Tunisia Travel Planning is the summary of my one-month trip through Tunisia during the autumn of 2022 (September). The pace of traveling was slow and flexible. I could go and stay wherever I wanted with a rented car.
Tunisia Travel Planning – General Planning
The travel planning for Tunisia started two months before the trip. I used only the Lonely Planet Guide and ignored any other articles about Tunisia from the internet. I considered that the guide book offered me enough, well-synthesized information to plan the trip. I could choose the places in the guide book where I wanted to go for one month – tourist places, UNESCO heritage sites, as well as off-the-beaten-track places.
Tunisia Travel Planning – Fixed Plans
Before leaving to Tunisia, I had booked/ contacted/ written / messaged:
– a car, which I booked a few days after buying my flight tickets (I haven’t paid the whole amount for it though, it was a ‘pay at location’ booking, so I was a bit nervous they wouldn’t have a car for me)
– a flight ticket, which I bought almost two months in advance
– several Couchsurfing contacts who could have helped me with information, accommodation, and phone calls if anything happened to me in Tunisia during my stay
– several Couchsurfing requests accepted in Tunis, Tabarka, Monastir, and Nabeul (I messaged the hosts before the departure to Tunisia as I knew I wouldn’t have time for messages during my stay in Tunisia)
Tunisia Travel Planning – Intentions, but nothing fixed
When I traveled to Tunisia, I wanted to do/ go to the following places (but I hadn’t fixed dates for them):
– stay in local, traditional camps or dars (small palaces) as much as possible and enjoy their elaborately Oriental style
– stay with a local family and join them for dinner in the evening (maybe eating with hands and/ or sitting on the floor around a low table)
– explore local fortified mud-brick villages (ksar, or qsar) as well as the oases and desert in the south of the country
– explore as many medinas as possible (such as Tunis, Kairouan, Sfax, Mahdia, Monastir, Sousse, Tozeur)
– explore the troglodytes caves in Matmata and Tataouine
– explore the canyons and waterfalls near Tozeur and maybe some Star Wars filming locations
– join a camel trek in the Sahara Desert from Douz or Ksar Ghilane
– smoke shisa – ok, maybe just for the sake of a photo
Tunisia Travel Planning – Final Result
This is the final result of my trip to Tunisia, where I stayed for one month. Enjoy your reading and let me know your opinion about Tunisia. Which is your favorite place in Tunisia? Why?
Tunis (5 days)
- flight from Bucharest (Romania) to Tunis (Tunisia) with a layover in Paris Charles de gaulle Airport (France), more than 12h in total
- explored Ville Nouvelle (the French architecture)
- explored the old medina for two full days
- day trip from Tunis to Carthage Hannibal (8 ancient sites of Roman period) by TGM train
- day trip from Tunis to Sidi Bou Said by TGM train
- explored the Corniche in La Goulette, La Marsa, and Grammath
The Northern Mediterranean Coast (2 days)
- road trip from Tunis to Bizerte, with a detour to Ichkeul National Park
- road trip from Bizerte to Tabarka, trying to reach Cape Angela (the northern most African cape)
From the Mediterranean to the Desert (5 days)
- road trip from Tabarka to El Kef, via Bulla Regia Roman site
- explored fabulous El Kef
- explored Dougga Roman site
- road trip from El Kef to Tozeur, with a detour to Sbeitla Roman site
- explored Tozeur and its surroundings (Star War decoration sites & Ong Jemal)
- day trip to Chebika, Tamerza waterfalls, and Mides canyon
Southern Tunisian Desert (one week)
- road trip from Tozeur to Douz
- day trip to the sand villages around Douz – Es Sabria, El Faouar, and Noualin; overnight in the desert
- road trip from Douz to Matmata, via Tamezret
- explored Matmata and its surroundings (Berber troglodytes houses & cave hotels)
- road trip from Matmata to Ksar Ghilane (in the big Erg of the desert)
- explored Ksar Ghilane and its surroundings (2 days)
- road trip from Ksar Ghilane to Tataouine, via Ksar Hadada and Toujene
- road trip from Tataouine to Djerba island, via Ksar Ouled Soltane, Douiret and Chenini Berber villages
The Eastern Mediterranean Coast (10 days)
- explored Djerba Island, with Houmt Souk and the surrounding underground mosques
- road trip from Djerba Island to Sfax, via Midoun
- explored Sfax (Ville Nouvelle & medina) for a full day
- road trip from Sfax to Monastir, with a detour to El Jem and Mahdia
- explored Monastir for a full day
- day trip from Monastir to Souss medina by metro
- road trip from Monastir to Kairouan
- explored Kairouan for a full day
- road trip from Kairouan to Soliman, with stops in Hammamet and Nabeul
- late night flight from Tunis (Tunisia) to Bucharest (Romania), with a night layover in Paris Charles de Gaulle (France)
This is the summary of the one-month trip to Tunisia. Enjoy your reading and let me know your opinion about traveling to Tunisia. Which is your favorite place in Tunisia? Why? Where would you go?