Tunis medina, Sidi Bou Saïd, Carthage, Sousse, Kairouan, the Sahara and Djerba — day by day, with the tips you won't find on Tripadvisor. Free to plan, real locals included.
Skip to local tips & secrets ↓Day by day
tap a day to expandStep into the oldest Arab medina in North Africa. The narrow lanes of the Tunis medina (UNESCO) are a sensory maze of spice sellers, carpet weavers, and copper smiths.
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The cliff-top village 20 km from Tunis is one of the most photographed places in Africa. Every door is ink-blue. Every wall is chalk white. Protected by law since 1915.
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The ruins of Carthage spread across a whole suburb of Tunis. Once the most powerful city in the Mediterranean, destroyed by Rome in 146 BC and rebuilt by Caesar. Seven sites, one UNESCO designation.
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2 hours south of Tunis by train or car. Sousse has the most complete surviving medieval medina walls in Tunisia (UNESCO) and a marina full of local life.
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Kairouan is the 4th holiest city in Islam and was the capital of North Africa for 300 years. Non-Muslims can visit the surroundings of the Great Mosque and enter the courtyard.
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Two completely different Day 6 options — pick based on your energy and interests.
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Homer's Island of the Lotus Eaters. Connected to the mainland by a Roman causeway. The south of the island has the most authentic villages; the north has the best beaches.
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The things a local would tell you in the first five minutes.
Greet everyone — shopkeepers, guides, neighbours. It opens every door in Tunisia.
Even a small attempt at Arabic dissolves suspicion instantly. Try it at a medina gate — the vendor's face changes immediately.
CulturalAsk for compteur when you get in. Or use InDrive for a fixed price — no negotiation.
If refused, get out. Another cab is 30 seconds away in any city. Never negotiate blind — you'll always lose.
Transport5, 10, 20 DT notes. Most cafés and souks don't take card.
Withdraw at airport or bank ATMs — you get the official rate. Don't exchange at the hotel desk or with street changers.
MoneyFamily spots close 11am–2pm for prayer. Plan lunch early or after.
Friday morning is actually the best time to visit mosque courtyards — fewer tourists, more atmosphere, and the call to prayer echoes.
Local lifeRound up; 1 DT at a café, a few DT for a guide. Not 15% — this isn't America.
For a full-day guide who was genuinely excellent, 20 DT is generous and remembered. It also gets you remembered for next time.
CulturalBeachwear at the beach, covered shoulders/knees at mosques and inland medinas.
Keep a light scarf in your bag. It doubles as mosque cover, shade from the afternoon Sahara sun, and a beach sarong.
CulturalSold in licensed restaurants, hotels and Magasin Général — not corner shops.
A cold Celtia beer costs ~2 DT. Most restaurants outside tourist zones are dry — ask before you sit down if it matters to you.
Local lifeGenerally safe; ignore street comments, dress modestly inland, trust vetted guides.
The best move: sunglasses, confident stride, and a firm 'La, shukran' (No, thank you) said once. Engaging invites more engagement.
SafetyOrder these — and where locals actually find them.
Crispy pastry, runny egg. Eat it over a plate — it will drip.
The best ones are at market stalls, not restaurants. Look for the frying pan and the queue — that's the signal.
Street foodChickpea & cumin breakfast soup. A workman's dish — go where the queue is.
Ask for it with harissa, olive oil, tuna, and a poached egg on top. That's the full version locals eat before a long day.
BreakfastSpiced tomato & egg with sausage. The test of any real local kitchen.
If it's on the menu before 11am, the kitchen knows what it's doing. Afternoon ojja in a tourist spot is usually reheated.
ClassicSlow-cooked jute-leaf stew, almost black. Grandmother food — rare on tourist menus.
You'll smell it before you see it. It has a distinct fermented scent that splits tourists — locals consider it the test of a real palate.
Home cookingWhole grilled fish, salad, tastira. Pick the fish yourself at the counter.
Point at the fish before they take it to the kitchen. Freshness varies — if they won't show you, don't stay.
SeafoodSidi Bou Saïd's hot sugar doughnut. One dinar, eaten on the steps.
Only eat them fresh and hot — if they're sitting in a tray, walk past. The good ones have a 5-minute wait.
SweetWhat every trip planner Googles — answered straight.
Coffee 2 DT · big meal 25 DT · museum 12 DT · a day with a guide 80–150 DT.
A 'tourist price' exists for some things. Learn to say 'belhasba?' (how much?) and listen for the hesitation before they answer.
MoneyBudget €600–800 with flights · mid-range €1,000–1,200. Cash goes far here.
Stay in guesthouses (maisons d'hôtes) instead of hotels and you'll spend half as much — and get far more authentic food.
MoneyMar–May & Sep–Nov are perfect. Jun–Aug very hot inland. Coast mild in winter.
April is the sweet spot — wildflowers in the north, warm Sahara, crowds that haven't arrived yet. October runs a close second.
WeatherLouage (shared van) is fastest & cheapest; train links Tunis–Sousse–Sfax.
Louages leave when full — usually 4–8 passengers. No schedule, just show up to the louage station. Tunis→Sousse is ~8 DT.
TransportHire a local driver-guide — Auva's network includes them. Cheaper than agency tours.
Negotiate the full-day price upfront and include waiting time at sites. A good driver earns more than a taxi fare — you'll feel the difference.
TransportOoredoo / Tunisie Telecom at the airport. ~10 DT for 20 GB.
Ooredoo has better 4G inland and in the Sahara. Tunisie Telecom is stronger in the north. Get both if you're doing the full circuit.
PracticalCommon moves — and the local counter for each.
Nothing is free. If it's pressed into your hands, smile, say no, keep walking.
The script is always the same: 'welcome gift', then tea, then 'just look', then 2 hours later you're buying a carpet. Walk away at step one.
ScamReal guides are vetted on Auva. Anyone grabbing you at the gate isn't.
Real licensed guides carry a government badge and won't approach you first. Anyone rushing toward you at the entrance is never official.
ScamThey'll grab your hand then demand 20 DT. Hands in pockets near the souk gate.
If a woman grabs your wrist and starts drawing, shout 'La!' immediately and pull away. Once it's on, they'll demand 50–100 DT.
ScamThen the ride's over — get out and take the next one. A working meter is non-negotiable.
Agree on a price before getting in if there's truly no meter. 5 DT is a fair Tunis city trip. 10 DT from airport to city centre.
ScamOnly change at banks or licensed bureaux. Street rates are a setup.
The rate looks good because they shortchange the count. Real bureau de change offices (green signs) are on most main streets.
ScamBudget, dates, what you're into. The AI takes it from there.
A personalized plan built around vetted Tunisian guides.
One tap to the local, pay cash on the day, no commission.
Tunisian Dinar (TND). Approximately 1 EUR = 3.3 TND. Withdraw cash at the airport or a bank — card acceptance is limited outside tourist zones.
Arabic and French are official. In tourist areas English is widely understood. Auva supports 8 languages: Arabic, French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, and Chinese.
March–May and September–November offer the best weather. Summer (June–August) is very hot inland. Winter is mild on the coast.
Trains connect Tunis, Sousse, and Sfax cheaply. Taxis are affordable. For day trips, hiring a local driver is recommended — Auva's guide network includes drivers.
Buy a Tunisie Telecom or Ooredoo SIM at airport arrivals. Approximately 10 TND for 20 GB of data.
Tunisia is generally safe for tourists. Tourist police (beige uniforms) are stationed at all major sites. Standard city-awareness applies in Tunis at night.
Budget travelers can manage €600–800 including flights. Mid-range is €1,000–1,200. Accommodation ranges from 30 TND/night for a guesthouse to 150+ TND for a boutique hotel.
Must-try dishes: brik à l'œuf (crispy pastry with egg), lablabi (chickpea soup), ojja merguez (spiced tomato and egg), mloukhia (jute-leaf stew), fresh grilled fish on the coast, and bambalouni doughnuts in Sidi Bou Saïd.
Tunisia has some common tourist scams — carpet 'gifts', unofficial guides at site gates, henna ladies, and taxi drivers claiming a broken meter. Book vetted guides through platforms like Auva, always ask for the meter (compteur), and change money only at banks or licensed bureaux.