Tunis Governorate · Tunisia
Where to stay in Tunis
Tunis is a city in Tunis Governorate, Tunisia, home to about 603,000 people.
- Best months
- March to May, October and November
- Nearest airport
- TUN7 km · Tunis Carthage International Airport
- Currency
- TNDTunisian dinar
- Time zone
- Africa/Tunis
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Tunis
Tunis (Arabic: تونس, ) is the capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants.
Located on the Mediterranean coast but lacking much in the way of beaches, Tunis has been spared the onslaught of package tourism to the resorts to the north and south. The city center is located about 10 km from the sea, on the shores of Lake Tunis. Tunis started out as a modest village compared to cities like Carthage, Kairouan and Mahdia. It eventually became the capital of the Almohad Caliphate in 1159, and has been conquered by various Muslim and Christian empires after that.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Tunis
See
- Tunis Medina
- Grande Mosquée Zitouna
- Sidi Youssef Dey Mosque
- Medersa Bachia
- Bab El Bahr
- Bab Saadoun
- Tourbet el-Bey
- Dar Ben Abdallah Museum
- Avenue de France
- Place de la Victoire
- Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul
- Théâtre Municipal
Do
Simply wandering around Tunis can be an interesting experience, especially around the medina with its ancient buildings including mosques, gates and market stalls. All types of commodities including slaves used to be traded here, but today's market is mainly that of day-to-day goods, with many local handicrafts. Shopping and haggling at this colorful place is certainly an experience different from what you may be used to at home. Another good place for a walk is Tunis' largest park, Belvedere Park, which houses the Museum of Modern Art and the municipal zoo (closed Mondays), and overlooks Lake Tunis. The Théâtre municipal de Tunis, mentioned in See above, is more than just a sight.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Tunis to stay in
Most tourists will be interested in accommodation in either the Medina or in Ville Nouvelle. The medina includes the youth hostel and several other budget accommodations, and the high end Dar El Jed. The Ville Nouvelle offers a large number of budget and mid-range accommodation, many grouped within a few blocks of each other north of Place Barcelone. Some places expect couples to present some sort of proof of marriage in order to rent a two-person room.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Tunis
5 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Majestic | 1914 | 0.4 km |
| Hôtel du Lac | 1973 | 0.7 km |
| Hotel Africa | 1971 | 0.3 km |
| Hôtel Carlton | 0.3 km | |
| Dar Ben Turkia | 0.7 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Tunis
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Tunis are March to May, October and November. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C; December is the wettest, with about 70 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Tunis: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tunis Carthage International Airport (TUN), about 7.0 km from the city centre in a straight line; Enfidha - Hammamet International Airport (NBE, 84 km) and Tabarka-Aïn Draham International Airport (TBJ, 118 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The major carrier at Tunis-Carthage is Tunisair, serving many destinations. The major western carriers who service Tunis-Carthage are Air France, ITA Airways and Lufthansa, from London, Paris, Rome or Frankfurt. Air Malta offers occasional flights to Tunis from Malta, so you can puddle-jump through the Mediterranean. Also, flights from other African cities are common ways to access Tunis if you are traveling to Tunisia from another African destination or vice versa. Tunisian law requires all currency to be exchanged within the country.
Getting around
Free maps of Tunis and Tunisia are available at the National Tourism Office, to the north-east of the clock tower (directly east of the main Medina gate). The tourist office offers assistance in many languages. Tunis is well-served by a convenient five-line light metro system run by Transtu. The interchange hubs for all lines are in the centre of town at Place de la République and Place de Barcelone. Ticket prices are dependent on how many sections of network (zones) traveled through. Single way 1-section tickets cost 0.500 DT.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
TUN · Tunis Carthage International Airport
NBE · Enfidha - Hammamet International Airport
TBJ · Tabarka-Aïn Draham International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Tunis
Eat
Most hotels include breakfast, and some include dinner. There are countless coffee shops with bitter coffee, other drinks and French-style pastries to enjoy, as well as sandwich shops. Count yourself lucky if you find a dish that does not include canned tuna! Know that during Ramadan it's difficult to find an open restaurant during daytime. If you want alcohol when eating go to a hotel as most serve beer/wine, as do some upmarket restaurants in the Berges du Lac area of Tunis.
Drink
Be careful about what bars you frequent, ladies should perhaps try to bring a man out with them. Local beers are Celtia and the elusive Stella, which is rarely seen but exists on RateBeer. Both are lagers. Local liqueurs include Boukha ("boo-k"), usually taken straight or with coke, and Thibina, which is usually taken straight with a single ice cube. Alcohol is mostly only served in hotel bars. The Lac 1 and Lac 2 areas do not permit alcohol to be served.
Stay safe
Touts and unofficial "guides" hang around near tourist spots. Shoo them off if they start to launch into a spiel on the architectural wonders of this or that, or they will expect to some baksheesh (payment) for their unwanted efforts. One thing that can get really annoying in Tunis is the number of "friends" a tourist will attract. There is a decent number of men who hang out on avenue Bourguiba, the main drag in Tunis. They work individually. They approach tourists and start talking to them. The tourist may think that this person is just being friendly, but don't buy it. Also beware of teens approaching you on or around av. Habib Bourguiba.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Tunis: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Tunis?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Tunis are March to May, October and November. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C; December is the wettest, with about 70 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Tunis?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tunis Carthage International Airport (TUN), about 7.0 km from the city centre in a straight line; Enfidha - Hammamet International Airport (NBE, 84 km) and Tabarka-Aïn Draham International Airport (TBJ, 118 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Tunis?
Tunisian dinar (TND).
Nearby
Destinations near Tunis
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.