Multi-Day Itineraries in Tunisia

October 31, 2026

Advisory, 31 October 2026. The UK FCDO (updated 24 July 2026) advises against all travel to Chaambi Mountains National Park, the Libyan border belt and the military zone south of Remada, and against all but essential travel to Kasserine Governorate, which includes Sbeitla. The US State Department rates Tunisia Level 2. Check the current US State Department and UK FCDO advice before booking; some border and military areas are closed to tourists. The routes below avoid those areas.

Distances and timing

Tunisia is about 750 km from north to south, so a seven to ten day trip can run from Roman ruins on the Mediterranean through the olive plains of the Sahel to the Sahara. Sedans manage every paved road between Tunis, Sousse, El Jem, Kairouan, Tozeur and Djerba. You need a high-clearance vehicle or a guided 4WD only for deep dunes, the mountain oases and unpaved desert tracks. Highways A1, A3 and A4 are toll roads, and driving is on the right.

4 days: the north

Day 1. Arrive in Tunis and walk the medina, then see the mosaics at the Bardo National Museum, which is closed on Mondays.

Day 2. Take the TGM light rail to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said.

Day 3. Drive south-west to Dougga and the Andalusian town of Testour.

Day 4. Spend the morning in the Old Port at Bizerte, or shop in Tunis before departure.

7 days: the cultural circuit

Days 1 and 2. Tunis, the Bardo, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, as above.

Day 3. Go south to Kairouan for the Great Mosque and the Aghlabid Basins, then to El Jem for the amphitheatre. Sleep in Sousse or Monastir.

Day 4. Walk Sousse medina and visit the Ribat in the morning, then travel south through Sfax and across the Chott el Djerid causeway to Tozeur. The chott is a salt pan with soft mud under the crust, so stay on the P16 road.

Day 5. A 4WD trip from Tozeur visits Ong Jemel and the Mos Espa film set. The mountain oases of Chebika, Tamerza and Mides sit near the Algerian border, and Mides lies on the frontier line. Check the live advice map and go only with a licensed Tozeur operator.

Day 6. Drive through Kebili to Douz for camel trekking on the dunes, then on to Matmata, where Hotel Sidi Driss is a basic cave hotel and was the Lars homestead interior in Star Wars.

Day 7. Cross to Djerba by the causeway, or return north through Gabes and Sfax.

10 days: the deep south

Add the Berber granaries of the Tataouine area: Ksar Ouled Soltane, Ksar Hadada and the hilltop village of Chenini. Stay on the paved routes with a licensed guide. The FCDO warnings cover the Libyan border belt and the zone south of Remada, so do not drive beyond the usual tourist stops.

Spend two extra days on Djerba. Houmt Souk has pottery shops and the harbour, and Erriadh has the Djerbahood street-art murals. El Ghriba synagogue in Erriadh is a place of worship. A shooting attack there on 9 May 2023 killed five people, two pilgrims and three security officers. The 2026 pilgrimage ran from 30 April to 6 May under heavy security, with about 200 foreign visitors. Expect police checkpoints, carry photo ID, dress modestly and check locally for opening arrangements.

Seasons and costs

Spring and autumn suit the whole route. Winter is best for the desert, and summer interior temperatures reach 40 to 46 degrees Celsius. Heritage fees were reset on 1 April 2026, with the top tariff about 30 TND, and rise in January 2027. Pay in dinars and keep exchange slips. SNCFT trains and louage vans cover the main towns.

Hotel stays along the northern and coastal route can be compared on Booking.com . Official pages: SNCFT , Discover Tunisia and UK FCDO Tunisia advice .