Tunisia from Mediterranean to Sahara

DAY1: TUNIS AIRPORT / BARDO MUSEUM / TUNIS Welcome To Tunis airport and depart to visit the picturesque Andalusian village Sidi Bou Said, now a UNESCO world heritage site, It is a delightful place for a leisurely stroll through its winding cobbled streets. Its trademark is white walls, contrasting sky blue doors and ornate window grids. Visit of an old Andalusian house, the Andalusian palace of the Baron Derlanger, transfer to downtown Tunis. Check in the Hotel Carlton, located in “Habib Bourguiba Street”, free time to wonder around and explore the French city and shop in the old Medina, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Dinner and overnight. * Example hotel: (Majestic 4****) * Meals: dinner

DAY2: TUNIS/ TESTOUR/ MEJEZ EL BEB/ DOUGGA/ TUNIS 9h00 After breakfast, pick-up from the hotel for drive to northern Tunisia, known as the gardens of Tunisia and in time past the granary of Rome. Visit of the typical Andalusian village of Testour, the village is known for it’s Islamic Spanish community, who has found refuge here. A short stop in the memorial of world war II at Mejaz El bab. Lunch, after Lunch visit of the remarkably well preserved Roman town of Dougga, . the most well kept archaeological site in Africa and the most spectacular in Tunisia, now a World Heritage Site. The relative isolation of the site protected it from later invasion and reconstruction, and its theatre and three baths are particular highlights, visit of We spend a good time exploring this glorious city, which provides hints of its cosmopolitan past, with bilingual inscriptions attesting to the importance of indigenous Numidians, return to hotel for diner and overnight. * Example hotel: (Majestic 4***) * Meals: breakfast, Lunch, dinner

3?Day: TUNIS/ NABEUL/KERKOUANE/HAWARIA / BOU ARGOUB/HAMMAMET 9h00 After breakfast, pick-up from the hotel for a visit to the Cap Bon peninsula, This is one of the most fertile regions of Tunisia, and the drive is particularly beautiful. Visit of the pottery town Nabeul which has a small museum with some very fine mosaics, as well as the remains of garum tanks where the fermented fish sauce was made in the Roman time. Continue to the best preserved Carthaginian town in the world Kerkouane, now a World Heritage Site, which was not built over in Roman times. Fascinating details of everyday life have been revealed. Lunch by the sea side. We also stop in the wine region, and visit of awinery. Arrive to the famous resort town Hammamet, dinner and overnight. * Example hotel: (Eden Yasmine 4***) * Meals: breakfast, Lunch, dinner

DAY4: Hammamet/ SOUSSE/ EL JEM/ MATMATA

8h00 After breakfast, pick-up from the hotel for drive to Sousse, visit of the Medina, declared UNESCO world heritage site. Continue to El Djem to visit one of the best conserved Roman Amphitheatres in the world. Lunch, After lunch we continue over steppes, where Bedouins still live as nomads in their half open tents with their flocks of goats and camels drive to Matmata passing through a sea of olive trees near the city of, before reaching the lunar landscapes of southern Tunisia. Arrive to Matmata, where parts of the Star Wars films were made. Lunch, Visit of a Troglodyte cave dwelling and to a Berber family. The nearby Berber village of Tamazret, the Star war set, Check in Hotel Diar el barber 4**** for diner and overnight.

* Troglodite Example hotel: (Diar El Barber 4****) * Meals: breakfast, Lunch, dinner

DAY5: MATMATA / DOUZ/ TOZEUR/ ONG JEMALl/ TOZEUR 9h00 After breakfast, travel to the Saharan oases of Douz, the gateway town to the Sahara. Optionals in the Sahara wih extra charge payable directly in the place: * Camel ride at sunset (1 hour optional, payable locally ) * Quad bike in the desert (30min/ optional, payable locally ) * Fly over Douz and the desert with Delta plan accompanied with pilot (10 min/ optional, payable locally ) Cross the Chott El Jerid Salt Lake with a short break to admire the mirages. Arrive to the oasis town of Tozeur for a visit of the medieval town and its colourful market. Horse Carriage ride into the oasis to contemplate its botanic garden and sample the date production. Check-in for dinner and overnight stay at your hotel in Tozeur. In the late afternoon, Travel into the desert by 4×4 vehicle to Onc el Jemel (a. k. a. Ong Jemel and Oung Jemel) to experience the desert sunset, interact with local nomads, visit the film set in the desert that featured in the Star Wars films as part of the set for Mos Espa, back to Hotel for dinner and overnight. * Example hotel: (El Mouradi Toz optional, payable locally ****) * Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY6: TOZEUR/ CHEBIKA / TAMERZA /MIDES / kAIROUAN 9h00 After breakfast, travel to Chebika village and visit the spectacular mountain oasis. Then Visit Tamerza and its waterfalls. Visit of Mides Canyon. Depart for Gafsa via Redaief, take lunch and then continue the journey to the holy City of Kairouan. Also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan, The spiritual capital of Tunisia. Kairouan Was the capital of ifriqiya (In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa. At various times, the rulers of this area also conquered Sicily and the Iberian Peninsula what is now the southern part of spain). Check-in for dinner and overnight stay at the Hotel Kasbah 5*. In the late afternoon, Take in the panoramic view of the Grand Mosque of Kairouan and the medina with its souks. * Example hotel: (LA KASBAH 5****) * Meals: breakfast, Lunch, dinner

DAY7: KAIROUAN / TUNIS After breakfast, visit of Kairouan. This city remains a purely Arab city filled with outstanding examples of the finest Islamic architecture in Tunisia: the Great Mosque of OKBA, the oldest place of worship in North Africa, and the mausoleum of Sidi Sahab, a companion and a disciple of of the Prophet Mohamed. We will see the impressive pools, built in the 9th century to collect and store winter rainwater. Then into the Medina (old town), the ancient market place encircled by 11th-century walls and a walking guided tour through workshops bakeries magnificent houses and religious monument. Lunch in Kairouan. Transfer to Tunis city. Check-in at the Hotel Carlton b& b, located in downtown Tunis, which is a replica of Les Champs-Elysees. Free time, and free dinner. Overnight. * Example hotel: (Carlton b& b) * Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY8: TUNIS/ BARDO MUSEUM/ CARTHAGE/ TUNIS 9h00 Pick up from the hotel, depart to visit the Bardo Museum. This is Tunisia’s National Museum and the repository of the country’s rich archaeological collections, including the world’s largest collection of Roman polychrome mosaics Housed in an 19th century Beylical palace, it was the first museum to be founded in Africa and contains stunning mosaics and relics from all over Tunisia. Lunch, afternoon in Carthage; although the ancient city has now been overlain by a modern one, the international “Save Carthage” campaign has revealed several sites, and we can glimpse what it may have looked like in Punic and Roman times. In the city we explore the Byrsa Hill, where ill-fated Queen Dido is said to have first founded her city. A good section of late Punic housing can be seen. Then examine the foundation levels of the enormous Roman Antonine Baths which still dominate the sea front by the former Presidential Palace; the Punic and Roman harbour is visible between the modern houses and the sacrificial tophet site, where the cremated remains of thousands of children have been found. Return to hotel, free dinner. Overnight. * Example hotel: (Carlton b& b)

DAY9: TUNIS / TUNIS AIRPORT Departure day. Transfer to airport for your flight back home.