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Voykit pocket guide · Tunisia
Tunis
تونس
Tunis is a morning city: do the medina and the Bardo before the midday heat, keep the afternoon for shade or the sea, take the coast train or a taxi to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said — and carry small dinar notes.
Tunis spreads along a lake and a bay: the medina, the 19th-century French-built new town, the Bardo museum and the ancient site at Carthage are all a short taxi or light-rail ride apart, but not a walk. The trips that go wrong walk the medina at noon in July, take large suitcases into its stepped lanes, or turn up at the Bardo on its weekly closing day. Five clusters cover a first visit; the sea-side villages are half a day from one kept bed.
- Country
- Tunisia
- Local name
- تونس
- Best months
- Mar · Apr · May · Sep · Oct · Nov
- Time zone
- Africa/Tunis
- Stay
- 2 days: Medina + Bardo Museum
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TND
- Money
- Keep TND 50 in small notes; withdraw at bank ATMs inside banks or hotels, not on dark streets.
- Daily spend
- Budget TND 60–120 excl. bed · Mid TND 120–300 excl. bed · High TND 300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Ooredoo, Orange and Tunisie Telecom sell SIMs at airports and shops with a passport; 10–20 GB for about TND 20–40 — check.
- Emergency
- Police 197 · Ambulance (SAMU) 190 · Fire 198
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · European plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave small coins.; Restaurant: About 10%.; Guide, full day: TND 20–40.; Porter: TND 2–5.
- Water
- Tap water is treated but tastes of chlorine; most drink bottled.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels; squat in older cafés; carry tissue.
Get in
By air
- Tunis–Carthage International Airport (TUN)
- TUN to central Tunis: one metered yellow taxi or a pre-booked hotel car, 15–45 minutes — the risk is a driver who quotes a flat high fare, not the distance.
Get around
Walk inside a cluster; taxi between clusters; the TGM light railway to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said.
- Passes
- No pass. Yellow taxis should use the meter; insist on it or agree the fare before you get in.
- Late at night
- TGM runs until late evening but the last train time is not printed until verified; ask the hotel to book a taxi back from Sidi Bou Said.
See and do
01Bardo National Museumمتحف باردو
Go at opening: Roman mosaics fill the halls and the tour groups arrive by 10:30.
02Carthage archaeological sites (Byrsa Hill)قرطاج
Go early: hillside ruins in full sun; a combined ticket has covered several sites, so confirm what yours includes.
03Sidi Bou Said villageسيدي بوسعيد
A white-and-blue village on the cliff: go at sunrise or after 16:00 and walk down to the port; midday is hot and crowded.
04Zitouna Mosqueجامع الزيتونة
The great mosque at the heart of the medina: go early, cover up, and expect to see the courtyard and outside only if you are not Muslim.
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Eat
- Café des Nattes
- Mint tea and pine-nut tea on woven mats at the top of the village; go after 16:00 and carry small notes.
Sleep
- Medina
- Sleep in a restored house for atmosphere; carry small bags and book a pickup from the gate.
- Ville Nouvelle
- First-timers: flat, easy for taxis and close to hotels with a 24-hour desk; the medina is a 10–15 minute walk.
Language
Tunisians speak Tunisian Arabic (Darija), with heavy French borrowing; French is used in business, menus and signs. English is common among young people and in resorts.
- 'Aslema' (hello), 'yaishek' (thank you), 'qaddesh?' (how much?), 'la, merci' (no, thanks).
- WhatsApp and Messenger are common.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'aslema' or 'bonjour'; avoid: Kissing on the cheek unless offered
- Dress: Covered shoulders and knees in towns; avoid: Swimwear off the beach
- Bargaining: Friendly haggling in souks; avoid: Haggling in fixed-price shops
- Photos: Ask first; avoid: Police and military
Red lines
- Non-Muslims cannot enter the prayer halls of mosques; dress modestly and follow the signs.
- Do not photograph police, military or government buildings.
- Ask before photographing people, especially women and stall holders.
Scams (Tunisia page)
- Unofficial guides at Sidi Bou Said and the medina: Politely decline; use a map.
- Carpet shop 'exhibitions': Say you're only looking; prices are negotiable.
- Taxi without meter: Insist on the meter or agree first.
- Camel ride add-ons: Agree duration and total first.
- Fake 'national holiday' price hikes: Check the price at a fixed-price shop.
One and two days
1 day
The first day of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Medina morning, a 12:30 lunch table
- 08:30Zitouna Mosque
- souk el attarine (optional)
- 12:30Lunch table 12:30 (medina)
- Hotel or AC café 13:30–16:30; Avenue Habib Bourguiba for an evening walk.
2 days
The first two days of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Medina morning, a 12:30 lunch table
- 08:30Zitouna Mosque
- souk el attarine (optional)
- 12:30Lunch table 12:30 (medina)
- Hotel or AC café 13:30–16:30; Avenue Habib Bourguiba for an evening walk.
Day 2 — Bardo Museum at opening, Avenue Bourguiba
- 08:30Bardo National Museum
- avenue bourguiba (optional)
- Evening: cafés and dinner on the avenue and side streets.
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tunisia National Tourist Office (official): www.discovertunisia.com/
- Wikivoyage — Tunis: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tunis
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tunis). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.