Traveling to Tunisia or on the occasion of a romantic weekend, you are wondering what to visit in Tunis? Well, I'll let you discover my walking tour for visit the most beautiful sites of Tunis in 1 day !
Indeed, all you have to do is follow the itinerary on foot on the attached Google Maps to discover the essential visits of Tunis.
And as one day is not enough to enjoy all the attractions around Tunis, I suggest at the end of the article additional visits that you can do the next day.
I also give you advice to organize a stay in Tunis and make the most of it in 1 day or 2.
Why visit Tunis?
Tunisia has always attracted travelers from all over the world for its beautiful beaches, its many tourist sites, its rich culture and the legendary welcome of Tunisians. But Tunisia, like the Morocco also attracts tourists because it is a cheap destination and close to France.
Indeed, one can easily organize a nice weekend in Tunis because this capital is easily accessible from France, especially from Lyon airport.
In addition, Tunis has many advantages for tourists:
- Tunis International Airport is only 7 kilometers from the Medina;
- The splendid archaeological site of Carthage is located 15 kilometers from Tunis;
- The mythical village of Sidi Bou Saïd and its café des Délices can also be visited very easily from Tunis because it is less than 18 kilometers from the Tunisian capital.
- Tunis is home to a rich cultural, gastronomic and architectural heritage that can be easily discovered on foot in 1 day (see my circuit below).
- And finally, in Tunis you will certainly benefit from the sun which is present there all year round!
Organization of a weekend in Tunis
To prepare for a dream weekend in Tunis, here are some organizational and program tips.
Going for the weekend to Tunis from Lyon
Leaving for the weekend in Tunis from Lyon airport is ideal because you will only have a 2-hour flight to reach the capital of Tunisia. Indeed, you can take advantage of a direct flight to Tunis with Transavia or Tunis Air at very attractive prices (see Lyon / Tunis flight).
And since you won't waste time on flights and stopovers, you will have enough time to visit Tunis and its surroundings in a weekend.
Which hotel for a weekend in Tunis?
The location of your hotel is essential for a successful weekend in Tunis. Indeed, it is absolutely necessary to favor a location that allows you to discover the city of Tunis on foot.
The Royal Victoria hotel for example is a good choice. Indeed, it is located in the center of Tunis, near the Dar Bach Hamba palace, the Dar Ben Abdallah museum, 6 minutes walk from the Medina and 1 minute from Bourguiba Avenue. In addition, many excursions to visit the surroundings of Tunis depart from this hotel.
What program for a weekend in Tunis?
The ideal will be to plan a departure on Friday and a return on Sunday. Thus, you can organize this type of program:
- Day 1: Arrival, hotel transfer and visit of Tunis (depending on flight arrival time);
- Day 2: Walking tour of Tunis following my itinerary below;
- Day 3: Visit of Carthage and Sidi Bou Said in 4 hours + airport transfer for return flight.
Day 1 and Day 3 tours are interchangeable depending on your flight schedules.
How to visit Tunis in 1 day?
Several possibilities are available to you to visit Tunis in 1 day. In fact, you can:
- Visit the city of Tunis by walking randomly through the streets, simply following your desires;
- Book a guided tour with an English-speaking guide (€35/person);
- Or discover Tunis on foot by following a tourist circuit that goes around the city's unmissable and emblematic sites (steps and route map below). This route to follow in pedestrian GPS mode can be downloaded in advance to have it on your smartphone even without an internet connection.
What to visit in Tunis in 1 day?
To discover the essence of Tunis in 1 day, it is necessary to privilege the visits of the emblematic sites and to organize them to make a loop circuit. In one day, you will not have time to visit all the museums. The stages of my tourist circuit allow you to discover the monuments from the outside and if you have enough time from the inside for some.
Here are the main sites you can visit in Tunis in 1 day:
- Saint Vincent de Paul Cathedral built between 1893 to 1897 whose architecture is a beautiful mixture of Byzantine, Gothic and Roman style;
- Bab al Bahr which is one of the gates of the medina;
- Dar Ben Abdallah Palace which houses the Museum of Arts and Traditions of Tunis;
- Tourbet El Bey which is a mausoleum where sovereigns of the Husseinite dynasty rest;
- El Ksar Mosque (former royal mosque);
- The bazaars colorful around the Ez-Zitouna Mosque;
- Hammouda Pasha Mosque and its octagonal minaret;
- Kasbah Mosque ;
- Hussein Palace (Dar El Houssein) which is one of the most beautiful palaces in the Medina;
- Sidi Mehrez Mosque or Mohamed Bey which is the most beautiful mosque in Tunis,
- Royal Victoria Hotel which is also a very beautiful historical monument which ends my tourist circuit.
Visit Tunis on foot – Itinerary map
This circuit to visit Tunis on foot in 1 day represents 6 km or about 1 hour and a quarter of walking in total during the day.
What to visit in Tunis in a weekend?
Depending on your flight schedules, after visiting Tunis in 1 day, you can complete your program with the following visits:
- Bardo National Museum ;
- La goulette which is the Port of Tunis.
- Carthage, archaeological site above the Gulf of Tunis; This site houses the remains of a city founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC;
- Sidi Bou Said, a splendid little town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It is famous for its white walls and its beautiful blue doors. The café des délices is a must in Sidi Bou Saïd, as Patrick Bruel sang of it.
