Kairouan Tour: Explore Islamic Heritage

Immerse yourself in the rich Islamic heritage and Roman architecture on a private day tour of Kairouan and El Jem. Explore the 9th century Aghlabid basins, the grand mosque, Sidi Sahbi, and the medina in Kairouan. Then, visit the impressive Roman amphitheater and the renowned Museum of El Jem in El Jem.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

The Great Mosque of Kairouan - The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is a historic Islamic landmark in Kairouan, Tunisia. Built in the 7th century, it boasts a blend of Islamic, Byzantine, and Roman architecture. Its iconic minaret, the “Tower of Uqba,” is a symbol of its grandeur. Serving as a center for worship,…

What's Included
  • Transportation in a tourism approved vehicle (insured for tourists)
  • Entrance fees to Kairouan and El Jem (if option selected)
  • Lunch (if option selected)
  • Licensed Tour Guide (if option selected)
  • Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off from Tunis, Hammamet or Sousse
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off from hotels in other cities
Additional Information

Discover Kairouan, the fourth most sacred city in the realm of Islam. The tour begins at the 9th-century Aghlabid basins, providing insight into Kairouan and its illustrious past. Progress to the grand mosque- the oldest in North Africa, and soon after the neighboring Sidi Sahbi, offering a glimpse into some Tunisian customs. Conclude the tour with a…

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
4.5
(57 Ratings)
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Nicholas_l
Feb 23, 2026
Mosque was fascinating... - Mosque was fascinating and the Roman amphitheatre was amazing! Guide was excellent, a decent amount of driving from Tunis but not an issue, just something to know in advance.
Review provided by Viator
Femflyer01
Feb 16, 2026
Fun Day - If you are coming from Tunis be ready for some time in the car. That said, our driver was really friendly and shared some tidbits of history along the way while we went to pick up our guide on the way to Kairouan. El Jem was amazing (I have been to the Colosseum in Rome a few times). I was surprised at how well preserved it was. We saw several old mosques and were pleased at the level of access we were allowed as non-Muslims (of course we were dressed respectfully). Had a great lunch as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Henk_f
Feb 10, 2026
Beautiful travel goals with top guidance - I had a private tour to Kairouan and El Djem (the large amphitheater). My guide Khaled and the driver Aschraf showed me a part of Tunisia in a pleasant and very informative way all day. The places we visited are beautiful and the guidance by the 2 gentlemen was superb. Tunisia itself is unfortunately a big garbage dump but the tour operator can't help it.
Review provided by Viator
Teodora
Jan 27, 2026
Khaled driving makes the difference - Our tour unfortunately took place on days of intense rain. Extraordinary weather conditions for that period. Fortunately we had an experienced Shihab driver and a great professional as Khaled guide who with anecdotes and great expertise made this day extremely interesting regardless of the weather.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laura_h
Nov 25, 2025
Great driver for trip to to El Jem/Kirouan - Just hire the driver to get to El Jem! My friend and I tried yesterday to take the train, but it broke down about one hour into the trip and was going to be three hours total to wait. So we abandoned the broken train and got back to Tunis via side trip to Hammamet. Today we hired a very nice fellow named Larbi from Saharan sky tour company. He picked us up at a convenient location in Tunis and drove us safely where we needed to go. Although a guide was not included in this Viator option, he kindly shared information about Tunisia and the places we were visiting. We were so glad to not deal with the train and have a clean and comfortable ride.
Review provided by Viator
Georgian1973
Nov 21, 2025
Expensive but packs in a lot - Very efficient. Good driver and knowledgeable guide. We would have missed lots if we’d done it under our own steam. Highlight was EL Jem amphitheater which was worth the long drive. Nearby museum also great. Lowlight was canteen style lunch in bland hotel. Perfectly edible but no more than that
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paolo_a
Nov 16, 2025
Exceptional accompanying guide - El jem is the best place to see in Tunisia, if you'll be given Jamel as a guide you'll experience a memorable journeyn
Review provided by Viator
Conor_j
Feb 9, 2026
Great destinations but guide gave no info on el jem ! - This tour was generally really great . We visited a smaller mosque next to kairkorum great mosque which was interested and the guide gave us interesting information. The great mosque was great to visit and would have been underwhelming without a guide. However the information we were given was a bit disjointed , he would point out different parts of the architecture and say a bit about it which was great , but gave us no idea of the history and importance of such a place. Why for instance is it the 4th or 5 th most holy place in islam ? We then went through the Medina in kairkorum which was fascinating to see authentic old Medina with people working in small shops down ancient streets , really cool . We then stopped for some quick lunch at a local place where locals were constantly queuing so grateful we got to eat in an authentic place not some tourist only place. I was vegan and able to eat there too which was a great suprise. After this point I felt the tour got a bit worse however . Our guide was sleeping in the car most of the time which is understandable with a long day but was a great opportunity to tell us more about the place we were going , el jem. The coliseum is breathtaking and speaks for it self . The guide told us we would have 1 hour there and then go home , when the itinerary said we would have 2 hours there and then go to an archaeological museum , I asked and he said he isn't told the itinerary , but he allowed us to go to the museum after but we still only had 1 hour at coliseum. The guide talked to us about the coliseum for 30 secs to 2 mins maximum....this in my eyes was totally unacceptable, to be told nothing of the history or importance of such a sight is unbelievable, he went back to the car to sleep or call his friends and we were left to take photos which was great to have the time but no info is unacceptable and this is why I chose this guided tour to have a guide in the coliseum! So in all good places but guide was ok or poor
Review provided by Viator
Mark_e
Nov 9, 2025
El Jem is impressive - The Colosseum of El Jem is amazing, impressive and relatively quiet compared to the one in Rome. Kairouan is also a very interesting place. I did this tour from Tunis and it is a long day with a lot of time spent in the car. The timings listed on the itinerary are a bit mis leading and the Kairouan Basins are closed for renovation. I felt we also didn’t see very much of Kairouan Médina. We didn’t spend the amount of time on the itinerary at each place. The guide provided some detail and facts but it wasn’t as detailed as I thought it was going to be. Having said that the guide did leave me to spend time on my own in each place. The guide left the driver and I at El Jem after lunch and the driver took me back to Tunis. I am not sure I would choose lunch again as there was no menu, it was chicken kebab and drinks were limited but the food was tasty and the restaurant overlooked the colosseum. It just would have been nice to be given a choice. I have to mention the driver Chakib. He spoke excellent English and he was an excellent driver. If I did the tour again I would do it with just a driver, no guide and no lunch. The communication with the company also wasn’t that great. I messaged at 7:00am the day before to confirm the tour given the amount this tour was costing and no one replied until 21:18. I had already gone to bed! I think communication could be better.
Review provided by Viator
Juliocarlos_a
Nov 9, 2025
Don't think about taking it - Too bad, I could say it's the worst service I've ever had, in fact I've tried to establish contact with Viator to get the money back.
Review provided by Viator
From $55
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).