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Seven days force a choice between the north and the desert. Fourteen days, not everyone has. Ten days is the sweet spot: every essential — Carthage, Dougga, Kairouan, the oases, a real Saharan night, Berber country, Djerba, El Jem — with time to linger when the light is good.
The route is a loop from Tunis and works in either direction. Every stage suits a normal car; rental with 3A Rent Car starts at ~€24/day in low season (€40/day in summer) with insurance and unlimited mileage included — and no deposit.
The day-by-day plan
Day 1 · Arrive Tunis-Carthage · ~25 km in town
Tunis: the medina and the Bardo
Collect the car at the airport (arrivals-hall welcome, no deposit), then straight into it: the UNESCO-listed medina, the Zitouna mosque, rooftop terraces over the souks — and in the afternoon the Roman mosaics of the Bardo Museum, the finest collection in the world. Overnight in Tunis.
Day 2 · Coastal loop · ~40 km
Carthage and Sidi Bou Saïd
The Antonine Baths, Byrsa hill and the Punic ports in the morning; Sidi Bou Saïd's blue doors at golden hour, coffee on the terrace of the Café des Nattes. Back via La Marsa for dinner facing the sea. Overnight in Tunis.
Day 3 · Tunis → Dougga → Kairouan · ~290 km, 4 h driving
Dougga, then Kairouan
West to Dougga, the best-preserved Roman town in North Africa — capitol, theatre and paved streets above the wheat hills. In the afternoon, on to Kairouan: the Great Mosque, the Aghlabid basins and makroudh still warm from the pan. Overnight in Kairouan.
Day 4 · Kairouan → Sbeitla → Tozeur · ~300 km, 4 h
Sbeitla and the run down to the oasis
Sbeitla's three golden Capitoline temples, usually empty in the morning. Then the steppe opens up, the first palms appear, and Tozeur arrives: a medina of patterned brickwork and a sunset over the palm grove. Overnight in Tozeur.
Day 5 · Chebika–Tamerza–Midès loop · ~120 km
Mountain oases (and Mos Espa)
A day of hanging oases: the Chebika waterfalls, the Midès gorge, old Tamerza — by car or on a local 4×4 excursion. Late in the day, the Star Wars set of Mos Espa standing in the dunes. Overnight in Tozeur.
Day 6 · Tozeur → Chott el-Jerid → Douz → camp · ~150 km
The Chott and a night in the dunes
Across the great salt lake — white crusts, pink pools, mirages — then Douz, gateway to the Sahara. Transfer to camp by camel or 4×4, dinner under the stars. The night nobody forgets.
Day 7 · Douz → Matmata → Toujane → Tataouine · ~230 km, 4 h
Matmata and the Berber country
Matmata's pit dwellings (including the Star Wars hotel), the stone village of Toujane clinging to its mountain, then the ridges of ksour country. Optional: Chenini at sunset. Overnight in Tataouine.
Day 8 · Tataouine → Djerba · ~170 km, 2 h 30
Ksar Ouled Soltane, then Djerba
The most beautiful granary castle of the south — four storeys of vaulted ghorfas — before crossing to the island on the Roman causeway. Free afternoon: Houmt Souk, the Djerbahood street art, or a first swim. Overnight on Djerba.
Day 9 · Djerba → El Jem → Sousse · ~380 km, 4 h 30
Djerba, then El Jem and the Sahel
A gentle island morning (the Ghriba synagogue, beaches, the market), then the longest leg of the trip, rewarded by the El Jem amphitheatre — 35,000 seats, almost intact. Into Sousse for the medina at dusk. Overnight in Sousse.
Day 10 · Sousse → Hammamet → Tunis · ~160 km, 2 h
Sousse, Hammamet and the return
The ribat and ramparts of Sousse in the morning, a stop in Hammamet for the medina on the beach — then an easy run up the A1. Drop the car at the airport or in town in minutes; deposit, as always: none.
The trip in numbers
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Total distance | ~1,900 km (full loop from Tunis) |
| Longest leg | Djerba → Sousse via El Jem: ~380 km, 4 h 30 |
| Roads | Tarmac end to end — a normal car is enough |
| Fuel (petrol) | ~250 TND for the whole circuit |
| Car rental | from ~€24/day low season · €40/day in July-August, no deposit |
| Best time | March-May and September-November (the Sahara is at its best October to April) |
Prefer the same journey with a driver?
This loop also exists as a chauffeured private tour: Private Tunisia's 8-Day Tunisia Grand Loop follows a very similar route — Cap Bon, a Sahara camp night, the Berber south and Djerba included.
Frequently asked questions
Are 10 days enough to see Tunisia?
Yes — it is arguably the ideal length. Seven days force a choice between the Roman north and the Sahara; ten days give you both without rushing: the Roman sites, Kairouan, the mountain oases, a real night among the dunes, the Berber south and Djerba, with reasonable daily drives (2 to 4.5 hours on transfer days).
What budget should I plan for a 10-day Tunisia road trip?
For two people: car rental with 3A Rent Car from about €24/day in low season (€40/day in July-August) with insurance and unlimited mileage included and no deposit. Then count 100-300 TND per night for accommodation, 30-80 TND per restaurant meal, and roughly 250 TND of fuel for the ~1,900 km loop. A comfortable trip comes to 2,500-4,500 TND per person, flights excluded.
Do I need a 4×4 for this itinerary?
No. The whole route runs on tarmac and suits a normal rental car. The two exceptions are optional: the track to Ksar Ghilane, and the mountain oases (Chebika, Tamerza, Midès), which you can also visit on a local 4×4 day excursion from Tozeur while your car stays at the hotel.
Can I do the desert-camp night with a rental car?
Yes. The camps around Douz are reached by normal car or by a transfer the camp itself organises from a guarded car park. Dinner, a night under canvas and sunrise over the dunes — most travellers call it the highlight of the whole trip.
Can I return the car somewhere other than Tunis?
Yes. With 3A Rent Car you can, for example, collect at Tunis-Carthage airport and return the car on Djerba or at Enfidha to shorten the loop. The modest one-way fee is displayed clearly at booking — and there is never a deposit or credit card requirement.
Pick your perfect trip length
Same country, different rhythm. Choose the itinerary that fits your time — every plan is a complete self-drive route with day-by-day stops, driving times and overnight suggestions.
Tunis · Carthage · Sidi Bou Said · Hammamet
Capital, Kairouan, El Jem, Sousse
Capital · Kairouan · Sahara · Matmata
Roman north · Sahara · Berber south · Djerba
North, capital, Sahara, Star Wars, Djerba
Your car is waiting at the airport
No deposit, no credit card, unlimited mileage — the price you see online is the price you pay.
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