We're headed off on April 20th to Algiers, Algeria for a week. Then, we fly to Tunis, Tunisia for 16 days. Highlights include plenty of medinas (markets), museums, Roman towns and ruins, the third largest Roman amphitheater, the legendary home of the lotus eaters in Homer's Odyssey, lots of mosques and troglodytic settlements, the village which served as a shooting location of Episode IV of Star Wars, a private tented camp established and maintained by the tour company in the Sahara desert, camel and horse-drawn carriage rides, a visit to a carpet workshop, and to the fourth holiest Mosque in Islam. We'll have dinner with local families, listen to lectures on women's rights in Tunisia, and stop by North Africa's American Cemetery and Memorial paying tribute to those fallen in World War II, and explore ancient Carthage and the ruins of Virgil's Aeneid. We'll take lots of photos, and be back on May 12th.
Algeria and Tunisia (Click for Podcast Audio)
TIA Algeria: Houssem Degdeg
+213553-24-29-60
In Algiers we will stay in Hotel El Djazair
In Constantine, Panoramic hotel
TIA Tunisia: Ennour Mhamed
tel: (+216) 92 345 886
WhatsApp: (+216) 25 345 678
mail:mohamedennour127@gmail.com
facebook: https://https://www.facebook.com/Mhamed.ennour
Pre-Trip
Arrival Date: 04/21/2026
EL DJAZAIR
24 AVE SOUIDANI BOUDJEMAA
ELMOURDIA
ALGEIRS
Algeria
Tel: 011/213-21603707
Website: WWW.CHAINEELDJAZAIR.COM/HOTEL-EL-DJAZAIR
____________________________________________________________________
Pre-Trip
Arrival Date: 04/24/2026
PROTEA HOTEL CONSTANTINE
AVENUE AOUATI MOSTEFA 59
CONSTANTINE
Algeria
Tel: 011213319235357
Website: HTTPS://WWW.MARRIOTT.COM/EN-US/HOTELS/CZLPR-
PROTEA-HOTEL-CON
____________________________________________________________________
Itinerary Subject to Change
43Arrival Date: 04/27/2026
HOTEL BELVEDERE
10 AVENUE DES ETATS UNIS
D AMERIQUE
TUNIS
Tunisia
Tel: 011/216 71783 133
Website: HTTPS://WWW.HOTELBELVEDERETUNIS.COM/
____________________________________________________________________
Arrival Date: 05/01/2026
KSAR OULED DEBBAB
KSAR OULED DEBBAB
3242
TATAOUINE
Tunisia
Tel: +21675875217
Website: KSAROULEDDEBBAB.TN
____________________________________________________________________
Arrival Date: 05/03/2026
GHILANE OAT CAMP
38, AVENUE TAIEB M'HIRI
4260 DOUZ
SAHARA DOUZ
Tunisia
Tel: +21675470692
____________________________________________________________________
44
Itinerary Subject to ChangeArrival Date: 05/04/2026
DIAR ABOU HABIBI
ROUTE DE LA BERKA
2200 TOZEUR
TOUZEUR
Tunisia
Tel: +21676460270
Website: DIARHABIBI.COM
____________________________________________________________________
Arrival Date: 05/06/2026
LA KASBAH HOTEL
AVE IBN JAZZAR -CITTE LA MOSQU
KAIROUAN
Tunisia
Tel: 011-216-77-237-301
____________________________________________________________________
Arrival Date: 05/09/2026
DAR SAID HOTEL
RUE TOUMI
02026
SIDI BOU SAID
Tunisia
Tel: 71729666
Fax: 71729899
Website: HTTP://WWW.DARSAID.COM.TN/
______________________________________
YOUR PRE-TRIP EXTENSION
Untouched Algeria: Algiers & Constantine
Day 1 [FPOD2DDate]
Monday, Apr 20, 2026
Fly to Algiers, Algeria
•
Destination: Depart U.S.
Afternoon/Evening: Depart the U.S. today for your overnight
flight to Algiers, Algeria.
Arrive in Algiers
Included Meals: Dinner
Accommodations:
Day 2 Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026
EL DJAZAIR
Afternoon: Arrive in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, this afternoon,
where an O.A.T. representative will meet you at the airport and
assist with the transfer to our hotel. After check in, your Trip
Experience Leader will guide you on a walking tour around the
neighborhood of the hotel.
Dinner: We’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant tonight, featuring
regional specialties.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the evening as you wish.
Perhaps you’ll begin exploring Algiers on your own, or settle in to
rest for our day tomorrow.
15Day 3 Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026
Explore Algiers
Destination: Algiers
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations:EL DJAZAIR
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll set out on a city tour of Algiers this morning. Our
tour will take us past many grand French colonial whitewashed
buildings, including the Grande Poste d’Alger (the Algiers central
post office), which is a striking example of French-designed, early
20th-century Moorish architecture. After our overview of the
architectural highlights of Algiers, you’ll have a couple of hours of
free time to do as you wish.
Lunch: On your own. Your Trip Experience Leader will gladly point
out local dining suggestions.
Afternoon: We’ll ride a cable car to the Martyrs’ Memorial, which
honors the lives lost in the Algerian war for independence. The
memorial opened in 1982, twenty years after the country gained
independence from France. Then, you’ll have some time for
independent exploring for the remainder of the afternoon.
Dinner: We’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant tonight.
Evening: You have the remainder of the evening to continue
exploring Algiers.
.
Day 4 Explore Algiers
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today we set out for the Kasbah of Algiers. This
UNESCO World Heritage Site played a critical role during Algeria’s
struggle for independence from France in 1954-1962. During our
3-hour tour, we’ll visit the outside of Ketchaoua Mosque—a place
of worship that has undergone transitions of two different faiths
(Muslim and Roman Catholic during French rule) since 1612. We’ll
also pay a visit to the Museum of Popular Arts & Traditions.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll drive to Algiers’ Roman Catholic basilica,
Notre-Dame d’Afrique (Our Lady of Africa). After 14 years of
construction, the basilica opened in 1872, sporting neo-Byzantine
architecture. Afterwards, we’ll drive back to the hotel, where the
balance of the afternoon is free to make your own discoveries.
Dinner: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience Leader for some
local dining options.
Evening: Free to continue exploring Algiers on your own.
NDay 5
Friday, Apr 24, 2026
Algiers • Djemila • Constantine
Destination: Constantine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
PROTEA HOTEL CONSTANTINE
Activity Note: Today’s overland transfer to Djemila will take
about 4 hours, with stops along the way.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today we set out on a four-hour drive to Djemila—the
site of some of the best preserved Roman ruins in North Africa.
Lunch: We’ll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant upon arrival
in Djemila.
Afternoon: We’ll explore the Roman ruins of Djemila. Majestic
arches, temples, basilicas, and other examples of classic Roman
architecture fill this small mountain village. Then, we’ll continue
on to Constantine. This “City of Bridges,” nicknamed for its grand
bridges that connect hills and valleys, was also named the Arab
Capital of Culture in 2015. Afterwards, we’ll check into our hotel
and you’ll have some free time to rest after a day of discovery.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: You’re free to settle in for the night, or venture out for a
nightcap in town.
.Day 6 Saturday, Apr 25, 2026
Explore Constantine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations: PROTEA HOTEL CONSTANTINE
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Our explorations today take us through Constantine,
Algeria’s third-largest city. We’ll start by discovering
Constantine’s Kasbah, and we’ll witness the small—but at one
time mighty—Rhumel River, which carved out a circular gorge
that resembles a natural fortress. Then, we’ll visit the Palace of
Ahmed Bey, an Ottoman-era building built for Ahmed Bey ben
Mohamed Chérif, ruler of Constantine from 1826-1848. This
ornate palace decorated with Tunisian and French tiles took
nearly ten years to build, yet Ahmed Bey only enjoyed it for two
years before the French turned it into their headquarters during
their takeover. Following our visit, we’ll cross the Mellah Slimane
Bridge on foot, which is more than 300 feet above the river, nearly
400 feet long, and only eight feet wide.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Following lunch, we’ll cross another one of
Constantine’s iconic monuments on foot, the Sidi M’Cid Bridge
which offers sprawling views of the town and the gorge. We
wrap up the day’s tour of the city with a visit to the Mosque of
Emir Abdelkader. The mosque’s twin minarets and its sheer size
in general make the building stand out. Its prayer hall can hold
10,000 people, making it one of the world’s largest mosques.
You’ll have the remainder of the afternoon free.
Dinner: On your own. You may choose to enjoy a meal at one of
the many restaurants near the hotel.
Itinerary Subject to Change.
19Evening: You are free for you to make your own discoveries.
Perhaps you’ll witness even more of the city’s famous bridges.
Day 7 Sunday, Apr 26, 2026
Constantine • Visit Tiddis
Destination: Constantine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations:
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: This morning, we’ll drive to the archaeological site of
Tiddis. This ancient ruined Roman town was built on a hillside
overlooking Constantine in the third century and used as a
lookout to protect the city from invaders. It followed classic
Roman town planning, with just two main streets that crossed
in the center. Because Tiddis had no main water source, we’ll see
abandoned water tanks and channels, which were used as a means
for collecting rainwater. We’ll also see various circular tombs,
a Roman arch, and sanctuaries to Roman gods Mithra, Vesta,
and Ceres.
Lunch: On your own. Perhaps you’ll sample chakhchoukha,
a local Algerian specialty stew that consists of lamb,
chickpeas, rougag (round, thin flatbread), tomatoes, peppers,
and onions.
Afternoon: We’ll return to our hotel by the mid-afternoon,
and you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to relax at the hotel or
continue exploring the city.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Itinerary Subject to Change.Evening: You’ll have the evening to yourself to make any final discoveries in Constantine.
Day 8 Monday, Apr 27, 2026
Transfer to Tunis, Tunisia • Begin main trip
Destination: Tunis
Included Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll transfer to the airport in Constantine for our
morning flight to Algiers. This afternoon, fly to Tunis, Tunisia to
meet your fellow travelers and begin our main adventure.
Tunis
Monday, Apr 27, 2026
Arrive in Tunis, Tunisia
Destination: Tunis
Included Meals: Dinner
Accommodations:HOTEL BELVEDERE
Sunday, Apr 26, 2026
Afternoon: We’ll be met at the Tunis airport by an O.A.T.
representative today and transferred to our hotel, where we’ll
meet our Trip Experience Leader and fellow travelers, including
those who took our pre-trip extension to Untouched Algeria:
Algiers & Constantine. Then, we will take an orientation walk to get
familiar with our surroundings.
Dinner: We’ll gather at our hotel’s restaurant for our first dinner
together.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your
evening as you wish—ask your Trip Experience Leader for
recommendations. Or, perhaps you’ll return to your room to relax
before our first day of discoveries.
2Day 3 Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026
Explore Tunis
Destination: Tunis
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Lots of walking, no benches
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: This morning we’ll explore Tunisia’s bustling capital.
Tunis was one of the greatest cities in the world during the reign
of the Almohad and Hafsid dynasties from the twelfth to the 16th
centuries. Today, it boasts a diversity of distinct cultures and a
rich, complex history shaped by ages of colonization. We will
begin our day with a tour of the Bardo Museum. After, we will
drive to the medina.
Lunch: On your own in the medina of Tunis—ask your Trip
Experience Leader for local restaurant recommendations.
Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll experience the diversity of Tunis
when we venture to the city’s medina—a UNESCO World Heritage
Site—to witness the hundreds of palaces, mosques, and fountains
situated here. We’ll also meet some of the vendors who sell
their handicrafts at various souks (markets), and learn about
local traditions like the chachia, a flexible hat worn by men that
originated in Tunisia and Libya. The chachia is typically made from
wool that has been crushed with hot water and soap, then dyed,
and shaped. We’re sure to see some men donning this typical
headpiece as we walk through the medina.
Itinerary Subject to Change.
23Dinner: We’ll enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant
this evening.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your
evening as you wish—ask your Trip Experience Leader for
recommendations.
Day 4 Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026
Visit ancient Dougga • Visit Testour
Destination: Tunis
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations:
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today we’ll embark on a morning tour of ancient
Dougga, the best-preserved ancient Roman city in North Africa
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here stand the remains
of a complete town that once had 5,000 residents, including
villas, temples, baths, a paved street, and a forum, making it
easy to imagine life here in the second century AD. The temple
known as “the Capitol” and the Caracalla Baths are particularly
well-preserved, and the site’s theater—which was designed to
seat 3,500 spectators—is still used for performances of classic
works today.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We’ll drive for to Testour, a sleepy town that is home
to Tunisia’s finest examples of Andalusian architecture. We’ll
observe the local ways of life here and admire the adobe-tiled
roofs before continuing on to Tunis, where you will have the
remainder of the day free to relax or explore on your own. Your
Trip Experience Leader is happy to make suggestions.
Dinner: On your own—ask your Trip Experience Leader for local
restaurant recommendations.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening
as you wish.
Day 5 Thursday, Apr 30, 2026
Tunis • A Day in the Life of a Tunisian family
Destination: Tunis
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today we’ll experience our NEW A Day in the Life of a
local Tunisian family.
Upon arrival, you’ll witness firsthand their unique way of life. This
opportunity offers a glimpse into the traditions, customs, and
hospitality that are deeply rooted in Tunisian society. Throughout
the day, you may accompany members of the family as they go
about their various activities, such as doing chores or helping to
prepare a traditional dish. The family members are eager to share
their daily routines, culinary delights, stories, and authentic
insight into Tunisian culture.
Lunch: We’ll sit down with the family to enjoy the lunch we
helped to prepare.
Afternoon: We’ll thank our hosts and drive back to Tunis, arriving
back at our hotel by the mid-afternoon. Then, you’ll have the
remainder of the day free to pursue individual interests.
Dinner: On your own. You can ask your Trip Experience Leader for
some local dining options.
Evening: Free to do as you’d like, whether that’s retiring early to
your room or joining your fellow travelers for an evening stroll.
NOTES:
Day 6 Friday, May 01, 2026
Tunis • Fly to Djerba • Overland to Tataouine
Destination: Tataouine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: KSAR OULED DEBBAB
Activity Note: Today will include an early morning wake-up call
due to a 7:15am flight to Djerba.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll depart our hotel early this morning for a short
drive to the Tunis airport, where we’ll catch our flight to Djerba.
After landing, we’ll begin our overland transfer to Tataouine,
making a couple of stops along the way. Linked to mainland
Tunisia by a causeway built on a Roman-era foundation, the
beautiful island of Djerba is thought to be the legendary home of
the lotus eaters in Homer’s Odyssey. First, we’ll take a drive to
visit Erryadh, where we’ll interact with the locals and explore the
village. Then, we’ll drive to Houmt Souk—Djerba’s capital—a
historic city of white-washed mosques and groves of olive and
citrus trees.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Houmt Souk.
Afternoon: We’ll continue our overland transfer to Tataouine.
After checking in to our hotel, we’ll enjoy some free time to relax
and settle in.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend your evening as you
wish—take advantage of the hotel’s amenities, or begin getting
acquainted with Tataouine on your own.
Day 7 Saturday, May 02, 2026
Berber villages
Destination: Tataouine
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Activity Note: Today we will walk for a total of 2 miles over
uneven, slippery terrain, steeply sloped surfaces, and stairs
without railings (not suitable for the use of walking sticks). There
will not be any benches available for resting during this walk.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll drive to the picturesque Berber village of Chenini.
Established in the late 19th century, this troglodytic settlement
was built into the dramatic, rocky hills as a means of protection
from Ghazzia (Arab tribes). But its clever construction did more
than just shelter from harm’s way: the rock produces a naturally
isothermal environment, shielding the homes from wind and
extreme temperatures ranging from 37 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Itinerary Subject to Change.
The houses are built by digging deep into the horizontal layers of
sandstone, a sedimentary rock malleable enough to carve with
simple hand tools, that are trapped within layers of harder rock.
The harder rock serves as the floors and ceilings of these houses.
Individual cave dwellings are then dug out around the edges of
the pit, forming subterranean rooms and the main pit serves as a
communal courtyard.
We’ll spend about 1.5 hours hiking around Chenini, the village
that served as a shooting location of Episode IV of Star Wars, and
perhaps interact with some of the 600 or so farmers and artisans
who make their home here.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll drive back to our hotel in Tataouine,
where you’ll have some time to make your own discoveries.
You may wish to visit Ksar Ouled Soltane, a fortified storehouse
featuring multi-story vaulted cellars.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening
as you wish. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a nightcap at the bar or relax in
the lounge.
.Day 8 Sunday, May 03, 2026
Tataouine • Visit a troglodyte house • Sahara Desert camp
Destination: Sahara Desert
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:GHILANE OAT CAMP
Activity Note: Electricity is available at the camp during the day,
between 6am and 11pm, and is turned off overnight.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Today we begin our journey into the Sahara Desert
for our overnight stay in a private tented camp. Along the way,
we’ll make a stop at the Berber town of Matmata to discover its
fascinating troglodyte houses—man-made caves dug out of large
pits in the ground. We’ll stop to visit one of them, and we’ll be
welcomed into the home by the family who lives there.
Lunch: At a troglodyte house in Matmata.
Afternoon: We’ll continue our journey through the rocky desert
and into the Sahara until we reach Douz, a town where all roads
end at the edge of the Great Eastern Erg. Beyond Douz, this
immense expanse of the Sahara extends hundreds of miles to the
south. Then, we’ll board 4x4 vehicles to reach our private, O.A.T.
tented camp, positioned in a remote stretch of the golden-hued
Grand Erg. Camp amenities are basic but comfortable, featuring a
common area where meals will be served.
Dinner: At the camp.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening
as you wish. Perhaps you’ll relax in the camp’s common area or
stargaze with fellow travelers.
Day 9 Monday, May 04, 2026
The Sahara Desert • Camel ride in dunes •
Overland to Tozeur
Destination: Tozeur
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:DIAR ABOU HABIBI
Early morning: Today, we absorb the feeling of the desert
environment. If you wish, your Trip Experience Leader will wake
you up early to sit in the camp and watch the sun rise over the
Sahara Desert, casting light across the sprawling sand dunes.
During the summer, the sun rises around 5am, but in the winter,
it rises closer to 6am. Coffee will be awaiting those who choose to
rise early.
Breakfast: At the camp.
Morning: After breakfast, we’ll board 4x4 vehicles and drive
through the desert’s expanse to begin our camel ride experience.
When we arrive, we’ll saddle up for a camel ride amidst the desert
dunes. During our trek, we may cross paths with nomadic people
as they make their way across the sprawling sea of sand.
Lunch: Enjoy lunch with a nomadic family.
We’ll begin our drive to Tozeur, with a stop along the
way at Chott El Jerid, the largest salt lake in the Sahara Desert, for
a photo opportunity. We’ll reach our hotel in Tozeur in the late
afternoon, and we’ll have a little time to relax and freshen up
before dinner.
Dinner: At our hotel’s restaurant.
Evening: You’re free to retire to your room, enjoy a drink at the
lounge, or begin exploring on your own.
Day 10 Tuesday, May 05, 2026
Explore Tozeur oasis by horse-drawn carriage • Visit local brick factory
Destination: Tozeur
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations:DIAR ABOU HABIBI
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll embark a horse-drawn carriage to explore the
Tozeur oasis. For two thousand years, this city has thrived in a
lush oasis on the edge of the largest salt flat in northern Africa,
and was a remote and fiercely independent enclave for much of
that time. In its old section, elaborate designs in yellow brickwork
decorate the walls lining narrow alleys and passageways with
the same traditional patterns that are found in the local Berber
handcrafts. We’ll feel the true oasis atmosphere here as we
explore byways where spring-fed canals water date palms,
flowers, and crops of plums, grapes, pomegranates, and bananas.
When our discoveries here wrap up, we’ll drive to visit a
small brick factory to learn how bricks for local homes are
handmade in traditional kilns. Afterwards, we’ll drive to the
historic medina of Tozeur.
Lunch: On your own in Tozeur’s medina. Your Trip Experience
Leader can recommend some local dining options.
Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll visit the Sidi Ben Aissa
Archaeological Mausoleum and enjoy a discussion with the
mausoleum’s curator. The rest of your afternoon is free to do
as you’d like. Perhaps you’ll take advantage of your freedom to
explore and visit the Eden Palm Museum, which focuses on the
role of the date palm in Tunisian society.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your
evening as you wish—ask your Trip Experience Leader for
recommendations.
Day 11 Wednesday, May 06, 2026
Tozeur • Roman ruins at Sbeitla • Kairouan
Destination: Kairouan
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations:LA KASBAH HOTEL
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll depart our hotel in Tozeur and begin our overland
transfer to Kairouan, a city with a spiritual feel whose ornate
seventh-century Great Mosque is the fourth-holiest site in Islam.
Itinerary Subject to Change.It was here that Ibn Khaldun, a great Muslim historian of the 14th
century, lived and worked at the height of Islam’s classical period.
Along the way, we’ll make a couple of stops. First, we’ll enjoy
a coffee break in the city of Gafsa. A few hours later, we’ll stop in
the small town of Sbeitla, home to some remarkable Roman ruins
which we’ll explore after our lunch.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Sbeitla.
Afternoon: We’ll explore the Roman ruins of Sbeitla, which
include three temples dedicated to Minerva, Jupiter, and Juno,
the gods who protected Rome. Then we’ll continue our drive to
Kairouan, where we’ll check in to our hotel.
Kairouan is Tunisia’s leading center of carpet-making, and after
an orientation walk we may visit a carpet workshop to learn about
its history and witness a demonstration of this craft. Afterwards,
you may enjoy some free time on your own to explore or relax.
Dinner: At the hotel restaurant.
Evening: On your own. You might like to explore Kairouan’s Old
Kasbah, or simply relax in your room.
Day 12 Thursday, May 07, 2026
Explore Kairouan • Dinner in the home of a local family
Destination: Kairouan
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Morning: Today, we’ll begin with a visit to the Abou Zamaa
al-Balawi mausoleum, one of the most venerated sites in
Kairouan. It contains the remains of one of the Prophet’s
companions, Abou Zamaa al-Balawi, who was killed in battle with
the Berbers. Next, we’ll visit the Great Mosque, the oldest Muslim
place of worship in Africa. Founded in 670, Kairouan’s Great
Mosque displays influences of pre-Islamic, Roman, and Byzantine
architecture.
Later, we’ll venture on foot to the city medina, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and thriving center of Tunisian culture. Your Trip
Experience Leader will seek out opportunities for the group to
interact with local residents.
Lunch: On your own—ask your Trip Experience Leader for local
restaurant recommendations.
Afternoon: After lunch, you’ll have some free time to explore
on your own. Consult with your Trip Experience Leader for
suggestions. This evening, our group will come back together
to experience one of the highlights of our Tunisia adventure:
a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family. We’ll break up into
smaller groups and walk to one of the homes, where we’ll get
to know local residents and learn about life in the region. Come
hungry for your home-cooked meal, and bring plenty of questions
for your generous hosts.
Dinner: We’ll gather in the home of a local family to experience
life in Tunisia and watch as our hosts prepare an authentic dinner.
Each family has a different background—some of them may be
teachers, bank tellers, or shop owners, for example. Our meal this
evening may consist of local dishes like mechouia salad (grilled
vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic), brik (Berber
pastry filled with various ingredients and commonly deep
fried), couscous, and makroudh (semolina and date cookies). This
will be a great opportunity to ask them about life in Kairouan, any
customs they practice, and more.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your
evening as you wish—ask your Trip Experience Leader
Day 13 Friday, May 08, 2026
Kairouan • Optional El Djem tour
Destination: Kairouan
Included Meals: Breakfast
Accommodations:LA KASBAH HOTEL
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: You’re free to discover more of Kairouan on your own
today. Or, join our optional tour to uncover Tunisian antiquity
with a visit to El Djem, home to the third-largest ancient Roman
amphitheater in the world. This tour also includes a visit to a
handcrafts center to learn about mosaics.
Lunch: On your own for those who choose not to take the optional
tour. At a local restaurant for those on the optional tour.
Afternoon: Free to do as you’d like. Travelers who chose to take
the optional tour will return to the hotel later in the aftenoon.
Dinner: On your own—ask your Trip Experience Leader
vening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your evening
as you wish, whether that’s gathering with fellow travelers to
compare notes on the day, or setting out for an evening stroll.
Day 14 Saturday, May 09, 2026
Kairouan • Explore Hammamet • Sidi Bou Said •
Controversial Topic: Women’s rights in Tunisia
Destination: Sidi Bou Said
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations: DAR SAID HOTEL
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll say goodbye to Kairouan and journey north to
Sidi Bou Said. Along the way, we’ll stop in Hammamet, a town
of white-washed houses and some of Tunisia’s finest beaches.
We’ll have some time to stretch our legs and explore the
coastal medina before resuming our journey to Sidi Bou Said.
Lunch: At a local restaurant in Sidi Bou Said.
Afternoon: We’ll drive to our hotel in Sidi Bou Said. After
checking in to our rooms, we’ll have a brief orientation tour of our
surroundings. Then, we’ll learn about the Controversial Topic of
women’s rights in Tunisia, including inheritance laws, a subject
of great consequence to the progress of women’s rights in the
Arab world.
Tunisia enforces some of the most progressive laws on women’s
rights in Muslim majority countries. In fact, it is currently ranked
124th on the Global Gender Gap Index of 2020 according to the
World Economic Forum—thereby making it one of the highest
36 ,.ranking Arab countries.ocates for
this literal interpretation and galvanizes support from the general
Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience Leader will be happy
to offer dining suggestions for you.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend your evening as you wish.
37Day 15 Sunday, May 10, 2026
Explore Sidi Bou Said • Ancient Carthage • Visit North
Africa American Cemetery
Destination: Sidi Bou Said
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAR SAID HOTEL
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We’ll begin the day with a discovery walk in Sidi Bou
Said village. Then, we’ll set off to explore the site of ancient
Carthage, which evokes the romance and tragedy of the legendary
era of Queen Dido and Aeneas chronicled in Virgil’s Aeneid.
Scattered ruins help us envision where the mighty city of antiquity
once stood, sending its fleets for trade and warfare across the
Mediterranean, including Hannibal’s famous but doomed
campaign against Rome in the Second Punic War. After Carthage
was conquered, the Romans destroyed the old city but established
a new one of their own on its site, which lasted for almost another
500 years. The remaining ruins have been designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
We’ll then pay our respects to the American soldiers who liberated
Tunisia during World War II with a visit to the North Africa
American Cemetery and Memorial. This 27-acre memorial is the
final resting place of 2,841 American military members who died
during the war, and also honors 3,700 soldiers whose remains
were never found.
Lunch: At a local sandwich shop in the nearby coastal town of
La Marsa.
Afternoon: We’ll return to our hotel, where you’ll have free time
until we gather together for dinner.
We’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner together in a local
restaurant to celebrate our Tunisian discoveries.
Evening: You have the freedom to spend the rest of your
evening as you wish—ask your Trip Experience Leader
Day 16 Monday, May 11, 2026
Return to U.S.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Early morning: After an early breakfast this morning, transfer to
the Tunis airport to board your flight home to the U.S. Or, continue
on to your Timeless Morocco: From the Souks of Marrakesh to Seaside
Casablanca post-trip extension.
