Grand Tour of Tunisia: Ruins, Sahara & Sea

Today you explore the great highlights around Tunis. You begin at the evocative ruins of Carthage, the legendary Punic and Roman capital spread across a beautiful headland above the sea, walking among the Antonine Baths, the Punic ports and the Byrsa hill. You climb to Sidi Bou Said, the enchanting blue-and-white clifftop village, wandering its cobbled lanes and pausing at a cafe with sweeping sea views. In the afternoon you visit the world-class Bardo Museum, home to the peerless Roman mosaics that are the glory of Tunisia. The history, art and beauty are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel in Tunis. This evening, savour Tunisian cuisine and the lively atmosphere. Rest well, ready to explore the medina and journey to Dougga tomorrow.

Today combines the atmospheric medina of Tunis with the finest Roman city in the country. In the morning you explore the UNESCO-listed medina of Tunis, one of the finest medieval Arab cities, a labyrinth of covered souks, mosques and madrasas centred on the great Zitouna Mosque. You then take a private excursion west through rolling hills and olive groves to Dougga, the best-preserved Roman town in North Africa and a UNESCO site, exploring its towering Capitol, great theatre with valley views, forum, temples and streets, often almost to yourself. The atmosphere, scale and beautiful settings are captivating. As the day ends, you return to Tunis. This evening, savour the capital's lively atmosphere and reflect on the day. Rest well, ready to journey south to holy Kairouan tomorrow.

This morning you journey south from Tunis across the plains to Kairouan, the fourth holiest city in Islam and the oldest Arab-Muslim city in North Africa. On arrival you explore its magnificent Great Mosque, founded in the seventh century, with its vast arcaded courtyard, forest of ancient columns and mighty square minaret, and wander the atmospheric walled medina, famous throughout Tunisia for its carpets. You visit the elegant Aghlabid basins and the beautifully decorated shrine of Sidi Sahbi. The spirituality, history and craftsmanship are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your accommodation in Kairouan, immersed in one of the most sacred cities in the Islamic world. This evening, savour the peace of the holy city. Rest well, ready to visit El Jem and continue to the oasis of Tozeur tomorrow.

Today you marvel at a colossal Roman monument, then journey to the desert. You drive to El Jem, where a mighty amphitheatre rises astonishingly from a small country town, one of the largest and best-preserved in the Roman Empire and a UNESCO site. You climb its golden arches for sweeping views, walk the arena floor and descend into the underground passages where gladiators waited. You then continue south-west across changing landscapes to Tozeur, the historic oasis town famous for its patterned brickwork and its immense palm grove. The grandeur of El Jem and the desert light are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Tozeur amid the palms. This evening, savour the peace of the oasis. Rest well, ready to explore the mountain oases tomorrow.

Today you explore the beautiful desert around Tozeur. In the morning you step into the great palmeraie, a vast palm grove of hundreds of thousands of date palms fed by desert springs, and wander the atmospheric old quarter of Ouled el Hadef with its intricate brickwork. You then take a spectacular 4x4 excursion into the desert mountains to the oases of Chebika and Tamerza, walking through palm-shaded canyons to hidden pools and waterfalls with breathtaking views over the plains, and cross the surreal, shimmering Chott el Jerid salt lake. The desert light, oasis greenery and mountain springs are magical. As the day ends, you return to Tozeur, perhaps watching the sunset over the palms. This evening, savour the oasis atmosphere. Rest well, ready to venture into the deep Sahara at Ksar Ghilane tomorrow.

Today you venture deep into the Sahara for a night at a desert camp. You take a thrilling 4x4 drive across the open desert to Ksar Ghilane, a beautiful oasis at the edge of the great Grand Erg Oriental sand sea, where a natural warm spring wells up amid the palms and dunes and a lonely Roman fort stands guard on the sands. You soak in the warm spring, climb a golden dune for a spectacular sunset, and dine beneath a canopy of brilliant stars. As night falls, you sleep at a desert camp in profound silence. The beauty and remoteness of the deep desert are unforgettable. Rest well amid the golden dunes and star-filled skies of the Sahara at Ksar Ghilane, one of the most beautiful desert oases in Tunisia.

You wake to a beautiful dawn over the dunes at Ksar Ghilane, perhaps enjoying a final soak in the warm spring, then journey by 4x4 and road to Douz, the gateway to the Sahara. Douz sits where the palm groves give way to the great sea of sand, the traditional starting point for desert caravans. In the golden light of late afternoon you ride a camel out among the dunes with your Berber hosts, the caravan swaying gently across the sand, and climb a high dune to watch a spectacular Saharan sunset. As night falls, you dine and sleep at a desert camp near Douz beneath a canopy of stars. The silence and beauty of the great desert are unforgettable. Rest well amid the golden dunes of the Sahara at Douz.

This morning, after a beautiful desert dawn, you journey towards the arid Berber hills and the extraordinary village of Matmata. Along the way you may visit the fortified Berber granaries (ksour) and hilltop villages of the south, honeycombs of vaulted storerooms rising in dramatic tiers. In Matmata, the Berber people created remarkable underground troglodyte homes, dug deep into the earth as sunken courtyards ringed by cave rooms, and you are often welcomed inside one, visiting the famous Star Wars filming location where a home became the boyhood residence of Luke Skywalker. The ingenuity and otherworldly landscape are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your accommodation in Matmata, perhaps a converted troglodyte hotel. This evening, savour the unique setting. Rest well, ready to reach the island of Djerba tomorrow.

Today you leave the desert behind and travel to the sunny island of Djerba, off the south-eastern coast, crossing to the island by causeway or a short ferry across the lagoon. Djerba is a relaxed, whitewashed island of palm groves, fishing villages and long sandy beaches with a rich, tolerant heritage. On arrival you explore its lively main town of Houmt Souk, with its atmospheric souks and old fondouks, and visit the ancient El Ghriba synagogue, one of the oldest in the world and a serene place of pilgrimage. The relaxed island atmosphere is a lovely contrast to the desert. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel on Djerba by the sea. This evening, savour fresh seafood and the island calm. Rest well, ready for a relaxed day on the island tomorrow.

Today you enjoy a relaxed day on beautiful Djerba after your desert adventures. You might spend it on the long sandy beach and swimming in the warm, calm sea, enjoying your hotel's pool and spa, or explore the island at your own pace, from its palm groves and quiet whitewashed villages to the colourful street-art murals of the Djerbahood quarter and a traditional pottery workshop at Guellala. This flexible day lets you unwind and reflect on the extraordinary journey you have made across Tunisia. The relaxed pace and island beauty are delightful. As the day ends, you savour the island calm. This evening, enjoy dinner by the sea, perhaps watching the sunset. Rest well, ready to travel to the Mediterranean coast at Sousse tomorrow.

Today you travel north from Djerba to the central Mediterranean coast and the lively city of Sousse (crossing from the island and driving up the coast, or via a short internal flight). On arrival you explore Sousse, which has one of the finest medieval medinas in Tunisia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You climb the mighty ribat, a fortified monastery whose watchtower gives sweeping views over the medina and sea, take in the great kasbah and its superb museum of Roman mosaics, and wander the atmospheric souks. You may also relax on the long sandy beach. The blend of history and seaside pleasure is a fitting finale. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel by the sea. This evening, savour a final seafood dinner by the Mediterranean, reflecting on your grand tour. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning by the Mediterranean in Sousse, perhaps a last swim or a wander through the medina, you are transferred (via Tunis) to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the whole of Tunisia on this grand tour, Carthage, the Bardo, Sidi Bou Said and the medina of Tunis, the peerless Roman city of Dougga, holy Kairouan and colossal El Jem, the palm oases and mountain springs of Tozeur, the desert camps of Ksar Ghilane and Douz, the Berber homes of Matmata, the island of Djerba with its beaches and El Ghriba synagogue, and the coast at Sousse. The images stay vivid long after you land, the columns of Carthage, the great minaret of Kairouan, the golden arches of El Jem, the star-filled desert skies, and the warm island sea. Tunisia offers history, culture, desert and coast in extraordinary abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return.