Tunisia: Oases and Sahara

Start the day at Tunis’ famed Bardo Museum, where a world-class collection of brilliantly executed Roman mosaics and sculptures is displayed. 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, visit the ruins of ancient Carthage. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features Phoenician and Roman ruins overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Drive to El Djem to see the magnificent Roman amphitheatre – a structure in better preservation than the Colosseum in Rome. Next, drive to Gafsa and visit the ancient Roman Pools (Piscines Romaines) and the small but interesting Archaeology Museum.

Continue to Tozeur, once one of the great desert gateways to Sub-Saharan Africa, and check into your hotel.

Start today with an interesting walk through the narrow alleyways of Tozeur’s old Ouled Hadef quarter before exploring the town’s expansive palmerie, which is best seen on a relaxing horse and cart ride.

Continue to nearby Nefta, another oasis town situated on the western edge of the Chott el Djerid and an important centre of Sufism in Tunisia. Later, journey across the desert sands on a 4WD safari 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.

Tembaine is a 3-hour off-road 4WD journey south of Douz. To reach Douz from Tozeur, it’s a two-hour drive that crosses the Chott el Djerid. Then you travel off-road. Tembaine is truly remote. The journey there is an adventure.

Tembaine sits on the edge of the Grand Erg Oriental, where two rocky outcrops rise dramatically from the golden dunes. Once a key stop on the trans-Saharan caravan route, it holds deep spiritual significance for local tribes, who call it the “Gate of the Sahara.” The remote location offers unparalleled stargazing opportunities, with little to no light pollution. Its isolation provides a serene environment, ideal for meditation and connection with nature.

Meet your driver and set off to discover the magnificent landscape of Tembaine on a two-hour 4WD adventure. The ‘Ostrich Site’, where you will see hundreds of fragments of Ostrich eggs on the surface of the golden sands, will be your first stop. Then, cross the dunes in the direction of Tinisouane before circling round to the back of the two Tembaine mountains and taking the short walk up Tebaig Jidra hill to admire the view. Advise your guide if you are interested in climbing up to the top of Tembaine mountain before returning to your desert camp. The ascent up a goat’s track is fairly easy and takes about twenty minutes.

This morning, drive to Douz before continuing to Matmata, where you will see the haouch hafera (sunken troglodytic houses), which were developed to combat the local climate extremes. You will have lunch in a traditional troglodyte house before driving to the Tataouine region to explore its traditional ksar (fortified granary). Visit Ksar Ouled Soltane, where you will explore arguably the best example of Berber ghorfas (grain-storing vaults). Overnight in a converted ksar.

This morning, you will explore the atmospheric ruins of the Berber villages of Douiret and Chenini, both with stunning locations. Your next stops will be the abandoned citadel of Guermessa and Ksar Hadada, which is another fine example of a preserved fortified granary (ksar). Passing through the crossroads town of Medenine, you will eventually cross the causeway to Djerba Island.

Begin your morning sightseeing with a visit to El Ghriba synagogue and a walking tour of Djerba’s lively capital, Houmt Souk. 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.

Transfer to Djerba Airport for your return flight to Tunis Airport. Upon your return to Tunis, you will be met by a Corinthian Travel representative and transferred to 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 day trip to the Roman ruins at Dougga 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.