Tunisia ultimate itinerary: things to do and see within 10 days in gay Tunisia

Is Tunisia safe for gay travellers? A complex question. This is Northern Africa and as such will never be the best place to be openly queer. In reality, homosexuality is a criminal offence in Tunisia (punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment), meaning that being open is not advisable while travelling in the country. Despite this, increased local LGBTQ+ activism and acceptance has risen up since the 2011 revolution, making Tunisia one of the better places in the Arab world to be gay.

The Tunisia gay scene is not easy to define but, thanks to the internet, it’s become ever easier to tap into its varying levels. From ‘straight’ unhappy husbands to ‘same-sex-not-gay’ liaisons between friends, the gay network certainly exists, allowing for discreet (yet cruisy) connections at any time. The lack of organisation and outward institutions however means it’s hard to form a legitimate gay community, but ongoing work from organisations like ‘Association Shams’ and ‘Mawjoudin’ helps present a proud face for gay Tunisia. Of the handful of queer events usually hosted in Tunis, the Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival was the biggest, as the country’s first public LGBTQ film festival held back in 2018.

Plunge into Tunisian city life with a three-day stay in the capital, immersing yourself in the rich living history that stretches through the medieval medina quarter and the ruins of Carthage, areas now buzzing with boutique hotels and arty cafés catering to multigenerational Tunisians and evermore internationals. The city’s population is split three ways equally between the Mediterranean, European and North African heritage, with each neighbourhood showcasing a different side of the city. The European side is Carthage (actually 15 kilometres north of central Tunis), a UNESCO Heritage Site lined with boulangeries in Parisian styles and Westernised ways, while Maghrebi medina is all African, of a world not too dissimilar from what you’d find in Morocco. Then, just northeast of Carthage on the coast, Sidi Bou Said comes cobbled on the coast in Santorini colours, hosting al fresco dining and stucco palaces in true Mediterranean style.

Besides checking out the diverse districts, Tunis is also a top spot for shopping and museum moseying, with the Bardo National Museum and Bulla Regia Archaeological Museum championing centuries of national history, art and culture. Those looking for a day trip can consider Dougga, one of the best preserved Roman towns in Africa, featuring temples and an epic theatre backgrounded by hilly countryside.

Translating as ‘the baths’ in Arabic, Hammamet is the southeast coast’s answer to paradise. Laid out along the Cap Bon peninsula shoreline, Hammamet is a former fishing village turned resort town, now keeping things classy with low-rise hotel developments building on the wealthy boulevards of Yasmine Hammamet all the way up to the heritage bastions of Hammamet Nord. In amongst it all, you’ll find a quaint medina centre filled with restaurants and shops, all complimented by the old school fort and ocean views. Though the resorts take over a large chunk of town, go north of the bastions to get access to more rugged and wild beaches.

Another of Tunisia’s walled ancient cities is the Medina of Sousse, accessible via the curved coastal road south of Hammamet in just one hour. The small city of Sousse unfolds in a maze of blue and yellow houses all lying along winding alleyways which merge at the central Kasbah. Here you’ll find the Archaeological Museum of Sousse, a small yet important museum hosting a mosaic of Medusa’s head. Towards the souks meanwhile, the El Kobba Museum and the Dar Essid Museum are available on days when the souks are closed (every Friday), passing by the Ribat and Grand Mosque before getting lost in a maze of photogenic alleys. With more time to spare, unwind on the beach or laze by your hotel’s pool before hitting the road one last time.

Day nine takes us one hour south to the city of El Djem, a site made famous for its Roman Amphitheatre and the perfect half-day trip from Sousse. Visit for the Roman ruins and its semi-intact theatre, wandering slowly through the city to soak up centuries of history in just a few hours. From there you can either head back to Sousse for more lazing or venture an additional hour south to Sfax, an understated city founded in 849 AD on the ruins of a Roman town. Take it easy on your route through the Kasbah, stopping to snack and shop at the authentic shops and stands dotted around. Though the archaeological museum just out of town sadly lies deserted, the Jallouli Museum and the Kasbah Museum in the centre can fill your afternoon before it’s time to head back to Sousse early evening.

Travellers not needing to skedaddle can extend the 10-day itinerary to two weeks or more, to better explore the south in more depth. As well as having extra time to relax your schedule in both Tunis and Sousse, you can move south of Sfax to hit the nation’s desert beaches and sandscapes featured in the Star Wars movies. From Hammamet, you can hop south to desert island Djerba, known as the island of the lotus-eaters where Greek hero Odysseus became stranded on his Mediterranean voyage. In addition to great beaches like Plage Sidi Mahrès on the east coast, Djerba will mesmerise you with its whitewashed main town, Houmt Souk, where good accommodation and restaurants lie among lively souqs and vine-shaded squares.

After Djerba, the south then stretches into Arab-Berber Ksour Country, a region hosting the fortified village and underground Berber houses at Matmata. From there, the short journey to Ksar Ghilane and Douz is an easy sell, lying close to the Grand Erg Oriental, an immense ‘field of sand dunes’ serving as the gateway to the Sahara Desert. Tour the dunes in all their majesty from the hump of your camel, bedding down for the night in a traditional Berber tent. Last but not least, one can travel ever further to Tozeur, via the vast salt flats of the Chott El Jerid, passing through the alien landscapes of Ong Jemal which were used as the set of Star Wars’ desert planet, Tatooine.