Best Places to Visit in Tunis
Tunis is a city of layers, and its best places span more than a thousand years of history within a short distance of one another. I came expecting a stopover and instead found enough to fill days. These are the places I would never skip, and the ones that made me understand why the city deserves a proper visit.
The Medina of Tunis
Start with the soul of the old city. The Medina of Tunis is a walled labyrinth of lanes, mosques, and markets that has been alive for centuries, and it is one of the most complete old medinas in North Africa. Its alleys have watched the city change around them while staying stubbornly themselves.
Wander without a strict plan and follow the alleys past the copper, leather, and textile workshops. The Zitouna Mosque sits at the centre, and even from outside its walls the surrounding lanes hum with prayer and commerce. Give this place at least a full morning or afternoon, and let yourself take the wrong turns.
The Bardo Museum
A short trip from the medina stands one of the most important museums in the Mediterranean. The Bardo Museum houses a breathtaking collection of Roman mosaics, many of them pulled from the grand villas of Roman North Africa, and the building that holds it all is a converted palace with ornate rooms and painted ceilings.
The floors and walls of whole galleries are covered in intricate scenes of myth, daily life, and the sea, and they are stunning in both detail and colour. I recommend at least a couple of hours, and a guide or audio aid will help you read the stories hidden in the tiles. For my money, it is the single unmissable sight in Tunis.
The Souks of Tunis
The great market lanes of the medina deserve their own place on this list, because they are an experience rather than a single sight. Each souk specialises in something, whether leather, fabric, perfume, or metalwork, and walking them is like reading the economic history of the city in real time.
Souk el Attarine, the perfume and spice souk, is the fragrant highlight and the one I always remember first. Haggle politely, accept a glass of mint tea when it is offered, and let yourself be drawn into the craft. This is where the heartbeat of the medina is loudest.
Carthage, the Ancient Rival
Just north of the city spread the ruins of Carthage, the great rival of Rome that later became a Roman city in its own right. The site is scattered across green hills facing the sea, and while it is fragmented, it is deeply atmospheric and moving.
Visit the Antonine Baths, the ancient ports, and Byrsa Hill for the best views over the bay. The remains of Hannibal’s city are elusive after so many centuries, but the setting and the sweep of the sea make the trip unquestionably worth it, and a guide brings the scattered stones to life.
Sidi Bou Said, the Blue Village
A short ride beyond Carthage sits Sidi Bou Said, a hillside village of white houses with blue doors and shutters that looks down over the Gulf of Tunis. It is photogenic to the point of being famous, and I loved every minute of it anyway, because the views earn the attention.
Wander the cobbled lanes, climb to the cafe terraces, and watch the sea from a hillside seat. Tourists arrive in numbers through the middle of the day, so the early morning or late afternoon is the calmest time to visit. It is the perfect end to a Carthage day trip.
The Ville Nouvelle
The modern city core, the Ville Nouvelle, is anchored by the grand Avenue Habib Bourguiba, a wide boulevard lined with cafes, hotels, and the National Theatre. It shows a completely different, contemporary face of Tunis and proves the city is not only an open air museum.
Walk the full avenue, see the clock tower and the ornamental gates, and stop for a coffee or a pastry in one of the terraced cafes such as the ones that line the leafy boulevard. The contrast between this confident modern city and the ancient lanes of the medina is one of the most striking things about the whole place.
A Suggested Route
If I had to compress Tunis into days, I would structure it this way. Day one for the medina and its souks, finishing with an evening on the Ville Nouvelle. Day two for the Bardo Museum and a relaxed coastal afternoon at Sidi Bou Said. Day three for Carthage, letting yourself stretch into its quieter corners.
Each of these places stands firmly on its own, but together they tell the whole story of Tunis, from its ancient markets to its Roman heritage to its confident modern life on the shore. That sweep is the reason the city keeps pulling me back.
