Tunisia
Tunis
A living medina and the ruins of Carthage, joined by one suburban railway to the sea.
Tunisia's capital sits on a lagoon off the Gulf of Tunis, where a walled Arab medina of souks, mosques and courtyard palaces meets a French-built grid of boulevards and cafes. Its suburbs run out along the coast to the ruins of Carthage, once Rome's great rival, and on to the whitewashed clifftop village of Sidi Bou Said. Few capitals pack this much history into a single light-rail line, and the city still feels more lived-in than visited.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Arabic, French
Currency
TND
Timezone
UTC+1
Why you'll love Tunis
The medina a UNESCO-listed maze of covered souks, carved doorways and restored courtyard houses that still works as a market
Carthage Punic harbours, Roman baths and villas scattered through a seaside suburb
Mosaics one of the world's great collections of Roman mosaics, housed in a former palace of the beys
Seaside suburbs blue-and-white Sidi Bou Said and the beaches of La Marsa are a short train ride from downtown
Best time to visit
Sep-Jun
16-31° days
36.800° N, 10.186° E
UTC+1 · Africa/Tunis
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Weather & when to go to Tunis
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Sep-Jun
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Tunis
No month is a write-off. July and August are the hottest and most humid, the medina is sticky by midday and the beaches fill with city weekenders; winter is mild but brings the most rainy days. During Ramadan, which moves each year, many cafes close by day and evenings get livelier.
Top things to do in Tunis
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Medina of Tunis - the souks around the Zitouna Mosque
history culture arts shopping 👍 PopularThe old city spreads out from the Zitouna Mosque, its covered lanes divided by trade: perfume sellers in Souk el Attarine, makers of the red chechia felt cap in Souk ech Chaouachia. Come in the morning when the shops are open and the lanes are busiest.
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Bardo National Museum - Roman mosaics in a beylical palace
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedA former palace of the Husainid beys holding one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics anywhere, from hunting scenes and sea gods to the famous portrait of Virgil flanked by two Muses. Allow at least half a day.
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Carthage - Byrsa Hill, the Antonine Baths and the Punic ports
history 👍 PopularThe ancient city is spread across a quiet seaside suburb: the museum and views on Byrsa Hill, the vast Roman baths by the water, the circular Punic war harbour and the Tophet sanctuary. The presidential palace sits nearby and photographing towards it is not allowed.
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Sidi Bou Said - the blue-and-white clifftop village
culture arts scenic 👍 PopularWhitewashed houses with blue doors and window grilles climb a headland above the Gulf of Tunis. Wander the cobbled lanes, take mint tea with pine nuts on a terrace and walk down to the small marina below.
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Dar Ben Abdallah and Tourbet el Bey - palaces and royal tombs
history culture artsTwo of the medina's finest interiors: an 18th-century mansion with a tiled courtyard now showing traditional city life, and the domed mausoleum of the Husainid beys, lined with coloured tiles and carved stucco.
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Avenue Habib Bourguiba - the colonial boulevard
history culture artsThe tree-lined spine of the French-built new town runs from the medina's Bab el Bhar gate towards the lake, past the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul, the art nouveau Municipal Theatre and a long line of pavement cafes.
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Tunisian food - brik, lablabi and couscous
foodEat brik, a crisp pastry with egg and tuna, the chickpea soup lablabi, fish couscous and ojja eggs in spicy tomato, everything brightened with harissa. La Goulette's port is the traditional place for a grilled fish lunch.
Best areas to stay in Tunis
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Medina
Atmosphere seekers $$Souks, mosques and restored courtyard houses
Explore hotels in Medina →
Ville Nouvelle
Convenience and budgets $French-era boulevards, cafes and city hotels
Explore hotels in Ville Nouvelle →
Sidi Bou Said
Couples $$$Blue-shuttered clifftop village above the sea
Explore hotels in Sidi Bou Said →
La Marsa and Gammarth
Beach and families $$$Seaside suburbs with beaches and resorts
Explore hotels in La Marsa and Gammarth →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Tunis
Getting to & around Tunis
Getting there
Fly into Tunis-Carthage Airport, about 15-20 min by taxi from the city centre
Flight
Tunis-Carthage International Airport (TUN)
The airport sits on the city's northern edge, close to the centre. Yellow taxis wait outside arrivals and reach downtown or the medina in 15-20 min, or the coastal suburbs in a little longer.
Train
Tunis Ville station, Place de Barcelone
National trains run south down the coast to Sousse, Sfax and beyond, and north to Bizerte
Coach
Shared louage minibuses connect Tunis with most Tunisian towns, leaving from stations on the edge of the centre once full
Ferry
La Goulette port
Car ferries arrive from Marseille and several Italian ports, and cruise ships also dock here
Getting around
TGM train
The suburban line from Tunis Marine runs out to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa
TBC
Light metro
Green trams cross the city; the line to Le Bardo is the useful one for the museum
TBC
Taxi
Yellow metered taxis are plentiful and inexpensive; ask for the meter to be switched on
TBC
Walk
The medina and the new town sit side by side and are best covered on foot
Free
Day trips from Tunis
Dougga
Full dayRoman hill town
The best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, a UNESCO site spread over a hillside of olive groves, with a temple-fronted Capitol, a theatre still facing the valley and a rare Libyco-Punic mausoleum.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2 hr by car or tour
Hammamet and Nabeul
Full dayBeach town, pottery
Hammamet's small walled medina sits right on the sand on the Cap Bon peninsula, and neighbouring Nabeul is Tunisia's pottery town, its shops stacked with painted ceramics.
Getting there
car
About 1 hr by car or louage
Bizerte
Full dayOld port town
A northern port town with an old harbour of fishing boats under a kasbah wall, a lively medina and long beaches facing the open Mediterranean.
Getting there
car | train
About 1 hr by car or train
Zaghouan
Half dayRoman water temple
A mountain town at the spring that once fed Carthage through a long aqueduct, with a Roman Water Temple at the source; stretches of the aqueduct still stand along the road from Tunis.
Getting there
car
About 1 hr by car
A little history of Tunis
Tunis was a small Berber and Punic town for centuries in the shadow of Carthage, the Phoenician city across the lagoon that grew into a Mediterranean empire. Rome destroyed Carthage in 146 BC, then rebuilt it as the capital of its province of Africa.
After the Arab conquest at the end of the 7th century, Tunis took over as the region's main city, and under the Hafsid dynasty from the 13th century it became one of the great capitals of the Islamic west. Spanish and Ottoman forces fought over it in the 16th century, the Husainid beys ruled from 1705, and France made Tunisia a protectorate in 1881 and built the new town beside the medina. Tunisia became independent in 1956.
By tradition, Phoenician settlers from Tyre found Carthage
Rome destroys Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War
Arab forces take Carthage, and Tunis grows into the region's main city
The Hafsid dynasty rules from Tunis, beginning the city's golden age
Emperor Charles V captures Tunis
Tunis passes to the Ottoman Empire
The Husainid beys begin a rule that lasts until 1957
The Treaty of Bardo makes Tunisia a French protectorate
Tunisia becomes independent, and a year later a republic under Habib Bourguiba
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / E
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+216
FAQs about Tunis
▸ When is the best time to visit Tunis?
Spring and autumn are the sweet spot, warm enough for the coast and comfortable for walking the medina and Carthage. Winter is mild and works well too, with some rainy days. July and August are hot and humid, though the beaches at La Marsa and Gammarth are at their liveliest.
▸ How do I get to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said?
Take the TGM suburban train from Tunis Marine at the end of Avenue Habib Bourguiba. It stops at several Carthage stations along the way, then Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa, so you can see the ruins and the village in one day.
▸ Can non-Muslims visit the Zitouna Mosque?
Non-Muslims can usually look into the great courtyard at set times but cannot enter the prayer hall. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, as you would anywhere in the medina's religious buildings.
▸ Is Tunis safe for visitors?
Tunis is generally calm and welcoming. Take normal city care with bags in the busy souks, and steer clear of any demonstrations, which tend to gather on Avenue Habib Bourguiba. Check your own government's current advice before travelling, especially for border regions.
▸ What languages are spoken in Tunis?
Tunisian Arabic is the everyday language and French is widely spoken in shops, hotels and on signs. English is increasingly common among younger people and in tourist areas, but a few words of French go a long way.
▸ How many days do I need in Tunis?
Two days covers the medina, the Bardo and Carthage with Sidi Bou Said. Three or four lets you slow down by the sea at La Marsa and add a day trip to Dougga or Cap Bon.
More in Tunisia
Djerba
A soft-sand island with one of the oldest Jewish communities in North Africa and a village turned open-air gallery.
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