Kairouan Holy City and El Jem Colosseum Tour from Sousse: Explore Tunisia's History

Immerse yourself in Tunisia’s rich history on a tour of Kairouan, the country’s holiest city, and the impressive Roman amphitheater of El Djem. Explore ancient architecture, vibrant markets, and learn about the fascinating past of these iconic sites.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Great Mosque of Kairouan - Africa’s second-oldest mosque and explore the crumbling medina quarter. Even by classical Islamic standards, the interior of the Great Mosque is dazzling. The ornate tiles, intricate carpets and pine tree-shaped chandeliers are beguiling and even the drains are beautifully decorated. The minaret, meanwhile, became…
What's Included
  • Transport
  • Entrance fees
  • Lunch
  • Guide
Additional Information

The past is part of the landscape in Tunisia and nowhere more so than Kairouan
You’ll kick off the tour in the walled city of Kairouan. Protected by sandstone walls, the medina offers quiet narrow streets, whitewashed houses with brightly painted shutters, and brick-laid archways, perfect for exploring. Kairouan’s unmissable Great Mosque is considered…

Location
The Great Mosque of Kairouan
Rue Sidi Abdelkader,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(12 Ratings)
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Charanprite_d
Dec 28, 2024
Great day out - Loved it! Beautiful sights, really insightful, very educational and learned at lot about Tunisia. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Terence_b
Dec 27, 2024
A great day out - The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The places we visited were fascinating. The one thing I was perplexed with and they was the lack of non-Muslims not being allowed into the mosque. Strange given the Blue Mosque in Istanbul welcomes all to enjoy and pray in their amazing building. El Jem is fascinating. The architecture at a time of limited tools shows how talented these people were. Lunch was provided. It was tasty and plentiful. A memorable day was had by all.
Review provided by Viator
Liam_a
Dec 11, 2024
Great experience! - The guide Faris, was super knowledgeable, friendly and charismatic. He helped us understand the history of Kairouan, El Jem, and Tunisia as a whole. I definitely enjoyed the day and got my money's worth
Review provided by Viator
Clarence_f
Nov 26, 2024
Good tour. Fares is a great guide - Fares is a great guide. He took care of all the guests on tour, providing all the necessary information in a very interesting manner. He was always inviting questions and ensured we got the best experience. The bus driver (Naser?) was also experienced. The bus was in good condition. The highlight of the tour was El Jem amphitheatre. The El Jem Museum was also so well explained by Fares. I would have liked to spend more time in Kairouan as some important sites like the 3 doors mosque were skipped. I personally didn't like the visit to the carpet showroom in Kairouan but I understand that it is part of the cultural experience. The good thing is that the carpet salespersons are not pushy. The lunch at Ammar Restaurant in El Jem was very average. Overall, I highly recommend this tour and cheers to Fares
Review provided by Viator
Yangshen_y
Apr 30, 2024
Great tour - This is the kind of experience that everyone would enjoy no matter their preferences or ages. We had great fun. Pick-up was on time and our tour guide knew everything about the places we were visiting. The lunch was provided at a very nice hotel outside El Jem with great food.
Review provided by Viator
Ummstf
Feb 3, 2024
Packed of cultural education - Pick up time is sharp ontime. The guide, Mohammed, is very knowledgeable and gives interesting talks about history and local culture. He speaks at least 4 languages and engages with clients polite and respectful. The tour includes visits to the Kairouan reservoir, mausoleum of Sidi Sahabi, the grand mosque, the Eljem amphiteatre and the archeological museum that houses fantastique mosaics and afrique house in roman times. Lunch was at Dar Ammar, except drink but they accept cards. For one day cultural trip packed with lots of information and insights from the guide, it is a real good value
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Clare_p
Dec 4, 2024
A jam packed day - The guide was very knowledgeable and kind. He talked about the general history of Tunisia, as well as the specific places of Kairouan and El Jem. We were given time on our own in the museum and at the amphitheatre at El Jem. No real downsides to the trip, maybe some more time walking in the Medina in Kairouan but it was already a full day.
Review provided by Viator
Ilker_m
Nov 2, 2024
A well-organized and informative tour with a nice guide! - It was all in all a good and informative tour with a nice tour guide. The holy city Kairouan with the first mosque in Africa is a must-see! As a muslim I was lucky to go inside and make a short prayer.
Review provided by Viator
W9727bhmartinm
Sep 14, 2024
An interesting tour - Today the 14.09 we had a great tour through Tunisia with our tour guide Mohammed. The tour went as promised. The driver was on time, the food was good on the way and the sights were beautiful and not crowded. Our guide was very helpful, friendly and open-minded. We received a lot of information. In the description of the tour was written English guide, to our positive surprise Mohammed also knew German. All in all it can be said that we had a nice and interesting day and we can recommend this tour to others. 👍🏻
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fartoomanyusers
Mar 26, 2024
Great sights - We booked through GetYourGuide for a good price - but you pay for that by spending hours picking up / dropping off at other hotels! We left Sousse just after 7am and got to Kairouan after 9am - would be better to get a taxi to Kairouan and meet the group there. On the way back we went via Skanes - which added an extra half hour. Kairouan itself was very interesting - both the mausoleum and the mosque were beautiful. The lunch was ok - bring some snacks / drinks to keep you going. El Jem was amazing - the Colosseum / Amphitheatre is properly jaw dropping. Our group of about 16 fitted comfortably into the bus with plenty of spare seats. The guide was pretty good, although a bit pushy for tips! Would recommend depending on how early a pickup time they give you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
February 2025
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