Tunisia Road Trip Itinerary 2026 | 7 & 10 Days by Car (Route + Tips)

The perfect Tunisia road trip by hire car — a classic 7-day loop (Tunis, Sidi Bou Said, Kairouan, El Jem, Sousse) plus a 10-day Djerba & Sahara extension, with distances and driving times.

Tunisia Road Trip Itinerary 2026: 7 & 10 Days by Car

Tunisia is made for a self-drive road trip. It's small enough to cross in a week, the roads between the main sights are good, and one country packs in Mediterranean beaches, Roman ruins, whitewashed clifftop villages, holy cities and the edge of the Sahara. This itinerary shows you exactly how to do it by hire car — a classic 7-day loop plus a 10-day extension into the desert — with distances, driving times and practical tips.

How many days do you need in Tunisia?

5 days — Tunis, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and a coastal base (Hammamet or Sousse).
7 days — the full northern-and-Sahel loop below: capital, Roman El Jem, holy Kairouan and the coast.
10–14 days — add Djerba island and the Sahara (Tozeur, Matmata, the salt lake).

A week is the sweet spot for a first visit. You'll drive roughly 700–900 km total — very manageable.

Getting your car

Pick up at whichever airport you fly into — Tunis-Carthage (TUN), Enfidha (NBE), Monastir (MIR) or Djerba (DJE). Local car hire starts from around 324 TND (€95) for 3 days on an economy car with unlimited mileage — essential for a road trip — and you pay on arrival with no big credit-card deposit. Book online with your flight number and the car is waiting in arrivals. (See the full Renting a Car in Tunisia tourist guide for documents, insurance and driving rules.)

The 7-day Tunisia road trip

Day 1 — Tunis & Carthage. Land at Tunis-Carthage, collect the car, and ease in with the ancient Punic-Roman ruins of Carthage spread along the coast. Base yourself in the northern suburbs.

Day 2 — Sidi Bou Said & the Medina. Morning in Sidi Bou Said, the blue-and-white clifftop village above the sea, then the UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis and the mosaics of the Bardo Museum. (25 km of easy driving.)

Day 3 — Tunis → Hammamet. Drive south down the A1 to Hammamet (~65 km, 1h). Afternoon on the beach, evening in the walled medina by the Spanish fort.

Day 4 — Hammamet → Kairouan. Head inland to Kairouan (~130 km, 1h45), Islam's fourth-holiest city — the Great Mosque, the Aghlabid basins and a UNESCO medina full of carpet workshops.

Day 5 — Kairouan → El Jem → Sousse. Stop at El Jem (~70 km) to stand inside one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, then continue to Sousse (~65 km) and its lively medina and Ribat.

Day 6 — Sousse, Port El Kantaoui & Monastir. A relaxed coastal day: the marina at Port El Kantaoui, the Ribat and Bourguiba mausoleum in Monastir, and beach time along the Sahel.

Day 7 — Coast back to the airport. Return via the A1 to Enfidha or Monastir airport (or back to Tunis). Drop the car at the terminal.

The 10-day extension: Djerba & the Sahara

Have longer? From Sousse, keep heading south:

Days 8–9 — Djerba. Drive down the coast to the island of Djerba (via the Ajim ferry or the Roman causeway) for beaches, the Houmt Souk medina, the Djerbahood street-art village and the El Ghriba synagogue.
Day 10 — Sahara gateway. Loop inland through Matmata (Berber cave houses and Star Wars sets) or push to Tozeur and the Chott el-Jerid salt lake for the classic desert finale, then fly home from Djerba or Tozeur.

This is where a road trip earns its keep — the south has almost no useful public transport, and the drives themselves, straight across shimmering plains, are half the experience.

Practical driving tips

Tolls & fuel. The A1 motorway is fast and cheap; keep coins for toll booths. Petrol is inexpensive (~2.5 TND/litre) and widely available on the coast — fill up before long desert stretches.
Checkpoints. Police barrages are routine. Slow down, keep your passport and rental contract handy, and you'll be waved on.
Speed bumps & night driving. Watch for unmarked dos d'âne at village entrances, and avoid long night drives on unlit rural roads.
Navigation. Google Maps works well; download offline maps for the south where signal drops.
Licence. Most UK, EU, Canadian and Australian licences are accepted for tourist stays; an International Driving Permit is a handy backup.

FAQ

Is it safe to drive in Tunisia as a tourist? Yes. City traffic in Tunis is busy but the intercity roads and the A1 motorway are straightforward. Drive defensively, avoid unlit rural roads at night, and you'll be fine.

What's the best time of year for a Tunisia road trip? Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are ideal — warm, quieter roads, lower car-hire prices than the July–August peak.

Can I do this itinerary one-way? Yes — for example pick up at Tunis and drop at Djerba or Monastir. A small relocation fee may apply; ask when you book.

Ready to drive Tunisia?

Book your car online, add your flight number, and it's waiting in arrivals — unlimited mileage, pay on arrival, no credit-card deposit. Call or WhatsApp +216 21 380 811 for help planning your route.