Things to Do in Tunisia

October 31, 2026

Travel advice, checked 31 October 2026. The US State Department rates Tunisia Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), and the UK FCDO (updated 24 July 2026) advises against all or all-but-essential travel to parts of the Algerian and Libyan border areas and to Chaambi Mountains National Park. Check the current US State Department and UK FCDO advice before booking; some border and military areas are closed to tourists. Tunis, Carthage, the Sahel coast, Kairouan, Tozeur, Douz, Matmata and Djerba are outside the FCDO all-travel zones.

What there is to do

Tunisia splits into three parts. The north has Roman ruins, the Tunis medina and coastal towns. The Sahel, the olive belt on the east coast, runs from Sousse to Mahdia. The south is Saharan: salt flats, palm oases, dunes and the island of Djerba. Spring and autumn are comfortable across the country. From June to August the coast is at its busiest while Douz, Tozeur and Tataouine reach 40 to 46 degrees Celsius, so keep any desert outing to dawn or dusk. Winter is the desert’s best season, with sunny days of 18 to 22 degrees and cold nights.

Camel treks at Douz

Douz is the gateway to the Grand Erg Oriental dunes. Operators offer short sunset rides and overnight treks with a camp in the dunes, and the season runs from October to April. Book through a licensed local operator and ask about the animals: good outfits rest camels in shade, give them water and do not overload them. Quote prices as indicative until the operator confirms in writing.

4WD to Ong Jemel and Mos Espa

Guided 4WD excursions leave Tozeur for Ong Jemel, the rock outcrop known as the Camel’s Neck, and the nearby Mos Espa set built for Star Wars: Episode I in 1997. Several domed buildings still stand among the dunes. The set is separate from the other Star Wars places in Tunisia. Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata, still a basic cave hotel, was the Lars homestead interior, and the cantina exterior is a former bakery in Ajim on Djerba. Arrange the Tozeur trip a day ahead through your hotel or a certified local driver.

The road from Tozeur to Kebili crosses Chott el Djerid on the raised P16 causeway. The chott is a salt pan with soft mud under the crust, so there is no boating or swimming, and you should stay on the road and the marked viewpoints.

Medina hammams

A hammam visit means hot marble, a scrub with a rough glove and olive-oil soap, and a warm rinse. Neighbourhood hammams in Tunis, Sousse and Kairouan keep separate men’s and women’s sessions, usually women in the morning and early afternoon and men later, so check the session before you go. Hammam El-Kachachine, in the Tunis medina near Ez-Zitouna Mosque, is an old one. Expect roughly 10 to 20 TND for entry, soap and scrub. Hotel spas in Gammarth, Hammamet and Djerba offer seawater treatments at higher prices.

Birdwatching at Ichkeul

Ichkeul National Park lies about 25 km south-west of Bizerte, around a brackish lake that shifts between fresh and salt water with the seasons. November to February is the birding season, with waterfowl and flamingos, and a first flamingo nesting was recorded there in May 2026. Water levels are under pressure, so conditions vary from year to year. Check at the park gate for entry and the visitor centre before you drive out.

Diving and walking around Tabarka

Tabarka on the north-west coast is the country’s diving base, known for the sandstone spires called Les Aiguilles and for red coral, with the diving season from May to October. The Les Aiguilles coastal path closed after a landslide in January 2026, so ask locally whether it has reopened before you plan a walk.

Money, transport and manners

Pay in Tunisian dinars (TND). Retail purchases are in dinars, so carry a bank card, change cash on arrival and keep every exchange slip, because reconverting leftover dinars on departure is limited. Louage shared taxis and SNCFT trains link the main towns, so ask at the station for the current fare. Cover shoulders and knees in medinas and religious sites.

Desert and archaeology tours can be compared on GetYourGuide . Official pages: Discover Tunisia and UK FCDO Tunisia advice .