The World of St. Augustine

During Roman times Christianity flourished in what is now Tunisia.  Despite fierce persecution, the voices of church fathers Tertullian, Cyprian and Augustine of Hippo emerged from Carthage framed much of Western religious tradition.

Day 1 Friday – Arrival in Tunis/Carthage.  Optional walking tour in Tunis.

Tour begins in the capital city, Tunis.  We will begin with a walking tour of downtown Tunis, followed by a welcome reception at hotel. 

Dinner and overnight in Tunis at El Mouradi Gammarth Hotel (5*) 

Day 2 Saturday – Attend St. George’s Anglican Church service, Bardo Museum .

Breakfast at your hotel.  Morning visit to the Bardo Museum.  This internationally acclaimed museum contains the world’s best exhibition of Roman tile mosaics spread out over three floors in a former Byzantine palace. Here you will discover life under the Roman Empire through the mosaic art form.  The museum’s collection spans Prehistoric, Phoenician, Roman and Christian periods. The museum also contains a section dedicated to Arabic art.

Dinner and overnight in Tunis at El Mouradi Gammarth Hotel (5*)

Day 3 Sunday – Visit archeological sites in Carthage.

Breakfast at your hotel.  Spend the day visiting Roman and early Christian sites in ancient Carthage.  Today a suburb of the capital city, Carthage was founded in 814 BC by the Phoenicians.  As a merchant and military stronghold, it rivaled Rome for power in the Mediterranean region.  After three long and bloody wars, Rome completely leveled the city in 146 BC. Later Carthage rose again to become one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire.  Carthage had a large Christian community by the mid-200s AD.  Amongst its leaders were the famous theologians Tertullian (160-220) and the martyr-bishop Cyprian (200-258).  In the late 300s, Christian philosopher Augustine of Hippo studied for years in Carthage. Here in this city we encounter the heart of early North African Christianity.  We will retrace the steps of the early church at various sites in this corner of Tunis, including the Antonine baths, the ruins of the ancient citadel on Byrsa Hill, and the site of an early underground baptistry.

Dinner and overnight in Sousse at the Movenpick Resort Hotel (5*)  

Day 4 Monday – Free morning in Sousse. Afternoon visit to The Good Shepherd catacombs and El Jem coliseum. Continue to Sfax.

Breakfast at your hotel.  Sousse is the third largest city in Tunisia and attracts visitors seeking white beaches and lively summer ambiance.  It is also an ancient city with several UNESCO World Heritage sites reflecting a history dating back to Phoenician origins.  Among other interesting facts, Hannibal used Sousse as a military base during the 2nd Punic War with Rome in the 200s BC.  We will visit the city’s Christian catacombs, a series of underground tunnels containing 15,000 tombs where many martyred under Roman persecution are buried.  El Jem is the largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheater in North Africa (and the third largest in the Roman world). Built between 230 and 283 AD, it seated an estimated 35,000 spectators (in a town of only 40,000).  Walk out to the amphitheater floor and you can vividly imagine gladiators battling to the death and Christian martyrs facing the lions and other wild beasts.  The coliseum is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Then proceed to Sfax.

Dinner and overnight in Sfax. Hotel TBD.           

Day 5 Tuesday  – Depart Sfax to Mathmatha Troglydyte homes, sunset camel ride in Douz

The tour continues to Mathmatha where we will visit a Berber underground home, called a Troglodyte dwelling.  Here we’ll experience the Berber culture up close. A local resident will serve traditional bread with homemade olive oil, honey and tea.  This region is perhaps best known as Luke Skywalker’s home in the Star Wars movies. Douz – Called ‘The Gateway to the Sahara,’ Douz is a true desert oasis town.  Nomads have lived in this area for centuries, the summer sun scorches and sand invades the streets. We will take an optional one-hour camel ride through the dunes at sunset.

Dinner and overnight in Douz at Sahara Douz Hotel (4*) 

Day 6 Wednesday – Morning visit to Douz market.  Free afternoon in Tozeur.

Breakfast at your hotel.

After experiencing the weekly desert market in the main square, we will cross the Chott el Jerid, Tunisia’s largest salt flat on our way to Tozeur.  Tozeur is the grandest of all oases in the country containing over 400,000 date palms.  Some of the most succulent dates in the world come from this oasis watered by an irrigation grid over 1,000 years old. Enjoy the cool shaded canopy of palms, fruit trees and flowers in the middle the harsh desert.  The afternoon and evening are free for shopping, sightseeing, or rest. Optional afternoon excursions in 4x4 vehicle to Star Wars film site or stunning Chebika mountain oasis with abandoned Berber villages and vistas of southern Tunisia.

Dinner and overnight in Tozeur at Dar Cherait (5*)  

Day 7 Thursday – Depart Tozeur 7:30 am. Roman city of Speitla, afternoon visit to Grand Mosque and Medina in Kairouan.

Breakfast at hotel.

Speitla is the best-preserved Roman city in southern Tunisia.  Highlights include standing in ancient temples, baths, an amphitheater and Christian basilicas. Several significant 4^th-century baptistries are located at Speitla. Called Sufetela in Roman times, Speitla enjoyed great prosperity in the 2nd through 4th centuries and was at one point the capital of the province of Africa (rather than Carthage) under the Emperor Septimius Severus.  We will take a walking tour through the ancient city before driving north to Kairouan.  The former capital and spiritual center of Tunisia, Kairouan draws Muslim pilgrims every year from across North Africa for its religious significance.

The Grand Mosque, the oldest in Africa, represents the heart of the city and its surrounding medina (old-walled city) is a UNESCO World Heritage site bustling with traditional souks and carpet shops.

Dinner and overnight in Kairouan at El Kasbah Hotel (5*) 

Day 8 Friday – Depart Kairouan for 3-hour drive to Roman sites Dougga and Bulla Regia.

UNESCO qualified Dougga as a World Heritage site 1997 believing that it represents “the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa” (Wikipedia).. We will discover why with our expert as we revisit signifcant Phoenician and Roman ruins in the beautiful mountain setting. Nearby is Bulla Regia, the only Roman site in Tunisia where Roman houses were built underground. Many are still in tact with their original mosaics. Start at the public bath work your way around to the house of treasure, the house of the fish, and an early basillica and its baptismal. It will feel as though you have passed through time walking on the ancient roads linking that linked St. Augustine's rural hometown to Carthage.

Dinner and overnight at hotel in Ain Draham (4*) 

Day 9 Saturday – Depart Ain Draham to Tunis.  Afternoon in Tunis for packing, shopping.  Optional visit to Sidi bou Said.

Spend the afternoon discovering the charm of one of Tunisia’s  most picturesque villages, Sidi bou Said, with its colorful shops and bustling cafes. We will pause for an authentic North African mint tea at a favorite spot overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Dinner and overnight in Tunis at El Mouradi Gammarth Hotel (5*)

Day 10 Sunday – Airport transfer.  Departure.

The above tour is an all inclusive land package.
The starting day represents your arrival date in Tunis.  Tour prices include transportation, lodging, most meals and entrance fees.  Prices are based on double occupancy.  Hotel single supplement is $350.  Airport pickups and transfers within Tunisia will be arranged at no charge for clients arriving and departing on the scheduled days.

International airfare to and from Tunisia is additional.  Engaging Cultures Travel will be happy to assist in your air ticketing.