Why Tunisia is much more than a beach holiday

CULTURAL HOLIDAYS IN TUNISIA: DISCOVERING TUNISIA BEYOND THE BEACH

When we told friends and family we were heading to Tunisia—not for a beach break, but for a few weeks of cultural exploration—we were met with surprise. “But you’re not beach people?” one asked. “What will you do for that long?” another queried.

What we found was one of the most culturally rich and underrated destinations we’ve visited in years.

Yes, Tunisia does have beautiful beaches. But what truly captivated us were its ancient Roman ruins, atmospheric medinas, Berber heritage, and spectacular desert landscapes. Over the course of a few packed weeks, we explored six UNESCO World Heritage sites, took around 1,000 photos, and still left feeling that there was more to discover.

Whether you’re a history buff, a culture lover, or simply curious about what lies beyond the coastline, Tunisia offers an extraordinary journey without ever needing to unfurl a beach towel.

We’d always been curious about Tunisia beyond its beach resorts, and this trip confirmed it’s a dream destination for cultural holidays and historical exploration.

TUNIS: A CITY STEEPED IN CULTURE AND HISTORY

Like most cultural holidays to Tunisia, we began our explorations in the country’s capital, Tunis. Manageable and very friendly, it was a good place to start. The medina, one of nine UNESCO World Heritage sites in Tunisia, was far less touristy and more workaday than other medinas we have visited (Marrakech, for example), and our private guide knew the maze-like streets like the back of his hand. He was able to show us spots we would never have found on our own, including a fantastic local restaurant, hidden well away from the souvenir stalls, where he took us for lunch.

Another highlight of the capital was the incredible Bardo National Museum. We spent much longer looking around the place than planned, but with so many amazing artefacts, it was little wonder that we became totally engrossed and lost all track of time.

CARTHAGE AND DOUGGA: TUNISIA’S ANCIENT ROMAN SITES

According to our local guide, there are the remains of well over one hundred Roman settlements in Tunisia. We didn’t have the time or the inclination to visit all of them, but the handful that we did see blew us away. The first site we explored was Carthage—originally a Phoenician city founded by settlers from the city of Tyre. It was completely destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC after the Third Punic War, but later rebuilt and transformed into a major Roman city. Walking among the ruins today, it’s fascinating to see layers of history from both civilisations. What remains of Carthage is spread out over a rather large area, but what really surprised us was the fact that much of it is now surrounded by modern-day development.

This was not the case, however, with what is, without question, Tunisia’s premier ancient ruin, the mighty city of Dougga. In our opinion, comparable to Leptis Magna in neighbouring Libya and Volubilis in Morocco, Dougga boasts a remote, hilltop location and is surrounded by verdant countryside. Like the Bardo, we spent longer than anticipated wandering around, and we were fortunate in that, for most of the time we were there, we had the site to ourselves —a theme, in fact, that was replicated at most of the places we visited thereafter. It seems like many people are missing out on the joys of a cultural holiday in Tunisia.

OFF-THE-BEATEN-TRACK COASTAL TUNISIA

In the north of the country, we took the opportunity to visit the small but pleasant Mediterranean town of Bizerte before beginning our journey south. Our goal was the diverse island of Djerba, but we took our time getting there and stopped at a few places along the way. This included the whitewashed coastal town of Mahdia and our third Roman site in as many days, the imposing amphitheatre at El Djem, which, for us, was arguably as impressive as, if not more impressive than, the Colosseum in Rome. One thing is certain: El Djem is more accessible than Rome’s coliseum, as hardly any of it is roped off, and there were definitely far fewer visitors.

While on the coast, we also decided to make a quick stop in Monastir to view the magnificent mausoleum dedicated to Habib Bourguiba, one of Tunisia’s most revered heads of state, who was born in Monastir and instrumental in the country’s independence from France in the first half of the 1950s.

DJERBA: CULTURE, BEACHES, AND BERBER HERITAGE

Eventually arriving on Djerba, we set up base in the island’s main town, Houmt Souk, and explored from there. Heading out to the coast, we soon got our first glimpse of the long sandy beach that attracts the lion’s share of visitors to Tunisia. There’s no denying that it is a splendid stretch of coastline. Still, Djerba, the largest island in North Africa, also has a rich and cultural heritage, and there are several places of interest scattered across its terrain. For starters, Houmt Souk itself is a low-key and relaxed place with a small medina, some interesting architecture, and lots of shady, outdoor cafes that are ideal places to sit with a mint tea and watch the world go by. We were also taken by nearby Erriadh, an attractive village renowned for its synagogue, as well as its colourful frescoes and street art in an area collectively known as Djerbahood.

We were reluctant to leave Djerba, but we were equally excited at the prospect of heading inland and even further south, towards the fringes of the Sahara Desert.

SOUTHERN TUNISIA: KSOUR, DESERT SCENERY AND STAR WARS

Our first stop in the deep south was the bustling town of Tataouine. Somewhere to sleep only, all the highlights were away from the town, but what highlights they were!

If we had to pick just one excursion in Tunisia and call it our most memorable, then it would have to be our day trip out of Tataouine. Leaving in the morning, our objective was to visit some of the now-abandoned Berber castles, known as Ksar or ksour (plural), that dot the surrounding landscape. Spending time in Chenini, Guermessa and Douiret, the setting for each one is beyond spectacular, and we ended the day by visiting the fortified granary of Ouled Soltane, the best-preserved of its kind in southern Tunisia and one of several film locations in the vicinity used by George Lucas for his franchise of Star Wars movies.

We continued our odyssey in southern Tunisia by roughly following the trail of other Star Wars film locations. Not because we are especially massive fans of the movies, but because the settings which were chosen are all incredibly scenic and among southern Tunisia’s must-see sights. We saw the sunken troglodytic houses in Matmata, which were used in the original 1977 Star Wars movie, before crossing the desolate expanse of the Chott el Djerid salt pans to reach the oasis town of Tozeur.

TOZEUR AND THE SAHARA: ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH

A likeable place with some comfortable traditional Dar-style hotels in which to lay your head, Tozeur has several attractions of its own, including a vast palmerie a short distance from the town’s centre, and an absorbing old quarter known as Ouled el Hadef. But, yet again, it is the surrounding landscape that holds all the trump cards. You don’t have to travel that far out of Tozeur to see picturesque villages, deep gorges and classic desert mirages as well as more than your fair share of truly remarkable desert terrain. We visited all these places using a 4WD vehicle, and our knowledgeable driver would occasionally take the vehicle off-road to navigate us up and over the sand dunes, which, of course, added to the experience.

We could have flown back to Tunis from Tozeur, but we decided to go overland and see a little more of this contrasting country, which, by this point, we had both really grown to love.

KAIROUAN: TUNISIA’S SPIRITUAL HEART

En route, we stayed in Kairouan, a mid-sized city in the centre of Tunisia, that reminded us of a few other cities we have visited on our travels. For starters, many of the walls in the medina were painted the same baby blue that is ubiquitous in the Moroccan town of Chefchaouen. What’s more, after Mecca and Medina, both in Saudi Arabia, and Jerusalem, Kairouan is considered the fourth-holiest city in the Islamic world, and the high percentage of mosques and mausoleums that we visited in Kairouan inevitably made us draw similarities.

We’d always been curious about Tunisia beyond its beach resorts, and this trip confirmed it’s a dream destination for cultural holidays and historical exploration.

We hadn’t really known what to expect when we arrived in Tunisia a few weeks earlier, but while we were waiting at the airport for our flight home, we both wholeheartedly agreed that this was an underrated country that had more than delivered a memorable holiday experience. With ancient ruins, epic desertscape, whitewashed towns and impossible-to-navigate medinas (which were all part of the fun!) as well as flavoursome (and sometimes fiery) cuisine and very hospitable people, we both agreed that there’s definitely more to Tunisia than simply beaches …

PLANNING A CULTURAL HOLIDAY TO TUNISIA

Corinthian Travel offers a broad selection of suggested itineraries for Tunisia, tailored to your specific interests – including culture, history, and scenery – and the amount of time you have available.

Our week-long Carthage and Roman Africa private tour is the perfect introduction to cultural holidays in Tunisia. For those with a little more time, our Northern Tunisia Discovery is an immersive, tailor-made holiday that showcases the region’s cultural highlights. The 12-day private tour visits eight of Tunisia’s nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as some of the country’s hidden gems. Djerba Island, the ninth UNESCO site, was added to the list in 2023 and can be easily incorporated into the itinerary for those keen to visit all of them.

Travellers who want to experience the best hotels in Tunisia should consider our Luxury Tunisia Holiday, which includes a stay at the recently opened luxurious Anantara Tozeur Resort, which is a stunning property and a welcome addition to Tunisia’s desert oasis.

For an in-depth tour that includes all of Tunisia’s most impressive Roman and Arab sites, ancient cities, and medinas, along with unrivalled cultural insight into the country, look no further than our two-week Grand Tour of Tunisia.

Browse all of our suggested Tunisia itineraries or contact our destination experts and ask about our cultural holidays to Tunisia. Discuss the options and start planning your private tour.

Words and additional images of Tunisia by Mark Bennetts, drawn from his recent cultural exploration of Tunisia.