A Tunisia Itinerary: the Perfect 2-4 Week Detailed Road Trip
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 22 Jun 2025
Do you want to explore the lesser-visited country of Tunisia? If so, we’ve written a detailed route, based on our epic one-month road trip, including deserts, beaches, medinas and ruins, to help you plan your ideal getaway!
Tunisia, sandwiched between the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean, is an enchanting land of contrasts. In the south, epic Sahara Desert landscapes stretch endlessly. Slow, sun-bleached island life beckons and ancient, fortified Berber villages dot the horizon. To the north, verdant, hilly farmland, scattered with sporadic Roman ruins, surround the metropolitan capital of Tunis.
No matter where you visit, the energetic medina alleys buzz with souq vendors that rarely, if ever, see foreign tourists. Whether you’re in Tunisia to experience a little bit of north African Maghreb culture, explore a Star Wars filming location, or chill on a beach, an adventure around Tunisia will not disappoint.
This Tunisia itinerary will have you checking out the top sites across the country, regardless of your travel style. Whether on a strict budget or looking to splash out a little, both options result in a fantastic Tunisian adventure.
For a general introduction to travelling around Tunisia, including transport, money, accommodation, prices, sim cards, clothing, language, safety, Ramadan, seasons and more, check out our backpacking in Tunisia guide.
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Why Choose Tunisia?
Tunisia is perceived by some as the little sibling of tourist-mecca Morocco; however, we consider this a little unfair. Tunisia absolutely holds its own; with eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites and more Roman-Punic ruins than you can visit in one trip, it’s got the culture buff covered.
The country also has dynamic medinas, just like Morocco, but without the touts, price-hikes, hassle and crowds. There are even beautiful Mediterranean beaches with glistening turquoise oceans, surrounded by little cafes and fashionable bars.
South | here, it’s often about Star Wars for many, with a multitude of references and filming locations. For the rest, this region is spectacular because of the ksars (ancient, fortified villages), often set dramatically high on cliffs with immense, impressive views. There are more ksars that you can count in southern Tunisia – later, we’ll mention our favourites.
West | travelling west, Tunisia starts to blend with the Sahara Desert; in fact, Douz is colloquially named ‘the gateway to the Sahara’. Make the journey across Chott El Jerid, the largest salt pan in the Sahara, arriving at the ancient town of Tozeur. This dense, hectic little place near the border with Algeria, surrounded by deserts and date palms, feels distinct from the rest of Tunisia.
North | in the far north west, a change in scenery will have you imagining you’re in the north of England. The region is packed with olive-green farmland, grazing sheep and some of the greatest archaeological sites in Tunisia.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TUNISIA ITINERARY
Here are our personal top-eleven highlights in Tunisia to motivate you!
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El Jem – a spectacular Roman Amphitheatre to rival Rome, but with a fraction of the visitors.
Sousse Medina – iconic blue and white décor meets friendly residents, this was our favourite medina in Tunisia.
Djerbahood – world class street art in a traditional Djerba village.
Ain Darahim – English countryside on the northern Algerian border.
Bizerte – tourist-free, pretty port town with colourful buildings.
Dougga – set up on a hill with impressive views, these are the greatest (in our opinion) Roman ruins in Tunisia.
Kairouan – home to the oldest mosque in northern Africa and an ancient centre for Islamic learning.
Mosque of the Seven Sleepers – a quirky mosque just outside Chenini, one of the many beautiful ksars in Tataouine.
Chott El Jerid – cruising the largest salt pan in the Sahara feels otherworldly.
Sidi Bou Said – although touristy, the beauty of this azure and white suburb of Tunis cannot be denied.
Zaghouan – a hiker’s mecca; the tallest mountain in eastern Tunisia and a challenging trek.
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IS TUNISIA CHEAP TO TRAVEL? | EXPLORING DJERBAHOOD
Getting Around Tunisia
Our Tunisia itinerary has been written with both public transport and self-driving in mind.
Public Transport
Louages, or public minivan services, operate from every town and are fast. They do not get overpacked (mostly) and are a cost-effective way of navigating the country.
Trains are another public transport option in the upper portion of the country, but are uncomfortable and slow outside of Tunis. Public transport is ideal for travellers with a little more time, as it can be more time consuming and a little less flexible than driving.
For more information on transport, check out our guide to backpacking around Tunisia.
Self-Driving
We found self-driving was the easiest and most time-conscious way to travel around Tunisia. The roads are decent, the drivers are fine and we found it to be pretty straightforward over all, even in Tunis. This option is better for people trying to fit more in their schedule or wanting more flexibility.
To find out more about our driving experiences in Tunisia, take a peek at our detailed driving guide.
Driving Distances in Tunisia
Below is a handy grid that shows the driving distances between various stops on this itinerary.
It’s in kilometres, using toll roads and avoiding the ferries at Djerba (the ferry saves you 16 kilometres but may not save you time).
CAR HIRE FOR YOUR TUNISIA TRIP
We always rent our vehicles all over the world, including our recent trips in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Jordan and Morocco, with Discover Cars. They’re often the most affordable, plus they paid out immediately on an insurance claim we made when our car took some heavy damage in Sicily. We fully recommend them.
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TAKE A LOOK BELOW OR CHECK CAR RENTAL
This Tunisia Road Trip
Our itinerary can be stretched over three or four weeks (or, conversely, cut down to as little as two), depending on transport and your energy levels. We have included optional extras for travellers with more time and notes where trips can be done quicker.
Where we have accommodation or restaurant suggestions, we’ve mentioned them (only ones we have personal experience with and liked!). Any places with entry or parking fees are also noted.
If a destination is a bit more tricky or slow to reach with a louage (rare), that is also noted. The distances between locations are for cars; louages may have more convoluted routes.
Tunis (1-3 Days)
Most international visitors arrive by air into Tunis International Airport, or by ferry into Goulette Port. We arrived by ferry and left by air.
Spend a few days getting settled in and check out some of what Tunis has to offer, including the big-hitters Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, the UNESCO designated Tunis Medina and the world-renowned National Bardo Museum.
For more on these activities, and many more day trip options, have a look at our detailed Tunis city and favourite day trips from Tunis guides.
Number of days | exploring Tunis would comfortably cover two full days, unless you rush about a lot.
Best Hotel in Tunis
We loved the stand-out and stunning Dar El Jeld, adjacent to the Tunis Medina.
It was the nicest place we stayed in during our Tunisia trip. It’s perfect for a memorable, luxury stay, with beautiful, modern rooms and superb rooftop bar and restaurant.
It’s just magnificent – check availability.
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Sousse – Monastir – Kairouan (2-3 days)
Although Sousse is a popular beach lover’s destination, we adored the town for its UNESCO designated medina. The walled old town of Sousse was one of our trip highlights and we recommend a stop in Sousse just for this alone.
Another valuable stop nearby is Kairouan, the fourth most holy city in Islam, with its famous Grand Mosque from 670 CE. It’s also a fantastic place to pick up a Tunisian rug if you have shopping on your to-do list.
Monastir, just a little east of Sousse, is known for its ribat (a small frontier fortification) and oceanfront promenade.
All these cities were particularly friendly. We felt at ease in all of them, with no touts or hassle anywhere. We have a little more information about these three towns in our Tunis day trips post.
Route | we would recommend choosing accommodation in either Sousse or Monastir (depending on your preferences), and spending an afternoon/evening at the Sousse Medina, a half-day wandering around Monastir and a half-day/day trip to Kairouan.
Number of days | if you are in a rush, drive to Sousse/Monastir, spending the afternoon/evening and an overnight stay, then drive to Kairouan the next morning and onto the next stop below.
Accommodation | for somewhere that feels a little less resorty, stay near the Sousse medina, or head out towards Monastir, where this classic Tunisian seafront town mixes with ancient architecture, resulting in a far more local vibe. Our recommendation: Dar Lekbira Boutique Hotel (Sousse Medina area – medium budget, no immediate parking, but free parking directly outside the medina).
WHERE TO STAY IN SOUSSE
For somewhere that feels a little less resorty, choose to stay near the Sousse Medina, or head out towards Monastir, where this classic Tunisian seafront town mixes with ancient architecture, resulting in a far more local vibe.
Our recommendation is the beautifully blue Dar Lekbira Boutique Hotel. It’s situated right in Sousse’s Medina area, is absolutely smashing for the price, with beautifully decorated rooms and solid air-conditioning. There’s no immediate parking, but free parking is available directly outside the medina and the staff can help you move your bags.
It’s an ideal stay – check availability.
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El Jem – Sfax (1 day)
El Jem is an itinerary highlight for most visitors to Tunisia.
It’s an imposing Roman Amphitheatre (entry fee 8 TND) set in the centre of the town of El Jem, an hour drive south of Sousse. Spend the morning and grab some amazing croissants from the local bakery (we found the best ones in Tunisia here!).
Next, head south to Sfax to check out the medina. We didn’t love the vibes in Sfax as much as Sousse (the drivers have anger management issues there, it seems), however the medina is still world class and worth a visit. Settle in for the night near the medina.
WHERE TO STAY IN El jem
In Sfax, we recommend the outstanding Borj Dhiafa. We didn’t stay here, but chose a boring, plain hotel that we wouldn’t recommend because the Borj Dhiafa was sadly fully booked. Our discerning friends stayed here though and said it was the best place they stayed in Tunisia!
The architecture looks exquisite, the reviews are on-point, and we’d definitely stay here when we return.
Take a look and check availability.
Djerba (3-4 days)
Djerba is a place where you could choose to shorten or extend your stay.
Some might hang around for the beaches (depending on the season – summer is packed with sun worshippers in Djerba). Others might just stay for enough time to see the exquisite village of Erriadh, where the Djerbahood project is, visit the famous El Ghriba synagogue, take a wander along the coast , spot flamingos or explore an abandoned hotel.
Number of days | we travel slow and spent five days on the island of Djerba. During this time (it was April so not exactly beach weather), we did everything listed above and just had a rest! Djerba is also known for quad biking, horseback riding and water sports if any of these are your cup of tea. You could easily spend just two days, have a look around and move on if you’re pressed for time though.
WHERE TO STAY IN DJERBA
In Djerba, we highly recommend the Dar Lola. It’s a super friendly, very affordable, comfortable little hotel right in the centre of the old town in Houmk Souq.
It has a lovely rooftop terrace, excellent breakfast and reliable hot water.
It’s everything you could ask for – check availability.
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Tataouine (2-3 days)
Most notable as the namesake of Luke Skywalker’s home ‘Tatooine’ in Star Wars, this cracking little town has a plethora of places to visit if you have the time (rarely Star Wars related, but everyone you speak to will mention it anyway!).
A major highlight of the region are the ksars, or fortified villages. There are a multitude of these ancient settlements, dotted around the cliffs and hills encircling Tataouine. Here are some of our favourite ksars (plus a few that were strongly recommended but couldn’t get to due to time restraints):
◊ Beni Barka (car friendly)
◊ Ouled Soltane (car friendly and Star Wars related)
◊ El Mourabitine (car friendly with a small walk)
◊ Old Chenini (car friendly)
◊ Ksar Tounket (mostly car friendly)
There are far more, such as the desert encompassed oasis of Ksar Ghilane (further south, unsealed roads, also accessible from Douz) and Toujane, which is beautiful (car friendly) but much nearer Matmata.
Number of days | as with previous stops, stay as long as you think you’ll need here. We recommend at least three days, two nights to explore the ksars, depending on when you leave Djerba.
Accommodation | Dar Essadeg (by far the best accommodation in Tataouine, extremely helpful owner, central location).
The BEST PLACE TO STAY IN TATAOUINE
Tataouine doesn’t have a lot of decent accommodation, to be honest. The best is Dar Essadeg, which is a lovely, large, clean and surprisingly modern apartment. With an extremely helpful owner and central location, it’s definitely the best option for anyone spending time in the area.
There’s just the one room, so check availability.
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Matmata – Douz – Tozeur (2-5 days)
There are relatively few long driving days on this itinerary – but this is one of them (around 4.5 hours).
It’s easy to split the journey from Tataouine to Tozeur over several days, by stopping in Matmata and/or Douz. Alternatively, if you’re pushed for time, miss out Matmata and Douz, as both are optional stops on this Tunisia itinerary, and head straight for Tozeur.
Matmata – optional
Matmata is best known for the location of Luke Skywalker’s house in the original Star Wars films. Obviously if you are not a fan of the franchise, then give this stop a miss! The building has been transformed into a hotel, named ‘Hotel Sidi Idriss’. This is now a major tourist attraction; you can stay overnight at the hotel or just pay a nominal fee to look around. We didn’t do this as we don’t care enough about Star Wars to deal with the hassle, plus the hotel has some seriously sketchy reviews – be prepared.
If you’re looking for a nice place to stay nearish Hotel Sidi Idriss, we’d recommend Dar Ayed Tamezret – it’s much, much *much* nicer than Hotel Sidi Idriss, located in a town only a few miles away.
Matmata is not a fun place to be, generally. Men on motorbikes followed us and people tried to stop our car in the street to sell troglodyte tours and Star Wars related stuff. Despite this, we really, really liked the region surrounding Matmata, though – there was some utterly breathtaking scenery.
For example, near Matmata is a beautiful little village called Toujane, great if you want a homestay somewhere (and much nicer than Matmata, in our opinion). The scenery past Matmata towards Douz is also worth your time.
Douz – Optional
Douz is a low-key town which acts as the ‘gateway to the Sahara’. It actually has a gate that people get their Instagram photos taken with!
The town is known for massive date palm plantations and expeditions into the expanse of sand dunes of the Grand Erg Oriental (‘erg’ means a giant field of sand dunes). If this is something you fancy doing, consider spending a night in one of the many desert camps in the area. With a little more time, there are dune bashing opportunities or even multi-day adventures.
To book a tour in advance and check reviews, we recommend using Get Your Guide. (You can find an in-person operator in Douz if you prefer to reserve in person).
Tozeur
The outback town of Tozeur is nestled near the Algerian border on the western edge of the huge Saharan salt pan Chott El Jerid, a tentative UNESCO site. It is known for date farming and, of course, Star Wars!
Within Tozeur itself, the unique geometric brickwork is pretty impressive, often in the shape of flowers or Arabic words. This can be spotted all over the city, especially around the medina, which is also worth visiting. Nearby the medina is a massive palm grove, with hundreds of thousands of trees. You can drive, walk or cycle around and there are several parks and tourist activities to check out.
The town felt friendly to us, but there are a lot of organised excursions in Tozeur during the high season (many French visitors everywhere). With the influx of tourists comes touts and a bit of hassle, so come prepared (this is only an issue around popular sites, the city itself was no problem).
We self-drove in Tunisia, so avoided all the larger organised groups (occasionally we saw convoys of identical jeeps driving in formation, but that was it) and they did not impact on our trip.
Around Tozeur
Star Wars
Popular places to visit in Tozeur include the adjacent Star Wars sites of Ong Jamal and Mos Espa. The latter requires a four-wheel drive vehicle (unless you’re brave); both are crammed with abusive, awful touts and animal cruelty (just read the reviews before you decide to visit).
If you are looking for a slightly more off-beat Star Wars site, consider visiting the Lars Homestead right near the Algerian border past Naftah. It’s significant if you’re a Star Wars fan and there’s very little in the way of hassle. The sandy track could be a potential issue with a standard rental car though.
Oasis Towns
Other popular attractions near Tozeur are the three oasis villages of Tamerza (also spelled Tamaghza/Tamaqzah), Chebika and Mides. These are small settlements with oases, set in the cliffs, literally on the border with Algeria. The scenery encompassing the three communities is awesome; the drive is epic, the mountains and canyons even more so.
However, these three spots are very touristy – surprisingly so, considering their remote location. Even in the middle of nowhere, someone will find you to sell a tour or souvenir. Motorbikes will follow your car and every time you stop you will be approached. It is a stunning region and generally friendly, but we did experience some very uncharacteristic hassle here.
Tozeur Information
Route | if short on time, you can choose to bypass Matmata and Douz, heading straight for Tozeur. We recommend taking the drive through Matmata anyway just because the scenery is lovely and, from our experience, the roads were completely empty. With all the stops, prepare for a long driving day (totally do-able though).
Depending on the time of year, Chott El Jerid may be a dusty desert, but no matter what, the route is worth driving – it’s kind of surreal.
Number of days | if you just go to Tozeur, check out the town and oases, you can get away with 2-3 days.
The BEST PLACE TO STAY IN TOZEUR
We thoroughly recommend a stay at the Dar Yomma in Tozeur. It’s like a little Arabian Oasis getaway, with four thoughtfully decorated rooms in a courtyard and a stunning swimming pool surrounded by palms. It is a bit pricey, but worth it, in my opinion. Oh, the food there is magnificent, too!
See if there are any rooms left – check availability.
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El Kef (Sbeitla, Ayn Darahim, Dougga, Bulla Regia) (1-3 days)
The last leg of this Tunisia itinerary heads back towards Tunis via as many optional stops as you have time for.
El Kef (or Le Kef) is a practical choice as a base on the return journey, with many attractions nearby. The city has a notable Ottoman Kasbah with sprawling views across the entire town, perfect for sunset. There is also a walkable medina – if you enjoyed Djerbahood, there is even some more street art.
Route | the drive from Tozeur to El Kef is straightforward, however, it may pass through some regions that are against government advisories, so check your insurance and government website. For example, Sbeitla is just within a zone that, as a UK citizen, invalidates our insurance. If you are uncomfortable with this, it is easy to take a slightly longer route between the two towns to avoid the Kasserine region.
Number of days | at a minimum, we would thoroughly recommend a night in El Kef, returning to Tunis the next day via the ruins of Dougga.
Optional Stops near El Kef
Sbeitla | on route to El Kef, a potential stop is Sbeitla/Subaytilah, home to one of the most impressive Roman ruins in Tunisia, Sufetula. It takes several louages passing through Kasserine to reach Sbeitla by public transport, but in a car, the route goes almost straight through and is worth a stop.
Dougga | from El Kef, the exquisite UNESCO designated Roman ruins of Dougga are less than an hour away. If you only visit one set of ruins on your trip – make it this one! It’s panoramic setting on the edge of a hill with vistas of olive farms, plus the impressive structures, is simply magnificent.
Ayn Darahim | for a tourist-free experience, visit Ayn Darahim. With rolling countryside reminiscent of England, this town is just under two hours north of El Kef, tucked up in the far north western corner of Tunisia. We were recommended this region by a resident and I’d read that it was a popular summer destination for Tunisians! It’s perfect if you want to hike, check out some waterfalls and really have some tourist-free time at the end of your Tunisia itinerary. We visited during April and it rained, *a lot*. It was really beautiful though and completely different to all the other places we visited. During summer, we would fully recommend Ayn Darahim!
Bulla Regia | if you head to Ayn Darahim, on route is the exquisite Roman site of Bulla Regia. You may be completely Roman-ruined out by this point but Bulla Regia is worth your time, especially if you’re keen on history.
Jugurtha’s Table | this flat, table-like mountain is near the Algerian border. It’s a fantastic hike and well-worth a trip if trekking is your thing (advised by our friend who visited in 2023).
WHERE TO STAY IN EL KEF
We didn’t love where we stayed in El Kef (last minute decisions and all that drama!). However, if we were to return now, we’d possibly choose the Maison De Hote Dar Saida. It’s located near the Kasbah, has moderate reviews and seems like the best option within the town (there really aren’t many great choices).
Alternatively, the Hotel 1001 – Nights Palace in the countryside outside El Kef looks lovely – like a properly local experience with amazing food and fires at night. Take a look and see if it’s for you – I think it looks like the best spot around El Kef.
It looks to be run by the most lovely family – check availability.
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Back to Tunis
There are so many cool things to do around Tunis that we’ve missed off this itinerary – like hike up Zaghouan, have a wander around Hammamet, check out the pretty fishing town of Bizerte, or visit even more Roman ruins (Thuburbo Majus, Uthina and Utique for example).
All these day trips are detailed in our weekend in Tunis post, so head on over there if you have spare days after designing your itinerary (this schedule is already pretty packed though!).
Tunisia Itinerary Map
Below is a savable Google Map with all the places mentioned on this Tunisia itinerary.
Cities are marked in purple.
Ruins are marked in red.
Other places of interest are in yellow.
To save the map to your Google Maps, click on the star icon by the title.
HAVE WE HELPed YOU PLAN A TRIP TO TUNISIA?
If you’ve found our content helpful, consider booking your rental car (if you need one!), through the company we always use – Discover Cars. They’re the absolute best and have been our rental companion (and savior, thanks to their insurance) in many destinations across the world.
Also, consider booking your accommodation through Booking.com – we use them exclusively when travelling in Northern Africa.
Help like this makes it easier to pay for the upkeep of this site. Thank you!
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Final Thoughts – Adventures Around Tunisia
We’re so happy that you are considering (or planning) a trip to Tunisia! It’s an astonishing tourist destination that has, somehow, yet to be discovered by the masses, making it an incredibly enjoyable experience to travel around.
Our trip involved almost all the recommended stops on this itinerary (we missed Bulla Regia due to absolutely horrendous wet weather and Sbeitla due to some car hire document drama causing us to detour – long, boring story). Every other place here we have personally visited, and pretty much followed this entire itinerary ourselves throughout the course of a month. It’s pretty epic!
We hope you have a really fantastic time on your Tunisian journey!
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
Great post. I will be a regular follower from now on.
I’m heading to Tunisia next year, so thanks for all the useful information.
One question, if you don’t mind – if using a local sim card, is internet connection good enough for calls (e.g. via WhatsApp)? Many thanks
Hi Kay,
I’m really glad you found our post helpful.
We had some issues with internet connection whilst in Ayn Darahim (in the far north-west) but had no problems in the rest of the country. It’s definitely fast enough for things like whatsapp calls.
Have a great trip!