Private Tour
Kairouan and El Jem Private Day Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Kairouan, the 4th holiest city in the Islamic world. The visit starts from the 9Th century Aghlabid basins with an introduction to the foundation of Kairouan and its glorious ages. Moving to the grand mosque, the oldest in North Africa, then the nearby Sidi Sahbi with an introduction to some Tunisian traditions. End the visit with a walk through the medina and its exotic charm. Visit of El Jem (Thysdrus) Roman amphitheater, the third biggest & the best-preserved one in the Roman world. Terminate with the visit of the famous Museum of El Jem.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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
Hotel pickup and drop-off from hotels in other cities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
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, scholarship, and culture, it remains a revered site for Muslims worldwide and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bassins Aghlabites
Discover the hidden oasis of tranquility at the Aghlabid Basins in Kairouan, Tunisia. These ancient reservoirs, dating back to the 9th century, are marvels of engineering and architectural ingenuity. Surrounded by lush greenery and adorned with intricate Islamic designs, the basins offer a serene retreat from the bustling city. Whether you seek a peaceful stroll amidst history or a moment of reflection by the water's edge, the Aghlabid Basins beckon travelers to immerse themselves in the timeless beauty of Tunisia's cultural heritage.
Options
Full-day Tour with lunch
Included in this option: Private Car and Driver ➕ Professional licensed guide ➕ Lunch ➕ Entrance Fees to Kairouan and El Jem
Pickup included
Full-Day Kairouan and El Jem
Duration: 8 hours
Van
Pickup included
Car and Driver only
‼️This option does not include: Guide, Lunch or Entrance fees (Kairouan 12 TND=3.8 US Dollars + El Jem 12 TND=3.8 US Dollars)
Pickup included
Full-day Tour without lunch
Included in this option: Private Car and Driver ➕ Professional licensed guide ➕ Entrance Fees to Kairouan and El Jem
Pickup included
Reviews
53 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great driver for trip to to El Jem/Kirouan
Laura H,
Nov 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Just 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.
Expensive but packs in a lot
Georgian1973,
Nov 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very 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
Exceptional accompanying guide
PAOLO A,
Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00El jem is the best place to see in Tunisia, if you'll be given Jamel as a guide you'll experience a memorable journeyn
El Jem is impressive
Mark E,
Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The 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.
Don't think about taking it
JULIOCARLOS A,
Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00Too 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.
Amazing tour of UNESCO heritage sites
Dabeer M,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide, Faysel, was incredibly knowledgeable and likeable. Very accommodating. We had plenty of time to browse for items.
Disappointed
Jonathan O,
Oct 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Please stop pretending that the comment previously left is not about your agency. This is your property, as the reservation was made directly on your website. Below is our reservation number for verification: SAH-77209342. We would like to express our disappointment with the provision of your guide. As we have already mentioned, he took us to several shops to encourage us to make purchases, which was absolutely not foreseen in the program. We did not pay for this type of experience. In addition, he told us that we did not have time to visit the Medina, although this visit was clearly mentioned in the performance. His attitude changed dramatically when we refused to buy a carpet from one of the shops he had taken us to. In El Jem, the guide only gave a brief explanation of just five minutes, before letting us visit the site alone, giving us only 20 minutes. It is difficult to understand how such a short visit can be considered sufficient, especially after more than 1h30 of travel to get there. Finally, we had to insist on visiting the museum, which the guide wanted to avoid under the pretext of lack of time. On site, we met several groups accompanied by guides much more professional and involved than yours. In summary, this experience fell short of our expectations and does not correspond to the Service Description or the level of professionalism expected for this type of excursion.
Disappointed
Compass50856782197,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00This trip is not satisfied for us. The car , the driver and the places are nice. But we regretted to book the trip with a guide! The guide brought us to 2 stores in Kairouan. The carpet store after the visit of big mosque wasted our lots of time, and the guide is not happy when we refused to buy the carpet. We didn’t even visit the Medina of Kairouan. And when we arrived in el jem, he presented 5 minutes with us in coliseum with info general, and then he let us visit along. And he said after that we back to the hotel. We took 1h30 from Kairouan to el jem, and he let us visit 20 minutes the coliseum then back to the hotel ?!?! I said that there is a museum around here , no? He said: we don’t have time for it ! And I insist, finally we visit 30mins the museum. Normally we could just book the tour with the driver, as we have our daughter with us. We thought with a guide, we will know more interesting history. But we are really really disappointed ! The guide just thinks about the commission with the store and restaurant !
It was a pleasure
H7315CXmaym,
Oct 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was an amazing tour and I would do it again. Hamdi, the driver, was great and there was no time pressure, just a good atmosphere. For someone, who travels alone, it is very relaxing and worthy the price.
It was everything great
Eukeria,
Oct 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our scale is a 5! It was everything great. Hichem Benmabrouk, from Saharansky made a great job. He was very flexible, gentel and proffesional. He was friendly and as he had lot of cultural knowledge, he explained us very national questions in the car traveling. The organisation and reservation was very easy too. Many thanks!!
Related Experiences
Operated by SAHARANSKY