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Tunis, Tunisia

Downtown Tunis

Introduction

Tunis is the capital of Tunisia and La Goulette port is the gateway to Tunisia, a modern country at the hub of North Africa. Tunis is an exceptional port with its historical and cultural heritage and 3000 years of civilization. The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Carthage is very close to Tunis.

Where You're Docked

Cruise ships dock at La Goulette Cruise Port. The cruise village is a unique terminal built as a Moorish Medina and offers several services including duty free shopping, hammam (spa), tourist information, and restaurants. There is a separate building for those on shore excursions. The port is 14km from the medina, 7km from Carthage, 11km from Sidi Bou Said and 20km from the Bardo Museum. Cruise schedule available from the terminal website http://www.goulettevillageharbor.com/

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Money and Tipping

The Tunisian Dinar (TND) is the currency of Tunisia and is equivalent to 1000 millimes. Tourist-friendly shops may take Euros or US dollars. A small tip 5-10% is appreciated when dining in restaurants and when taking taxis.

Local Transportation

From the terminal to downtown, Carthage or Sidi Bou Said, you can take the TGM (Tunis-Goulette-Marsa) suburban train. Be aware that train stations have poor signage for tourists. From the cruise village, head past the parking lot to find the train station Le Bac. To go downtown, take the train heading west one stop to Tunis Marine. You can switch to the metro/tram network and take line 4 to Place de la République station(for the Medina) or Bardo (for the museum). However, the metro is usually very crowded, has poor signage and an unreliable schedule, and may be confusing for tourists. To go to Carthage, take the TGM train heading east to Carthage-Hannibal station. There are a few stations in Carthage since it is a large area. Local currency will be required for the train or metro so try to get some change inside the cruise village. Fare is 0.68 THD (2 zone ticket) for both destinations. http://www.transtu.tn/

Registered taxis are yellow and white ones are for tourists (6 or 8 seats). Round trips from the terminal to the main tourist attractions have fixed prices depending on the destination and number of passengers.

Hotels

Search hotels in Tunis here

Sights

• Medina - the old city of Tunis centered around two mosques. http://www.medinatunis.com
• Carthage - A large city containing the ruins from its days as an ancient Roman capital. http://www.musee-carthage.nat.tn
• Bardo Museum - Located in the the former residence of the Bey (ruler) of Tunis. This museum houses many Roman artifacts from Carthage including a large collection of mosaics. Reachable by metro/tram, Le Bardo station. http://www.bardomuseum.tn
• Sidi Bou Said - a village overlooking the Gulf of Tunis with narrow streets lined with blue and white houses surrounded by flower gardens. Reachable by TGM.

Shopping & Restaurants

The shops in the souq of the medina offer a wide range of souvenir items and local crafts, including carpets, copper and brass ware, gold and silver jewelry, leather articles and the traditional red felt hats, called chechia. Bargaining is expected.

Local cuisine is based on a centuries-old tradition - brick, couscous, tajines, pastries and mint tea. Some restaurants provide live 'malouf' music performance for diners.

Post Office

There are mailboxes in the cruise village. Shops may sell stamps and postcards.

Internet

There is free wifi in the cruise terminal by the food court. Cafes and restaurants may provide free wifi for customers.

Maps (right-click to save)

Downtown Tunis

TGM Map

Metro/Tram Map

Weather

Tunis Weather Forecast

Suggested Port Guides

• Gibraltar
• Casablanca

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