Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop at : Medina de Tunis
This sprawling maze of ancient streets and alleyways is one of North Africa's most impressive medieval medinas and one of Tunisia's great treasures. It's home to numerous covered souks selling everything from shoes to chicha, as well as lively cafés, alleyways full of artisans at work and residential areas punctuated by large, brightly painted doors. Historic palaces, hammams, mosques and madrassas (schools for the study of the Koran) are scattered everywhere, many richly decorated with tiles, carved stucco and marble columns.
Stop at : Musée national du Bardo
Guided tour of the Bardo National Museum, one of Africa's most important museums, it contains prestigious mosaic collections and displays of precious heritage from the various civilizations that developed on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Stop at : archeological site of Carthage
Rest a guided tour on the shape of the legendary ports, coveted foundation of Carthage's power and prosperity. A narrow canal linked the oblong merchant port in the south to the circular naval port in the north. This arrangement meant that the military port was hidden from the outside world, but the Carthaginian navy could see out to sea. The military base had moorings for an incredible 220 ships in dry docks and around the quayside. The 7-hectare commercial port was lined with quays and warehouses.
The harbors were filled in by Scipio after the destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C., but in the 2nd century A.D., the Romans reinvented the islet in a circular form, with two temples, and used the harbor to house their merchant fleet, which shipped wheat to Rome. . Rising sea levels meant that the quay walls had to be raised several times. By the end of the 6th century, the port had fallen into disuse.
Stop at : Sidi Bou Said
With its distinctive blue and white colors, cobblestone streets and breathtaking glimpses of azure waters, the clifftop village of Sidi Bou Saïd is one of the most beautiful places in Tunisia. Named after a 13th-century Sufi saint, its distinctive architecture is a blend of Ottoman and Andalusian, the result of the influx of Spanish Muslims in the 16th century. For the French, the sleepy fishing village was a perfect representation of the orientalism romanticized by Europeans in the 19th century, and they were committed to ensuring that its character - both real and imagined - was preserved (it received protected status in 1915). Former residents and visitors include artist Paul Klee, author André Gide, philosopher Michel Foucault and British arty eccentrics Osbert and Edith Sitwell. To this day, it retains a sense of North African whimsy, both for visitors and, interestingly enough, for Tunisians themselves.
