINA
After breakfast you will depart for Tunis Medina, the 12th Century old town. This is a site not to be missed. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to bustling souks, a confusing maze of colourful streets. As well as the revered Zitouna Mosque, where worshippers have been called to prayer for more than one thousand years. Housed within a magnificent 13th century building, the Bardo museum contains one of the world’s largest collections of mosaics. These mosaics, gathered from throughout Tunisia, have been ordered into the various periods of Tunisia’s history: prehistoric, Carthaginian, Roman, Christian and Islamic. After all your sightseeing you will return to your hotel where the evening will be at your leisure.

DAY 3 KAIROUN - SBEITLA - TOZEUR
This morning you will discover Kairouan "the city of 50 mosques”. The spiritual home of all Tunisians, the city itself rises like a dream of ochre and tawny beige, serene in its 13 centuries of Islamic culture, authentic and proud of the wondrous beauty of its mosques, the symphony of its columns and arches, the exquisite delicacy of the stone work. The towering and sober dignity of the Great Mosque seems to embody the spirituality that has inspired artists and poets from its creation until the present day. Later this afternoon you will visit Sbeitla. Emperor Vespasian and his sons began to develop Sbeitla after the Third Augustan Legion established a garrison at Ammaedara. The town found success in the olive industry during the 2nd century BC and continued to be prosperous through to the 3rd and 4th centuries despite the decline of the Roman Empire in many other provinces. During this time many churches were built in Sbeitla, some belonging to Rome and other to the Donatist section. Many of these churches still stand and are viewed as some of the most impressive monuments left by the Roman Empire.

DAY 4 TOZEUR
This morning visit the oasis of mountains with a 4x4 Land Rover vehicle. The original Star Wars trilogy attracted thousands of additional visitors to the spectacular desert region and the structures are still intact. After lunch we shall visit the tourist attractions of Tozeur. Tozeur is an interesting town with a huge palmery; it is an old town and has an excellent museum.

DAY 5 CHOTT EL JERID - DOUZ
This morning we explore the shimmering Chott El Jerid salt lake and the remote mountain oases of southern Tunisia. We continue to Douz, the oasis town known as the “Gateway to the Sahara”, where each Thursday is a market day, nomads gather for the customary trading and barter of camels, horses, crafts, blankets and typical Berber trinkets. A camel trek over the majestic sand dunes of the Sahara desert is an exciting conclusion to the day.

DAY 6 GABES – MATMATA
Today we will visit Gabes-Matmata, while we are there we will visit the Troglodyte underground houses, which date from the fourth century BC and were used in the Star Wars films.

DAY 7 EL DJEM – SOUSSE - HAMMAMET
Most of today will be spent at El Djem, which represents the glory of the Roman Empire. It is the third largest colosseum in the Roman world, dominating the local town and nearby countryside. The lively city of Sousse was built by the Phoenicians in the ninth century. A town that was Punic, Roman and then Muslim, Sousse has retained a great deal of its original character and is Tunisia's third largest city. If you climb the tower, you are rewarded with a magnificent view across the Medina, the port and the Great Mosque. Hammamet is possibly the best-known resort in Tunisia. It has changed greatly from the small fishing village it once was, evolving into a sought-after holiday resort. In the late afternoon you will be able to relax by the seaside. This evening will be at your leisure.

DAY 8 DEPART FROM TUNISIA, ARRIVE UK
Relax in the cafes and coffee bars this morning with time for last-minute shopping before transferring to the airport for the flight home, which lands later the same afternoon.