Archaeological circuit

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  France / Tunisia

  Arrival at Tunis airport, welcome, then transfer to the hotel. Check-in, dinner, then overnight stay.

• day 2

  Tunis / Dougga / Bulla Regia / Aïn Draham 280 km

  In the morning, visit the ruins of Téboursouk and continue to Dougga. Perched on a hill, at 500 m altitude, this Roman site is surely one of the most magnificent in the world. In the afternoon, departure to Bulla Regia, famous for its theater where Saint Augustine gave one of his sermons and for its underground houses that reproduce the organization of Roman homes below ground: rich houses decorated with mosaics, imposing baths, temples. Then, continue to Aïn Draham, one of the highest points in Tunisia, lost in the middle of mountains covered with cork oaks. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel in Aïn Draham.

• day 3

  Aïn Draham / Maktar / The Tables of Jugurtha / Sbeitla 320 km

  After breakfast, departure for Maktar. Visit of the ancient Numidian fortress and its remains, such as the amphitheater, Trajan's triumphal arch, the Forum, and the neo-Punic temple. Continue along small roads that cross beautiful landscapes, via Dahmani, to observe a few kilometers away the Table of Jugurtha, an astonishing 200 m high table mountain. Then, arrival at Kasserine, the ancient Cillium which still preserves some remains, then Sbeïtla. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Sbeïtla.

• day 4

  Sbeitla / El Djem / Mahdia 190 km

  After breakfast, visit the majestic ruins of Sbeitla, which allow us to evoke the origins and development of Christianity in North Africa. Visit the ancient Roman city and its triumphal arch, the forum, and the three magnificently preserved temples, dedicated to the three deities of the Capitol: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. After this visit, continue to El Djem and its Colosseum, the 3rd largest amphitheater of the ancient world, which could accommodate 27,000 spectators, once set in a vast and arid plain. In the afternoon, you will head to Mahdia, which, thanks to its privileged geographical position at the tip of Cap Africa, has experienced a turbulent history. Its marine cemetery, located at the end of the peninsula, is worth a walk for the beauty of its site. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Mahdia.

• day 5

  Mahdia / Kairouan 150 km

  Short visit of this ephemeral capital of Ifriquiya, which preserves in its historic center many traces of its prestigious past, before heading to Kairouan, one of the holy cities of the Muslim world: the Great Mosque, with its sober and elegant architecture, the Barber's Mausoleum, a masterpiece of Arab art with its stuccoes, faience tiles, and stained glass with floral motifs, the Aghlabid Basin, a water reservoir dating from the 9th century. Stroll through the maze of souks. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Kairouan.

• day 6

  Kairouan / Enfidha / Takrouna / Zaghouan / Thuburbo Majus / Tunis 210 km

  After breakfast, departure to Enfidha to visit the early Christian museum, housed in a former church. Continue to Takrouna, a Berber village built on a rock shaped like a bird's nest, offering visitors a very beautiful panoramic view. Departure for Zaghouan, a charming town at altitude, traditionally one of the main suppliers of water to the capital thanks to the springs of Mount Zaghouan. The famous Temple of Water, a monument built under Hadrian, is the starting point of the Carthage aqueduct. Arrival at Thuburbo Majus, a set of ruins that make an interesting destination for lovers of the Roman period. The houses decorated with mosaics, the forum, the temples, and the baths are still well preserved. Return to Tunis, dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

• day 7

  Tunis / Bardo / Carthage / Sidi Bou Saïd / Tunis 75 km

  In the morning, visit to the Bardo Museum, which brings together archaeological and artistic treasures from all over Tunisia. It is undoubtedly today the most important museum in the Maghreb, and owes its fame to its rich collections of Roman and Byzantine mosaics. Then, visit of the Medina and stroll through the picturesque alleys. In the afternoon, the visit will be dedicated to Carthage, with its glorious and troubled past: Carthaginian power rivaled that of Greece, then that of Rome, which took a century to destroy it. The remaining ruins allow us to retrace the early history of Tunisia. You will visit the Antonine Baths, the amphitheater, the Roman villas, and the Punic quarter with its two ports. Then, stroll in Sidi Bou Saïd, a small blue and white village, beloved by poets and artists. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Tunis.

• day 8

  Tunisia / France

  After breakfast, transfer to Tunis airport for departure to France, depending on the return flight schedule.