20 April 2028 – 10 days for £3,495 per person
Register your interest for 2029 and we will contact you when confirmed details including finalised dates and prices are available.
This journey through Tunisia traces the rise and fall of two of the ancient world’s greatest powers – Carthage and Rome – across landscapes that have changed remarkably little since antiquity. From the Mediterranean shores where Phoenician merchants founded a maritime empire, to the monumental inland cities that later proclaimed Rome’s dominance in Africa, this tour reveals Tunisia as one of the best-preserved classical regions anywhere in the Mediterranean.
Beginning in Tunis and the ruins of legendary Carthage, explore the story of a city that once rivalled Rome itself, before moving through Roman Africa’s extraordinary legacy. Hilltop capitals such as Dougga, imperial cities like Bulla Regia with its remarkable underground villas and monumental centres including Sufetula, Thuburbo Majus, Oudna and the spectacular amphitheatre at El Jem, illustrate how Rome transformed this province into one of its wealthiest and most cultured regions. Throughout the journey, Tunisia’s landscapes – coastal plains, rolling farmland, mountain passes and desert fringes – provide the essential backdrop to a story of conquest, adaptation and cultural fusion. By the tour’s end, Tunisia emerges not simply as a collection of ruins, but as a land where Africa, the Mediterranean and the classical world were profoundly and permanently intertwined.
You will be accompanied by Carthage expert Eve Macdonald, who will deliver a series of evening talks and walking seminars on Carthage, Rome and the relationship between these two bitter rivals, Rome’s relationships to its provinces during the heyday of the empire and cross-cultural influences on both peoples. As you visit each site, she will provide further context, point out artefacts of interest and be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
This tour is perfect for anyone interested in the story of Carthage and the Phoenicians, of ancient Rome and its conquest of the Mediterranean, and of North African history and the impact these cultures had on the Indigenous populations – and for anyone who wants to get off the beaten track and explore off the tourist trail, or those curious-minded travellers looking to learn while you explore an amazing destination.
In partnership with Intrepid Travel.
Day 1: Arrive in Tunis
Welcome to Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia! On arrival, transfer to your hotel and check in. Later in the evening, you will meet your fellow guests, tour expert and local tour leader for a welcome meeting. After the welcome meeting your expert will give their first talk, giving you an introduction to the story of Carthage and Rome ahead of your visit to Carthage tomorrow and setting the stage for the rest of the tour.
Afterwards, head to a local restaurant for a convivial welcome dinner.
Day 2: Bardo Museum, Carthage & Sidi Bou Said
After breakfast at your hotel, you will head to the famous Bardo Museum for a guided tour of its fascinating exhibits, which include some of the finest collections of Roman mosaics, as well as artefacts from throughout Tunisia's history, from the prehistoric era to the modern day.
Afterwards, you will begin tour exploration of the expansive, open-air, UNESCO World Heritage Site of Carthage. Once the capital of the Punic world, and later a major Roman city, it is situated in the northern suburbs of modern-day Tunis. It held a key vantage as a port city, controlling the flow of trade between Sicily and North Africa. It was the major economic hub in the western Mediterranean for much of its existence and, in its prime, a bitter rival to Rome, until the city was destroyed in the third Punic war. It was subsequently rebuilt under Julius Caesar’s rule over 100 years later.
At your visit to the site, you can still see key elements illustrating both Punic and Roman phases, including ports, baths and civic structures that reflect Carthage’s shifting imperial fortunes.
Continue to Sidi Bou Said, the iconic clifftop village known for its white and blue architecture and sweeping Mediterranean views. Enjoy time to explore its narrow streets and cultural atmosphere, before returning to your hotel in the city for an evening at leisure.
Day 3: Bulla Regia & Dougga
After checking out of your hotel in the morning, depart Tunis and drive 2 hours inland through the fertile landscapes of northern Tunisia. Your first stop is Bulla Regia, renowned for its unique underground Roman villas, designed to escape the summer heat and remarkably preserved with mosaics still in situ.
On your way to Dougga (or Thugga), stop at Teboursouk for an included box lunch. The journey time, in total, is just under 1.5 hours.
Dougga is one of the finest and best preserved examples of a Romanised Numidian city in North Africa, and is thought to be the first capital of the Numidian kingdom. Set dramatically on a hillside, Dougga offers an impressive display of temples, theatres, baths and civic buildings that vividly illustrate what urban life may have been like in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, at the fringes of the Roman empire.
Check in to your hotel in Teboursouk and settle in for another fascinating talk from your accompanying expert, followed by dinner together.
Day 4: Kairouan
This morning, check out of your hotel and board the coach for a 2-hour journey to Kairouan. This is one of the most important cities of the Islamic world. On a guided tour of the city, visit the Great Mosque of Kairouan, a masterpiece of early Islamic architecture, the Aghlabid Basins, an impressive medieval hydraulic system and the historic medina with free time for lunch.
In the later afternoon, check in to your hotel in Kairouan for one night.
Day 5: Sufetula & Tozeur
After breafkast, check out of your hotel and continue west for 2 hours towards Sbeitla to visit the Roman ruins of Sufetula, a major Roman civic and religious centre. The remoteness of this site means that it has some of the best-preserved Roman buildings in all of North Africa, including forum temples, the Arch of Diocletian and the exquisite Arch of Antoninus Pius, whose carved details can still be made out. Walk among its temples, forum, baths and triumphal arches, gaining insight into the transition from pagan Roman worship to early Christianity.
In the early afternoon, proceed south toward the oasis town of Tozeur, on the edge of the Sahara desert. The journey should take around 3 hours. Check in to your hotel for two nights.
There will be an optional evening walk around the town, old quarter and oasis, for those who wish to partake.
Day 6: Tozeur & Jerid oasis
Spend the day exploring Tozeur, famous for its oasis landscapes and distinctive brick architecture. Visit the palm groves and learn about ancient and modern irrigation systems that sustain life in the desert environment. Learn all about the challenges of life in arid conditions, the desertification of southern Tunisia and agricultural and architectural techniques that help support the community that calls this place home.
Day 7: Chott el Jerid, Matmata & El Jem
Cross the vast salt flats of Chott el Jerid, a surreal landscape that formed part of ancient trade routes linking North Africa to the Sahara desert. Continue to Matmata, where you will visit traditional troglodyte dwellings carved into the earth, illustrating long-standing adaptations to arid climates. Those keen-eyed among you will recognise these sites from the Star Wars franchise.
Travel north to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of El Jem and its monumental 3rd-century-AD Roman amphitheatre, capable of holding 35,000 spectators, one of the largest in the Roman world and rivalling that of the Colosseum in Rome. Its scale and preservation reflect the wealth and importance of Roman Africa, but also a sign of imperial Roman propaganda in this province of the empire.
Head onwards to the coastal city of Sousse where you will spend the next two nights. In total, the driving time today is 5 hours.
Enjoy a third talk from your accompanying expert this evening, at the hotel.
Day 8: Sousse & Ribat of Monastir
This morning, explore the historic medina of Sousse, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the archaeological museum, housed within the kasbah, home to one of Tunisia’s finest collections of Roman mosaics. Walk through the medina’s streets, fortifications and harbour area, reflecting centuries of Mediterranean history from Roman times onward.
In the afternoon, visit the Ribat of Monastir, a 30-minute drive from Sousse. This defensive structure is an icon of the city and is the oldest Islamic fortress in northern Africa, built in 796 AD. Within its walls, towers and impressive sea gates this fortress is also home to two mosques, one of which now houses a fascinating collection of medieval artefacts.
Return to Sousse in the late afternoon for an evening at leisure.
Day 9: Thuburbo Majus, Oudna & Zaghouan
Depart Sousse and travel north toward Tunis. En route, visit Thuburbo Majus, an important Roman town with well-preserved temples, baths and residential areas set amid olive groves. This site is not as well preserved or cared for as others in Tunisia, but it allows you to get up close to incredible mosaics, with barely any other tourists around. There is plenty as yet unexcavated here.
Continue to Oudna (Uthina), a less-visited but impressive Roman site featuring an amphitheatre, capitol and aqueduct remains. Established by Augustus as a veteran colony, it grew to a sizeable town in the 3rd century AD. As you arrive here, the first thing you will notice is the large amphitheatre carved partly into the hillside, which could hold around 16,000 spectators.
Conclude the day at Zaghouan Water Temple, the monumental source of the Roman aqueduct that once supplied Carthage with water across more than 130 kilometres – one of the great engineering achievements of the Roman world.
Return to Tunis in the evening for a final farewell dinner together.
Day 10: Departure
Transfer to Tunis International Airport for departure, bringing to an end an in-depth exploration of the Roman and Carthaginian archaeological heritage of Tunisia.
