Rhapsody Shore & Land Excursions > Tunisia - Tunis > Best of Tunis

Best of Tunis

A short drive from the port of La Goulette brings you into Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia. Spread over several hills it is beautifully maintained with wide avenues, impressive buildings and parks.

Visit the Bardo Museum, an architectural landmark in itself housing the richest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Originally a 13th century palace of the Beys of Tunis it has been restored and expanded through the centuries to become a superb example of Arab -Moslem 17th and 18th centuries architectural showcase. On display are artifacts from the Prehistoric to Carthaginian, Roman, Christian and Islamic eras. The hundreds of priceless mosaics adorning the walls and floor of the Bardo bear witness to the wealth and prosperity of Roman Tunisia. Beautiful statues and exquisitely crafted jewelry are among the displays.

Situated at the centre of the city, the Medina, is a maize of alleys and covered passages, full of tiny crafts shops, intense fragrances and colors. Trade is boisterous and active, a plethora of goods on offer ranging from leather to plastic, tin to the finest filigree and myriads of souvenirs.

Drive outwards to Carthage. Founded by Elissa Dido a Phoenician princess in the 8th century B.C on the hill of Byrsa, Carthage grew to become Rome’s archrival.

For a thousand years Phoenicians were the masters of the Mediterranean, their large number of warships and merchant vessels sheltering in the town’s port. Challenging the might of Rom unleashed an unprecedented violence from the Romans who razed and burned Carthage to the ground covering the land with salt to ensure its barrenness.

They returned building a new Carthage on its ruins making the city the administrative capital for Africa, resplended with temples, great buildings, theatres, villas and baths.

Today, declared a national monument, Carthage abounds in Punic and Roman vestiges. Visit the site and see its Punic ports and Roman ruins. The Antoinine thermal baths are one of the largest built under the Roman empire with an amazing cooling room featuring 47 meters long and 15 meters high.

The Roman theatre is still used today during the summer festival of Carthage. See the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, the Punic ruins of temples, monuments and columns among them the sanctuary of the goddess Tophet with hundreds of funeral steles believed to be a children’s cemetery.

Continue to Sidi Bou Said, a Moorish village with a beautiful architecture in blue and white, perched on a hill overlooking the bay below. Its narrow lanes are full of artisans’ shops selling hand painted pottery, carpets, clothing and many other colorful souvenirs.

 

Special Notes:
Comfortable clothing and walking shoes recommended. A considerable amount of walking is involved on mostly flat and partially uneven ground within the ruins of Carthage. Winding, stepped roads at Sidi Bou Said and narrow congested alleys at the Medina.

Not wheelchair accessible.

Participants must be able to walk and stand relatively long periods of time.

No photography allowed in the museum.

Comfort stops available at site, Bardo museum and Sidi Bou Said.

Tour sequence may vary however all features and inclusions will remain unchanged

 

Tour Timings:

Tours begin at times suitable for the ship's arrival in port. The breakdown of the excursions is as follows:

00hr00 -> Excursion departs from Tunis Port

00hr00 -> 00hr30 Drive to Bardo Museum
00hr30 -> 01hr45 Guided tour of the museum
01hr45 -> 02hr00 Drive to the Medina
02hr00 -> 02hr45 Guided walking tour of the Medina
02hr45 -> 03hr15 Drive to Carthage
03hr15 -> 04hr30 Visit Carthage
04hr30 -> 04hr45 Drive to Sidi Bou Said
04hr45 -> 05hr30 Visit Sidi Bou Said with free time for souvenirs

05hr30 -> 06hr00 Drive back to port

 

 

 

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