Highlights of Tunisia — Self-Launched 5-Day Loop
5 days · Tunisia
Tunisie Voyages charges £865
No-markup version: ~£299 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic 5-day Tunis loop: Hammamet, holy Kairouan, the Sahara oases of Tozeur and Douz, Matmata's troglodyte homes, the Roman colosseum at El Djem, Sousse, then Sidi Bou Saïd, Carthage and the Bardo. Instead of a private guide and 4-5* resort hotels, you'll use louages (shared minibuses), the SNCFT train and local guides booked on GetYourGuide, staying in medina guesthouses and budget hotels. Costs are approximate per person and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tunis → Hammamet (or stay in Tunis medina)
Tunis & Hammamet
Land at Tunis-Carthage, change cash at the airport (the dinar is a closed currency — keep your receipts), buy a local SIM (Ooredoo/Orange, ~£8-12 for data) and take the airport bus or a taxi to Tunis centre. Rather than the operator's 5* beach resort, base yourself in the Tunis medina (Guesthouse Dar Ben Gacem or Hotel Carlton, ~£30-45 double / ~£18 solo). If you want the beach: take the TGM train to La Marsa (~1 TND) then a louage to Hammamet (~4-5 TND, 1h). Evening: wander the medina, mint tea at Café Chaabane, cheap grilled fish or lablabi dinner (~£6-9).
🚌Airport bus ~1 TND or taxi ~25-35 TND (~£6-9); TGM train ~1 TND; louage Tunis–Hammamet ~4-5 TND
🛏Medina guesthouse or budget hotel in Tunis (or Hammamet budget hotel)
- →Tunis medina evening walk
- →Café Chaabane mint tea
- →Local SIM & cash exchange setup
Kairouan medina & Great Mosque, on to Tozeur
Kairouan & Tozeur
Early louage from Tunis to Kairouan (~1h45, ~6 TND). Join a small-group walking tour of the UNESCO medina and Great Mosque plus the Aghlabid basins — bookable via GetYourGuide (~£18-25) or hire a licensed local guide at the mosque entrance (~25-40 TND). Lunch on makroudh pastries and couscous. Mid-afternoon, take a louage Kairouan → Sfax/Gafsa → Tozeur (about 4-5h total, ~14-18 TND); alternatively the SNCFT train to Gafsa then a louage. Check into a budget hotel/palm-grove guesthouse in Tozeur (~£15-22).
🚌Louages Tunis–Kairouan ~6 TND; Kairouan–Tozeur via Gafsa ~14-18 TND
🛏Budget hotel or palm-grove guesthouse in Tozeur (e.g. Hotel El Menzel / Dar Cherait budget rooms)
- →Guided Kairouan medina & Great Mosque walking tour
- →Aghlabid basins
- →Makroudh tasting in the medina
- →Tozeur oasis evening stroll
Chott el Djerid → Douz, gateway to the Sahara
Tozeur, Chott el Djerid & Douz
Hire a local 4x4 driver-guide in Tozeur for a half-day run across Chott el Djerid (the salt flats with mirages) stopping at the Star Wars Lars Homestead set at Ong Jmel (~£55-70 per vehicle, split between 2-4 people). Add the mountain oasis of Chebika and Tamerza if time allows. Continue by louage to Douz (~1h, ~5 TND). Afternoon: camel ride into the dunes at sunset (~£15-20) and dinner in the oasis town. Stay at a Douz desert camp or simple hotel (~£18-25).
🚌Private 4x4 half-day ~£12-18 pp shared; louage Tozeur–Douz ~5 TND
🛏Douz budget hotel or desert camp (e.g. Campement Zaafrane / Hotel 20 Mars)
- →Chott el Djerid salt flats drive
- →Ong Jmel Star Wars set
- →Chebika/Tamerza oasis stop
- →Camel trek at sunset in the Grand Erg Orientale
Matmata troglodyte homes & El Djem amphitheatre → Sousse
Matmata, El Djem & Sousse
Early louage Douz → Gabès (~1h, ~4 TND), then a shared taxi or louage up to Matmata (~45min, ~4-5 TND) to see the Sidi Driss troglodyte hotel (the Lars homestead interior) and a local family's cave home (~3 TND entry). Continue Gabès → El Djem by louage (~1h, ~5 TND) for the Roman amphitheatre and its mosaic museum (combined ticket ~12 TND; a GetYourGuide entry-with-guide option runs ~£15-20). Late afternoon louage to Sousse (~1h15, ~6 TND). Stay inside the medina rather than out at the beach resorts — Dar Antonia-style guesthouse or Hotel Résidence (~£22-32).
🚌Louages/shared taxis Douz–Gabès ~4 TND, Gabès–Matmata ~4 TND, Gabès–El Djem ~5 TND, El Djem–Sousse ~6 TND
🛏Medina guesthouse or budget hotel in Sousse
- →Matmata troglodyte houses & Sidi Driss
- →El Djem amphitheatre & archaeological museum
- →Sousse medina & ribat sunset walk
Sousse → Tunis: Sidi Bou Saïd, Carthage & the Bardo
Tunis, Sidi Bou Saïd & Carthage
Take the morning SNCFT train Sousse → Tunis (~2h, ~9-12 TND, 1st class). Drop bags at your hotel or the station lockers, then take the TGM train from Tunis Marine to Sidi Bou Saïd (~1 TND) for the blue-and-white village, café des délices and views over the gulf. Continue on the TGM to Carthage (~1 TND): buy the combined Carthage ticket (~12 TND) covering the Antonine baths, Byrsa hill and the amphitheatre. Back in Tunis, spend the afternoon in the Bardo Museum (the world's finest Roman mosaic collection, ~13 TND) and finish with free time in the medina and a grilled-fish lunch (~£8-12). Note: as a solo traveller, some Carthage sites are spread out — a shared taxi between them costs ~3-5 TND.
🚌SNCFT train Sousse–Tunis ~9-12 TND; TGM train ~1 TND per hop; shared taxis ~3-5 TND
🛏Optional final night in Tunis medina guesthouse (not included in total)
- →Sidi Bou Saïd village walk
- →Carthage archaeological site & amphitheatre
- →Bardo National Museum mosaics
- →Tunis medina free time
Self-launched vs. Tunisie Voyages
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Tunisie Voyages | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£299 | £865 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £566 per person (65%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Tunisie Voyages-style trips? Check them out here.~£299
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Tunisia — Self-Launched 5-Day Loop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £299 per person for 5 days in Tunisia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Tunisie Voyages?+
Yes — Tunisie Voyages charges around £865 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £299 — a saving of roughly £566 (65%) per person.
How long is the Tunisia trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 day-by-day stops through Tunisia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, budget trip through Tunisia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.