2 Days in Tunisia – Tunis and Beyond
Some of you often ask us how we choose our travel destinations? Most of the time, we select them according to our interests and what we want to experience! Needless to say that we also take in count the political context because our security is on top of our concerns.
Tunisia was on our travel list for years because of its cultural heritage and stunning landscapes. While we were looking for a destination to surprise our mother for her birthday, we knew that Tunisia would be the perfect fit. Our mother often mentioned that she wishes to visit Tunisia one day and we had the feeling that she will be enchanted to celebrate there. To make her birthday unforgettable, we planned a 2-day itinerary in Tunisia including Carthage, Sidi Bou Saïd, the Medina of Tunis, and Gammarth. Read on our adventure in Tunisia to help you plan your own visit.
Day 1 – Carthage, Sidi Bou Saïd and the Medina of Tunis
Carthage
Located in the northeast side of Tunis, Carthage is one of the wealthiest boroughs of greater Tunis. Home of the renowned archaeological site of Carthage founded in the 9th century B.C, there are also the Presidential Palace and several embassies situated in the area. To reach Carthage from Tunis, you can take a taxi or the TGM line if you want to experience public transport.
What to see in Carthage in half a day? The extensive archaeological site of Carthage is composed of 10 main historic sights. The site comprises the vestiges of many cultures that succeeded one another including Punic, Roman, Vandal, Paleochristian, and Arab. We chose to focus on the district of Punic Byrsa, the Acropolium, the Roman villas, the theater, and the Antoninus Baths.
We bought multi-site tickets, which allowed us to visit all the sights mentioned above without paying extra except for the Acropolium and the photo fees at the Antoninus Baths. We started our visit by the district of Punic Byrsa which was a walled citadel dominated the city below. Today, only the ruins remain such as the massive foundations and fragments of columns that give us an idea of how impressive was the citadel.
Since the Carthage National Museum was closed, we did not have the chance to see the collection of objects found on the site. However, we went to visit the Acropolium, which is the old Saint Louis Cathedral. Since 1993, the cathedral is no longer used for worship, but instead, it serves for a series of cultural events such as concerts and festivals. When we entered inside the cathedral, a wedding was in preparation but it did not interfere with our visit. We were able to admire its singular architecture following a Byzantine-Moorish style featuring stained glass, azure blue painted wall, and sculpted arabesques. It did not take us that long to do the tour, we were done in less than 10 minutes.
The Roman villas form the quarter containing the largest number of vestiges of patrician houses discovered in Carthage. There are a lot of ruins but the best-conserved house of the site known as the “villa of the aviary”, which was restored provides a good idea of the beauty of the residences built in this Roman city. As we walked down through the paved street we could enjoy the stunning view over the bay of Tunis.
At a walking distance from the Roman villas stands the imposing Roman theater of Carthage. Thanks to several restorations, the theater now hosts the Carthage International festival during summer. Even if there is no show when you get there, take a sit, close your eyes, and put your favorite music in your ears to try to imagine attending a concert. It’s quite sure that you might enjoy the experience!
We ended up our visit with the Antoninus Baths, which are the vastest Roman Thermae built in Africa and one of the most important landmarks of Tunisia. The park surrounding the baths is covered with lush vegetation. It was so refreshing to walk around and to admire the impressive landscape.
Sidi Bou Said
After walking through the ruins of Carthage, we went to Sidi Bou Said located 10 min drive away. This ride costs around 15 TND (Tunisian Dinar) by taxi. For a tailored experience and to save time, we kept the same taxi for the day and negotiated an hourly rate.
Known for its stunning white houses and blue trims, Sidi Bou Said is a small village established on a cliff overlooking Carthage and the Gulf of Tunis. To have a glimpse of the interior of a typical house, you can visit the Dar El Annabi Museum, which also features traditional items.
Where to eat in Sidi Bou Said? There are numerous small cafes and restaurants all around the village. Make sure not to miss le Café de Sidi Chaabane also named le Café des Délices! Why? Because the view from there is absolutely stunning and even a photo could not capture it at its best. We stopped there just for a drink and then we had lunch at Dar Zarrouk restaurant before leaving for Tunis.
Tunis
We arrived in Tunis around 3 pm, the traffic was light for a Saturday but the streets were busy. We walked along the Avenue Habib Bourguiba commonly named the Champs-Élysées of Tunis by locals. You will find everything on this avenue including restaurants, boutiques, and bars to name a few.
We had planned to visit the Cathedral Saint-Vincent-de-Paul but it was unfortunately closed so we continued to walk toward Avenue de France to reach the Medina. Once you passed the Porte de France monument, you are officially in the old Tunis. This is where the Medina begins, it is composed of a network of alleyways. Try to navigate inside the Souk without asking your way and you will notice that it is more organized that it looks like. Shops are arranged by category, so if you search for argan oil and there are only clothes and shoes around, just continue to walk.
We passed in front of the Zaytuna Mosque but sadly we were not allowed to enter because it is reserved strictly to Muslims. We ended up our afternoon at the café Terrasse El Bey where we had a splendid panoramic view of Tunis.
Day 2 – Gammarth
Where to stay in Tunis? There are plenty of hotels in Tunis center but we were looking for an enchanting setting close to the sea with a spa to celebrate our mother birthday. Along the shores of the Mediterranean in Gammarth, The Residence Tunis Hotel combines sensual elegance and refined hospitality to ensure you a remarkable stay.
Our experience at the Residence Tunis Hotel started at our arrival at the airport when the driver of the hotel came to pick up us in a luxury car. We arrived at the hotel 20 minutes later and were warmly welcomed by the staff at the front desk. We were served refreshing cocktails and were invited to seat in the lounge while they took care of the check-in procedures.
We were hosted by The Residence Tunis Hotel for 2 nights in a spacious sea view room furnished with a comfortable king-size bed, cushioned seating alcove, a desk, and a luxurious marble bathroom equipped with bathtub, shower and dressing room.
On our first day, we experienced the buffet breakfast at L’Olivier restaurant located on the hotel main floor. The doors open at 6:30 a.m, which allowed us to start our day early to do the visits mentioned in the first section of this article. The restaurant offers a rich gastronomic palette that invigorates your body and delights your senses. Considering all the food I tasted at the buffet, I particularly appreciated the freshly pressed strawberry juice and the savory mlawis, which are Tunisian crepes.
On day two, we took advantage of the private balcony to have breakfast in our room while contemplating the stunning sea view. The room service menu is diverse and has something for all taste buds from Mediterranean classics to authentic Tunisian cuisine.
After our healthy breakfast, we went to Les Thermes Marins de Carthage, which is the 4,000-square meter spa and Thalasso of the Residence Tunis. Inspired by the ancient Roman thermal baths and the North African heritage, the spa features 18 elegant treatment rooms, a sauna, a traditional hammam, two terraces for relaxing between treatments, and an impressive seawater interior swimming pool surrounded by a lush garden. Sea salt is packed with minerals that treat a wide variety of skin conditions, act as a gentle exfoliant, and relieve sore muscles. This opulent spa is definitely the ultimate wellness destination in Tunis!
Elevate your visit at Les Thermes Marins de Carthage to the next level by experiencing the treatments. We tried two treatments at the hammam that we highly recommend. The hammam is one of the oldest bathing traditions in the world involving steam and cleansing black soap. We started with a body scrub with the Kessa glove for 20 minutes to eliminate dead cells and stimulate blood circulation. Then, we did a body wrap in Tfal (Tunisian clay) and rose water for 30 minutes to smooth the skin. The person who provides the treatment at the hammam is an expert and knows all the gestures by heart to take care of your skin. In other words, we were in good hands!
Following our tremendous visit at Les Thermes Marins de Carthage, we went to the beach for a private Bedouin lunch. The Residence Tunis Hotel has a direct access to the beach reserved for their guests. This tailor-made dining experience was a memorable moment of our stay in Tunisia.
When we reserved for this private lunch, we informed the hotel that my sister and I follow a vegan diet whereas our mother is a pescetarian. Our 3-course Bedouin menu perfectly respected our diet restrictions while featuring a traditional Tunisian cuisine. We started with a selection of fresh salads including among others the Mechouia made with grilled peppers, the Houria made with carrots and the crispy spinach rolls. Then came the couscous in two versions, one with zucchini donuts and the second with fish and seafood. We ended up this exquisite lunch with seasonal local fruits and Tunisian mint tea. This Bedouin lunch was divine!
We planned to have a rest around the exterior pool after our tasty lunch but it was already time to pack and catch our flight back to Paris where I spent two days with my family before returning to Montreal. If you have still some hesitations about visiting Tunisia, I hope our experience there changed your mind. We enjoyed every minute of our stay and we would have stayed longer if we had more time.
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