Bardo, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said
Mosaics first, ruins after: the Bardo while the galleries are still quiet, then the archaeological sites of Carthage, and a last hour among the blue doors of Sidi Bou Said.
Private excursion
Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa
A private day that starts at your hotel door: the Tunis medina and its covered souks, the ruins of Carthage, the blue lanes of Sidi Bou Said and the seafront at La Marsa — taken in the order and at the pace that suit you.
On request
At a glance
Duration
A full day, roughly eight to ten hours depending on where you are staying. Exact timings are agreed when the quote is confirmed.
Who it suits
Families, couples and small groups staying in Tunis, La Marsa, Gammarth, Carthage or Hammamet, including those travelling with young children or older relatives.
Price
On request
Four sides of the capital in a single day, in a vehicle kept for your group alone: the covered souks of the Tunis medina, the Punic and Roman remains spread across the Carthage hills, the white-and-blue lanes of Sidi Bou Said, and the sea air of the La Marsa corniche. Picked up at your hotel, dropped back at the same door.
Pick-up
Hotels in Tunis, La Marsa, Gammarth and Carthage. Hotels in Hammamet, Yasmine Hammamet and Nabeul.
How the day unfolds
The order of the stops shifts with your start time, the traffic and how long you want to spend at each place.
Tunis Medina
You are set down at one of the medina gates, Bab Bhar or Bab Jedid depending on traffic, and walk in through the covered souks towards the Zitouna mosque, past perfume sellers, chechia makers, fabric stalls and coppersmiths. The lanes stay shaded and cool even in high summer, though the paving is uneven and the passages narrow.
Carthage
Carthage is not one site but several, scattered across a green suburb: the Antonine Baths at the water's edge, the Byrsa hill with its long view over the gulf, the Punic quarter, the cisterns. The vehicle moves with you from sector to sector, so your energy goes on the ruins rather than on walking between them in the sun.
Sidi Bou Said
Up to the blue-and-white village, dropped as close to the main square as the pedestrian streets allow. The cobbled climb past the Café des Nattes, the studded doors, the mashrabiya screens, and terraces looking straight down over the gulf and the marina below.
La Marsa
Down to the seafront to end the day at the water: a walk along the beach, mint tea with pine nuts at the Saf-Saf beside its old waterwheel, or simply half an hour on a bench facing the sea before the drive back to your hotel.
What travelling privately changes
- The vehicle is yours for the day: nobody else to wait for, and no round of hotel pick-ups before the day can start.
- The order of the four stops bends to the season, the light and the crowds — medina first in summer, Sidi Bou Said late in the afternoon.
- Collected from your hotel door and returned to it, with no imposed meeting point and no intermediate transfer.
- Naceur Neffeti has worked in transport and travel since 1987 and has driven travellers since 2007: he knows the drop-off points, the access roads and the parking of the northern suburbs.
- A licensed guide is a separate, optional service, arranged on request for the medina or for Carthage.
What is included, what is not
Included
- A private air-conditioned vehicle with driver, at your disposal for the whole day.
- Pick-up from and return to your hotel.
- Fuel, tolls and parking.
- Waiting time at each stop, for as long as your visit takes.
- The driver's practical bearings: where to buy tickets, which entrance to use, where he will be waiting.
Not included
- Entrance tickets and site fees.
- Meals, drinks and personal purchases.
- A licensed guide, an optional service arranged on request.
- Gratuities, entirely at your discretion.
Practical advice
- Closed, comfortable shoes: the medina and the Carthage sectors are covered on foot, over worn paving and gravel paths.
- Hat, sunglasses and a bottle of water in summer — there is very little shade on the Byrsa hill or around the Antonine Baths.
- Shoulders and knees covered at religious sites and around the Zitouna mosque.
- Check closing days and hours for the sites when you fix your date; they shift with the season.
- Keep Sidi Bou Said for late afternoon: the light is at its best and the crowds have thinned.
Your questions
Can we change the order of the stops?
Yes, and it is often a good idea. In summer the medina is best early; some souks close early at weekends; Sidi Bou Said is far nicer late in the day. The final running order is agreed with you before you set off.
Does the driver come round the sites with us?
He sets you down as close as vehicles are allowed, points out the entrance, the ticket desk and the pick-up point, then waits. He does not comment on the monuments: for historical commentary, a licensed guide is a separate service arranged on request.
Does this work from a hotel in Hammamet?
It does. The A1 motorway link is straightforward; you simply leave earlier and return later than guests staying in Tunis. The precise timing is settled when the quote is confirmed.
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Request a quote
Give us the date, how many of you are travelling and your pick-up address: we reply with a quote drawn up for this day out.
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