6D5N Tunisia Muslim Heritage

Upon arrival at the airport, warmly welcomed by our representative and transferred to hotel. Enjoy a buffet dinner and stay overnight to start your journey refreshed.

After breakfast, depart to the main boulevard of Tunis, Habib Bourguiba Street, where we'll take a leisurely walk through Beb Bhar, the entrance to the Medina of Tunis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This stroll will lead us through narrow streets lined with shops, workshops, public buildings, and private homes, culminating at the Ezzitouna Mosque, the country's second most important and oldest mosque. Before Tunisia's independence in 1956, the mosque was not only a religious center but also the leading university in the Muslim world, attracting students from across Muslim countries to study the Quran, its interpretation, history, and literature under the tutelage of esteemed teachers.

A short drive from La Kasbah will bring us to the National Bardo Museum, where we'll explore the 19th-century royal palace and admire the world's largest collection of mosaics. In the afternoon, visit the picturesque white and blue village of Sidi Bou Said, where we'll enjoy a refreshing mint tea at the Café des Nattes or 'Café Des Délices,' the oldest Turkish café in Tunisia. Overlook the leisure harbor, the presidential palace, and the Mediterranean Sea.

After our sightseeing, depart for the coastal town of Hammamet. Upon arrival, check in at our hotel for the night and enjoy a buffet dinner.

After breakfast, depart for the center of Tunisia to visit Kairouan, the holiest town in the country and the first city founded in 669 and 670 by Arab Muslims during the second Islamic invasion of North Africa. Known as the city of 100 mosques, visit the Great Mosque of Sidi Okba, the Three-Door Mosque, the Mausoleum of Sidi Essahib, the Aghalabitan Water Pools from the 9th century, and explore the Medina.

Upon arrival, check in at our hotel in Kasbah and enjoy some free time to relax. In the afternoon, explore the carpet handicraft of Kairouan, a renowned feminine craft, and visit the Museum of Islamic Art in Rakkada, located about 12 kilometers from Kairouan. Originally intended to be the residence of Habib Bourguiba, the first president of Tunisia, the Rakkada museum now houses a valuable collection of artifacts and Quran books dating back to the Islamic era from the 9th to the 16th centuries.

After our visits, return to the hotel in Kairouan for a buffet dinner and overnight stay. 

After breakfast, drive to El Jem to visit both the amphitheater and the local museum.  The building is in such good condition that we can visit beneath the arena where wild animals were kept, and we can also go up to the 3rd floor for a spectacular view. The local museum of El Jem is often overlooked but contains a small collection of Roman mosaics, many of which are in better condition than those in the Bardo museum. 

In the afternoon, head towards the coastal town of Mahdia.  See the "Skifa Kahla" (now Medina of Mahdia), which was the main fortress protecting the city's accesses, the Great Mosque, and the Punic port.

Upon arrival in Mahdia, check in at hotel for the night and enjoy a buffet dinner

After breakfast, depart for Monastir, the native town of the first president of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba. Visit the Ribat,  the venue of the Monastir festival and houses a small museum of Islamic art offering a fine selection of old materials and Quran copies. The most decorated monument in Monastir was built for the Bourguiba family and now serves as the tomb of Habib Bourguiba, who passed away in 2000.

Then drive to Sousse to visit the Great Mosque with its special-shaped minaret, a dome rather than a rectangular or circular high monument, from where the call to prayer is made five times a day. Also explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sousse Medina. Finally, drive to our hotel in Sousse for the night and enjoy a buffet dinner.

Depending on the flight time, after breakfast, we will depart from the hotel to Tunis Carthage airport for your flight back to your destination.