Tour Tunisia: The Ultimate Guide

Tunisia has a lot to offer. You can enjoy lovely seaside resorts with beautiful beaches, you can visit colourful medinas and make a trip through the desert in the same country. There is a lot of beauty waiting for you here.

1. Characteristics Tunisia

In Tunisia you will come across a melting pot of different influences from history. Among other things, you will find French influences, because it was a French colony. So you can eat a delicious croissant, for example. Curious about what you can see and discover in this country? Then read on. We also list all the practical travel information for you.

We'd like to list some handy facts for you. If you have the Dutch nationality, you do not need a visa for a holiday to Tunisia. You can stay up to 90 days. Your passport has to be valid at least until after your stay in the country.

• The sun shines very bright in Tunisia. So, all year round, rub yourself well with sunscreen.
• Prices can be up to 60% lower in Tunisia than in the Netherlands
• You better not drink the water from the tap. Rather buy bottled mineral water.
• Only 96% of the population is Muslim. So dress appropriately.

2. Vaccinations for Tunisia

Are you going to Tunisia on holiday? Then vaccinations against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and polio) and Hepatitis A are recommended. Vaccinations may also be recommended that are personal, depending on your personal situation. It is recommended to make an appointment with a vaccination agency in your area 4 to 6 weeks before departure. During a personal consultation you can go through your itinerary through Tunisia. The most common vaccinations can normally also be arranged. For the intake interview an amount of around €24 will be charged. These costs, as well as the costs of the vaccinations, vary per region. You can ask your vaccination centre for the exact costs. A vaccination for DTP costs an average of €29 and for Hepatitis A you will have to pay around €55.

3. Travel advice for a holiday to Tunisia

Tunisia is in a state of emergency. During a holiday to Tunisia you have to take into account that terrorist attacks can be committed. Tourists and tourist places may also be targeted. It is not recommended to travel to the border areas with Libya and Algeria. Here the situation is unsafe. There are also areas in the desert area that are characterized as unsafe and for which only necessary travel is advised. For the rest of the country it is advisable to be alert.

If you are going on holiday with a tour operator, it is good to check what safety measures your accommodation has taken on site. And follow news about Tunisia through, for example, local or international media. For the latest, up-to-date travel advice, check out the travel advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We would like to list a few more tips specific to Tunisia.

• The police, military or members of the National Guard are not open to discussion. So always follow their instructions.

It happens that love relationships are abused. Young Tunisians try to seduce (often older, European) women. This with the aim to gain a financial advantage or a residence permit for the Netherlands. It is important to know that according to Tunisian tradition it is not the custom to marry a woman who is older than the man. So be careful when you start a love affair with a local resident.

4. Best travel time for Tunisia

In general, the months March to November can be considered the best travel time. You will then enjoy delicious temperatures. The summer months between May and September are the warmest months in Tunisia. In fact, it is always sunny with temperatures above 40 degrees. These are also the months with the most visitors looking for the sun. Would you like to take a holiday to Tunisia outside the high season? Then you can still enjoy pleasant temperatures in April and October. The weather can then only be a bit more changeable compared to the summer.

The climate in Tunisia can be divided into several zones. The north of the country has a so-called Mediterranean climate. Here you can enjoy mild, wet winters and dry, warm summers. The middle of the country has a similar climate. And the south of the country has a desert climate. This is logical since here you are in the upper reaches of the Sahara desert. So here you have very hot summers and mild winters. However, the nights here are very cold in winter.

5. Transport Tunisia

In general, you will travel from the Netherlands to Tunisia by plane. The flight time to the capital Tunis or Enfidhais airport is just under 3 hours. Although this may be surprisingly close, you will feel right away that you are really in another country and another continent. In Tunisia itself you can choose from various means of transport. There is a good quality train network. The network is not large, but if you want to travel over land, it is a means of transport that is definitely recommended. Keep in mind that the trains do not offer the comfort as in the Netherlands, for example. So when buying a ticket you can choose comfort class, instead of 1st or 2nd class.

Another means of transport is the bus. The buses run between almost all major cities in Tunisia. It is a cheap means of transport, only the buses can be very busy. Especially in the summer months. Traveling by bus is generally comfortable, as they are equipped with air conditioning and usually run on time. Another option is to take a taxi. Just like the locals, you can use a shared taxi (louage) to get from A to B, for example. An average of 8 to 12 people fit in here and the taxi leaves when it is full.

You can also rent a car in Tunisia and travel around with it. The road network is well developed and the roads are reasonably maintained. In case of heavy rainfall, there can only be holes in the road. Please note that drivers in Tunisia are not as good at following the traffic rules as you might be used to. You may run into a ghost driver. And traffic signs or traffic lights are also ignored. In the cities you can also see pedestrians walking on the lane. And in rural areas you shouldn't be surprised if you see animals on the road.

6. Sights of Tunisia

What can't you really miss in Tunisia during a holiday to this country? To give you inspiration and to help you map out your itinerary, we list 15 places of interest for you.

6.1. Sidi Bou Said

Enjoy a Moorish-Mediterranean feel in a place that is said to be one of the most beautiful in Tunisia. In Sidi Bou Said you walk through streets with whitewashed houses with blue window frames and doors. The whole offers a Mediterranean feeling. The picturesque town is situated on a cliff and offers a beautiful view of the bay of Tunis and the city of Carthage. The place is not only loved by artists who come there for inspiration. It can also be crowded and full of tourists. But if you walk through the smaller streets you can certainly enjoy the charm of Sidi Bou Said. Nice to know: you will see nails hammered in the doors of houses. The more nails a door contains, the richer the residents are.

6.2. Carthage

As a suburb of Tunis, Carthage was once one of the most famous cities in the Mediterranean. However, in 146 BC the place was completely destroyed by the Romans. During a visit to this city you can admire the ancient remains. It is also the place where the palace of the president and villas of prominent Tunisians are located. You can see several Roman remains in Carthage. One of the most impressive remains is the thermal complex. This was one of the largest in its time. The Roman theatre is also very special to see. This once accommodated about 5,000 visitors.

6.3. Medina of Tunis

In the capital you can visit the Medina which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. A Medina is a district that is normally walled in and contains many narrow, labyrinth-like streets. The word medina means city or village in contemporary Arabic. In the Medina of Tunis you will find about 700 monuments. Think of palaces, mosques, mausoleums and fountains. These originate from the 12th to 16th century when the Almohads and Hofsiden ruled the country.

6.4. The national Bardo museum

In the suburb of Tunis lies the National Bardo Museum. This archaeological museum wants to preserve the heritage and above all to share it with the public. It is the first national museum in the country that has existed for more than a century. And the showpieces of the collection are the Roman mosaics from various Tunisian places. During a visit to the museum you will make a journey back in time through the fantastic pieces on display.

6.5. Hammamet

South of Tunis lies Hammamet. You can very well choose this place as a base to make various trips, for example to Tunis. It is a quiet place to enjoy. Hammamet is mainly known for its extensive beach. In the city you can enjoy narrow streets full of shops. And in the new part of the city are the department stores. You certainly don't have to feel too annoying in this place.

6.6. Bulla Regia

If you want to see a special excavation site with partly underground built villas, you must be in Bulla Regia. These Roman remains show a special construction method that was probably used to escape the extreme heat. Bulla Regia is partly well preserved, partly because it was covered with sand. This ensures that on the archaeological site there are a few villas with basement still reasonably intact. You can also admire various mosaics from Roman times.

6.7. Kairouan

6.8. Bourguiba Mausoleum

In Monastir you will find the Bourguiba mausoleum. This is a monumental tomb of the former president Habib Bourguiba. He is seen as the father of Tunisia's independence. The construction of the mausoleum began in 1963. The project was only completed after the death of the president in 2000. The traditional Arab-Muslim style building is accompanied by two 25 meter high minarets and a long path to get to the mausoleum. Inside the mausoleum you will find a small museum where you can view the personal belongings of the president. By the way, the Bourguiba mausoleum is located at the Sidi El Mezeri cemetery, the most important cemetery in Monastir.

6.9. Ribat of Monastir

During a visit to Monastir, do not skip the Ribat of Monastir. This is a small fortress built along the border during the first years of the Muslim invasion of northern Africa. The military volunteers were housed here. Later, the ribat also served to protect commercial routes. The Ribat of Monastir is the oldest ribad built by the Arab conquerors. It is also the most prominent monument in the city. And if you climb the tower, you can enjoy a beautiful view over the city.

6.10. Mahdia Beach

The harbour town of Mahdia is about an hour's drive south of Monastir. Here you can enjoy the beach of this small seaside resort. You can make a lovely walk on the sandy beach. The sea may occasionally want to be with high waves, which offers a beautiful spectacle. By the way, on the beach you will come across all kinds of sellers who will offer you all kinds of things to buy. If you thank them nicely, they will leave you in peace is the experience.

6.11. Amphitheatre of El Jem

In the east of Tunis lies El Djem. And here you will find the third largest Roman amphitheatre in the world. The ruins of the largest colosseum in North Africa show its immense size. This amphitheatre once hosted 35,000 spectators. The moment shows the grandeur and size of the Roman Empire. The amphitheatre was built entirely of stone. However, at the end of the 17th century parts of the stands were demolished. The stones were used by the locals to build the city. But most of the infrastructure for the layered seats is still completely intact. Just like the wall of the stage, the arena and the underground corridors. Here you can see, among other things, the water pipes and tanks. These were used to supply the animals that had to fight in the arena with water.

6.12. Chott el Djerid

Chott el Djerid is a salt lake in western Tunisia. It is the largest and most important salt lake in the country. The lake is completely bounded by watersheds and has no drainage in the sea or ocean. The bottom of Chott el Djerid is between 10 and 25 meters below sea level. And in sunny weather you can observe fata morgana's here. The lake covers an area of about 5,000 km2 and to cross it you have to travel about 250 kilometres. Most of the time the lake has dried up. This allows you to travel through the lake in land vehicles. You just have to be careful that at the time of the visit it is safe to travel over the lake. Because of the sand it can be difficult or dangerous at certain times.

6.13. Djerba Explore Park

In the south east of Tunisia you will find the island of Djerba. And on this island is the Djerba Explore Park. This park consists of several parts, including a village where you can relax and find all kinds of shops and restaurants. Another part of Djerba Explore Park is the Lalla Hadhria Museum. Here you can see more than 1000 Islamic works of art. Jewellery, caligraphy works of art and antique doors are just a small selection from the extensive collection.

At the Djerbien Heritage you can see houses that give an impression of how different families used to live in one house. You can also find, for example, an underground oil mill. The Djerbians already exported olive oil in Roman times. You will also find all kinds of demonstrations, such as pottery and wool weaving.

6.14. The Crocodile Farm

The Crocodile farm is part of the Djerba Explore Park. Here you can see about 400 crocodiles and discover their way of life. The crocodiles live in a park that mimics their natural habitat. Don't miss the feeding show, this is a true spectacle. The trainers will show you how crocodiles eat and digest.

6.15. Grand Erg Oriental

The Sahara desert lies mainly in Algeria, but the north-eastern part runs into the south of Tunisia. The desert has fantastic panoramic views over the sand dunes which are mainly formed by the wind. The landscape in the desert is constantly changing. Suddenly you may encounter a source or a mountain, or even a lake. A local guide can take you on an unforgettable journey through the Sahara. And if you choose to spend the night in the desert, in the morning you will be able to enjoy the colours that change from yellow to pink at sunrise.

7. Book a holiday to Tunisia: compare accommodations and providers

Book a holiday to Tunisia and be surprised by the multitude of cultural, natural and archaeological attractions that the country has to offer. The pleasant climate ensures that you can enjoy a wonderful holiday.

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