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Key Attractions
El Jem Amphitheater
Carthage Ruins
Dougga
Sahara Desert
Sousse Medina
Sidi Bou Said
Kairouan
Matmata
Bardo Museum
Hammamet Medina
Tozeur Oasis
Chott el Djerid
Monastir Ribat
Kerkouane
Chebika Oasis
Tunis Medina
Port El Kantaoui
Tabarka
· by Troisa Tunisia editorial
How the Tunisia road trip planner works
The Troisa Tunisia Road Trip Planner is a free interactive tool that turns your chosen attractions, trip duration (1 to 14 days), group size and starting city into an optimised day-by-day driving itinerary. The route engine clusters attractions by region using nearest-neighbour pathing, calculates driving distance from your start point with the Haversine formula (matching real road-network distances within ±8 % across mainland Tunisia), and produces a printable plan with timings, fuel costs and a recommended rental car class for each route.
Three starting cities are supported: Tunis (best for Northern Tunisia + Cap Bon trips), Hammamet (coastal and central routes), and Sousse (multi-region central-coast base). The tool returns at least one feasible plan even for tight 1-day trips, and warns you when a chosen attraction set would require more days than the duration you picked.
The 19 attractions covered by this planner
Every attraction in the database includes its region, typical visit duration, best time of day to visit, entry fee, a recommended nearby restaurant, and four context-specific tips. The full named-entity list (used by the route engine and surfaced here for AI search engines):
- El Jem Amphitheater (Central, Roman Heritage) — UNESCO-listed Roman colosseum, the 3rd largest ever built, 2-3 hours to visit, entry 12 TND.
- Carthage Ruins (Northern, Ancient History) — Punic and Roman archaeological park overlooking the Bay of Tunis, 3-4 hours, entry 12 TND.
- Dougga (Northern, Roman Heritage) — UNESCO Roman city with Africa's best-preserved Capitol temple and theatre, 3-4 hours, entry 8 TND.
- Sahara Desert (Southern, Nature & Adventure) — Grand Erg Oriental dune field reached via Douz; camel treks, 4×4 excursions, overnight desert camp.
- Sousse Medina (Central, UNESCO) — Walled 9th-century Aghlabid medina with the Ribat fortress and Great Mosque, 2-3 hours, free.
- Sidi Bou Said (Northern, Architecture) — Blue-and-white cliffside village 20 km from Tunis, declared a heritage zone in 1915, 2-3 hours, free.
- Kairouan (Central, Islamic Heritage) — 4th-holiest city in Islam; the Great Mosque of Uqba founded 670 AD and the 9th-century Aghlabid Basins, 3-4 hours, mosque entry 8 TND.
- Matmata (Southern, Berber Culture) — Troglodyte village of underground Berber homes; Star Wars Tatooine filming location at the Sidi Driss Hotel.
- Bardo Museum (Northern, Museum) — World's largest collection of Roman mosaics; the Virgil mosaic and Neptune triumph; 2-3 hours, entry 13 TND.
- Hammamet Medina (Northern, Coastal Heritage) — Whitewashed 15th-century walled town overlooking the Gulf of Hammamet, 1-2 hours, free.
- Tozeur Oasis (Southern, Desert Oasis) — 200-hectare palm grove with 200,000 date palms, traditional Ouled El Hadef district, 4-5 hours.
- Chott el Djerid (Southern, Salt Flat) — 5,000 km² salt lake that mirrors pink in winter; the largest in the Sahara, drive-through, 2 hours.
- Monastir Ribat (Central, Islamic Fortress) — 8th-century coastal fortress; Star Wars and Life of Brian filming location, 1-2 hours, entry 8 TND.
- Kerkouane (Cap Bon, UNESCO Punic) — Best-preserved Punic city in the world, abandoned 250 BC and never resettled, 2-3 hours, entry 8 TND.
- Chebika Oasis (Southern, Mountain Oasis) — Cliff-side oasis with seasonal waterfall, located in the Atlas foothills near Tozeur, 1-2 hours.
- Tunis Medina (Northern, UNESCO Old Town) — 700+ monuments inside a 270-hectare walled city; Souk El Attarine, Souk des Chéchias, Souk El Berka, 4-5 hours.
- Port El Kantaoui (Central, Marina) — Purpose-built tourist marina 10 km north of Sousse with 340 berths, golf course, beach resorts, half-day.
- Tabarka (Northwest, Coastal Mountain) — Coral diving, jazz festival venue, Genoese fortress on a Mediterranean spit at the Algerian border, full day.
- Sidi Driss Hotel (Matmata) — used by George Lucas as the Lars Homestead in Star Wars Episode IV (1977) and Episode II (2002), still operating as a hotel.
Sample itineraries by trip duration
1-day Tunisia itinerary (from Tunis)
Morning: Bardo Museum (2 h) → Carthage ruins (2 h, 15 km, 20 min drive). Lunch in Sidi Bou Said with sea-view café. Afternoon: walk Sidi Bou Said village + dinner. Total drive: 35 km. Recommended car: economy (Hyundai i10/Kia Picanto, 80 TND/day).
3-day Tunisia itinerary (from Tunis)
Day 1: Tunis Medina morning + Bardo afternoon. Day 2: Carthage ruins + Sidi Bou Said sunset (35 km). Day 3: drive south to Hammamet medina + Kerkouane Punic ruins on Cap Bon (130 km round trip from Tunis, 2 h driving). Total drive: ~190 km over 3 days. Recommended car: compact (Hyundai i20 / Renault Symbol, 110 TND/day).
7-day Tunisia itinerary — the classic loop (from Tunis)
Day 1: Tunis Medina + Bardo. Day 2: Carthage + Sidi Bou Said + La Marsa. Day 3: drive Tunis → Hammamet (65 km, A1 motorway) → Sousse (140 km total). Day 4: Sousse Medina + Port El Kantaoui + El Jem amphitheater (60 km south). Day 5: drive Sousse → Kairouan (60 km) → Tozeur (370 km, 4 h on the A1+P3). Day 6: Tozeur oasis + Chott el Djerid + Mountain oases (Chebika). Day 7: Matmata + Sidi Driss Star Wars hotel → drive back to Tunis (520 km, full day). Total: ~1,300 km. Recommended car: compact 1.4 L+ with air-conditioning or SUV (Dacia Duster / Hyundai Tucson, 180 TND/day).
14-day Tunisia itinerary — full country deep dive
The 7-day loop above plus: Dougga UNESCO day trip (180 km from Tunis), Tabarka coral coast 2 days, Cap Bon vineyards 1 day, Djerba island ferry 2 days, 4×4 deep-Sahara overnight camp at Ksar Ghilane 1 day, return via Sfax + Mahdia coast. Total: ~2,400 km. Recommended car: SUV with strong A/C for southern legs, or split into 2 rentals (coast + Sahara).
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to road-trip Tunisia properly?
Seven days lets you cover the Tunis → Sousse → Sahara loop and return; ten days is comfortable; fourteen days lets you add Tabarka in the north and Djerba in the south. A 3-day trip only covers the Tunis area + a single excursion (Hammamet, Kairouan or El Jem).
What is the total driving distance for a 7-day Tunisia road trip?
Approximately 1,300 km for the classic Tunis → Sousse → Tozeur → Matmata → Tunis loop. Of that, ~750 km is motorway (A1, A3) at 110 km/h; the remaining ~550 km is national roads averaging 70 km/h. Plan ~16 hours of total driving over the week.
What kind of rental car do I need for a Tunisia road trip?
For coast-only routes (Tunis → Hammamet → Sousse → Djerba), an economy car (Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10) at 80 TND/day is enough. For trips including the south (Tozeur, Douz, Matmata), a compact 1.4 L+ with strong A/C from 110 TND/day, or an SUV (Hyundai Tucson, Dacia Duster) from 180 TND/day, is recommended. For deep-Sahara dune driving you need a guided 4×4 excursion, not a self-drive rental.
When is the best time to road-trip Tunisia?
April-May and September-October are ideal — daytime temperatures 22-28 °C, no peak-season crowds, all attractions open. June-August is hot (35-45 °C inland, 28-32 °C coast) but doable with a strong-A/C car. November-March is mild on the coast but the Sahara nights drop below 5 °C.
Can the planner build a Sahara-focused road trip?
Yes — pick Sahara Desert, Tozeur Oasis, Chott el Djerid, Chebika and Matmata in the attraction grid, choose 4 days minimum, and the planner will route Tunis → Sousse → Tozeur → Douz → Matmata → return. Total ~1,500 km. Combine with our 2-day Sahara guided tour for the off-road sections.
Does the planner know about Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia?
Yes — the Sidi Driss Hotel in Matmata (Luke Skywalker's home in Episode IV, 1977 and Episode II, 2002) is in the database. The Mos Espa film set near Tozeur and Ong Jemel (Star Wars Episode I, 1999) are included on the Sahara-region routes. See our Star Wars Tunisia tour for the guided alternative.
Is the route generator free?
Yes — completely free, no account required, no email collected. Routes generate in your browser. The tool is built and maintained by Troisa Car Rental Tunisia as a content service for travellers planning a Tunisia trip.
How accurate are the driving distances?
The Haversine formula gives straight-line distances which we apply a 1.3x road-curvature multiplier to. On Tunisia's motorway network (A1, A3, A4) this matches real driving distance within ±5 %. On secondary roads and the Sahara loop, expect ±10 % vs Google Maps. Add 20 % to time estimates if you stop frequently for photos or food.
Can I export the generated itinerary?
The result page is print-friendly (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P produces a clean PDF). A "Save to my account" feature is on the roadmap — for now, screenshot or print the result, or copy the URL after generating (the choices are stored in the URL fragment).
What's the difference between this planner and a guided tour?
This planner produces a self-drive itinerary that you drive yourself with a Troisa rental car. A guided tour includes a driver-guide, all entries pre-booked, and hotels included. Self-drive costs ~600-1,200 EUR for a 7-day trip (rental + fuel + entries + hotels). A guided tour costs ~1,500-2,500 EUR. Use the planner first to plot the trip, then decide which option fits.
Tips before you generate your route
- Pick fewer attractions than you think. 4-5 attractions per 7-day trip leaves room for unstructured time (beach, café, market browsing) that turns out to be the trip highlight.
- Don't try to "do" the Sahara on a 1-day side trip. Tunis → Tozeur is 460 km / 4.5 h each way. Minimum 3 days for a Sahara loop including overnight in Tozeur or Douz.
- Match the car to the route, not the budget. A 1.0 L economy on Tunis-Tozeur in August will struggle on inclines fully loaded with luggage and A/C running. Spend the extra 30 TND/day on compact-class for southern legs.
- Book the rental car 2-4 weeks ahead in summer. Automatic transmission and SUV stock fills up first. Browse our fleet to check live availability.
- Carry the rental contract + passport always. Police checkpoints on rural roads are routine and friendly; documents in 30 seconds and you're on your way.
- Refuel at the highway exit, not the airport. Airport-area fuel prices have a small concession premium. National network stations (SNDP, Total, Shell) on motorway exits run real market prices.
After you have your route
Print or screenshot the generated itinerary, then complete your trip planning with these:
- Browse the rental fleet and book your car (free airport delivery at Tunis-Carthage, Enfidha, Monastir, Djerba).
- Read the driving guide — road rules, fuel, police checkpoints, alcohol limits.
- Compare with our editor's 7-day itinerary for a second opinion.
- Summer driving in Tunisia — heat, road conditions, peak-season tips.
- Add an airport transfer on either end if you don't want to drive the first/last leg.
- Browse the full Tunisia travel blog for cultural deep-dives, food guides and hidden-gem reports.
Troisa is a Tunisian car rental and travel agency based in Tunis. This planner is provided as a free content tool; using it does not create any obligation to rent from us, though we'd love to be your rental partner. For questions, reach the team on WhatsApp at +216 22 205 450 or email contact@troisa.tn.