Tunis 3-Day Itinerary: Medina, Bardo & Carthage by TGM

How should you spend 3 days in Tunis?

Give each day one area: day 1 the medina of Tunis, day 2 the Bardo National Museum and the Ville Nouvelle, day 3 Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa by TGM. Keep Monday for the medina, because the Bardo and Sidi Bou Said’s Ennejma Ezzahra palace both close on Mondays.

Tunis rewards a slow pace: the medina is best explored on foot, the Bardo needs a long morning, and the coastal suburbs are strung along the TGM line from Tunis Marine to La Marsa. Opening hours and fees below come from Tunisia’s heritage agency, the AMVPPC, and from the Sidi Bou Said palace’s own site, checked on 16 October 2026.

The plan assumes one base in the Ville Nouvelle or a medina guesthouse; where to stay in Tunis compares those with La Marsa and Sidi Bou Said. With more time, the Tunis 7-day itinerary adds a Dougga day.

Which days of the week work best for this plan?

Avoid Mondays for days 2 and 3: the Bardo National Museum and the Ennejma Ezzahra palace in Sidi Bou Said are both closed then, and the palace also closes on public holidays. If a Monday falls in your trip, make it the medina day; Dougga, open all week, is the other Monday-proof option.

The AMVPPC page for the Bardo lists it as closed on Mondays, and the Centre des Musiques Arabes et Méditerranéennes says the Ennejma Ezzahra palace opens every day except Monday and public holidays. The Carthage Museum entry lists no weekly closing day, and Dougga is marked open all week.

Ramadan changes hours: the AMVPPC publishes separate Ramadan times for each site, such as 09:30 to 16:30 at the Bardo, and the palace in Sidi Bou Said shortens its day to 09:00–15:30 during the month. Our Ramadan travel planning guide covers the wider effects on a trip.

What should you do on day 1 in the medina of Tunis?

Spend day 1 in the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Start around the Great Mosque of Zitouna and the souks, then look for the Ottoman-era Hammouda Pacha mosque, the Slimaniya madrasa and the mausoleum of Princess Aziza Othmana. Finish in the Ville Nouvelle, where Avenue Habib Bourguiba suits an evening stroll.

Discover Tunisia, the national tourist office’s site, highlights the 9th-century Great Mosque of Zitouna and numerous Ottoman-period monuments in the medina: the Hammouda Pacha mosque, the Slimaniya madrasa and the mausoleum of Princess Aziza Othmana. Tunisia’s heritage agency lists the medina among the country’s UNESCO sites, inscribed in 1979 (AMVPPC).

For an indoor stop, the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions occupies the Dar Ben Abdallah palace, according to Discover Tunisia. The tourist office also suggests looking out for Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Arabisance buildings on the edge of the medina, which leads naturally into the Ville Nouvelle.

The medina’s lanes are easy to get lost in, which is part of the fun; a licensed guide saves time if you want context. The FCDO says theft is the most common crime and warns about distraction techniques, so keep valuables out of sight in the busy souks.

How should you plan day 2 at the Bardo National Museum?

Arrive at opening: the Bardo runs 09:30 to 16:30 in winter and 09:00 to 17:00 in summer, closes on Mondays and charges non-residents 13 dinars. Its Roman mosaics, including the Triumph of Neptune at the entrance, fill a 19th-century beylical palace and its modern wing. Spend the afternoon in the Ville Nouvelle.

According to the AMVPPC, the museum opened on 7 May 1888 and took the name Musée National du Bardo in 1956. An extension in 2009–2012 almost doubled its floor area with a modern wing whose entrance hall displays the Triumph of Neptune mosaic, now the museum’s emblem. Collections run from prehistory to the modern era across three levels.

Highlights include the mosaic collection, which the national tourist office ranks as the world’s finest, the finds from the Mahdia shipwreck, and the treasures department, which reopened on 18 March 2021 after six years’ closure, alongside the restored Zodiac mosaic (AMVPPC). Allow at least three hours.

The Bardo is outside the city centre, so a metered taxi is the simplest way there; Discover Tunisia says metered taxis and buses are the most common way to get around cities, with the light metro adding to the network in Tunis. In the afternoon, return to the Ville Nouvelle for its early 20th-century façades and café terraces.

How do you see Carthage and Sidi Bou Said on day 3?

Take the TGM from Tunis Marine towards La Marsa and get off for Carthage: start at Byrsa hill and the Carthage Museum, then the Antonine Baths by the sea. Continue to Sidi Bou Said for the Ennejma Ezzahra palace, closed on Mondays, and end the day in Sidi Bou Said or at La Marsa.

Transtu, the Tunis transport operator, lists Tunis Marine and La Marsa as its main TGM stations (Transtu FAQ), and its history page traces the line to the first direct route across Lake Tunis. Carthage and Sidi Bou Said lie along it. Travelling without a valid ticket risks a 20-dinar fine paid on the spot (Transtu).

The AMVPPC places the Carthage Museum beside the Saint-Louis basilica on the site of the ancient acropolis, open 08:30 to 17:00 in winter and 08:00 to 18:00 in summer, at 12 dinars for non-residents, with a grouped ticket noted; its list of things to see includes the Antonine Baths, the theatre, the amphitheatre, the circus and the Malga cisterns. Discover Tunisia recalls Carthage’s legendary foundation by Elyssa (Dido) in 814 BC and its destruction by Rome in 146 BC, and notes that the great hall of the Antonine Baths was 30 metres high.

In Sidi Bou Said, the Ennejma Ezzahra palace, home to the Centre des Musiques Arabes et Méditerranéennes and its musical-instrument collection, opens daily except Monday and public holidays: 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 from 1 September to 30 June, and 09:00 to 15:30 in July and August, with the ticket desk closing 30 minutes earlier. Full-price entry is 10 dinars.

Can you swap a day for Dougga?

Yes. Dougga, a UNESCO site since 1997, is one of Tunisia’s most complete Roman towns, spread over 70 hectares with a 3,500-seat theatre. It opens every day, 08:30 to 17:30 in winter and 08:00 to 19:00 in summer, at 8 dinars for non-residents. It is a full day from Tunis, so go with a tour or driver.

Discover Tunisia describes Dougga’s ruins rising up a clifftop plateau among olive trees, outlining an almost completely preserved Roman town over 70 hectares, with a capitol, a 3,500-seat theatre and the temple of Juno Caelestis. The AMVPPC gives the hours and fees above and marks the site open all week, which makes it a good swap for a Monday; it lists the UNESCO inscription as 1997 (AMVPPC).

The FCDO’s summary page advises against travel to areas near the Algerian and Libyan borders, including parts of Jendouba, El Kef and Kasserine governorates, so check the latest advice for your route and stay on standard roads. Its safety page also warns that driving at night outside towns can be hazardous, another reason to travel by day with a driver.

How should you adjust the plan for heat or rain?

In July and August, when Tunis-Carthage averages highs of 34°C or more, start outdoor sites at opening and move to the Bardo or a café in the afternoon. In winter, rain falls on about eight days a month, so keep the Bardo and Dar Ben Abdallah for wet days and Carthage for the brightest one.

The WMO 1991–2020 normals for Tunis-Carthage, the airport station at 3 metres, give July and August average highs of 34.0°C and 34.5°C with lows above 22°C, and just 4.4 mm of rain in July. From November to February, 53 to 68 mm falls each month on about 7 to 8 days, and highs sit between 16°C and 22°C.

Carthage is the most exposed day: its sites are spread out and largely in the open, so in summer start at the Carthage Museum’s 08:00 opening and save Sidi Bou Said for late afternoon. The best time to visit Tunis guide covers seasons and events in more detail.

How do you get around Tunis, and what safety advice applies?

Walk the medina and Ville Nouvelle, take a metered taxi to the Bardo, and use the TGM for Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa. The FCDO says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks, with tourist sites and crowded places at higher risk, so stay alert and avoid protests in central Tunis.

The FCDO’s safety page says security forces remain on a high state of alert in Tunis, a state of emergency has been in place since 2015, and demonstrations happen occasionally, usually in central areas of Tunis and other major cities, and tend to fall at weekends and on prominent national dates such as 14 January and 17 December. It says theft is the most common crime and that reports of sexual harassment rise in the summer months. It also warns that in summer heatwaves the electricity company STEG may make temporary power cuts, which can affect air conditioning, mobile and internet connections and, in extreme cases, water supply and card payments. Its summary page lists regions to avoid near the Algerian and Libyan borders; Tunis is not among them.

Under the FCDO’s entry rules, UK visitors can stay up to 90 days without a visa. Tunisia has strict currency controls and you cannot take dinars out of the country, so change money in stages and keep exchange receipts. On the TGM and metro, travelling without a ticket risks a 20-dinar fine paid on the spot (Transtu).

What should you book ahead for 3 days in Tunis?

Little needs advance booking for the medina, the Bardo or Carthage; the heritage agency publishes entry fees for each site. Consider a licensed guide for the medina, and book a Dougga day trip ahead if you swap a day. In summer, the Carthage International Festival stages concerts at Carthage’s Roman theatre.

The Carthage International Festival held its 60th edition in summer 2026, with concerts reported in mid-August and tickets sold at the Roman Theatre of Carthage and the Cité de la Culture. In autumn, Discover Tunisia highlights Octobre Musical at the Acropolium of Carthage and the Musiqât festival at the Baron d’Erlanger palace in Sidi Bou Said.

If you book a guided tour, compare the meeting point, duration, inclusions and cancellation terms; GetYourGuide vs Viator vs Klook explains how the platforms differ.

Who is this itinerary for, and how can you adapt it?

It suits first-time visitors who want Tunis’s medina, Roman mosaics and the coast without a car. History lovers can replace the Ville Nouvelle afternoon with more time at Carthage, beach-minded travellers can base themselves in La Marsa, and anyone with a Monday in the middle should reorder the days.

Choose your base with where to stay in Tunis, check seasons in best time to visit Tunis, and use things to do in Tunis to trade sights in or out.

For food, try Tunis eats; for budgets and background, the Tunis destination guide.

• Do I need a car? No; walking, metered taxis and the TGM cover this plan.
• Is the Bardo open on Mondays? No; it closes on Mondays.
• Can I do Carthage and Sidi Bou Said in one day? Yes, by TGM, if you start early.
• What if it is Ramadan? Hours change; the AMVPPC publishes Ramadan times for each site.
• Can I take dinars home? No; the FCDO says you cannot take Tunisian dinars out of the country.