Luxury Tunisia Holiday

Start the day at Tunis’ famed Bardo Museum, where a world-class collection of brilliantly executed Roman mosaics and sculptures is on display. Next, move on to the thronging souqs and grand monuments inside Tunis’s walled medina for an immersion into North Africa. After lunch in a beautiful old mansion house, visit the ruins of ancient Carthage.

Drive inland to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dougga, and explore what are some of the finest Roman ruins in North Africa. This afternoon, visit Sidi Bou Said, perched high on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the most picturesque villages in Tunisia.

This morning, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Djerba. On arrival, you will be met by your private guide and vehicle for a short tour of Djerba Island’s highlights. Visit El Ghriba synagogue and enjoy a walking tour of Djerba’s lively capital, Houmt Souk. You will also visit the white-washed Berber village of Guellala, one of Tunisia’s most significant pottery centres. Here you may observe local artisans crafting clay products in centuries-old, cave-like workshops.

After lunch, leave Djerba and travel inland by road to the Berber mountain village of Toujane, where traditional cave dwellings are dug into the rock. From here, the views of the surrounding landscapes are stunning. Your next stop is Matmata to learn about the haouch hafera (sunken troglodytic houses), which were developed to combat the local climate extremes. After exploring the troglodyte dwellings in Matmata, drive towards Douz in the Grand Erg Oriental in the Sahara Desert. On arrival, check in at the Residence Hotel Douz.

Meet your driver and set off on a full-day 4WD Saharan adventure to discover the magnificent landscape of Tembaine (a three-hour off-road drive south of Douz) where you will have lunch at the evocatively named ‘Camp Mars’. Located on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, Tembaine is surrounded by vast expanses of golden sand dunes. The site is marked by two prominent rocky outcrops rising from the desert floor, creating a stunning contrast with the surrounding dunes. Once an important stop on the historic trans-Saharan caravan route, Tembaine is also a place of spiritual significance for local tribes who sometimes refer to it as the “Gate of the Sahara.” Return to Douz in the late afternoon.

Leaving Douz, traverse the vast expanse of the Chott el Djerid salt pans, the largest of its kind in the Sahara Desert. Continue to Tozeur, once one of the great desert gateways to Sub-Saharan Africa and retaining a unique charm. Take an interesting walk through the narrow alleyways of Tozeur’s old Ouled Hadef quarter and explore the town’s expansive oasis, the Palmerie, best seen on a relaxing horse and cart ride. Finally, check into your luxury hotel, where the rest of the day is free.

Morning at leisure. In the afternoon, discover nearby Nefta, another oasis town situated on the western edge of the Chott el Djerid and an important centre of Sufism in Tunisia. At the heart of the town is the Corbeille (basket), a fertile and sunken palm oasis that is best appreciated from the main road above it. Later, journey north across the desert sands to watch the sunset over the dunes. En route, pass Ong Jemel (an enormous rock resembling a camel), fossilised dunes, and a virtually intact film set used in two Star Wars movies.

Leaving the desert, the drive today will take you via Gafsa and El Djem. In Gafsa, visit the ancient Roman Pools (Piscines Romaines) and the small but interesting Archaeology Museum. Continue to El Djem to see the magnificent Roman amphitheatre – a structure in better preservation than the Colosseum in Rome. Back in Tunis, check into your hotel for a two-night stay.

Day at leisure. You may wish to wander the cobbled streets of white-washed Sidi Bou Said, take a further day trip or simply relax at your hotel on the Mediterranean coast.

A private transfer will take you from your hotel to Tunis International Airport, where you will check in for your onward flight.