11 DAYS TUNISIAN RENAISSANCE

Arriving into Tunis, you will be transferred to Sidi Bou Said to stroll along the picturesque white-washed Mediterranean village and visit Dar El Baron Museum at Ennejma Ezzahra (closed Mon).

Continue to the Archaeological Site of Carthage. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it covers the Bysra Hill, the Roman Theatre, the Antoine Baths, the Sanctuary of the Trophet and the ancient Roman port.

Much less visited are the Roman treasures lying inland. Today, you will explore Bulla Regia which once served as the capital of the Numidia. Continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dougga, formerly capital of a Libyan–Punic state.

A morning walking tour of the UNESCO walled medina covers Zitouna Mosque, the lavishly Tourbet el Bey, the vibrant souk and alleys. Continue to Bardo National Museum, famed for its world-class mosaics and remains curated from various archaeological sites within Tunisia. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Tunis airport for your flight to Tozeur.

Rise around 5am to admire sunrise at Ong El Jemel. Drive over sand dunes and visit filming sites of Star Wars. After returning to hotel for breakfast, continue to the mountain oasis of Tamarza with its Neolithic caves and prehistoric archaeology, Chebika at the foot of the Djebel el Negueb mountains, Mides with its miraculous mountain oasis sprouting near the arid border with Algeria.

As the new day beckons, we cross the Chott el Jerid, one of the biggest salt lakes in Africa with photo opportunities. En route 2 hours to Matmata’s troglodyte museum and cave dwelings, as well as the Berber village of Toujane Berber village, before driving another 2 hours to Djerba Island.

Known as the island of the Lotus Eaters in Homer’s Odyssea, our exploration will cover the pottery-making village of Guellala, the ancient synagogue of Ghriba (closed Sat) and the bustling souqs of Houmtsouk.

Let us whisk you in the southern desert of Tunisia, visiting Ksar Ouled Soultane where the Berber ghorfa structure stacks multi-stories high. Stroll around the Chenini mountainside village anchored by a whitewashed mosque, continue to Douiret where the many cave terraces are so complex it is likened to an ant heap. Continue to Ksar Hededa and Ksar of Medenine before returning.

Today, we drive approximately 4.5 hours to the UNESCO-listed Amphitheatre of El Jem, as well as the museum with its collection Roman mosaics. Another one-hour drive takes us to Sousse. We will explore the Port El Kantaoui, Ribat of Sousse, Habib Bourguiba Mausoleum and the UNESCO-listed old Medina.

A one-hour drive brings us to the holy city of Kairouan (UNESCO). Visit the Great Mosque (closed after 1pm), Ramparts of Kairouan, Zaouia of Sidi Saheb (Barber’s Mausoleum) which is famed for its intricate stucco panels, Bir Barouta, Sidi Sahbbe Mausoleum and Aghlabid Basins.

En route to the postcard-perfect Berber village of Takrouna on a hilltop overlooking the Tunisian coast, before continuing to Hammamet.

Visit the Monastery and Church of La Popa, San Felipe Fortress, the old city (Ciudad Vieja) with its Convent and Church of San Pedro Claver and the handicrafts zone of the Bovedas, a collection of archways built into the city wall originally to house armaments and later as a prison.

Follow the Footsteps of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s literary works from Plaza San Deigo to Plaza de la Paz. You will recognize places mentioned in “Love in times of Cholera”, “Of love and Other Demons” and “The General in His Labyrinth”. Visit his university, the newspaper publishing where his career took off and his home in Calle del Curato.

Immerse in the beauty of Cap Bon Peninsula, blessed with fertile land of farms, vineyards, fruit trees, citrus groves and stunning beaches. Stroll along the Hammamet medina, the dizzyingly colourful potteries of Nabeul, Fort de Kelibia and the Kerkouane necropolis (UNESCO). Continue to the tip of the peninsula at Haouaria for a panoramic sightseeing of Roman Quaries’ Les Grottes. Savour a wine and cheese tasting experience at Mornag vineyard and cellar.

After spending some leisure time, you will be transferred to Tunis airport to board your international flight home.