18 Most Beautiful Places To Visit In Tunisia

Located right on the coast, we discovered gorgeous sandy beaches, colorful souks filled with haggling locals, the impressive 8th-century Ribat (fortified monastery) which still has its original ramparts, and the very impressive Great Mosque which dates back to 851. I especially loved the atmospheric old town and medina – it’s also listed a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

I also discovered that it offered a great range of accommodation options, from all-inclusive and family-friendly resorts to private rentals and unique heritage boutique hotels! 

• Location: east-central 
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: either spring (April/May) or autumn (October/early November) 

My personal highlights… 

• Staying for a week long break at the seriously stunning Jaz Tour Khalef – I was really won over by the private beach, the Insta-worthy swimming pool (and cabanas!) and their modern Thalassotherapy spa!
• Relaxing on Boujaffar Beach which is the main beach in Sousse, we loved watching the jet-skiers, para-sailers and windsurfers there! 

5. Port El Kantaoui 

This place is a little different as it’s a purpose-built tourist resort! Yes it does lacks history and authentic local culture but its the place to go if you’re interested in a modern resort complete with a collection of chic-looking luxury hotels.

I found that this place has everything you needed for a relaxing holiday – huge sprawling upscale resorts, a restaurant-lined marina spas, golf courses, parasol-dotted fine sandy beaches, and a large range of water sports from jet-skiing to scuba diving. Boats tours were also really popular here and included glass-bottom boat rides and sunset day cruises.

There was a medina (but sadly, not ancient!) to explore which was filled with shops, souvenirs and crafts but we got my history and culture fix in nearby Sousse which is only a 15 minute drive away! 

• Location: central part of the country
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: between June and September for the best beach weather.

My highlights.. 

• Staying at the 4-star Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa Port El Kantaoui – I loved the wellness focus of this hotel, the spacious guest rooms and its incredible onsite spa offering all kinds of seawater treatments – I especially loved the detoxifying and iodine-rich Algotherapy wrap.

6. Nabeul

I’d recommend this place as a more laid back and locally authentic alternative to nearby Hammamet. It’s also more more budget-friendly than its more popular rival. 

I found this place to be less about huge upscale resorts and commercialization and more about artisan culture and a more traditional Tunisian way of life with souks bustling with local people, craftspeople working in their studios, quieter and less developed (but still beautiful) beaches and pottery and ceramics galore!

• Location: north east
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: between June and September for the best beach weather.

My favorite highlights… 

• Relaxing on the peaceful Nabeul Beach on a rented sun bed and gazing at the calm turquoise waters! 
• Hunting for handicrafts and pottery Nabeul Souk which was held every Friday. I loved the vibrant atmosphere, how it was divided into sections and the locally made rugs (kilims). I just found the livestock section to be a bit upsetting so I swerved that bit quickly! 

7. Bizerte

I personally think this is another great option if you want to stay somewhere less touristy! It’s a charming and authentic coastal city in northern Tunisia where I got to live more like a local, away from the crowds and mass international tourism you find at other resorts.

There are some tourist amenities like beachfront cafes, restaurants, water sports and (mostly) mid-range hotels but the whole place is just less sleek and commercialized.

Aside from a beautiful long sandy beach, other reasons to visit here include the picturesque old port with gently bobbing boats, a pretty coastline, and an incredible road cut into the coast.

• Location: north
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: between June and September for the best beach weather.
• Who would enjoy: travelers looking for a more off-the-beaten-path experience, budget-conscious travelers.

My favorite highlights… 

• Enjoying mint tea with pine nuts and traditional baklava (aTunisian pastry) at Café Maure while people watching at the Old Port (Vieux Port). 
• Taking a boat trip tour to the interesting area of Bizerte Lagoon which was filled with unspoilt natural scenery and interesting bird life – I spotted greater flamingos and egrets which was an incredible experience!

8. Tunis Medina

Located in northeastern part of the country, Tunis is the county’s bustling capital and it’s intriguing place which mixes old and new in both buildings and culture. 

By far my most favorite spot in the city was the ancient walled medina which lies at the center of the city and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ornate historic architecture here of is truly stunning and I spent two days exploring in being in awe of it!

It’s winding narrow streets are filled with a heady mix colorful souks (markets), monuments, delicate looking fountains, restaurants, mosques and extraordinary palaces. They all date from the Almohad, Hafsid and Ottoman periods.

I really enjoyed wandering around photographing the striking architecture, haggling with the stall owners and soaking up the intoxicating atmosphere.

I loved that it gave me a glimpse into how opulent Arabian life was in the 12th to the 16th centuries. 

• Location: northeastern coast
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: spring (March to May) or the fall (September to November) when the temperatures are more comfortable.

My favorite highlights… 

• Visiting the impressive Zitouna Mosque – I loved how peaceful it was and the beautiful courtyard which was surrounded by marble columns.
• Sipping on tea at the rooftop Café des Nattes and gazing at the incredible medina views – I could see the Zitouna Mosque and even the more modern part of the capital from there!

11. Chebika

This is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed! It’s a gorgeous and unique beauty spot in the form of a dreamy mountain oasis, although it’s located far away from most of the popular tourist resorts so you have to make an extra effort to get there! 

It’s located in foothills of the Djebel el Negueb mountains in the Tunisian part of the Sahara Desert, and to reach it we took a guided jeep tour from the city of Nefta (it’s also possible to depart from Tozeur) which took an hour and once there we were explored for two hours and hiked the main Oasis Loop Trail. 

The tail took us round the best parts including the palm trees sprouting out of the rocky terrain, the small but breathtaking waterfall, interesting caverns and the natural pools – to me it looked like how I imagined Eden would look! It was great to learn that the oasis had been used for scenes in both Star Wars Episode IV and The English Patient as well.

• Location: west-central 
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: spring (March to May) or the fall (September to November) when the temperatures are more comfortable.

My favorite highlights…

• Learning about how it used to be a Roman outpost known as “Ad Speculum” on the guided tour!
• Exploring the nearby village of ruins of the old Berber village – I loved discovering exploring the remains of the former stone houses and learning all about the history of the people who once lived there, it was a very fascinating spot!

12. Chott el Djerid

This incredible spot is located in northern edge of the Sahara Desert! Chott el Djerid is a saltwater lake, and during the winter months it’s home to a shallow lake which – because of the minerals – has all sorts of colors – purple, pink, reds and even greens. Mirages can sometimes be seen as well during this time of year. 

During the hotter months it turns into dry salt lake covered in layer of white salt crust which dazzles in the sunlight! On our trip I walked around the edge and was in awe of the surreal beauty spot! 

It make a unique day trip and you can easily join an excursion from nearby towns such as Tozeur, Nefta, Matmata and Tunis. We took a day trip to here from the town of Douz and it took 45 minutes.

• Location: south of the country
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: October to April (the cooler months)

My favorite highlights… 

• I loved learning that it was another Star Wars location spot as well on our guided tour (George Lucas sure loved Tunisia!) and many scenes of the fictional desert planet Tatooine scenes were shot in this location.

13. The Sahara

Yep the Sahara Desert is really as stunning as I imagined it would be! In Tunisia it actually covers a large area in the southern part of the country and I loved my trip exploring it. 

Yes there’s a lot of sand dunes (as far as the eye can see!) but there’s also rocky plateaus, gorgeous oases (there’s three popular ones located near the Algerian border – Chebika, Tamerza, and Mides), and oasis towns such as Nefta and Tozeur surreally beautiful places places like the salt flats, Chott el Jerid which was even used as Star Wars film site location.

Most resort towns offer excursions to the desert and I can highly recommend taking a trip there. I personally don’t like animals being used for tourism so we swerved the camel tours and I opted for a jeep one instead and then staying overnight stay in a traditional Bedouin-tent, which was a very romantic experience!

• Location: southern region 
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: October to April (the cooler months)

My favorite highlights… 

• Exploring the interesting oasis Ksar Ghilane on a guided 4×4 trip – although it’s quite touristy I loved taking a dip on in natural hot springs here and staying overnight in Bedouin-style tents. Although we did get caught in a sandstorm though! 

14. Matmata and the fortified granaries of the Ksour 

These intriguing places make for excellent day trip excursions! Matmata is a small Berber village in the south, famous for its unique troglodyte (cave-like) homes, while the Ksour granaries are traditional Berber grain storage complexes featuring ghorfas (individual vaulted storage rooms) stacked on top of each other, giving the buildings an unusual honeycomb appearance. To me, it looked almost other-worldly!

They’re both relatively close to each other (around a two-hour drive), so I arranged a trip from Douz to see both in one day. You can also easily arrange excursions from other towns like Tozeur, Gabes, and Tataouine with local tour operators.

• Location: south of the country
• Location Map
• Best time to visit: October to April (the cooler months)

My personal highlights… 

• Instantly recognizing the locations, as both were used as filming sites for the Star Wars movies. Our guide mentioned that when director George Lucas visited Matmata, he was so captivated by the area that he decided to feature it in his now-legendary movies! 

15. Tamerza

This is an intriguing spot! Located near the Algerian border near the west-central part of the country it’s a large mountain oasis town.

The town has long been abandoned but I found it fascinating to walk around the ruins of the village which I felt had almost spooky atmosphere!

As well as traditional Berber architecture, it’s home to date palm trees, two waterfalls and deep gorges and it’s a surreal but impressive sight located in the harsh desert environment.

The town was abandoned after the 1962 river floods, but there’s a new working village built just a few kilometres away which also has restaurants and a guest house for overnight stay. Although we opted for a 4×4 guided day trip from Tozeur which also included the nearby oases of Chebika and Mides.

• Location: west central part of the country
• Location Map
• Best times to visit: October to April (the cooler months)

My highlights… 

• Exploring the local markets which sold traditional handcrafted goods in the new working village. 
• Learning about how the Berber people have adapted and are able to live in the harsh desert environments on our guided tour! 

16. Kairouan

I suggest if you’re history fan then don’t miss this incredible city! Located in the centre of the country, it’s actually one of the most important cities for its religious and historic significance and I found it to be a real gem! 

It was founded in 670 AD and it’s said to be the fourth holiest city in Islam, after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, after it took a huge part in spreading the word of Islam in North Africa.

This holy city has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on our trip here we was in awe of the very impressive and well preserved architecture here!

We explored the religious architecture, the ancient medina with its narrow alleyways and whitewashed buildings, lively souks filled with traditional crafts such as handwoven rugs and carpets.

• Location: central Tunisia
• Location Map
• Best time to visit: spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November), when the temperatures as summer can be very hot!

My highlights… 

• Exploring the breathtaking and very photogenic Great Mosque of Okba (one of the country’s largest and oldest mosques) and the historic Mosque of the Three Gates which dates back to 866 AD – I loved the tranquil vibe of both! 
• Trying the signature sweet pastry, Makroud in the souks of the medina! The tasty treats are made from semolina, dates or almonds, and honey and were delicious!