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A woman in white robes walks a narrow medina lane lined with market stalls selling scarves and bags.
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TunisTravel Guide

Tunisia4 stories

Tunisia's easygoing capital stacks a UNESCO-listed medina, the ruins of ancient Carthage and the blue-and-white cliffside village of Sidi Bou Said into one compact, affordable Mediterranean city.

Is Tunis right for you?

When to come

Spring and autumn

Around 35°C by day in August, 16°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Cheap by regional standards — eating, sleeping and moving around all cost little.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Tunis is inKind to a budget
When to go
January: around 16 degrees by day, 8 at night, 59 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 17 degrees by day, 8 at night, 55 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 19 degrees by day, 10 at night, 46 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 22 degrees by day, 12 at night, 38 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
May: around 27 degrees by day, 15 at night, 22 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
June: around 31 degrees by day, 19 at night, 13 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
July: around 34 degrees by day, 22 at night, 4 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 35 degrees by day, 23 at night, 15 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 31 degrees by day, 21 at night, 58 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 27 degrees by day, 17 at night, 55 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
November: around 22 degrees by day, 13 at night, 53 millimetres of rain, some rain.
December: around 18 degrees by day, 9 at night, 68 millimetres of rain, some rain.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring and autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at Tunis-Carthage International Airport, 1991-2020.

Where this comes from

Institut National de la Météorologie (Tunisia); NOAA

Budget level

Budget

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
Plan itWhere to stay in Tunisad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Tunis

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Tunis

The vaulted Roman ruins of Carthage on the coast outside Tunis, a single tall column standing among them and the Mediterranean stretching away under a deep blue sky
01
Itineraries

Tunis in Three Days, Ordered Around the Two Days the Souks Are Shut

Tunis is a three-day city, but the medina closes on Fridays and Sundays and the Bardo closes on Mondays, so the order of your days matters far more here than the list of sights.

Tunisia · 10 min
A cobbled alley of whitewashed walls and blue doors and window grilles in Sidi Bou Said, on the coast just outside Tunis, Tunisia
02
The List

Tunis, Ranked: The 7 Unmissable Experiences in Tunisia's Capital

Carthage at your feet, a living medieval medina, world-beating Roman mosaics and the bluest village on the Mediterranean — in the right order.

Tunisia · 2 min
A cobbled lane in Sidi Bou Said near Tunis, whitewashed walls and blue doors under pink bougainvillea
03
The List

Tunis for Culture Lovers: Mosaics, the Medina and the Ghosts of Carthage

Few capitals layer Phoenician, Roman, Arab and French history so densely. From the Bardo's Roman mosaics to the blue lanes of Sidi Bou Said, the cultural best of Tunis, ranked.

Tunisia · 2 min
Blue-and-white rooftops of Sidi Bou Said overlooking the Gulf of Tunis, a palm standing against the sea
04
Hidden Gems

Tunis Off-Season: Why Its Quietest Months Are Its Best

When the beach crowds leave, Tunis becomes a different city — mild, cheap and gloriously unhurried. The case for visiting between late autumn and early spring.

Tunisia · 2 min
In pictures

Tunis, framed

The old town of Tunis, Tunisia
Photo: Ali Abbas Kadhim / Unsplash
The old town of Tunis, Tunisia
Photo: Margo Evardson / Unsplash
The old town of Tunis, Tunisia
Photo: Margo Evardson / Unsplash
A crowded market in Tunis, garlic piled on the stall in front
Photo: Juan Ordonez / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Tunis

See and do

Before you go

Practical essentials for Tunisia

Money

Tunisian dinar (TND) — a closed currency that cannot be bought or sold outside the country

Language

Arabic is official and French is used widely in business and on signage; English is limited outside tourist hotels

Power

Type C/E, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Shared louage taxis and metered city taxis do most of the work; in Tunis the Métro Léger and the TGM line out to Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd cost about one dinar.

Tipping

Not obligatory — 5–10% in a restaurant and a few dinars for a guide or driver is the usual gesture.

Tap water

Tap water is chlorinated and generally safe in cities, but it tastes poor and locals and visitors alike drink bottled.

Driving

Right-hand side; a 1968 International Driving Permit is required with your national licence, valid for up to a year.

Emergency

197 police, 190 ambulance, 198 fire

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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