Central Tunisia
El Jem and Kairouan tour
This El Jem and Kairouan tour puts two UNESCO World Heritage sites into one private day: the Great Mosque of Kairouan in the morning and the Roman amphitheatre of El Jem in the afternoon. Your driver collects you at your hotel, handles the roads in between and brings you back in the evening.
From
€90
per car, 1 to 4 people
- Door to door
- 7h45
- Pickup
- Hammamet, Sousse, Port El Kantaoui or Tunis, from your hotel or Airbnb
- Group size
- 1 to 12 people
A day in central Tunisia, at your pace
Group versions of the El Jem and Kairouan tour often last around twelve hours, with a pickup round and set stops along the way. Here the car is yours. You choose an 08:00 or 09:00 start, and the day runs in the order that suits the sites: Kairouan while its mosque is open, El Jem in the softer afternoon light.
Your El Jem and Kairouan tour, stop by stop
Kairouan comes first because its Great Mosque admits visitors only in the morning. El Jem follows after lunch: the amphitheatre stays open until 17:30 in winter and 18:30 in summer.
Pickup at your hotel
Hammamet, Sousse, Port El Kantaoui or Tunis, from your hotel or Airbnb
1h30 on the road
- 1
Stop 1
Kairouan
Founded in 670, Kairouan is one of the holy cities of Islam and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Start at the Great Mosque, then walk into the walled medina for carpets and makroudh, the date pastry the town is known for.
The courtyard of the Great Mosque, among the oldest in North Africa
The Aghlabid Basins, 9th-century open-air reservoirs
The mausoleum of Sidi Sahbi and its tiled courtyards
Carpet shops and makroudh bakeries inside the medina walls
45 min on the road
- 2
Stop 2
El Jem
Built around 238 AD for some 35,000 spectators, El Jem is the third largest amphitheatre of the Roman world and the best preserved in Africa. You can climb to the upper tiers and walk the galleries under the arena where animals and gladiators waited.
The upper tiers, for the view over the arena and the town
The underground galleries beneath the arena floor
The archaeological museum and its mosaics, a short walk away
1h30 on the road
What the day costs
The price covers the car and your whole group, up to twelve people. It depends on your pickup town, because Kairouan and El Jem are much closer to Sousse than to Tunis. Tickets are extra: in 2026 Kairouan and El Jem are both category A sites at 30 dinars per adult for foreign visitors.
Pickup from
| 1 to 4 people | 4 to 6 people | 5 to 8 people | 8 to 12 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| €90 | €120 | €130 | €160 |
What is included
The car, the driver and everything on the road are covered. What you buy at the sites, you pay at the sites.
Included in the price
Private air-conditioned car or van, for your group only
Driver for the whole day
Fuel, motorway tolls and parking
Pickup and drop-off at your hotel
Child seats on request, at no cost
Paid on the spot
Entry tickets, 30 dinars per site per adult in 2026
Lunch and drinks
Tips and personal shopping
Good to know before you go
Three details make the difference on this route.
Friday mornings in Kairouan
On Fridays visitors must leave the Great Mosque by about 11:30, before midday prayer. Choose the 08:00 start that day and you arrive with time to spare.
Cover shoulders and knees
The mosque asks everyone to cover shoulders and knees. Wraps are lent at the entrance for a small tip, but a light scarf in your bag is quicker.
Water and a hat for El Jem
The arena has little shade and the stone holds the heat. In summer the late afternoon is the most comfortable time to climb the tiers.
The route from your hotel
From Hammamet the motorway reaches Kairouan in about an hour and a half; from Sousse it is shorter. The map shows the full loop with both stops.
Combine it with another day
If the Roman side of this day is what you came for, these two routes take it further.
Questions about this day
What travellers ask us before booking.
Reserve your El Jem and Kairouan tour
Send the form with your date and hotel, and the programme, pickup time and driver's name come back to you in writing. Nothing is paid before the evening of the trip, so you can lock in your El Jem and Kairouan tour now and settle the details later.
El Jem and Kairouan tour
Private car with driver. Pay on the day.
€90
per car · 1-4 pers.
Pickup at your hotel
08:00
Arrival at Kairouan
~09:30
Back at your hotel
same day, 18:00
No deposit. Free changes up to 48 hours before.
From
From €90 per car