Things to Do in Sousse: Medina and Coast

November 5, 2026

Check the current US State Department and UK FCDO advice before booking; some border and military areas of Tunisia are closed to tourists. Sousse itself is outside the FCDO warning zones, but the advice names tourist sites as higher-risk places, so expect visible security and cooperate with checks.

Sousse is a Mediterranean port with a UNESCO-listed Medina (inscribed in 1988), a long city beach and a resort strip running north towards Port El Kantaoui. Most of what is worth doing is historical, with a spa day or a dive as the easy way to fill an afternoon.

Medina sights

The Ribat is a square stone fortress with 36 m sides. A corner watchtower served as the minaret of the neighbouring mosque, and the tower is climbed by a narrow spiral staircase, so skip it if tight spaces bother you. The heritage agency lists it as open all week, 08:00 to 17:30 in winter and 08:00 to 19:00 in summer. The fee was 8 TND for non-residents on the agency page before the April 2026 tariff change, so check the price at the gate.

The Sousse Archaeological Museum sits inside the Kasbah ramparts and holds the second-largest mosaic collection in Tunisia after the Bardo. Look for the Head of Medusa, the Face of Oceanus and Neptune on his sea-chariot. It opens 09:00 to 17:00 in winter and 09:00 to 18:00 in summer and is closed on Mondays. Non-residents paid 10 TND on the official page. The Kasbah garden at the end of the visit has a view over the Medina and the port.

The Great Mosque is an active place of worship built in 851. Non-Muslim visitors are generally limited to the courtyard, and the official hours are 08:00 to 13:00 in winter and 08:00 to 15:00 in summer, with Fridays ending at 12:00. Dress modestly and ask at the entrance what is allowed that day.

Souks

The Medina lanes sell olive-wood bowls, ceramics, brass lanterns, leather slippers and wool rugs. Walk in the morning, when it is cooler, and ask the price before accepting tea in a shop. A polite refusal is enough if a runner steers you upstairs to a carpet room.

Spa days

Sousse is a thalassotherapy destination. Mövenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse on Boulevard du 14 Janvier has a sea-water spa centre, and Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa sits at Port El Kantaoui. Treatment menus and day-visit prices change, so ask the hotel directly.

Diving

A dive centre at Port El Kantaoui runs boat dives and introductory dives. The sites are rocky and include wreck dives, and visibility varies with wind and season. Check the centre’s current schedule before you plan around it.

Beach and promenade

Plage Boujaafar, in the city, is backed by a seafront promenade that is pleasant at sunset. Some Tunisian beaches use a flag system, so follow the flags, supervise children even when a lifeguard is on duty, and ask locally if there are no flags or lifeguards. Jellyfish are common in late summer.

Practical notes

Everyday purchases are in Tunisian dinars (TND). Exchange money on arrival and keep the slips.
July and August are very hot, so do the Ribat and the museum in the morning.
Prices on the heritage tariff changed on 1 April 2026 and rise again in January 2027.

You can compare Sousse city tours if you prefer a guide, and the heritage agency’s Ribat page and museum page list current hours. The FCDO Tunisia advice covers safety.