Tunis in 2 days
The medina and the Bardo on day one, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said on day two — two days done entirely on foot and by suburban train.
- How long
- 2 days
- Getting around
- On foot in the centre and the medina
- Rhythm
- The medina and the sites in the morning
Tunis in two days has one rule: the Bardo is closed on Mondays, so the museum day goes wherever that day is not. The rest is simple — the medina is walked in the morning before the heat and the groups, Carthage is done in the morning because it has no shade, and Sidi Bou Said in the afternoon, when the streets are in shadow and the café on the cliff has the light off the sea.
The medina in the morning, the Bardo in the afternoon
Coffee on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, then through Bab el Bhar into the medina while the shops are just opening and the streets are empty.
Towards the Zitouna mosque through Souk el Attarine (perfumes) and Souk el Berka (gold); onto the terrace of a carpet shop by the mosque for the view of the minaret and the roofs.
Tourbet el Bey — the Husseinite mausoleum with two marble courtyards, a few lanes further into the medina. Out through Bab Jedid towards the market.
Lunch in the medina or by the avenue: lablabi, a chickpea soup with bread and harissa, or a brik with egg.
A taxi to the Bardo, €8.90 for foreigners. Virgil, Odysseus, Neptune's triumph; 3 h, and the palace is as much the museum as the mosaics.
Back to the avenue for a walk and dinner; the medina has closed with its shops.
Carthage in the morning, Sidi Bou Said in the afternoon
The TGM train from Tunis Marine station at the end of the avenue to Carthage Hannibal, 30 min across the lagoon.
Uphill on foot to Byrsa: the cathedral, the foundations of the Punic city and the view of the gulf. The shared ticket for every site, €6, bought at the first one.
Downhill to the Antonine baths by the sea — the largest thing standing — and the Punic harbours, two lakes with boats.
The train two stops to Sidi Bou Said; lunch in the village, uphill from the station.
The main street, Dar el Annabi for the courtyards and the roof, then the streets behind — without a single shop.
Café Sidi Chabaane on the cliff: tea with pine nuts and the gulf until sunset. Bambalouni on the way back to the station.
The train back, dinner in the city or in Sidi Bou Said if the hotel is there.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How many days does Tunis need?
2, plus a third for Dougga, Cap Bon or Bizerte; a fifth already adds nothing, since the whole coast is an hour away.
Does the TGM train ticket also cover the Carthage sites?
No — the train is €0.24 per stop, paid separately; entry to the sites is the shared €6 ticket, bought at the first one, and it does not cover the train.
Is the Bardo worth 3 h?
It is — the courtyards and rooms are as much a palace as a frame for the mosaics, so an hour easily turns into 3 h; entry for foreigners is €8.90.
Ready for Tunis?
Where to next
Day trips from Tunis
→Carthage by train, Dougga with a driver, Bizerte by train and Cap Bon by car — trips from Tunis ordered from…
Sidi Bou Said · 17 km
→A blue-and-white village on a cliff above the bay and, two stops before it, what is left of the city that was bigger than Rome
How well does Tunis suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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