Self-Guided Walks in Tunisian Old Towns

Ground rules for walking

Tunisia has no daily programme of free English-language walking tours. Walking here means following a route yourself, or paying a licensed local guide for a private walk. The old towns reward both, as long as you prepare. Cobbles are slippery and uneven, and many lanes tilt towards a central drain, so wear shoes with a good grip. Cover shoulders and knees in medinas and residential streets. Aim for the morning, when shops are opening and the light is soft.

Travel advice, 31 October 2026. Before you book, read the latest US State Department and UK FCDO pages: parts of the border regions and military zones are off limits to tourists. The US rating for Tunisia is Level 2, and the FCDO (last revised 24 July 2026) lists border and military areas to avoid. The three walks below are in Tunis, at Sidi Bou Said and in Sousse.

Route 1: through the Tunis medina (about 3 km, 2.5 to 3 hours)

  1. Begin at Bab El Bhar, the stone gate called Porte de France, where the French-built new town meets the old city.
  2. Walk up Rue Jamaa Ezzitouna past brass, perfume oil and leather slipper stalls.
  3. At the top is Ez-Zitouna Mosque. Non-Muslims may look into the courtyard in the morning but may not enter further.
  4. To the north, Souk El Attarine, the perfume market, has smelled of jasmine and orange-blossom water since the 13th century.
  5. Detour into the Souk des Chechias to watch scarlet felt caps being made by hand.
  6. Pass the Medersa Slimania and Dar Lasram, a 19th-century mansion with carved stucco and painted ceilings that sometimes shows exhibitions.
  7. End at Place du Gouvernement beside the Kasbah Mosque.

The wide boulevard of the new town, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, dates from the 1890s. It makes a fine café stop at the start or end, but the UNESCO listing covers the medina.

Route 2: the Sidi Bou Said clifftop (about 2 km, up to 2 hours)

From the TGM station, climb Rue Habib Thameur between white walls, blue grilles and arches framed in yellow limestone. Spend an hour at Dar El Annabi, an 18th-century summer house with courtyards and a roof terrace. Continue past the lighthouse to Cafe des Nattes, the matting-covered terrace that the painter August Macke visited in 1914, or take the steps down to Cafe Sidi Chabaane, also known as Cafe des Delices, to look across the Gulf of Tunis towards the twin peaks of Jebel Boukornine.

Route 3: the Sousse medina and walls (about 2.5 km, about 2 hours)

Begin at Place Farhat Hached and pass through Bab El Bhar into the walled medina. The ninth-century Great Mosque comes first, followed by the Ribat of 796 AD, where a 30 m tower gives a view over the roofs and the sea. Climb through the covered markets, including Souk El Caid, to the kasbah and the Archaeological Museum of Sousse, which displays Roman mosaics, among them a Head of Medusa and a Triumph of Bacchus. Check the museum’s open days before you set out.

Hiring a guide

A guide’s badge should come from the national tourism office. Agree the language, the length of the walk and the price in dinars before you start, and carry small notes for tips. Keep any exchange slips from banks or exchange desks.

Read more: sightseeing in Tunisia , attraction tours and the Tunis guide .

Private walks in Tunis can be searched on Viator . Further reading: Discover Tunisia and the UK FCDO page .