Tunisia
Sept 28- Oct 14, 2025
Day 1 Sept 29, 2025
Depart U.S.
Day2 Arrive in Tunis, Tunisia
Afternoon: We’ll be met at the Tunis airport by an O.A.T. representative today and transferred to our hotel, where we’ll meet our Trip Experience Leader and fellow travelers. Then, we will take an orientation walk to get familiar with our surroundings.
Day 3 Oct 01, 2025 Explore Tunis
Morning: This morning we’ll explore Tunisia’s bustling capital. Tunis was one of the greatest cities in the world during the reign of the Almohad and Hafsid dynasties from the twelfth to the16th centuries. Today, it boasts a diversity of distinct cultures
and a rich, complex history shaped by ages of colonization. We’ll experience this diversity when we venture to the city’s medina—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—to witness the hundreds of palaces, mosques, and fountains situated here. We’ll also meet some of the vendors who sell their handicrafts at various souks (markets), and learn about local traditions like the chachia, a flexible hat worn by men that originated in Tunisia and Libya. The chachia is typically made from wool that has been crushed with hot water and soap, then dyed, and shaped. We’re sure to see some men donning this typical headpiece as we walk through the medina.
Afternoon: After lunch, you’ll have some free to relax or explore independently. Perhaps you’ll wander to Tunis’ Central Market, where an array of local produce and spices await you, as well as opportunities to connect with locals as they go about their daily business.
Day 4 Ot02, 2025
Visit ancient Dougga • Visit Testour
Morning: Today we’ll embark on a morning tour of ancient Dougga, the best-preserved ancient Roman city in North Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here stand the remains of a complete town that once had 5,000 residents, including villas, temples, baths, a paved street, and a forum, making it easy to imagine life here in the second century AD. The temple known as “the Capitol” and the Caracalla Baths are particularly well-preserved, and the site’s theater—which was designed to seat 3,500 spectators—is still used for performances of classic works today.
Afternoon: We’ll drive for to Testour, a sleepy town that is home to Tunisia’s finest examples of Andalusian architecture. We’ll observe the local ways of life here and admire the adobe-tiled roofs before continuing on to Tunis, where you will have the remainder of the day free to relax or explore on your own. Your Trip Experience Leader is happy to make suggestions.
Day5 Oc3, 2025
Tunis • A Day in the Life of a Tunisian family
Morning: Today we’ll experience our NEW A Day in the Life of a local Tunisian family.
Upon arrival, you’ll witness firsthand their unique way of life. This opportunity offers a glimpse into the traditions, customs, and hospitality that are deeply rooted in Tunisian society. Throughout the day, you may accompany members of the family as they go about their various activities, such as doing chores or helping to prepare a traditional dish. The family members are eager to share their daily routines, culinary delights, stories, and authentic insight into Tunisian culture.
Lunch: We’ll st down with the family to enjoy the lunch we helped to prepare.
Afternoon: We’ll thank our hosts and drive back to Tunis, arriving back at our hotel by the mid-afternoon. Then, you’ll have the remainder of the day free to pursue individual interests.
Day 6 Oatcet] 04, 2025
Tunis • Fly to Djerba • Overland to Tataouine
Morning: We’ll depart our hotel early this morning for a short drive to the Tunis airport, where we’ll catch our flight to Djerba. After landing, we’ll begin our overland transfer to Tataouine, making a couple of stops along the way. Linked to mainland
Tunisia by a causeway built on a Roman-era foundation, the beautiful island of Djerba is thought to be the legendary home of the lotus eaters in Homer’s Odyssey. First, we’ll take a drive to visit Erryadh, where we’ll interact with the locals and explore the village. Then, we’ll drive to Houmt Souk—Djerba’s capital—a historic city of white-washed mosques and groves of olive and citrus trees.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Houmt Souk.
Day70]5,2025 Berber villages
• Destination: Tataouine
Activity Note: Today we will walk for a total of 2 miles over uneven, slippery terrain, steeply sloped surfaces, and stairs without railings (not suitable for the use of walking sticks).
Morning: We’ll drive to the picturesque Berber village of Chenini. Established in the late 19th century, this troglodytic settlement was built into the dramatic, rocky hills as a means of protection from Ghazzia (Arab tribes). But its clever construction did more than just shelter from harm’s way: the rock produces a naturally isothermal environment, shielding the homes from wind and extreme temperatures ranging from 37 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The houses are built by digging deep into the horizontal layers of sandstone, a sedimentary rock malleable enough to carve with simple hand tools, that are trapped within layers of harder rock. The harder rock serves as the floors and ceilings of these houses. Individual cave dwellings are then dug out around the edges of the pit, forming subterranean rooms and the main pit serves as a communal courtyard.
We’ll spend about 1.5 hours hiking around Chenini, the village that served as a shooting location of Episode IV of Star Wars, and perhaps interact with some of the 600 or so farmers and artisans who make their home here.
Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll drive back to our hotel in Tataouine, where you’ll have some time to make your own discoveries.
Day8 Oct 06,2025
Tataouine • Visit a troglodyte house • Sahara Desert camp
Morning: Today we begin our journey into the Sahara Desert for our overnight stay in a private tented camp. Along the way, we’ll make a stop at the Berber town of Matmata to discover its fascinating troglodyte houses—man-made caves dug out of large pits in the ground. We’ll stop to visit one of them, and we’ll be welcomed into the home by the family who lives there.
Lunch: At a troglodyte house in Matmata.
Afternoon: We’ll continue our journey through the rocky desert and into the Sahara until we reach Douz, a town where all roads end at the edge of the Great Eastern Erg. Beyond Douz, this immense expanse of the Sahara extends hundreds of miles to the south. Then, we’ll board 4x4 vehicles to reach our private, O.A.T. tented camp, positioned in a remote stretch of the golden-hued Grand Erg. Camp amenities are basic but comfortable, featuring a common area where meals will be served. Electricity is available at the camp during the day, between 6am and 11pm, and is turned off overnight.
Day9 Oct 07,2025
The Sahara Desert • Camel ride in dunes • Overland to Tozeur
Early morning: Today, we absorb the feeling of the desert environment. If you wish, your Trip Experience Leader will wake you up early to sit in the camp and watch the sun rise over the Sahara Desert, casting light across the sprawling sand dunes. During the summer, the sun rises around 5am, but in the winter, it rises closer to 6am. Coffee will be awaiting those who choose to rise early.
Morning: After breakfast, we’ll board 4x4 vehicles and drive through the desert’s expanse to begin our camel ride experience. When we arrive, we’ll saddle up for a camel ride amidst the desert dunes. During our trek, we may cross paths with nomadic people as they make their way across the sprawling sea of sand.
Lunch: Enjoy lunch with a nomadic family.
Afternoon: We’ll begin our drive to Tozeur, with a stop along the way at Chott El Jerid, the largest salt lake in the Sahara Desert, for a photo opportunity. We’ll reach our hotel in Tozeur in the late afternoon, and we’ll have a little time to relax and freshen up before dinner.
Day 10 ]ct 08, 2025
Explore Tozeur oasis by horse-drawn carriage • Visit local brick factory
Morning: In the company of a local guide, we’ll embark a horse-drawn carriage to explore the Tozeur oasis. For two thousand years, this city has thrived in a lush oasis on the edge of the largest salt flat in northern Africa, and was a remote and fiercely independent enclave for much of that time. In its old section, elaborate designs in yellow brickwork decorate the walls lining narrow alleys and passageways with the same traditional patterns that are found in the local Berber handcrafts. We’ll feel the true oasis atmosphere here as we explore byways where spring-fed canals water date palms, flowers, and crops of plums, grapes, pomegranates, and bananas.
When our discoveries here wrap up, we’ll drive to visit a small brick factory to learn how bricks for local homes are handmade in traditional kilns. Afterwards, we’ll drive to the historic medina of Tozeur.
Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll visit the Sidi Ben Aissa Archaeological Mausoleum and enjoy a discussion with the mausoleum’s curator. The rest of your afternoon is free to do as you’d like. Perhaps you’ll take advantage of your freedom to explore and visit the Eden Palm Museum, which focuses on the role of the date palm in Tunisian society.
Day11 Oc09,2025
Tozeur • Roman ruins at Sbeitla • Kairouan
Morning: We’ll depart our hotel in Tozeur and begin our overland transfer to Kairouan, a city with a spiritual feel whose ornate seventh-century Great Mosque is the fourth-holiest site in Islam.
t was here that Ibn Khaldun, a great Muslim historian of the 14th century, lived and worked at the height of Islam’s classical period. Along the way, we’ll make a couple of stops. First, we’ll enjoy
a coffee break in the city of Gafsa. A few hours later, we’ll stop in the small town of Sbeitla, home to some remarkable Roman ruins which we’ll explore after our lunch.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Sbeitla.
Afternoon: We’ll explore the Roman ruins of Sbeitla, which include three temples dedicated to Minerva, Jupiter, and Juno, the gods who protected Rome. Then we’ll continue our drive to Kairouan, where we’ll check in to our hotel.
Kairouan is Tunisia’s leading center of carpet-making, and after an orientation walk we may visit a carpet workshop to learn about its history and witness a demonstration of this craft. Afterwards, you may enjoy some free time on your own to explore or relax.
Day12
Explore Kairouan • Dinner in the home of a local family
Morning: Today, we’ll begin with a visit to the Abou Zamaa al-Balawi mausoleum, one of the most venerated sites in Kairouan. It contains the remains of one of the Prophet’s companions, Abou Zamaa al-Balawi, who was killed in battle with the Berbers. Next, we’ll visit the Great Mosque, the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa. Founded in 670, Kairouan’s Great Mosque displays influences of pre-Islamic, Roman, and Byzantine architecture.
Later, we’ll venture on foot to the city medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and thriving center of Tunisian culture. Your Trip Experience Leader will seek out opportunities for the group to interact with local residents.
Afternoon: After lunch, you’ll have some free time to explore
on your own. Consult with your Trip Experience Leader for suggestions. This evening, our group will come back together
a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family. We’ll break up into smaller groups and walk to one of the homes, where we’ll get
to know local residents and learn about life in the region. Come hungry for your home-cooked meal, and bring plenty of questions for your generous hosts.
Dinner: We’ll gather in the home of a local family to experience life in Tunisia and watch as our hosts prepare an authentic dinner. Each family has a different background—some of them may be teachers, bank tellers, or shop owners, for example. Our meal this evening may consist of local dishes like mechouia salad (grilled vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic), brik (Berber pastry filled with various ingredients and commonly deep
fried), couscous, and makroudh (semolina and date cookies). This will be a great opportunity to ask them about life in Kairouan, any customs they practice, and more.
Day 1 3 Oatcet] 11, 2025 Kairouan • Optional El Djem tour
Morning: You’re free to discover more of Kairouan on your own today. Or, join our optional tour to uncover Tunisian antiquity with a visit to El Djem, home to the third-largest ancient Roman amphitheater in the world. This tour also includes a visit to a handcrafts center to learn about mosaics.
Lunch: On your own for those who choose not to take the optional tour. At a local restaurant for those on the optional tour.
Afternoon: Free to do as you’d like. Travelers who chose to take the optional tour will return to the hotel later in the aftenoon.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening as you wish, whether that’s gathering with fellow travelers to compare notes on the day, or setting out for an evening stroll.
Day14
Kairouan • Explore Hammamet • Sidi Bou Said • Controversial Topic: Women’s rights in Tunisia
Morning: We’ll say goodbye to Kairouan and journey north to Sidi Bou Said. Along the way, we’ll stop in Hammamet, a town of white-washed houses and some of Tunisia’s finest beaches. We’ll have some time to stretch our legs and explore the coastal medina before resuming our journey to Sidi Bou Said.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Sidi Bou Said.
Afternoon: We’ll drive to our hotel in Sidi Bou Said. After checking in to our rooms, we’ll have a brief orientation tour of our surroundings. Then, we’ll learn about the Controversial Topic of women’s rights in Tunisia, including inheritance laws, a subject of great consequence to the progress of women’s rights in the Arab world.
Tunisia enforces some of the most progressive laws on women’s rights in Muslim majority countries. In fact, it is currently ranked 124th on the Global Gender Gap Index of 2020 according to the World Economic Forum—thereby making it one of the highest ranking Arab countries. Yet despite Tunisia’s forward progress, patriarchal values still dominate the land. Perhaps one of the most contentious issues at the forefront of national conversation is inheritance. As it is written in the Quran, a surviving son is entitled to twice the share of a surviving daughter. This is stated in unequivocal terms: “Allah enjoins you concerning your children: the male shall have the equal of the portion of two females; and if they are more than two females, they shall have two-thirds of what the deceased has left, and if there is one, she shall have the half.”
Shari’a law, a conduit for Islamic tradition, strongly advocates for this literal interpretation and galvanizes support from the general population by deeming it sacrilege to do otherwise. But over the decades, the inheritance law has slowly made its way to the fore of Tunisian politics. In an attempt to attract progressive political allies, President Beji Caid Essebsi drafted a law in 2018 that would establish equality between women and men in matters of inheritance. This “radical” move garnered much attention in Arab states and beyond. It was presented to the parliament in February 2019, where it was met with vehement opposition by conservative forces like the Islamist Ennahda party. Unfortunately, President Essebsi died in the summer of 2019, leaving behind an uncertain future for this highly controversial bill. Our conversation this morning will examine the history, significance, and ramifications of this issue, and we’ll have ample opportunities to ask our speaker any questions.
Day15 Oct 13,2025
Explore Sidi Bou Said • Ancient Carthage • Visit North Africa American Cemetery
Morning: We’ll begin the day with a discovery walk in Sidi Bou Said village. Then, we’ll set off to explore the site of ancient Carthage, which evokes the romance and tragedy of the legendary era of Queen Dido and Aeneas chronicled in Virgil’s Aeneid. Scattered ruins help us envision where the mighty city of antiquity once stood, sending its fleets for trade and warfare across the Mediterranean, including Hannibal’s famous but doomed campaign against Rome in the Second Punic War. After Carthage was conquered, the Romans destroyed the old city but established a new one of their own on its site, which lasted for almost another 500 years. The remaining ruins have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We’ll then pay our respects to the American soldiers who liberated Tunisia during World War II with a visit to the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial. This 27-acre memorial is the final resting place of 2,841 American military members who died during the war, and also honors 3,700 soldiers whose remains were never found.
Dinner: We’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner together in a local restaurant to celebrate our Tunisian discoveries.
Day16 Oct 14,2025 Return to U.S.
Early morning: After an early breakfast this morning, transfer to the Tunis airport to board your flight home to the U.S.
(Day 13 $90 per person)
This optional tour takes us to El Djem, home to the third-largest ancient Roman amphitheater in the world, which soars impressively above the low-rise buildings of the town’s medina. Built in the third century AD, this impressive stadium could seat 30,000 spectators. After an included lunch at a local restaurant, we visit a handcrafts center to learn about mosaics. We’ll return back to our hotel by abour 4pm.
