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Standing columns of the Temple of Saturn at Dougga above a green valley

From Tunis · From Hammamet

Northern Tunisia in two days: Dougga, Tabarka and the green mountains

A private two-day tour from your hotel in Tunis through the greenest part of the country: the Andalusian mosque of Testour, the Roman town of Dougga, the Needles on the coast at Tabarka, the cork-oak forest of Aïn Draham, the lake and waterfall at Beni Mtir and the dairy market of Béja. One night in a 4-star hotel in Tabarka with dinner and breakfast is included.

  • 2 days
  • Private tour
  • 1 night
  • Lunch · included
  • Entrance fees · included

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Standing columns of the Temple of Saturn at Dougga above a green valley
Standing columns of the Temple of Saturn at Dougga above a green valley

Overview

Northern Tunisia in 2 days: Dougga, Tabarka and the Kroumirie

Most visitors never see this Tunisia. Two hours west of Tunis the olive plain gives way to cork-oak forest, the roads start to bend, and the rainfall record of the country belongs to a mountain town where it occasionally snows. Tabarka, on the Algerian border, is where that forest meets the Mediterranean.

Day one is history on the way to the coast: Testour, built by Andalusian exiles, and Dougga, which UNESCO calls the best-preserved small Roman town in North Africa. Day two is landscape: the sandstone Needles on the shore, the heights of Aïn Draham, the lake at Beni Mtir, and a last stop in Béja for cheese to take home.

The tour is private, from and back to your hotel in Tunis, with one night on the coast on half board.

Highlights

  • Dougga, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997
  • The Great Mosque of Testour, the finest Morisco building in Tunisia
  • A night in Tabarka on the north-west coast, with dinner and breakfast
  • The Aiguilles: eroded sandstone needles on the Tabarka shore
  • The Kroumirie forest, Aïn Draham and the lake at Beni Mtir

Photos

The tour, day by day

2 days in this order. Your driver may adapt the order of a day to traffic, weather and opening hours.

The route

2 days · 1 nights

  1. Pick-upAt your hotel
  2. Day 1Tabarka
  3. Day 2Béja
  4. ReturnAt your hotel

  1. Day 1

    Testour, Dougga, Djebba and the road to Tabarka

    • 4-star hotel in Tabarka, half board
    • Dinner

    1. Testour and its Andalusian mosque

      Entrance included

      Testour was built by Muslims expelled from Spain, and it still looks it. The Great Mosque on the central square dates from the early seventeenth century and is the most remarkable piece of Morisco architecture in Tunisia: a synthesis of local North African building and Hispano-Moorish decoration. The town is also known for its own cheese, which is sold on the square.

    2. Dougga, a Roman town still standing

      UNESCO World Heritage · 1997Entrance included

      UNESCO inscribed Dougga on the World Heritage List in 1997, calling it the best-preserved small Roman town in North Africa. You do not see foundations here, you see streets: the Capitol with its columns, the theatre, the baths, the market and the Libyco-Punic mausoleum that pre-dates the Romans entirely.

    3. Tabarka, between the forest and the sea

      Entrance included

      The first day ends on the north-west coast, near the Algerian border, where the Khroumirie forest comes down to the Mediterranean. Tabarka is a quiet resort town with tiled roofs, a Genoese fortress on its headland, a coral-fishing past and a jazz festival. You sleep here, on half board.

  2. Day 2

    The Needles of Tabarka, Aïn Draham, Beni Mtir and Béja

    • End of the tour
    • Breakfast

    1. The Needles of Tabarka

      The morning starts on the shore at the Aiguilles, the Needles: vertical bars of coarse sandstone, separated by softer clay, eroded by rain and wind into cliffs and arches up to about 25 metres high. A winding coastal path runs under them.

    2. Aïn Draham in the Kroumirie mountains

      Entrance included

      The road climbs inland to Aïn Draham, which sits at about 800 metres on the slopes of Djebel Bir in the Kroumirie range. This is the wettest part of Tunisia and the one place where Tunisians come to see snow — the cork-oak forest here looks nothing like the rest of the country.

    3. Beni Mtir, its lake and the Charchara waterfall

      Entrance included

      Beni Mtir is a mountain village at around 650 metres, in Berber Kroumir country. The reservoir below it gives the panorama the tour is built around, and a short walk leads to the Charchara waterfall in the forest.

    4. Béja, for the dairy

      The tour finishes with free time in Béja, which is where northern Tunisia buys its dairy: fresh cottage cheese, unsalted cheese and butter. Then the road back to Tunis.

Nights and meals

Where you sleep each night and which meals are included, day by day.

Nights and meals included, day by day
DayNightMeals included
Day 14-star hotel in Tabarka, half boardDinner
Day 2End of the tourBreakfast

What is included

The price covers everything listed under "Included". Anything else is up to you.

Included

  • One night in a 4-star hotel in Tabarka, half board
  • Dinner at the hotel
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Air-conditioned private vehicle for your group only
  • Private transport throughout the tour
  • All fees and taxes
  • Entrance fees to the sites and museums in the programme

Good to know

The stop at Djebba
Day one includes Djebba, a village clinging to a cliff between Dougga and Tabarka, where a short walk reaches the caves, the spring and the waterfall. How long we stop depends on the season and the state of the path.
Which hotel in Tabarka
Your night is in a 4-star hotel in Tabarka on half board. We confirm the exact hotel in writing with your quote.
Mountain weather
This is the wettest region in Tunisia. Between November and March bring a waterproof layer and shoes with grip; in summer the forest is a good 10 degrees kinder than the coast.
Not a beach tour
Tabarka has a coastline, but the two days are built around forest, ruins and viewpoints. If you want swimming time, say so when you book and we will see what the hotel allows.

Questions about this tour

How much does this tour cost?

One adult travelling alone pays €700. In a group of two to six, each adult pays €400, and children aged 2 to 11 pay €250. For more than six people we quote on request.

What is included in the price?

One night in a 4-star hotel in Tabarka with dinner and breakfast, a private air-conditioned vehicle for the two days, all fees and taxes, and the entrance fees to the sites in the programme.

Is lunch included?

Dinner and breakfast at the hotel are included; lunch is not, on either day. Your driver can stop somewhere local and you pay there.

Where does the tour start and end?

At your hotel in Tunis, both days. We send the pick-up time with your written confirmation.

Is there a guide?

Your private air-conditioned vehicle and the site entrance fees are included. We confirm with your quote who accompanies you, and can add a guide on request.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. Children aged 2 to 11 travel at a reduced price. There is a fair amount of driving and two short walks, so it suits children who travel well in a car.

All multi-day tours See the private day trips instead

Plan my day

Ask about this tour

Send us your dates and your group: we reply with availability, the hotels, the pick-up time and the full price in writing.

  • A warm welcome to TunisiaShare your dates and where you are staying; we take it from there.
  • A day shaped around youWe suggest the right trip for your hotel or ship, and for your hours.
  • Clear answers, in writingPrice, pick-up time and itinerary confirmed before you decide.

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