Tunis walking tour & city guide

The medina

The medina of Tunis is one of the best-preserved old towns in the Arab world, with around 700 monuments: palaces, mosques, madrasas and fountains along a maze of covered lanes. At its heart stands the Zitouna Mosque, founded in the 8th century, and around it the souks are still arranged by trade, from perfume sellers in Souk el Attarine to the makers of the red felt chechia hat.

The ville nouvelle and Carthage

Bab el Bhar, the old sea gate, leads from the medina to Avenue Habib Bourguiba, a tree-lined boulevard of cafés, the Municipal Theatre and the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul. In the suburb of Le Bardo, the Bardo National Museum holds one of the world's great collections of Roman mosaics.

The TGM light railway runs from the city center across the lake to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa. Carthage, once the capital of a Phoenician empire and later a great Roman city, is a UNESCO site with the Antonine Baths by the sea, the Punic ports and the Byrsa hill.

A walk through Tunis

Start at the clock tower on Avenue Habib Bourguiba and stroll west past the cathedral to Bab el Bhar. Step through the gate onto Rue Jamaa Ez Zitouna, the main souk street, and follow it uphill to the Zitouna Mosque. From there, wander the side alleys of the perfume and chechia souks toward the Kasbah square.

Spend the afternoon at the Bardo Museum or take the TGM to Carthage for the Antonine Baths, then continue a few stops to Sidi Bou Said for sunset over the gulf.

Good to know

Tunis-Carthage Airport is only a few kilometers from the center. French is widely used on signs and menus alongside Arabic. Many shops in the medina close on Sunday, and the souks are calmer in the morning.

Spring and autumn are ideal for walking; summers are hot, while winters are mild with some rain.