Tunisia

	from Carthage and the Medina to the Great Oases (12 days)
Day	Route
1	Arrival at Tunis Personalized welcome. Bus transfer to the Carthage Coast. Welcome cocktail served. Check in and free time to rest. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Cotes de Carthage.
2	Bardo museum / Tunis Medina / Carthage/Sidi Bou Said Departure to the Medina of Tunis. Visit the Bardo museum and its superb Roman mosaics, one of the most important collections in the world. Continue onto Tunis Medina through the winding street of Tunis old town. See the rich cultural heritage of old walled city and discover the exquisite craftsmanship of Tunisia's artisans. Visit the National Library and the Arts and Popular Traditions museum " Dar Ben Abdallah ". After late lunch, departure for UNESCO World Heritage Site of Carthage to discover remainders of the splendors of Tunisia's past. Visit the Punic Ports, the Antonin Baths and the amphitheatre. Departure for the Moorish village of Sidi Bou Saïd with its immaculate white and blue houses. The village has managed to preserve its charm and its peacefulness. Discover the Palais du Baron d'Erlanger, once a millionaire’s sumptuous retreat and now home to a fascinating Tunisian music museum, before moving on to Dar Annabi. This traditional Sidi Bou Said house has been converted into a museum, where you can wander around the palatial rooms and courtyards. Enjoy the superb view of the gulf of Tunis from one of Sidi Bou’s traditional café. Overnight at les Cotes de Carthage.
3	Tunis/ Bulla Regia/Dougga/ Tunis Bus departure for the archaeological sites of Bulla Regia. Visit of the villas decorated with mosaics, the imposing ruins of the Thermae, the temples, the theatre and the amazing two level dwellings. Departure for Dougga, humanity heritage site, the most preserved roman site in Tunisia. Visit its famous mausoleum, its Capitol, its theatre. Discover the triumphal arch, open-air sanctuary where sacrifices were made. Visit the forum, an exceptional monument built during the 2nd century, then the great Thermae. Return to Tunis in late afternoon, Dinner and overnight in les Cotes de Carthage.
4	Tunis/ Oudna/ Thuburbo Majus/Hammamet Departure to Oudna, site of a Roman aqueduct that carried water from the hills of Zaghouan all the way to Carthage, a distance of over 130 kilometers. Continue to Thuburbo Majus, roman town built on a Berber village which has been particularly rich at Anthonins time. Continue to Hammamet, famous for its kilometers of beaches and its gardens where jasmine and orange trees grow. Overnight in Hammamet.
5	CapBon Drive east along the Cap Bon Peninsula to Nabeul known as the pottery capital of Tunisia. At the tip of the Peninsula you will discover the Roman quarries of El Haouaria and the Punic city of Kerkouane, the only purely Carthaginian town yet found and a World Heritage Site. Return to Hammamet and enjoy a free afternoon. Overnight in Hammamet.
6	Hammamet/Sousse/ElDjem/Kairouan Departure for Sousse, Visit the medina, museum, mosque and Ribat of Sousse. Free time in the Medina. Lunch at Port El Kantaoui ,the Mediterranean's finest garden port which never fails to enchant visitors with its fish restaurants and picturesque setting. Departure for ElJem and visit its spectacular amphitheatre which is the second largest in the world only to Rome’s and which dates from 238AD. Visit the museum and the excavations extending behind the museum where the most beautiful mosaics of the exhibition have been found. Continue to Kairouan, Overnight in Kairouan.
7	Kairouan/Sbeitla/Tozeur Visit Kairouan the holy city of Tunisia. Visit Sidi Okba Great Mosque, an important reference point in Islamic architecture, the Aghlabite pools built by the Aghlabite leaders to bring water to the town which represented one of the most important pieces of hydraulic engineering of the Middle Ages, Sidi Sahbi mausoleum that dates from the 17th century and contains a Médersa, (school for religious instruction). Free time to stroll around the color souks (covered markets) of the Medina and try out haggling skills. Lunch at La Kasbah restaurant, for an exotic gastronomic experience. The restaurant is designed to blend in with the surrounding souks for a refined, yet authentic meal. Continue to Sbeitla, visit of the archaeological site, triumph arch, temple, forum and baptistery. Late Arrival to Tozeur, overnight in Tozeur.
8	Tozeur/ Red Lizard (Metlaoui) and Mountain oasis (Tamerza, Mides, Chebika) 4WD departure for Metlaoui, where the Red Lizard train awaits. The Red Lizard, the train belonging to the Bey of Tunisia himself is part of the colonial spirit. With six wagons, including one used by the Bey, the train takes you to discover the famous and otherwise inaccessible Seldja gorges. Continue by 4WD to Mides, where participants visit the oasis and the canyon. The village of Mides appears as if suspended above a deep gorge, with walls surrounding it on three sides, the fourth used to be a high barrier, which sheltered the village from raiders Lunch is at the Tamerza Palace Hotel, with its amazing views of the old deserted village of Tamerza flooded in 1969. Tamerza is a verdant mountain oasis overlooking a drop of hundreds of meters to the Oued El Khanga ravine and a superb waterfall. From the summit of the Oued El Khanga, there are superb views over the Chott El Djerid salt lake and Algeria Visit the mountain oasis of Chebika, one of the most beautiful in Tunisia where palm trees grow from the springs and waterfalls. Return to Tozeur, Visit of the "Belvedere", its numerous palm trees, its great number of springs watering a large variety of date palms. Evening visit to the Dar Cheraiet museum that exhibits in its beylical palace the arts and traditions of the country. Overnight at the hotel in Tozeur
9	Sahara expedition (Chott El Jerid) and Golden Triangle of Douz 4WD departure for the vast Chott El Jerid salt lake, where you will discover the overpowering whiteness of salt crystals and the unfathomable mirages. Continuation to the oases of Sabria, Nouaeil and Zaafrane, which form a magical triangle, covered with a fine dust of sand. After lunch, departure for DOUZ, gateway to the Sahara. Enjoy Camel riding and visit the magnificent dunes at Ghout Bakouch. Overnight in Douz.
10	Douz/ Matmata/ Tamezret / Djerba 4WD departure to Tamezret, a Berber village built into the mountainside. Continue to Matmata the star of Tunisia's south. Actually built into the mountain, this fabulous Berber village with its pitted lunar landscapes was used by both Lucas and Spielberg in the production of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Arc. Visit the famous troglodyte houses, carved into the rock surface. Entrance is through giant craters. Lunch in an underground
11	4WD Djerba island discovery 4WD departure for the village of Guellala, center for traditional Djerban pottery. Cover up from head to toe for a visit to the Ghriba synagogue, which holds one of the most ancient Torah's in the world. Continue to the splendid beach at Sidi Jmour . In the afternoon, enjoy free time in Houmt Souk, economic center of the island, for a chance to experience local markets, crafts and foods, before returning to the hotel.
12	Departure Bus transfer to Djerba airport. Assistance with check in .