Tunis travel guide
Tunisia
A UNESCO-listed medina, French-era boulevards and the ruins of Carthage all within one city. Tunis is relaxed and easy to explore, with a blue-and-white clifftop village at the end of the train line.
Essentials
- Language
- Arabic (Tunisian Arabic) and French; English is spoken in tourist areas
- Currency
- Tunisian dinar (TND)
- Plugs
- Type C and E, 230 V
- Emergency number
- 197 (police), 190 (ambulance), 198 (fire)
- Tipping
- Around 10% in sit-down restaurants is appreciated, and rounding up taxi fares is common.
Rough daily budget
Approximate spend per person per day, in US dollars:
- Backpacker: $30-50, with a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport.
- Mid-range: $70-120, with a private room and restaurant meals.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Where to stay in Tunis
- Medina: covered souks, mosques and old palaces, best explored on foot by day.
- Ville Nouvelle: the colonial-era grid around Avenue Habib Bourguiba, with cafés and the central market.
- La Marsa: a seaside suburb with a beach, good restaurants and a calmer evening pace.
Getting around Tunis
The TGM light railway runs from the centre to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa, and a tram network covers the city. Yellow taxis are cheap, so make sure the meter is running.
Best time to visit Tunis
April to June and September to October, warm and sunny without the heat of high summer.
Top things to do in Tunis
- Spend a morning among the Roman mosaics at the Bardo National Museum
- Walk the Antonine Baths and other ruins of ancient Carthage by the sea
- Get lost in the medina's souks around the Zitouna Mosque
- Climb the lanes of Sidi Bou Said, with its blue doors and white walls
- Browse the fish and produce stalls at the Marché Central in the morning
What to eat in Tunis
- Brik: thin, crisp pastry folded around an egg, often with tuna and capers
- Lablabi: a garlicky chickpea soup poured over torn bread, eaten for breakfast
- Ojja: eggs poached in a spicy tomato and harissa sauce
- Makroudh: semolina pastries filled with dates and soaked in syrup
Day trips from Tunis
- Dougga: one of North Africa's best-preserved Roman towns on a hilltop, about two hours by car
- Hammamet and Nabeul: a walled beach town and a pottery market, around an hour south
- Kairouan: a holy city with the Great Mosque and a walled medina, about two hours or a little more by road
Local etiquette
Dress modestly in the medina and at religious sites, and expect restaurants to keep shorter hours during Ramadan.
Staying connected
Ooredoo, Orange and Tunisie Telecom sell prepaid SIMs with your passport, and most cafés and hotels have Wi-Fi.
Staying safe
In the medina, ignore strangers who say a sight is closed and offer to guide you elsewhere, and watch for pickpockets on crowded trains. Check current advice before travelling near the border regions.
A local tip
Ride the TGM to Sidi Bou Said late in the afternoon and take mint tea with pine nuts at a terrace café overlooking the gulf.
Visas:rules depend on your nationality and change often – check your own government's official travel advice before you go.
Meet people in Tunis on Waypacker
Waypacker is a free travel community: stay with ID-verified local hosts, join meetups and city groups, and ask people who live in Tunis for advice. We are new here, so if you live in Tunis, you could be one of the first hosts.
Questions about Tunis
- What currency is used in Tunis?
- Tunis uses the Tunisian dinar (TND).
- What is the emergency number in Tunis?
- In Tunis, call 197 (police), 190 (ambulance), 198 (fire).
- When is the best time to visit Tunis?
- April to June and September to October, warm and sunny without the heat of high summer.
- How much does a day in Tunis cost?
- Roughly $30-50 a day in US dollars on a backpacker budget (a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport), and $70-120 mid-range (a private room and restaurants). These are broad estimates, last reviewed October 2026.
- Is Waypacker free to use in Tunis?
- Yes. Joining is free and stays with hosts carry no nightly rate or booking fee.
- Are Waypacker hosts ID-verified?
- Every host's ID and selfie are checked by hand by a real person before they can host. Nothing is sent to an AI service.
- Can I meet locals in Tunis without staying with anyone?
- Yes. You can join meetups and city groups, or ask locals for tips, without booking a stay.
- Will anyone see my exact location?
- No. Hosts and meetups appear as a neighbourhood-sized area about a kilometre wide, and exact addresses are never stored.